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ERELU BISI FAYEMI AND THE LEGACY OF UNRIVALED RESURGENCE OF INTELLECTUALISM.
In a twinkle of an eye, good times are gradually coming home to be with us here in Ekiti, with the emergence of a brainy and highly cerebral first lady; Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who has just been invested as a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
The Ekiti State first lady is silently returning the State to the path of honour while dignifying the office of the first lady and that of the women folks in general. It’s a silent, positive revolution that requires an embrace from all of us. Truth is, safe for the periods of Otunba Niyi Adebayo and the first coming of JKF, we have never had it like this before as our women are gradually grappling with the reality that they are more than domestic appendages.
Her ‘Loud Whispers’, and now the special monthly readings, being organized by the Association of Nigerian Authors, Ekiti State chapter, will fan the embers of intellectual growth as it goes on to promote the almost forgotten reading culture in Ekiti.
Decent modelling: Through decent modeling, most of our young ladies will take pride in internalizing the gains of the various proposed and planned programmes as they would want to be like her, in the nearest future.
Just like I’ve said in the past, we are products of the society where we grew from. The Boko Harams of today were the almanjeris of yesterday. They grew up to be brutish because they grew up unsheltered and unguided by the society that brought them up. They had no Shepherds and all they grew up to know was depravity, hunger, scavenging, violence and bloodletting. They grew up in ghettos and imbibed the habits of taking drugs to numb their frustrations and lack of love and empathy from the society that churned them up. You cannot sow a maize and harvest cucumber. What you sow is what you will reap.
The coming of Fayose, his value system, aside his style of governance has greatly impacted negatively on our collective Psyche. We’ve come to imbibe the spirit of ” oraisa”!, the spirit of fake populism, whereby the people’s measure or standard of performance and love from their Governor is when he eats ponmo and drink ogogoro with them at some God forbidden smoking joints. Today, Okada business has become the only easy way for our youths to make quick money. The skilled ones in auto mechanics, vulcanizing, panel beating, masonry, furniture and the lots have left their trades to do okada. Those who were formerly in agriculture and agro businesses have joined the okada train. No thanks to a Governor, whose major constituency is okada Association and who loves to ride the best of cars, while his okada constituency prowl around him, even at the risk of their lives, under scorching sun and, or heavy downpours.
What about our ladies? Some of them were turned into whores who had permanent residences in the government house and used as calming balm when the emperor’s nerves were on edge. Never again!
Our Culture and values: Ekiti state, being a part of the Yoruba nation relishes in her cultural heritage as handed down by our forebears. Unfortunately, the unsavory narrative I’ve just made, among others have crippled the chances for the promotion of our cultural heritage. With heavy mental and psychological imbalances, our cultural practices are almost going into extinction. The direct implication of this is that we have suffered an identity loss and our history is currently being rewritten before our very eyes.
From the first day in office, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has devoted her time in stepping up the cultural awareness initiative to return us to the path of our true identity while discontinuing untoward cultural dominance of the powerful world as well as negative cultural practices of the past. This consciousness has birthed in us a renaissance to our roots.
However, not all cultural practices are 21st century compliant. According to her, the traditions of subjecting women to unnecessary hardship, maltreatment, inheriting women after the demise of their husbands, rape, female genital mutilation, gender inequality and others should be frowned at and discontinued. All cultures in the world are dynamic and ours should not be an exemption.
In Ekiti today, there appears to be a gradual positive mindset of all and sundry to our womenfolk. It’s a goodbye to executive malfeasance as the era of alleged beating up a first lady is gone for good.
With the comings of the Fayemis and the Egbeyemi’s, a new name rooted in honour, handwork, service and comportment awaits us all, in Ekiti.Ekiti State is about towing the path of being the land of honour, again.
The ‘Yemi’s are working at it.
Lanre Ogunjobi @ [email protected]
