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REMEMBERING MY FATHER AND HIS YORUBA TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHY FIVE YEARS AFTER HIS DEMISE

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7 years ago

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BY: FEMI ODUFOWOKAN

Exactly five years today, 29th May 2013, my father, Chief John Abolaji Odufayo Odufowokan of Odunuga dynasty of Ijebu Land answered the call of Almighty. He died at an advanced age, about ninety years old.
He was a highly intelligent man despite the fact that he had little education (standard two) but equipped with the good dose of Yoruba traditional philosophy. He was a man that usually held strongly to his positions on issues unless you could convince him with superior positions or arguments. Sometimes, I had intentionally stuck to my position while I engaged him and not expecting him to easily detect my intent of wanting to engage him. He had told me on those occasions, “ti o ba gba temi, mo gba ti e” that is, “if you do not agree with my position, I agree with yours.” He would purposely say this statement to end the argument.
I remember him every day since his demise. One principle that he held and passed to those of us that lived with him and close to him is “Seven O’clock to Seven O’clock” (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) principle. My father would not go out of his house before seven a.m., and as a matter of his principle, he must be back in his home by seven p.m. As a young boy living with him in Ibadan, he had explained the rationale behind his “7 to7” principle to me. He said that the society was full of wicked people and wicked people mostly operate under the covers of night. Wicked people are not necessarily diabolic or occult practitioners alone, but those who can physically harm another person. By seven a.m. and till seven p.m., you can see people coming behind you and people going in your front or sideways. If need be for you to run to safety you will run and if by a chance you are harmed people will see the person that is responsible. On further probing him as to who would want to harm me, a young boy of the elementary school.
He had answered, “Ti owo ko ba ka igi araba, owo a ka egbo idi igi araba.” which has a meaning that if araba tree is too big and strong to be cut down, the roots of araba tree would be easier to cut. He also told me that “oru ko mo eni owo” i.e. darkness does not know a man of honour. Since that time, “7 to7” principle has always been part of me. On some occasions when I have to stay outside beyond “7 to 7”, particularly for political activities or any other compelling reason, I am always conscious and careful. I carried this to the extreme sometimes, for an example, when my children some time ago wanted to go to the mall around 8:00 p.m., in that part of the world, the weather was just like 6 p.m. of Nigeria time. When I told them it was late and that my father had told me and that we should always obey “7 to 7” principle and the reason behind the principle.
They started laughing and replied that even though it was 8:00 p.m., but it was not dark and besides the place is 24 hours country with sufficient security architecture. Not knowing what to tell them, I restored in telling them that one must not disobey his or her father, my father had said “7 to7”, and I am also telling you same.
Another interesting Yoruba philosophy that I learned from my father was when he had told a man at Ibadan where my father was the head of motor spare parts sellers of people that are of Ijebu origin. The position entrusted to him required that he was settling disputes that concerned Ijebu spare parts sellers. This man came to my father for some advice. At that time when my siblings and I were back from school, we were staying with my father at his shop. The man told my father that he doubted the paternity of his last child from his wife. My father asked him if he had any full proof or evidence (eri ti o da ju) that the child was not his, (there was no DNA or probably not popular then), but he gave a negative response. At this time, my father responded that “eni to ni igi obi lo ni eso ori e” i.e., the owner of the kola-nut tree is the owner of the fruits or seeds on the tree. As the husband of the woman, that the man is the owner of the child. I didn’t understand the basis of such declaration by my father until I was in part three of law programme, where the late Prof. Jelili Adebisi Omotola (Omo T) was teaching us land law. He told us one Latin word and the meaning i.e. “qui qui patator, solo solo cedi” which means whatever that is attached to the land belongs to the land. If someone erects a permanent fixture on another person’s lawful land, such a structure belongs to the owner of the land. Explicitly, whatever that is found attached to the land or underneath the land (other than mineral resources) belongs to the owner of the land. I understood the professor’s lecture better with “eni to ni igi obi lo ni eso ori e” that I had heard from my father when I was young.
Among other interesting Yoruba wise sayings, I learned from my father is “omo eye to nko fifo to fe ba adan fiiye gba ara, ile lo ma ba ara e”, meaning a young bird that is learning the art of flying game with a bat will fall on the ground. Naturally, a bat is that species of bird that has both the features of a bird and a rat. It is so skillful in flying to the extent that it can turn its head upside down. I heard this from my father when a younger woman was trying to engage in a fight with another older woman. The younger woman was so abusive and had no regard or respect for the older woman and the generality. Not quite long, the younger woman lost one of her grandsons living with her. She was so pained while crying and wailing, she said she was punished and cheated. As a young boy when I asked my father who punished and cheated the woman and for what reasons? My father said a young or baby bird that is just learning the art of flying is engaging in flying games with the bat that is why the younger woman fell on the ground. After much pressure from me, he told me that if truly the younger woman was punished and cheated from the quarter she suspected, she must have passed her boundary and did not known the limit of her strength compared to the older woman.
Another related Yoruba saying/proverb to the above, but seems to be contradictory to the above wise saying is an acknowledgment of powerlessness,at times of supernatural human being. As a young qualified lawyer, I went to the village where I met my dad. He had gone to the village before me. On getting there, I met him with a woman from another village selling pap (my father favourite meal in the morning), after greetings, I wanted to sit down, but my father wanted me to go greet people at the village about fifteen houses before I settled down. The woman objected on the ground that people are wicked that my father should not allow me to do such as he introduced me to the woman as his newly qualified lawyer and son. My father said for two reasons I should go round. Firstly our village is unique in the sense that it is a neclus family settlement. We are all from the same grandfather or great-grandfather – Odunuga. There is nobody in the village that is not our family or relation. Secondly, and perhaps the gist of the matter, my father said, “Oju oso ati aje ni won se bi oba ilu.” Meaning, witches, and wizards were alive and aware when the king of a town was born. I comprehended the saying literarily to mean that, if super natural human beings are interested in harming you as an adult, they could have done that before you were born or when you are an infant. Anytime I reflect on his Yoruba philosophies, I usually agreed with his saying that “ogbon, imo ati oye ko dogba” i.e. wisdom, understanding and knowledge are not the same. Having knowledge of something or situation may not necessarily mean you have an understanding (which is deeper) and of course, wisdom transcends both knowledge and understanding. May the Almighty Lord grant and continue to endow us with the trinity of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. There is no better way for me to remember him than the usefulness of the lessons of his Yoruba traditional philosophy.
“Erimoje olodo bi ere, o ba obinrin sun tomu tomu, aduro ki oba lodo Esa, Odimoro omo olowo ape, Olalomi Olofamojo”. Sleep on, sleep well, my father and my friend. I am benefitting from many of your Yoruba Philosophies.

