By Lasisi Olagunju

Beyond its outer casing of spirituality, the post of Imam in Yorubaland potentially guarantees prestige, power and prosperity. That is why people fight to be Imam as grisly as princes fight to be king.

But when siblings fight to the death, they lose their chest to outsiders. The Yoruba Muslim community is almost always at war with itself. The League of Imams and Alfas of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta in April this year scrambled to douse a fire over who should be their mufti. The mufti is the jurisconsult in Islamic jurisprudence. Two persons were named by two contending power blocs. The league, in a signed public statement in April this year, asked both to stay off the post. There has been some quiet since then. In Ogbomoso, there is a very bad division over the leadership of the Muslim community in the town: the Chief Imam on one side, a section of the Muslim community led by the Aare Musulumi on the other side.

Some Yoruba Muslims are angry that the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Oloye, a Christian, issued a query to the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso. I read comments from some of them and chucked to myself. When you make someone to hire you, you should expect the day he will fire you. But, everyone conversant with the case knows that the real problem of the Imam is not with the oba. It is a family sore that has festered into a full-blown Muslim-Muslim civil war. The palace originally came in as an arbitrator but because it went about it as Tortoise did while separating a street fight between Shrew and Squirrel, it now nurses a bleeding nose.

Shouldn’t history have been a guide? In all Yoruba towns where cracks among Muslims have occurred, lizards stay put there. Some of those divisions and difficulties date back almost 200 years; some of them still subsist. The secretary of the defunct Muslim Congress of Nigeria, in a July 6, 1950 letter to the colonial secretary, pointed at such unfortunate Muslim-Muslim disputes over imamship in Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta, Ife, Iseyin, Ondo and Ijebu Igbo. G.O. Gbadamosi’s ‘The Imamate Question Among the Yoruba Muslims’ (December, 1972), speaks to that matter and several cases of fights and wars over leadership among Yoruba Muslims. T.O. Avoseh’s ‘Islam in Badagry’ and his ‘A Short History of Epe’ also detail some of those crises and their fractious implications on the early years of Islam in Yorubaland. There is also Toyin Falola’s ‘Islam and Protest in Colonial South Western Nigeria’ (1991).

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You may find this piece of history from Gbadamosi (1972: 236-237) to be of interest: “In Iseyin in 1941, the office of the Chief Imam became vacant, and a dispute arose as to the succession. A very vocal section of reformers were unwilling to allow the Naib, Afa Busari, to succeed. Afa Saminu of Oke-Ola quarter was preferred by and large for his learning and other qualities. Controversy raged. In the attempt to resolve this issue, the local ruler, Aseyin (of Iseyin) acted and proclaimed another person (Afa Mustafa) as Imam. He had him turbaned, and claimed a rightful appointment. The other side challenged this and reported the matter to the Alaafin and Council.” They also petitioned the Senior Resident asserting that “the question of the selection of a Chief Imam ought not to have political influence…” The Resident “found that Afa Saminu was more popular with the people than Busari (36 v 16) but the Aseyin still insisted on his third candidate. As a compromise, the office of Deputy Noibi was offered Saminu” but his supporters argued that it was not customary among Muslims “that after the Chief Imam, there should be a deputy besides the Ratibis of each individual quarter who are deputies over whom the Chief Imam is alone superior…” The historian reports that “so, both sides had their own Imams and the two original factions prayed separately” amidst “abusive songs and parades.” The above shows how long the journey of rifts has been for the Yoruba Muslim.

Back to Ogbomoso. You would think that it would always be true that what founds a town rules the town (ìdá’lùú ni ìsèlú). In November 2021 when he was appointed as the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Dr Taliat Oluwashina Yunus Ayilara went online and announced the process that made him the number one Muslim in Ogbomoso: “About a month ago after the demise of the late Imam of Ogbomoso, I was beckoned by my family to fill the position. After a long process of screening, I was appointed today, 11th November, 2021 by the Soun of Ogbomosoland as the 13th Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland.” There is a video online that shows him being installed as Chief Imam, not in the central mosque, but inside the palace – which makes him a chief of the Soun. There is a video showing where the Imam describes his office as an extension of the palace and mis-defines himself a staff member of the oba. Ancient Romans were very deep thinkers. They had a maxim for a situation like this: “volenti non fit injuria” – meaning, “to a willing person, it is not a wrong.” You cannot knowingly and voluntarily submit to a relationship and cry blue murder as a result of the result.

