Trust Africa News, By Ayomide Otitoju
Barr. Femi Mokikan, the National President of Okun Development Association (ODA). It represents the body of all Yorubas in Kogi state. We are 100 percent in 5 local government areas, while in the 6th one, we are like, say 33/34 percent in the local government.
Are the Okun people part of the Yoruba race?
Barr. Femi: There’s no doubt about our history. We are a part of the Yoruba race and it is very known that Yorubas are from the same root with Oduduwa that we are also descendant of. A few may not accept it but in reality, we are all descendants of Oduduwa.
I remember when I was very young, politically we have been grouped with the Middle-Belt after the creation of state. In the first 12 states we were called Northern Yoruba. I filled form when I was in primary school, forms that carry tribes and in it, they will tell us our tribe is Northern Yoruba -the Yorubas where someone is grouped among the Northern region.
Grouping us with the Northern region does not make us northerners and we cannot deny that and I’m aware that there are people who, the generation before them lived all their lives in the North and so have come to accept that they are Northerners because their beneficial rate, whatever it is either political, economic or social that followed from the north and handed over to generations after them. Those ones continued to enjoy those benefits but that does not make them northerners. Yes, they may say so that they are but deep inside if they know because there is history and they can trace their history, their origin is in the Oduduwa root.
What do you say about the issue of tribalism in marriage. A situation where people say don’t marry from Yoruba or a Yoruba person cannot come to the Okun side that they are not part of the Yorubas?
I’m not aware of what you are saying, that you are saying we shouldn’t marry a Yoruba person, I’m not aware and if it been said, no one has said it to my earning. I’m proud to marry a Yoruba person. I have daughters that are married to people from Ogun state, one Ijebu, one Egba. If I am a product of don’t marry a Yoruba person, I won’t have allowed my daughter to marry so I’m not aware. I know in the past, in my own generation our grandparents because of level of education and because of their belief that we must stay close, they will prefer you come to the village to marry. I still remember it, we went to school my grandmother will tell me don’t bring someone from outside, because then anybody who is not from our area that will say don’t bring her as your wife.
This generation is not like that. Our own generation is trying to teach them to get married and the reason is very simple, I know people who married from the same place and they regret marrying the person they married, and I know people who married from outside their place, every Sunday they will go and do thanksgiving in church that I found the right wife, I found the right husband and my advice is before you marry, go to God, let God lead you, if God is the one leading you, you will not take another person’s wife or husband and that is what I tell my children
is it only the Okun people that have issue with the governorship election of 2023? Who is the best candidate Okun people can pick to be governor?
If Okun people are allowed to donate associate governor for all the states in Nigeria, we would produce 36 governors and we would still have many more Nigerians for governorship positions. So, we are not in short supply of quality people who can be governor. You are the MD of your company; can’t you be governor of a state? The issue is not about shortage of candidates and I will not sit down here and say you are the best candidate for governor from OPO. We have so many of them we can donate if they say, if any federal state is looking for a Nigerian to be governor, we would get for them after filling our own space, we still have surplus. Don’t forget God gave our grandfather’s the wisdom to invest in education very early in their life’s and so what they did was to ensure that education is the number one industry in Okun land. So today, go to Nigeria and outside Nigeria, Okun people are making waves when it comes to using intellect and for a person you require to govern a state, whatever it is you need you will find it in abundance in Okun land. It is just unfortunate that the system we operate hasn’t favoured any one from Okun.
Copyright TRUSTAFRICA NEWS.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TRUSTAFRICA NEWS.
Contact: hello@trustafricanews.com.ng
