The Greeks, Egyptians, Britons, Romans who once had world dominance are quiet today, why are we not?

The Greeks, Egyptians, Britons, Romans who once had world dominance are quiet today, why are we not?

Femi OGUNLANA

I do wonder why Yoruba people especially are always propelled by unedifying values or operating within an ambience of misplaced priority. It’s always amusing. While the world is making waves in technology in different areas especially in artificial intelligence, when Elon Musk is dreaming and working towards populating the Mars with some one million people in about 25 years time, all that preoccupies us as Yoruba (or may be a large number of us) is which clan is superior. Energies, creativities that ought to be concentrated on developments are dissipated on unproductive rivalries and supremacy contests. A wa ma mura kankan (we flex muscle in desperate manner like possessed demons). If peradventure someone is eventually proclaimed as superior then what? Would he be awarded special grants? What powers do traditional rulers really hold today to be locked in bitter, fierce contentions on that! No people ever conquered the whole of Africa or even the whole of West Africa. So, why the constant feuds over who is the Numero Uno! It is misplace of priority, l reiterate.

Egypt once lorded it over Israel and many other peoples in parts of Africa and Middle East but today Israel and others have gained in ascendancy and Egypt knows best to allow its past glory to remain buried, it doesn’t brag today. The Athenians of Greece under Alexander the Great, conquered the known world then, Greece is quiet today, it doesn’t claim superiority over its former dominions. The Roman Empire remains one of the greatest, but once it lost it, it calmly accepted its fate, making the best of what is left. Great Britain created a vast worldwide empire including making America a colony. Today, it trails the USA and it allows the past to rest.

The Yoruba people should learn from that, we need to transport ourselves from the past to the present, it’s high time we stopped being trapped in antiquity. Korea had great monarchical dynasties from Go-Joseon to Gorguyeo, Shilla, Baekje to Balhee, Goyeo and Joseon, today the dynasties are extinct. One therefore is at a loss why we Yorubas constantly contend over what is gone in a bitter manner. The fact remains that the glory of the past is gone, everyone should rather seek new glories and conquests in accordance with today’s standards, moreover when it’s incontrovertible that the powers wielded in the past slipped and taken inevitably by new powers. It’s bunkum to claim that because your progenitors attained hegemonic which was however lost at some point, you the descendants will exercise such lost suzerainty over the new wielders of powers. It’s never done. If Britain calmly embraces the new order and queues behind US today, that is the standard that unquestionably should be allowed to trend.

Unfortunately, Oyo lost it, new powers arose. For her to reclaim the former authority, she has to re-assume dominance by rising above the powers that be today including government’s, to become unchallengeable again. Referencing the heights attained by Oranmiyan, Sango, Ajaka, Ajagbo and co that turned Oyo into a super power in Yorubaland as the basis of perpetual dominance when the referenced height got levelled during the reigns of Aole and his successors, is delusional. Such attempt will always stir opposition because it didn’t carry the former power into the present world. The colonial master that thrust it a facade of the power also eventually surrendered its powers. Thus, attempting to re-assert preeminence will constantly lead to eruption of crises. No one can be champion for ever.

Even, since Oyo has been creating ruckus over supremacy spanning decades what has ever changed! What will change? Well, things can change if only it rediscovers its magic to overpower other towns, installing its officials to manage or rule over them. Claiming superiority on the basis of a lost power is a mockery, mere fouling of the airspace, peace disruption and an unnecessary distraction.

Oyo should accept its fate – Oyo of old is not Oyo of today. Which Yoruba town can rival Eko today in terms of developments, economically and infrastructurally? We should be driven by a surpassing vision and not primordial sentiments.