The Yorubas

A really special breed, majorly found in the South-West of Nigeria. These breed of  people are evident in the core of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos  and Kwara states.

Having spent more than two and a half decades with these people, I would argue overboard that their culture is rooted in the spirits. The uniqueness of the language and attitude, the uniqueness of their names and its meanings that suit a particular occasion, time and purpose, the sense of unity (both at home and in diaspora), and more importantly, the uniqueness of their beliefs in traditional medical practice and outright 'syncretism'.

Having dominated the beautiful towns of Hackney and Backay in the London metropolis in the UK, it is difficult to accept that the towns are British owned as the infiltration of "Omo Oodua" in this small neighbourhood tells more than a thousand stories. Another visit to South Carolina state in the USA, states more than the obvious as Yoruba inhabitants are looking to create their own City in God's own country.

As the years mature in everyway, my fondness for the Yorubas take a different turn as I initially refused to believe it is a way of life among these beautiful people. Naivety, tribalism and a large number of its younger children exposed to intense labour, hawking, poor personal hygiene, toutism, lack of engaging in activities worthwhile among others, should be a huge turnoff from these folks. The number of unskilled and redundant youths are alarming. 

Arguably, these people would get a VIP slot for uncleanliness and poor personal hygiene, from the quality of their meals, which is poor and near tasteless to the absence of variety which pushes their delicacies to be fried, which modern medicine describes to be unhealthy to consume. The traditional Amala, Iyan and Lafun together with soups such as Gbegiri, Efo Riro and Ewedu mostly their lot. Their meals are usually dominated with more meat(usually fried), more pepper, less vegetables and even lacks variety.

Another aspect is the level of tribalism and nepotism. They favour their own and see a succesful opposition as either a threat or a total enemy. Sadly, they extend these habits to one another especially if one is doing better in the area of handwork or sales, and could go as far as using spirItual means to truncate such success. Even when you do well as a person in a given area of specialisation and you're worth a nod, you would be suprised how much you would be sidelined and replaced with a mediocre "Omo Oodua", just because you don't bear that name. 

Having lived with them for over 25 years, these folks would refer to other tribes as "Omo Igbo" and tag such people as desperate, wicked, inconsiderate and greedy. They see voodoo practice as a way of life which in my opinion ranks them as the highest people that practice "Syncretism". They could well go to churches or Mosques, yet have small shrines where they pour libations and offer funny items for protection.

They take a weary hold of religion, if it doesn't solve their immediate problems, and look for quicker diabolical means to set the ship to sail. One would no doubt agree that these people are conservative, with a strong will to do the extraordinary and equally a stronger desire to do the unthinkable. Even their own people think they're terrible in their disposition and can hardly point a finger where these South-Westerners come good.

Many may not necessarily subscribe to this assertion, but if you have lived among these folks and haven't observed any of the aforementioned; or you think any of the points have been exaggerated, identify it and draw an argument. As much as I love the South-West, most of its people and their dispositions are a "Modern Nightmare" and one to be wary of.

                            By Jeffrey Oparah