For the king, the Ancient Romans again. They said “Injuria non excusat injuriam” – a wrong does not excuse a wrong. I strongly think the Soun should not have allowed himself to be led into the dark hole of querying the Imam. He should have continued to watch the show but monitor the temperature to avoid a ruptured vessel. The oba’s status as a pentecostal pastor politically disqualified him from directly moving against the Imam. Even if he was encouraged to take that step by opposition Muslim leaders in the town, Kabiyesi should have known that in Yorubaland no one helps another to discipline their child and gets praised for it (bá mi na omo mi kò dé inú olómo). In religion (whether Islam, Christianity or Ìsèse), it is very resentful seeing an outsider, a competitor, holding the whip against ‘our own’. We say you don’t chase a problem-child into the mouth of a tiger. Issuing that query was ill-advised and I believe the king must have realized the error.

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If you’ve ever studied how leaf becomes soap, you would understand why Islam and the Yoruba traditional leadership are the proverbial soap and its cover-leaf. Islam is historically more than a religion in Yorubaland. Because the religion came in there hundreds of years before Christianity, the relationship between the leadership of Muslims and the oba in every community has always been deeper than outsiders can imagine. Dada Adelowo, in his ‘Imperial Crises and their Effect on the Status of Islam in Yorubaland in the 19th Century’ (1982), says so much on this.

The Imam in every Yoruba town, is, essentially, both a religious leader and a high chief. He participates in the administration of the town under the leadership of the oba who may or may not be a Muslim. But, this relationship notwithstanding, should an oba be involved in the choice and installation of a religious leader – especially an Imam? The person who would settle a quarrel, should he be located in the structure of the rift? (Eni tí yóò pa’rí ìjà, won kìí ròó mó ejó). Successive Soun (of all faiths) have been appointing successive Chief Imams for Ogbomoso since the very beginning which has been put as the year 1818. The history of that arrangement is an interesting read in communal unity, amity, appreciation and mutual respect. But times have changed. Even if there is a law that empowers obas to make religious appointments, should such not be amended to avoid the kind of incongruity and tension and insults we see in Ogbomoso?

The making of the Ogbomoso convention, with the tradition that enables it, obviously did not envisage a future that is today. Critical sections of the society are seeing not an oba querying his chief; what they see is a pastor seeking to sanction an Imam. It is awkward, cannot be explained. Muslim leaders need to quickly work with the traditional leadership in all communities where such arrangements subsist for amendments. The obas, themselves, should initiate and encourage that change. It will insulate them (the kings) from avoidable insults and insubordination.

By Richard Asoge

In anticipation to get the economy fixed for growth and development after some years of cankerworm, corruption and leakages, Nigerians came out putting aside propaganda on Saturday, February 25th, 2023 and voted relatively for the presidential candidate of All Progressive Party (APC), Bola Tinubu. The support he got from the people was not unconnected to the way he had built bridges among people of different culture, religion and ethnic groups, how he remodel Lagos during his tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007 and most importantly, how his political wizardry will turn the fortune of the country for good if eventually elected president.

The declaration of ‘subsidy is gone’ in the inaugural speech on May 29th, 2023 by President Bola Tinubu may be a landmark decision considering what had happened in the past in the oil sector but the policy effect thereafter was weighty. Nobody ever thought it can go so deep and far this way before the desired results will be achieved or that the policy effect will be evaluated after some weeks of implementation to consider initiating another policy to absorb, to some extent, the negative effect of the sudden and total subsidy removal on petrol but this was not really so.

While grappling with the effect of the fuel subsidy removal, within two weeks, unification of exchange rate took its stand. Of course, no right-thinking Nigerian having the knowledge of how very few but connected ones were eaten fat from the common patrimony of the nation which persistently made the foreign reserve to nosedive would oppose the unification of exchange rate. The twin effects of the fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification with insecurity without another policy measure within three or six months to crowd-out these effects brought us to this ugly situation we find ourself today.

