Who Say the Yoruba are Cowards?

Oduduwa, the Yoruba progenitor

Did you know that the major actors responsible for the Victory of the ill fated civil war were Yoruba (General Benjamin Adekunle, General Olusegun Obasanjo, General Yinka Adebayo, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and several others). 

Did you know that it was only in Yoruba land that no case of "abandoned property" occurred? Unlike what happened in Port Harcourt and other parts of Nigeria during the civil war, the Yoruba kept the properties of Igbo people intact and returned them with proceeds of rents to their owners at the end of the war.

 

Did you know that it was only the Yorubas that stood by Ojukwu in his early days in exile despite being a treasonable felony to do so.

Did you know that no Igbo leader (not even one) had the guts to visit Ojukwu in exile within the first seven years. Only Yoruba like Wole Soyinka, Tai Solarin and others were brave enough to visit and spend time with him in Abidjan.

Did you know that out of all his contemporaries it was only the so-called Zik of Africa that ran abroad during the political turbulence of the late 60s.

Did you know that if Abiola was to be Igbo in the case of June 12th, they would not have gotten Obasanjo.

Did you know that despite the heroic welcome given to the late Ikemba upon his return from exile, the same Igbo people rejected him from becoming a senator less than a year later?

Yorubas are not cowards.

We are compassionate, deep thinkers who don't do things precipitously and we see way beyond tomorrow and now. We don't fight wars with the usual weapons when we can easily win with our brains. We don't make senseless noise just to attract needless attention or sympathy. We are warriors who use great ideas, intellect and strategies to fight wars. We can decide to lose a battle just to win a war. We are the most sophisticated microcosm of this entity called Nigeria. We are the "glue" that binds the Nigerian nation together.

We are Yoruba, Ómo To Ni Ran, Òmo Lua Bi.

We are the descendants of the great ODUDUWA.

Three Ways to Face Your Fears With Courage.

Here are a few techniques to help you build your courage and face your fears.

1. Put all remote possibilities out of your mind: Don’t worry about things you have no control over. Don’t spend your time thinking about all of the bad things that might happen to you. Don’t spend your time plotting and planning ways to make sure these things will never happen. 

2. Face your fears before you start something: Imagine difficult situations before they occur. Make a list of the worst that could happen, and you’ll probably see that the situation is not so bad after all.

A friend of mine lost everything a few years back—her home, cars, possessions, antiques, art, jewelry and credit. She lost it all. Now, on her way back up, whenever she’s faced with a tough decision, she asks herself, 'What’s the worst that can happen?' And guess what, she’s already been through the worst and she survived. It’s not an issue anymore.

You don’t have to lose everything to lose that particular fear. But once you face your fear, you can move on. Once you’ve figured out the worst that could possibly happen, you’ll see that you have the inner strength to deal with it if the worst scenario comes about. And here’s the best part: If you’ve looked at the possibilities beforehand, you’ll probably never be faced with the situation at all. Why? Because you’ve already been through it. By contemplating what might happen, you’ve charted your course to ensure that it doesn’t. 

3. Imagine the alternative: Picture the result of giving into your fears. Really feel the cost of being ruled by fear; then really feel the benefits of courageously following your ambition. Carefully weigh the two and see the difference. If you’ve been invited to address your national sales convention and are scared to death of public speaking, what should you do? You could decline the invitation, knowing full well that your fears are holding you back. Or you could take some classes, read some books, practice with a friend. See yourself stepping into a whole new league. You’ll be accepting the opportunity to gain more notoriety in your field. And you’ll be increasing your opportunities for future success.

Once again, it’s your choice. Be fueled by your fears, or face your fears. It all depends on how badly you want something. It all depends on how you choose to live your life; do you always want to be afraid of taking the next step, or do you want to build your courage and open the doors of opportunity? I know what my answer would be.

Courtesy: Jim Rohn.

There is Honor in Humility.

Mega Church Pastor Fred Price Jr. Steps Down because of Personal Misjudgments?


Back in those days, even though I was considered an unbeliever by the "righteous" people all around me, a typical Sunday of mine was never completed until I watched a sermon of Dr. Fred Price (the senior) on TV. The man preferred to be addressed as a teacher and not a pastor. And he was a great preacher! But then, he retired and imposed his son on the church. I heard that some members disagreed with him and quit the church.

Now, I got two lessons from this story: 

1. It takes a huge courage to do what this young man did here. How I wish many pastors (especially those in Nigeria) would have the same courage and humility to accept that they are mere mortals and that whenever they mess up as this guy just did, it's important for them to own up instead of carrying on as if they can do no wrong.

2. Why do a lot of modern-day pastors turn their ministries into a dynasty? Just because a man is "called" does not necessarily mean he is called along with his wife or son or daughter! Or was it because prophets Lot, Elijah, Elisha, Samuels and the rest of them didn't set up churches? Do we even know if any of the apostles in the new testament passed down their anointing to sons or daughters as some sort of legacies?

Photo of father and son. 

Men Without Guts.

I detest liars. And worse, I'm easily irritated and disgusted by men who lack the guts to make simple, truthful expressions. The most fundamental emotional difference between the two genders is the ability of a man to demonstrate "courage in the face of fire". But when a man lacks such courage when needed, he loses the character that defines him as a man. 

In the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Paris, there were condemnations from all across the world. Several people, irrespective of race, religion and nationality were outraged. And this was made manifest on the social media. In my own little way, I did express a personal, angry opinion on the Facebook.

Shortly afterwards, I got an in-boxed message from a friend in which he agreed and thanked me for the opinion. The guy however went on, in the message, to state how he would have loved post similar opinion on Facebook and other social media. And when I asked "Why not?" the guy went on the defensive by stating that he could not afford to offend his Moslem friends on Facebook. I was aghast!  

And there was a day I wrote a short essay on my blog in regard to the religious posturing and the gross pretense that pervaded the Christendom. I had hardly shared it on Facebook when a friend sent me an in-boxed message to ask why I degraded Christianity so much. I asked if he would like to dispute the facts outlined in the essay. He said no…but while my essay contained the truth about the Christendom, it was also embarrassing to read such “hurtful truth” written by a Christian such as myself.  

To me, these were among the most cowardly, shameful manners any man could portray himself. And I said as much to those guys at each occasion. And, of course, they were upset! Incidentally, they were upset not because I was wrong. Rather, it was because I had the gut to express myself so blatantly and so confidently… a gut that each of them lacked. 

Sadly, there are too many individuals and, especially men, who parade themselves on various social media as agents of freedom even though they lack the same freedom they pretend to champion. In reality, such people are mere Internet Tigers. All words and no action!