CHIEF FEMI ODUFOWKAN
****Chief Femi Odufowokan is the immediate past council Chairman of Ijebu North East Local Government in Ogun State and a Lagos based Legal Practitioner

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FALSE CLAIMS STEMMING FROM MISINTERPRETED BOARDING VIDEO POST

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5 hours ago

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December 21, 2024

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Our attention has been drawn to a video circulating online and on social media on the boarding of Air Peace passengers on flight P47123 from Abuja to Lagos on December 20, 2024. This report is false, mischievous and misleading.

The false video post was designed by some faceless individuals with the intent of misleading the flying public to cause confusion and distraction for management of Air Peace and its stakeholders including the regulators.

On the day in question, there were flight delays because of poor weather conditions, specifically harmattan-induced haze and fog, which is common at this time of the year, and which significantly limits visibility and impacts flight operations nationwide.

To ensure that passengers continued their journeys with minimum disruptions, Air Peace deployed three aircraft to Abuja to evacuate all the passengers. While processing them for their flights at the boarding gate, passengers overwhelmed both the FAAN and boarding officers and rushed to the airside. Duty managers and ramp officials then had to mount barricades in front of the motorized step to differentiate passengers on flights.

While we empathize with you, our loyal customer, we condemn in very strong terms the misinformation, insults and deliberate falsehood disseminated in the video post. Such representations are not reflective of our values or operations.

There is no truth in the allegation, and we urge the public to disregard the report in all its entirety.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this period and sincerely regret any inconvenience these delays may have caused you. The safety of our passengers and crew is our utmost priority.

At Air Peace, safety is not just a priority but a fundamental precondition for all our activities. We remain committed to maintaining safe and timely operations.

For further assistance or inquiries, please contact us via callcenter@flyairpeace.com.

 

 

SIGNED

Dr. Ejike Ndiulo

Head, Corporate Communications

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Christmas, Cash Scarcity and Attacks against CBN’s Proactive Stance – Toni Kan

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1 day ago

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December 20, 2024

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Let us look at a few figures……..

Nigeria’s population is put at a little over 200 million people while the UK population is about 68 million. This means that the Nigerian population is about three (3) times that of the UK.