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We have never had it so high and rapid as far as inflation is concerned in the last 28years. Going by what National Bureau of Statistics published for May 2024 (year on year basis), inflation is 33.95 percent. Breaking it down further into components, food was the most dreaded among them with 40.66 percent on a year on year basis. Agricultural produce is fast declining as a result of insecurity in the hinterland and tropical forests. To make things worse, the current generation of youth do not see faming as a vocation worthy of practicing but spending productive hours on social media.

There is a strong connection between diet and illness. The more nutritious your food is, the higher the immune system to resist any sickness. The current outbreak of cholera in most of the states is traceable to consumption of junks. Average income of individual is far below what can keep life together. Naira has lost its purchasing power and has led many to consume half rotten if not totally rotten foods. Hunger reflects on the faces of individual with no end in sight. An hungry man is an angry man, goes an African proverb. Poverty is getting wider. Only God knows the current position Nigeria occupies among hunger nations. In 2023 it ranked 109 of the 125 selected countries with 28.3percent in the hunger index.

One of the things highlighted to bring relieve to commuters was conversion of vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) type. How many vehicles have been successfully converted to CNG? and what is the ratio to the population of vehicles? One year has gone now with no significant success in the conversion ratio to the 2027 target.

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Before oil dominated the structure of Nigeria economy, internal factors determined prices of goods and services and not external factors like exchange rate. Recently, crypto currency and related activities joined the external factors. The more an economy is linked to foreign transaction for survival, the higher the risk politically, socially and economically. Believing and placing our local goods and services above foreign ones is a sure cure.

To fight hunger and bring down the foods’ prices, real action of all is needed. Ministry of Agriculture or Departments related to agriculture across the tiers of government must practice agriculture in full scale. Local government, been the closest to the people, must practice farming as their leading business ventures. For those that may not have land to practice, it is not bad to have memorandum of understanding with the neighboring local government or state. In year 2016, Lagos State followed that path during the tenure of Akinwumi Ambode as governor by having an arrangement with Kebbi State under the leadership of Atiku Bagudu in the production of rice branded as ‘Lake Rice’. Other states or entity can copy such model and fine tune it if needed and bring something good out of it. No state is idle without having comparative advantage in one area over others. Continuity of policy is our greatest enemy. Lake Rice production only lasted for six years and nothing of such is heard thereafter.

Now that the revenue of various tiers of government has substantially increased, it shouldn’t be an avenue for political office holders to increase their entitlements at the expense of majority whose activities generated the revenue but opportunity to close deficit gaps of basic infrastructure. This takes me to the new minimum wage being negotiated between Federal Government and Nigeria Labour Congress with other concerned parties. N62,000 been offered as minimum wage by Federal Government or N100,000 been canvassed for by many analysts shouldn’t be the primary concern of most Nigerians but the sustainability and the value of every naira in the market place. if N100,000 or more is sealed and gazette today as new minimum wage but only to realize after two months that $1 goes for N4,000 and every other price of local items assumes exponential rise including items that do not have any foreign input, will it make economic sense? Definitely, none. Another negotiation may not come up until five years. This is why price stability should be a serious concern.

Hope of average Nigerian is renewed when there is food on the table and price stability is ensured.

Richard Asoge
08081492614
chards001@gmail.com

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Police Command has refuted report that Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as Verydarkman has been arrest.

The police said he was only invited for questioning on the allegations of cyber stalking, cyber bullying and defamation of character.

A statement issued on Sunday, June 30, by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh said Verydarkman has since been released after voluntarily giving his statement on the allegations.

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Adeh said: “Contrary to the news making the rounds about the alleged arrest of Martins Vincent Otse popularly known as Verydarkman or VDM by the police, the FCT police command wishes to clarify that Verydarkman was not arrested by the police but was only invited for questioning on the allegations of cyber stalking, cyber bullying and defamation of character.

“He has since been released after voluntarily giving his statement on the allegations.”