An indigenous socio-cultural organisation, the Igbimo Omo Yoruba (IOY) Foundation, has expressed concern over the deteriorating fortunes of Yoruba land and its people.
by Subair Mohammed May 28, 2024 in Latest News Reading Time: 3 mins read
The group also expressed dismay over the increasing rate of poverty, ignorance, and disorder amongst the Yorubas, especially at the grassroots level.
The convener of the group, Adedamola Adetayo, expressed this concern during the launch of IOY in Lagos on Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch, he said the IOY, which was established to sanitise and rebrand the Yoruba race, stands as a bridge between the old and the younger generation.
He called on the Yoruba people to wake up to the current reality, noting that no messiah will rescue the race from the challenges confronting it unless they take the bull by the horns.
He added, “We have observed with increasing concern and dismay what appears to be the deteriorating fortunes of Yorubaland and its people, the increasing poverty, ignorance, and disorder amongst our people, especially at the grassroots, and the very steady descent into the bleakness of an uncertain future for the coming generations.
We have also observed with well-founded sadness that suddenly, in Yorubaland and amongst the majority of our people, the children of butchers now eat bones, those of the cloth weavers wear rags, and the farmers’ children go to bed on empty stomachs.
We have watched keenly as our customs and culture were aggressively corrupted, our shared values were carelessly thrown out the windows of ignorance, all our rallying points, including the exalted thrones of our Obas, were ridiculed, and the sacred memories of our proud ancestors were openly mocked even by our children.”
The desire to right these wrongs, according to Adetayo, gave birth to the IOY.
He said, “The IOY is established to promote Yoruba cultural practices and customs and launch an attitudinal change campaign against negative stereotypes and disinformation about our culture and our people.
“It is to work assiduously to bridge the gap in knowledge transfer between our departing elders of the old generation and the upcoming youths of the new generation.
“If there are many Yoruba socio-cultural groups and there is still rot in society, then they are not doing what they ought to do.
“The level of moral degeneration and other vices is high among the people of the Yoruba race. We need a redirection of mindsets. What we must do is that every man must decide to be sensible.
“If the IOY is cleaning the land and other Yoruba socio-cultural groups are also doing the same, then the land will become clean.
“By doing this, we will eventually wake everybody up. Our main priority is to wake up everybody’s consciousness. We are doing many things abnormally, and these are the things that are punishing us as a people.”
Earlier, in his opening remarks, BoT chairman Chief Rotimi Olowoyo, who was represented by Prince Ololade Onanuga, said the Yoruba people have not been faring well within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
credit: @tribuneonlineng
