Babarinde Oyekunle is the editor of Alariya Oodua magazine and the author of a new book, Yoruba Ni Toto, which traces the source of Yoruba race. In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, he speaks on why the book is dedicated to celebrating great Yoruba women of virtue. Excerpts:
PLans are in the top gear to launch your book, Yoruba Ni Toto. What really prompted the idea about the book?
My experience as a Yoruba graduate and as a former lecturer made me discover that there are lots of controversies surrounding the history of Yoruba. And these controversies have led to different people laying claims to its origin. So, I thought within me that I would like to bring about the fact that we Yoruba are one and we are from the same source. Regardless of where we find ourselves today, we are still one and this was what triggered the work. The book encompasses all aspects Yoruba history. It is not designed to discuss the misunderstanding and happenings in Yoruba land. It is to celebrate our culture and promote unity among our people. The book also discusses migrations of people into some areas, such as, Ilorin, Modakeke Oyo Alaafin. It also contains the history of Ibadan and how the monarchs’ ruled without crowns back then.
What makes this book unique, as there are myriads of books on the history of Yoruba in the past, especially now that the Yoruba nation is experiencing some reforms about history?
I read lots of books on the history of Yoruba, especially by Samuel Johnson, but this one is quite different, because we are not addressing issues or rewriting history. We want to the sons and daughter of our land and the generation unborn to have a feel of our history. It is believed that when one is writing on any history, one must consult the oracle of the geographical location of the history, because the deity has true facts about the history of the land. In an effort to confirm the authenticity of the histories we worked on, we consulted and got the position of Ifa about the origin of the Yoruba land. I also gathered information from some Arokin, these are people who are loaded with histories of a particular place. This gave us the opportunity of knowing the real source of Yoruba compared to series of existing information. The book is a compilation of rich history of the Yoruba land and I am glad to make this a reality. It will also serve as a platform for researchers to take a cue from.
Going by the title of the book, are you saying that the only one that has the authentic history of Yoruba?
No, this is just an additional to the works that have been written. I am glad that this work became a success, because we cannot afford to continue to mislead our people. Many scholars and professionals have gone through it and have beencommended the work. In fact, a collection of highly respected Yoruba lecturers’ brain-stormed to give the book the title. The book goes beyond the history of Ife and Modakeke. It also has the main history behind the Aare-Onakakanfo title.
What effect do you think it will have on Nigerians?
As I said earlier, it has a lot of benefits and will give people, especially the younger generation the opportunity to know the truth about their source and be privileged to celebrate their rich culture. Aside this, we have also dedicated the book to celebrate great women in the history of South-West and Nigeria at large. We have targeted for the use of academic institutions, and this is why we have collaborated with the association of Yoruba lecturers in Nigeria.
By the special grace of God, the book will be available for all and sundry after its launch on , November 16, 2017 at the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos.
You highlighted that you intend to dedicate the book for great women of South-West. How do you want to go about this?
I discovered that male children are valued than the female ones in our society, but I also discovered the original story of Moremi during my research on this book and I salute the courage of this great woman, likewise, there are some women in Yoruba land who have contributed a lot to the development of the race, but they are not well celebrated. This is why we have resolved to use this historical book to honour great women.
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