Yoruba Union in Stockholm Celebrates 2nd Annual Yoruba Day (Photo Essay)

May 18, 2014May 18, 2014 / Adeola / 3 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

The Yoruba Union in Stockholm, Sweden successfully hosted its second annual Yoruba Day celebration on Saturday the 10th of May 2014.

This celebration of Yoruba culture and tradition has been lauded by several guests and participants as an improvement of the maiden edition which took place on the 11th of May 2013.

The first annual Yoruba Day was reported here in the village square at this link:

[http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/photo-news-yoruba-union-in-stockholm-celebrates-yoruba-day.html]

Just like the maiden edition the special guest of honour was the Nigerian Ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, Amb. Benedict Onochie Amobi. His wife, Her Excellency Mrs. Sheila Amobi was also in attendance.

Among other dignitaries were Sola Mansur Amao, Engineer Olatunde Aluko, Prince Jeffrey Ajani, Mrs. Clara Rogo, Mr. John Rogo, Princess Adetoun Lasebikan, Mrs. Susan Amao, and Mrs. Egbo of the Nigerian Embassy, Stockholm. Mr. Dominic Emene the president of the Nigerian Union in Stockholm was also in attendance.

Adeola Aderounmu giving the welcome address

During the celebration, the members of the Yoruba Union had 2 sessions of Yoruba Cultural dances and a short drama on traditional marriage in Yorubaland was the last event of a very eventful evening.

The president of the Yoruba Union in Stockholm, Adeola Aderounmu gave the welcome address and also had a 15-minute lecture titled: Ile-Ife, Our Ancestral and Spiritual Home.

Adeola presenting the lecture on Obatala, Oduduwa, Creation and Modern Yoruba History

In the presentation, he highlighted the position of Ile-Ife as the origin on all Yorubas worldwide. He also gave a brief account of creation through the hands of Oduduwa and Obatala.

Adeola introducing the members of the executives of YORUBA UNION Stockholm, Sweden

During his own speech Ambassador Amobi congratulated the Yoruba Union for sustaining the Yoruba Day celebration and for the progress that has been made since the previous edition. He also mentioned the immense role played by the Yoruba Union in Stockholm during the IFE Dynasty and Ancient Art Exhibition at the Modern Museum in Stockholm.

Amb. Benedict Amobi giving a speech at the Yoruba Day celebration in Stockholm, May 10 2014

Ambassador Amobi condemned the rise of terrorism in Northern parts of Nigeria and Abuja. He mentioned that the government is working to stem the rise of Boko Haram. He also condemned the kidnap of school girls from Chibok

Below are some of the pictures showing the successful hosting of the Second Annual Yoruba Day by members of the Yoruba Union in Stockholm, Sweden.

Happy Viewing:

During the Yoruba Day celebration there was plenty to eat and drink as the buffet covered several of the Yoruba traditional dishes. The atmosphere was brilliant and ignited by dance, merry and happiness.

For more pictures/images visit our facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/yorubaunion/

Our website, http://www.yorubaunion.se

Mail us, info@yorubaunion.se

Videos on Yoruba Union STOCKHOLM Channel on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/YORUBAUNION

That Ibadan Ritual Forest

March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 / Adeola / 4 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

The biggest news in Nigeria this week apart from the unending massacre in Northern Nigeria is the ritual forest discovered in Ibadan.

Those who are not used to the “juju” of Africa will find this difficult to comprehend. But in Africa, well in Nigeria, I can write about the possibility of using “african jazz” in the most negative ways.

This means that some people can use extra ordinary powers to make other people go crazy. It may sound out of this world to those who do not grow up under this type of clime. But we know that some humans in Nigeria possess the witchcraft or evil power to influence the progress and stability of other people.

Some individuals have this ability to place a spell on other people. So what has happened in Ibadan is the exposure of this “generational” or “ancient” power. It is unfortunate that these powers are used to suppress and harm other people.

