On YouTube, I saw clips of how Davido (with big earrings prominently dangling on him), and his wife – Chioma, went to greet the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi – the traditional ruler and monarch of the Yoruba kingdom of Ile-Ife.
I would have expected the Ooni to either pull Davido’s ear, or point to it (at least), and whisper his displeasure to him about the bull-like rings on his ears, but I don’t think anything like that happened in that encounter. Rather, they smiled, and the monarch parted the ‘Dem Go Feel it’ crooner on his back. And, I felt sorry for this generation, and the ones coming behind. There are elders in today’s market square who no longer care whether the baby’s head is bent, burst or braindead! ‘Omase o!’
We’re drowning our RICH YORUBA ‘OMOLUABI’ VALUES………..that the likes of ‘Ojude Oba’, and well-meaning individuals like DA, are desperately trying to revive, and promote. This decadence is closer to you than you think. I know the one I’m contending with in my own domain, and in the church as a whole. I’m calling on everyone reading this message that has not taken ‘abode’ (tio ti gbabode) to please ARISE, and let’s revisit the GOOD UPBRINGING we had growing up. Let’s teach these VALUES to our children and wards, and MODEL them to the children of our neighbors and friends, even where we’re not permitted to speak to them directly. We can’t continue to look at these children behaving like vagabonds and animals, all in the name of fashion, trends, dress-sense, ‘belonging’ and peer-pressure/social acceptance. The way many of them are going, may their ‘Omoyele’ not enter the market naked o!
About 20 years ago, a fairly well known trainer in this country told us, during a program, how his own daughter said to him, “Don’t be silly dad”, and he didn’t think there was anything bad about it, because, according to him, “This generation of our children and the way they communicate with their parents is different from how we communicated with ours!” Ah! Even now, 20 years after, I’m sure no child of mine would ever say that to me, however unguarded a moment it might be, for him or me! Don’t be silly ke!?! Ah!
Let’s return to dressing well, male and female! Let’s return to talking well too, and not like area boys and girls! Let’s revisit, and recover, our RICH CULTURAL VALUES, instead of living out the ones that keep us broke, primitive, and myopic!
Selah!
DA