The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, on Saturday said the unity of the people of the country lies in their cultures and traditions.

Senator Shettima made this known during the celebration of the 37th edition of the Akesan day held at the Christ Apostolic Grammar School, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, where he also said the Akesan day is a testimony to the potential that lies with the citizens of the country when they unite under the banner of their shared heritage.

The Vice President, who also called on the people of the country to harness the past to show a brighter future for generations to come, added that Nigerians should also learn from Iperu-Remo the spirit of unity for operational determination.

Shettima while thanking Governor Dapo Abiodun and the people of Iperu-Remo for reminding the government and people of the country of the sociology and economics of culture in nation building through the preservation of beautiful tradition, added that in celebrating culture, the people also celebrate their identity and pride.

While noting that the country would forever cherish the sacrifices Governor Abiodun and the people of Iperu-Remo have made serving as guardians of tradition, preserving cultural legacy and forstering unity among the people of the country, noted that the festival like previous ones before it speaks of the essence of the unity the people have forged as a nation.

“The Akesan festival stands as a testimony to the potential that lies within us when we unite under the banner of our shared heritage.

“This edition of the festival like the ones before it speaks of the essence of the unity we have forged as a nation, it symbolizes the heart beat of our nation.

“I commend you for investing significant time and resources to establish Iperu-Remo on the map and to remind us of this heritage.

“You have reinforced the identities and pride of our communities, forstering their patriotism and their commitment to persuing our collective progress and nurturing the bonds that bind us as a people,” he said.

The Akarigbo and Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Oba’s, Oba Babatunde Ajayi congratulated Governor Abiodun on his victory at the Court of Appeal, calling on all parties involved in the legal battle to sheath their swords and come together for a more prosperous state.

On his part, Governor Yahaya Bello said the people of Kogi and Ogun states have inter-married, describing the Akesan day celebration as a wonderful event that would continue to forster unity among the people of the state and the country as a whole.

In his remarks, Governor Abiodun disclosed that the people of Iperu-Remo share cultural affinity with the people of Ife, Oyo and Ijebu Ode, adding that his administration would continue to promote culture and tradition.

Governor Abiodun noted that commercial operation would soon begin at the Ogun State Agro Cargo Airport, which is nearing completion,saying that his administration would continue to build on the successes of the first term.

Abiodun, while commending the judiciary for upholding the rule of law, promised not to betray the trust of the people of the state.

In a bid to revive history and culture, a mesmerizing stage performance recounting the epic Kiriji War of the 19th century, one of the longest civil wars in human history, is set to captivate audiences across the South West in the coming months.
The ambitious project, a collaboration between the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) and Legendary Productions, an esteemed international art and culture concern, is helmed by renowned artist Abiodun Abe, whose artistic contributions have garnered acclaim in Nollywood and international film festivals.
According to a press statement signed by Adewale Adeoye and Segun Balogun, Chairman and Secretary of the Publicity Committee respectively, the project will feature over 50 top artists from around the world, joined by over 10,000 participants at various levels.
Described as a massive undertaking that will involve months of an artist residency, the performance serves as a stepping stone toward the establishment of the first Yoruba Museum of War History. The statement emphasized the significance of the Kiriji War as a pivotal event in Yoruba history, encompassing struggles for justice, liberty, and an egalitarian society. It further stressed the aim of the project to bring together artefacts, weaponry, and historic materials associated with the war, currently dispersed and disorganized, within the proposed museum.
Highlighting the rich and remarkable civilization of the Yoruba people, the press statement acknowledged the extensive documentation of their history dating back to the 9th century. It underscored the unique role of Yoruba history in shaping African and black heritage, instilling a sense of dignity, respect, and recognition worldwide.
The Kiriji War, spanning from 1776 to 1886, stands as a notable cultural, political, social, and economic milestone in Yoruba history. The press statement emphasized that wars are not waged by the impoverished, but by brave and heroic individuals and nations with prosperous economies.
The media team emphasized the unique characteristics of the Kiriji War, such as the preservation of innocent lives, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Cease fires lasting for months were observed, demonstrating principles of diplomacy and humanity. The statement highlighted the war’s diverse aspects, ranging from political unity, preference for federalism, and cultural significance to military science, intelligence gathering, and tales of courage and resilience.
Technological innovations and scientific advancements played a pivotal role in the Kiriji War, with both parties employing creative strategies, military tactics, and imported weapons from Europe, particularly Hamburg in Germany. The signing of the peace treaty in 1886 united prominent Yoruba Obas and revitalized the Yoruba Nation with a renewed sense of brotherhood and common ancestry.
The press statement concluded with thought-provoking questions about the burial grounds of the war heroes, the locations and syllabi of military schools, and the impact of the war on global diplomacy. These inquiries shed light on the extensive influence of the conflict, including the involvement of British intelligence and its subsequent impact on expeditions in Africa and Asia.