Often, captured people (preys) are decapacitated and parts of their bodies are used for rituals. In modern Nigeria it is the politicians that usually engaged in patronising these ritualists. Some people who want to be rich at all/any cost also engaged the services of the ritualists. Not least among those who patronise the ritualists are church/mosque owners who want many worshippers in their servvices.

In all, money is the root of all evils.

Africa and Nigeria in particular would have been a glorious paradise if all these negativities are harnessed and used for things that are progressive in nature.

Rather than make rituals in this way, the “powers” of these people can be transformed into scientific and technological know-hows. It is possible through careful investigations and planning.

It is very unfortunate that Nigerians (now the yorubas) are using “juju” to enslave their own people, depriving them of their freedom and suppressing them mentally. In extreme cases many people have been killed in this evil Ibadan forest.

We saw this before in the Okija shrine in the East. We have heard of Clifford Orji and many other stories. It is sad that in the end because of the statuses of the people involved in the patronage, many investigations are swept under the carpets. Another shrine or ritual center soon rear its ugly heads.

One hopes that those who are rescued from the Ibadan shrine will be compensated, treated and re-established into the society. They have the rights to live their lives again. Those behind the Ibadan evil forest should be brought to books under the law.

The state government in Ibadan, in other yoruba and non-yoruba states where people have these “powers” should look for methods and ways to harness the powers in a positive way instead of patronising them for evil things. In our traditions and cultures there are so many things that we can bring to the fore/front that when properly utilised can advance the course of humanity.

What we should stop doing is harming our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. All humans are equal and have the right to freedom and pursuit of happiness.

As Nigeria Nears the Edge….Again

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014 / Adeola / Leave a comment

By Adeola Aderounmu

These are no ordinary times in Nigeria.

Terrorism has taken over most part of the North East. The Political parties are at war even though they share the same idiotic ideology-to loot and destroy the system for personal gains.

This ideology is easy to deduce because of the ease with which prominent members move from one party to the other. If the ideological differences are stark and distinct, it will be almost impossible to move from PDP to APC for example or vice versa.

There is violence across the country. In River States, there has been series of bombings on some establishments. The rise in violence in River States has now reached the stage where THE POLICE are now shooting at people. A man was shot this weekend. The police have denied the shooting of the politician and his group of demonstrators. But shots were fired.

Across the states in Nigeria, there are struggles in pursuit of the 2015 elections. Since 2011, there has not been any formative governance in Nigeria. As soon as one election is over the winners start to loot AND the plan for the next election starts. Nigerian politicians are totally useless and corrupt. No brains!

This is so because the judiciary and the system of law is totally useless as well. The rulers of Nigeria starting from the presidency are corrupt and lawbreakers. Murderers have been freed by the government of Goodluck Jonathan. Convicted people have been forgiven and corruption and senselessness reached new heights. In the history of Nigeria, there has never been a good government, and what is happening nowadays is the most useless form of governance ever known.

But the fault does not start and stop at the presidency. In Nigeria generally the people are so brainwashed that any attempt to let them know the truth is totally crushed. Many people have grown up not knowing the essence of life and the meaning of public service. Nigeria is no ordinary country!

The major political parties in Nigeria are run by criminals, looters and thieves. It is so bad that it is alleged that the drug baron wanted in the US who was Obasanjo’s friend is now the political ruler of the PDP in South Western Nigeria. Obasanjo loved him as a friend and now hate him as the ruler of PDP in the South West. How times change!

The Nigerian system is so heated up that it appears to be a keg of gunpowder.

The North wants back power, the East, West and South are all embroiled in a serious political tug of war that no one knows when the violence will tip over. If this is added to the terror in the North, the days ahead may be the worst days for Nigerians since after the civil war in 1970.

But all of these madness is avoidable if the clueless rulers of Nigeria can wake up tomorrow with some drops of sense in their brains.

One singular act of decentralizing the power in Abuja will almost end the political tussle in Nigeria.

