Monday, January 27, 2025 - Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo made a bold statement on Sunday, January 26, asserting that anyone who dismisses the significance of Ifa Orunmila “must be a bl00dy f00l.”
The former President expressed his views during an event in Abeokuta,
Ogun State, while hosting renowned female talking drummer, Olamuyiwa Aralola,
popularly known as Ara, to celebrate her 50th birthday. The gathering took
place at the Green Legacy Hotel and Resort within the Olusegun Obasanjo
Presidential Library (OOPL).
Obasanjo emphasized the importance of preserving African cultural
heritage, particularly Yoruba traditions, which he said predate the arrival of
Christianity and Islam.
“Culture is the totality of who we are. Unfortunately, we have relegated
some aspects of our culture to the background—our food, our language, our
dress, and so on.
“They even say Yoruba is vernacular. That is not right. Yoruba is
Yoruba; it is authentic, and we must learn to celebrate what belongs to us
because that’s the authentic.
“I am a Christian. I have been to two churches today, but whoever says
Ifa Orunmila is nothing must be a bloody fool. I will say that person is a big
fool because Orunmila has been with us before the advent of Christianity or
Islam. Ifa Orunmila means Olorun lo mo eni to ma la—‘It is Heaven
that knows who will be saved,’” he said.
Obasanjo also praised Ara, calling her a cultural ambassador and
commending her for breaking barriers in a male-dominated field.
“For whatever reason, we must preserve our culture. Ara is a woman of
culture; she is our cultural ambassador. She has lifted our culture and broken
the taboo surrounding what was once believed to be exclusively for the male
gender. She has not only excelled in this but is also nurturing young ones to
preserve her legacy.
“When I was growing up, there were two things you would never imagine a
woman doing: climbing a palm tree and playing the talking drum. Ara has broken
the taboo, and she has done it very well.”
The former President also urged young people to
emulate Ara’s commitment to excellence, saying, “Whatever good your hands find
to do, do it well, and I will celebrate you. The lesson here is that nothing is
unimportant in any area of human endeavour.”
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