As at June 2023, the UK banking system had about 49,421 Automatic Teller Machines and almost 2.3 million Point of Sales Terminals.

By contrast, the Nigerian banking system had a little over 22,600 ATMS according to TechCabal and is projected to reach 29,000 by 2029 according to Statista. Conversely, Nigeria boasted 1,665,664 POS terminals as at December 2022. Meanwhile, figures attributed to Inlaks, which is described as Nigeria’s biggest ATM operator, suggest that Nigeria needs at least 60,000 ATM machines to serve its population of over 200 million.

Where is all this going? Well to borrow a phrase from the comedian, Jeff Foxworthy; hold my beer, sir!

Those who know me well know what my favourite Igbo proverb is. It goes something like this in translation – “the disease that gives you warning, does not kill you!” It is a proverb that underlines the imperative of proactivity, what the Igbo people might call igba mbo.

So, I was really pleased when I read that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was taking a proactive step to ensure that there is no cash scarcity this Christmas.

Nigerians love cash and that love can become obsessive and reach fever pitch at festive periods. Have you been to Abeokuta during Ojude Oba? Or to Kano during the Durbar? Or Onitsha during Ofala? Those are regional festivities. So, you can imagine what happens at Christmas!

All efforts at driving a cashless policy and economy seem to collapse when festivities come around the corner and this year, the CBN was quick to take proactive action weeks before the festivities reach fever pitch. But the apex bank’s interventions seem to be having unintended consequences even though as at the time of writing this, the apex bank had put out three (3) different circulars and one press release around the issue.

First, is a not-so-surprising pushback from the banks and then a seeming lack of understanding by the general public no thanks to rampant mis-information.

The issue of cash scarcity around the Christmas period worsened under the sway of Godwin Emefiele at the CBN. The fall-out from the disastrous naira redesign he superintended over at the apex bank continues to haunt our banking vaults but Olayemi Cardoso and team are focused on making sure we turn that dark corner.

Let us begin with the first circular dated November 29, 2024: “Cash Availability Over the Counter in Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).” The circular had two sections: DMBs were directed to ensure efficient cash disbursement to customers Over the Counter (OTC) with the CBN insisting that it will enforce the directive and ensure compliance.

Secondly, members of the general public were encouraged to report instances where they are unable to get cash Over the Counter or through ATMs. The CBN ended with a list of 37 email addresses and phone numbers across the 36 states and FCT for reporting issues.

On paper, it looked like Nigerians and the cash worries were all sorted this Christmas but it didn’t take time for the expected pushback to occur. News reports began to circulate of long queues at banks and of ATMs struggling to dispense more than N10,000. “NAN reports that long queues have emerged at ATM stands around the city as residents struggle to have access to cash…Meanwhile POS operators are currently taking advantage of the situation to demand exorbitant charges on transactions.”

While Nigerians were still trying to make sense of the reason behind the long queues, another report had an official of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions (ASBIFI) pointing fingers. According to the report, “ASSBIFI President, Olusoji Oluwole, told the Punch that “Banks have only two sources of cash: the CBN and retailers. The CBN has not met banks’ demands, and retailers often sell cash for profit, making it harder for banks to access funds.”

As if in response to the charge, the apex bank responded “with their full chest” as we say on social media with a December 13, 2024 circular – Updated Penalty on Inappropriate Cash Disbursement Practices by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in which it condemned the “illicit flow of mint banknotes to currency hawkers and other unscrupulous economic agents that commodify naira bank notes thus impeding efficient and effective cash distribution to banks’ customers and general public.”

Giving bite to the circular the CBN said any bank found culpable of “facilitating, aiding or abetting, by direct actions or inactions, illicit flow of mint banknotes” would be fined N150m and then hit with the full weight of the relevant provisions of BOFIA 2020.

This time no pointing fingers were seen but the CBN was not done. Eager to completely squelch rumours around “the validity or lack thereof of the old ₦1000, ₦500, and ₦200 banknotes” the refusal of which was contributing to the long queues, the CBN issued a press release shutting it down: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has observed the misinformation regarding the validity of the old ₦1000, ₦500, and ₦200 banknotes currently in circulation….the CBN wishes to reiterate that the subsisting Supreme Court ruling granted on November 29, 2023, permits the concurrent circulation of all versions of the ₦1000, ₦500, and ₦200 denominations of the Naira indefinitely.”

The third circular from the CBN which it said was in line with its “ongoing efforts to advance a cash-less economy” seems to have hit a raw nerve among Nigerians who, as we have already noted, love their cash even though it is now an offence to spray the naira.