If the power of governance given to Abuja is taken away, there will be no struggle to get there. If the power is given to the councils and regions, the political tension will sublime and everybody will go back home to run things locally. To some extent, removing the “ruler” or “warlord” of Abuja will be a step in the right direction.

The establishment of independent electoral institutions will avail much in Nigeria. The enhancement and fucntion-ability of the judiciary will be immense in pushing the regions forward. By being functional, the police and judiciary will today round up more than 99% of Nigerian politicians including former rulers and their cronies for looting, stealing and pushing Nigeria to the precipice.

Evil is deep rooted in Nigeria and it is hard to bell the cat or lead reforms. This is the dilemma that faces Goodluck Jonathan because somehow, his hands are full of blood stains and his cupboards of skeletons.

It will be hard to liberate Nigeria at one go. The violence that is about to be added to the war in Northern Nigeria will take things out of control and the effects will be devastating now in 2014 and worse in 2015.

To cure or free Nigeria/Nigerians is not in the hands of Goodluck Jonathan, it is a burden for all Nigerians.

Things That Happen In Nigeria (Part 1)

July 30, 2013July 30, 2013 / Adeola / 2 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

I remember that sometime in the late 1990s I filled and submitted the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) form for employment in Nigeria. This is 2013 and no sane person in the Human Resources Department of the Federal Civil Service Commission of Nigeria has contacted me to inform me about the status of my application.

I would not be wrong to conclude that no one cares about my application since employment opportunities in Nigeria has been totally reduced to man-know-man and other unspeakable conditions. Unspeakable in the sense that nowadays you can be even employed in certain public and private institutions just like the same way people do “black jobs” in other climes. It is wickedness of the highest order if 30-70% of my income goes to a certain beneficiary because he/she helped me to secure a job.

On the homepage of the FCSC there are no available jobs and that would probably make your online application a ghost search. This is where the paper form becomes a gold search and your personal connection with top government officials a clear advantage.

This year (2013) you will need about N25 000 to collect the civil service application form for employment. This fee may not be an official requirement but since we are talking about Nigeria many idiotic things are deniable yet applicable. I can only imagine how many Nigerians have applied for employment into the Federal Ministries over the years.

In Nigeria unemployment is at a world record level. Around 90-100 million Nigerians are unemployed-that is ten times the total population of Sweden! More than 30 million of these people can be categorised as youth under 40 years of age. This is a large market for fraud (and other atrocities that have invaded Nigeria over the years) if you ask me. Just like in the cursed oil business in Nigeria, there is a likelihood of a cartel presiding over the direct embezzlement of the applications fees for the jobs that do not exist. Nigeria is a failed country I have no doubts.

One of the problems with Nigeria is that you don’t even know who is doing what. Nigeria has excessive administrative jargons which promote inefficiency and aid massive corruption and ineptitude. There is a man called Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji who is the head of the Civil Service of the Federation and there is a woman called Deaconess Joanna Ayo who is the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission.

They can now start to look at my application and let me know where I stand regarding my application submitted several years ago. In fact the Director Generals in the various Federal Ministries in Nigeria who are given 4-5 allocations of the application forms need to bury their heads in shame too. Not a single job is advertised today on the FCSC homepage!

But wait. Who talks about shame or crooks in Nigeria? Nonsense! Almost every civil servant and private employee in Nigeria will do whatever it takes to earn substantially above his/her income because of the unrealistic and useless wages approved by the corrupt federal and state governments in Nigeria. I mean who can live on N18 000 monthly in Nigeria? Is there any family in Nigeria that can live on N50 000 monthly? The latter would be still almost impossible if all the children are deprived of any form of education. Those who earn bigger still try to live above their incomes.

The systemic nepotism and corruption that has overtaken virtually everything and anything Nigerian has become an almost incurable spiral network that span from Aso Rock in Abuja to Igbogila where my grandfather lived and died several years ago. If you are not corrupt in Nigeria you are an endangered species.