The Quickest Way to Kill A Nation

Pepeye, nigba too m’owe
Ki lo be l’udo se?*

Incompetence weds Corruption**
And a dark, unruly tragedy is born
As the Nation thrashes about
Like a snake without a head

Do you really wonder
Why so much power
Should be thrust upon
Those with so little sense

Do you wonder why
Those with no eyes
Have forced their way
To the fore front of our chase?

They who have no heads
Have stolen our caps
Those with no legs
Have taken over the daintiest of our trousers

Toasting the talisman of tribe and tongue
Invoking the charisma of creed and class
They sneak their serpents
Into the quietest corner of our garden

Jumble up the geography
Of our bearings
And exploit the sorrowful saga
Of our grand un-remembrances

Always, the wrong foot forward
Then our tales of incessant woes
How can a land so lavishly endowed
Be so medievally misruled?

The mindless clique who rule our pack
Have killed our soul and frittered our faith
Those incapable of thinking
Have now turned our “Leaders of Thought”

2

Lukurumusu wrested our Golden Crown
And headed straight for the putrid mud
His mouth stuffed with the corpses
Of assassinated oaths

Fierce and frequent was
His quest for that Crown
He crawled, caviled cajoled, cried in countless bids
Till a mongrel coalition rewarded his frenzy

Now up in the saddle
And finding, so fast, the Crown
Too big for his middling head
As an unraveling Nation rues its fatal choice

The Nation bleeds from all pores
Old separatist animosities re-draw the map
As Luku retreats into a conclave of clan and cronies
Merit and Good Judgement his prime disposable virtues

Clan over competence, tribe above truth
Square pegs in round holes
And the Nation grabs the reverse gear
And speeds, break-neck, into medieval darkness

3

Now Bandits stoke our fears
An oil-drenched Nation lacks
The brain to power its progress
A mindless paint-over of a battered currency

Has thrown the nation’s debt-drained economy into a tailspin
The ‘cashless’ country dreamed up by
Emefailure, Chief Witchdoctor of the National Vault,
Has turned Nigeria into the saddest joke of the Universe

From the rocky seat of power
It has been silence, empty, disdainful silence
But why did Luku fight so hard for this Crown
When he knew it was too heavy for his head?

Unspeakable hardships harass our being
Untimely deaths deplete our ranks
There is not a single corner in this land
Untouched by this plague from our mindless Pharaoh

Unhappy the land where rulers cannot THINK
And/or are too haughty to know
The world asks with impatient consternation:
Why is Lukuland such a Netherworld of Fools?

Ignorance kills a Nation
Our own is already close to a disgraceful grave
What do you do with/to a Nation
Which so conscientiously disables the able?

———————-

* Oh Duck, why your frantic craving for the river
When you knew you lacked the power to swim?

** For more on Meritocracy and Competence, see Nigeria and I: Getting Politics Right to Make Nigeria Work, by Ladipo Adamolekun

Credit: Niyi Osundare