News outlets also seemed to also get it wrong. The CBN circular of December 17, 2024 did not put a limit on how much cash you and I can withdraw from banks. The limits imposed in the circular titled – CIRCULAR ON CASH-OUT LIMITS FOR AGENT BANKING TRANSACTIONS – are “for agency banking operations” and as reported by TheCable is among interventions intended to address “identified challenges, combat fraud and establish uniform operational standards across the industry.”

Now, can I have my beer back as I attempt to outline how easily well-intentioned policies are rubbished by that euphemistically named malady known as the “Nigerian factor”.

The ASBIFI official was quick to point fingers even though simple logic can show that Over the Counter cash scarcity and at ATMs has little to do with the CBN or its cash distribution operations but with our Nigerian any-how-ness.

Let’s consider this. How is it that banks cannot fill up 22,600 ATMS, most of which are within or in close proximity to their branches but can afford to give cash to 1.6m PS operators? Doesn’t this seem to suggest that someone is out to make sure that the ATMs don’t have cash while the PoS operators continue to make a killing?

And why does it seem right that Nigerians should continue to pay between N250 and N400 per N10,000 withdrawals to PoS operators when ATM charges are far lower at N35 and only after you have made multiple withdrawals from other bank ATMs?

Oh, bankers have said ATMs are difficult to maintain on account of several factors and this takes us back to the figures we shared from the UK. Of the 49,421 ATMs in the UK, “78% were free to use” during the period under reference. So, why do we always talk about maintenance when it comes to Nigeria? Imagine if we paid N10 per ATM transaction, wouldn’t that be better than paying N250 to a PoS operator for every N10,000 withdrawn?

And for context, in 2014, data on various e-payment channels indicated that Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) remained the most patronised payment mode in Nigeria accounting for 89.7% of all electronic transactions with PoS transactions accounting for just 4.58 per cent. Today, the reverse is the case and the question to ask remains; what changed? The answer has something to do with financial inclusion but that is a topic for another day.

As you ponder that poser, ask yourself why is it always difficult to get mint bank notes over the counter in the banks meanwhile, step into any event center and you will see some hawker waving bright new notes in your face. Surely, they don’t get those notes from the CBN.

When the CBN referenced the Supreme Court ruling granted on November 29, 2023 to the effect that the old notes are still legal tender, their X Formerly Twitter page was filled with bile. But what many are failing to contend with is that the current leadership is only trying to make sure the mess they inherited doesn’t get worse.

As we prepare for Christmas and the New Year the advice is simple; go to your bank and ask for your money or withdraw from the ATMs and if you suspect any funny business, email or call the hotlines provided by the CBN.

Say no to any-how-ness this yuletide.

 

Toni Kan is a PR expret and financial analyst.

 

 

 

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Aviation Minister Leads Delta APC Leadership To National Chairman, Advocates Unity Ahead of 2027 Elections

Published

2 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo SAN, today, led the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, to the National Chairman of the APC, His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at the APC National Headquarters in Abuja.

 

During the meeting, the Delta APC leaders briefed the National Chairman on the current state of the party in the state and the ongoing efforts to reconcile party members. They presented the report of the Reconciliation Committee, which has been approved by the Delta State APC State Working Committee (SWC) and earlier submitted to the National Chairman.

The delegation emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating that the era of a one-man leadership style in Delta APC is over. They reaffirmed their collective commitment to working as a united team to reposition the party and strengthen its prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections. This new direction was evident in the composition of the high-powered delegation that visited the National Chairman.

 

In his response, the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, commended the Delta APC leadership for their efforts to foster unity and ensure the party’s victory in future elections. He assured them of his commitment to work with Delta APC leaders, including those absent from the meeting, to build a united and formidable front. During the meeting, Dr. Ganduje also spoke with Delta State APC Chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, who was unavoidably absent due to health reasons, and wished him a swift recovery following his recent surgery.

 

The delegation to the meeting comprised prominent leaders of the Delta APC, including: Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, OON-Founding Leader of APC in Delta State,

Elder Godsday Orubebe- Former Minister,

Senator Ede Dafinone,

Senator Joel Thomas-Onowakpo,

Rev. Francis Waive- Member, House of Representatives and

Hon. Victor Ochei-former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly.

The meeting was concluded with a renewed sense of purpose among the Delta APC leaders and a shared commitment to repositioning the party for electoral success in 2027.

 

 

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