Aso Rock in Nigeria is where all the monies from the four corners of Nigeria are supposed to be gathered before being re-distributed to every Dick, Tom and Harry that govern one way or the other in Nigeria. This type of government that creates a million loop holes is the most useless form of governance that I have seen in my life.

It must take nonentities to start and sustain such a system of governance. Posterity will neither forget nor forgive those who destroyed the Nigerian Federation and substituted it for the destructive unitary system. It must also take a great deal of indifference and careless followership to allow the reign of a useless and worthless system. My anger knows no bound.

A systemic destruction of the moral and social system in Nigeria and a parallel replacement with the business of trust in God and Allah rather than the entrustment of societal and ancestral values in capable hands have derailed and submerged Nigeria/Nigerians in what looks like an everlasting doldrums.

I’m never going to be able to calculate the amount of money that has been stolen from innocent and desperate applicants in the name of Civil Service Employment opportunities. The affected departments in Abuja should stop this exploitation and looting.

Once upon a time in Nigeria merit took the forefront when people were given jobs and responsibilities. We know how times have changed very badly for Nigeria. Today in Nigeria any useless or insane person and even a criminal can occupy any position in public service as long as the person is connected. Gone are the days when things were done correctly in Nigeria.

Federal character destroyed partly the merit system in Nigeria. An inexplicable affinity for sudden wealth and insatiable greed aggravated the situation. Tribalism and nepotism completed the destruction. In Nigeria today public trust is zero. The governments are not working. People do what they like and live recklessly. Life is not appreciated in Nigeria. In extreme situation, the people and the government bend the constitution/law to perpetrate their evils, in broad day light!

How can you change for better a system where everybody is looking suspiciously at the next person and over their shoulders? How can you change a system where people believed that their neighbours can be responsible for their misfortunes and bad luck? How can you change people who in these entire dilemma run between mosques, churches and fetish shrines while perpetrating all sorts of evils in offices, environs and homes?

Personally my mind has continued to jump between hope and hopelessness for Nigeria. I feel hopeful for the great minds that are produced in Nigeria. I feel hopeless because in public and private enterprises everybody becomes a vulture ravaging what is left of the national cake in the name of self-preservation. Nigeria is not working.

Since it appears that only a handful of people are genuinely interested in saving Nigeria, I have for the moment aligned my mind along the possibilities of the changes that may come with self-determination, national conferences, referendum or outright political re-structuring that will bring back regional governments. I will continue to argue that there will not be a magic formula for Nigeria (if she is to recover say in the next 50-100 years) but not even getting started along that recovery road remains a lingering sad situation.

Northern Nigeria: It is Finished!

March 19, 2013 / Adeola / 1 Comment

By Adeola Aderounmu

Terrorists continue to rein terror on Northern Nigeria. It is impossible to keep track of all the attacks and killings in Northern Nigeria.

A bus exploded in Kano killing mainly easterners of Igbo descent, probably about 30 of them.

There were attacks in Borno and the list goes on.

In Northern Nigeria, the lazy governors all collect security votes every month from the oil revenue of the south. What do they do with the security votes when terrorists have taken over the government?

Northern Nigeria is probably a lost region and that makes the segregation of Nigeria on course, or not.

Well, I want to be on the side of the people who have suggested that the clueless Goodluck Jonathan will be Nigeria’s last president.

I will change sides if someone can tell me how elections will be successfully conducted in Boko Harm Northern Nigeria. Perhaps Goodluck is
counting on Obama’s drones to eliminate the terror. That could work anyway and it means the drones will be there forever.

How I wish the people of western Nigeria can start to think ahead and rescue their people now and forever.

My twitter updates coming in says that there have been more suicide bombings and all sorts of terror attacks in the north…you can’t even finish writing about one before the next comes in.

Please divide this nonsense country and let me know where to place my worries for the Yoruba race.