I grew up in Omuo Ekiti, Ikole Ekiti, Osogbo, Ado Ekiti, Ibadan, Lagos and eventually Owo in Ondo state. Each of those places I have spent at least 3 years. I have had course to travel to almost all Yoruba Towns and villages including un-googled but godly areas; Agbele, Isua, Isegba, Igbo Takun, Garage Olode, Itapa, Sapadi, Uso, Ise, Eruwa to mention but few. Ironically they have been family governed villages.
The tradition is to bequest of our estate to our children mostly in event of death. It is also our tradition to take care of them till they become full adults to a point of being nosy even when they have their own families. From towns and villages that I have stayed, there had existed rich and well to do families in Christiandom and Islam. A large number of them have homes, mansions and compounds with two or more than a dozen mothers/ wives.
Many Yoruba fathers have one form of religion or the other. Some of them have special seats in Churches and special position in Mosques and are seen as demi-gods. They are true believers and some of them due to their religious discipline have become successful brand carriers like Peugeout dealers, Toyota dealers, Factory and Sawmill owners as well as international Cocoa dealers. We also had successful Religious leaders like the Oshofas, Babalolas, Obadares etc.
The question is, at the time wealth through ‘WILL’ was transferred to the beneficiaries which mostly are children of these wealthy / influential people, one would have expected that the financial discipline, religious beliefs cum power and zeal behind such success would have been instilled in the character and attitudes of those children through training and mentoring but rather our ‘Socialite’ nature covered our negligence.
I have visited the few legacies left behind by Yoruba biz tycoons of the Old, you will wonder wherever happened to the Blue Circle ( the Ladapos in Ondo) the Fasan’s in Akure, the Omolayo Standard Press in Ado Ekiti, the SB Bakares in Ilesha, Chief MKO Abiola’s conglomerate and so on. One would have expected a billion dollar offspring from such elaborate foundation. Whatever happened to the children from such rare opportunity begs for answers.
Most industries in Oyo State are owned by the Lebanese. The native business and industry gurus who dominated the landscape- Nathaniel Idowu, Amos Adegoke, Lekan Salami, Alao Arisekola, Adeola Odutola, Jimoh Odutola, Chief Theophilus Adediran Oni and others- are all gone with no credible replacements.
I’m sure you remember the tyre factory of the Odutolas and how Jimoh Odutola was even asked by the Governments of Kenya and Ghana to set up a similar factory in their countries. Chief Theophilus Adediran Oni, popularly called T.A Oni & Sons started the first indigenous construction company in Nigeria. Little or nothing is heard of his Children.
People like Chief Bode Akindele started companies like Standard Breweries and Dr Pepper Soft drink factory at Alomaja in Ibadan. Broking House built by the late Femi Johnson, an insurance magnate, still stands glittering in the mid-day sun as an epitome to a rich history that Ibadan has. The most serious and only notable Yoruba entrepreneur we have now is Michael Adenuga and how much discipline and power to sustain the wealth he is willing to transfer to his children is UNKNOWN.
I say this quite consciously because most of the other names are oil and gas barons. Most of what stood as testaments of industry in Oyo State are gone- Exide Batteries, Leyland Autos and many others. In its place are shopping malls and road side markets but no nation develops through buying and selling alone- especially when you’re not actually producing what you’re selling. Yoruba kids roam about Ibadan streets selling 2 grams of ‘aboniki’ and that’s how far we have lost the free education policies of the old.
We have left the big businesses and economic powers in the hands of Lebanese and Ibo people, we have acted like the prodigal son and last born. We have acted ‘spoilishly ‘ and most Yoruba fathers have acted disdainfully proud, arrogating poverty legacies for their generations to come through their ignorance.
The failures are too numerous and the lesson here is that we cannot transfer family wealth successfully to coming generation without proper planning and mentoring. It is not enough to send them to Harvard and UK school where they become like gadgets. Power/ Discipline must be transferred at par with wealth if it must continue.
I know by now, you would have come to terms with yourselves the difficulties in replacing Fela, Pela, Tela, Teriba, Tai, Tomori, Osuntokun, Prof Ayodele Awojobi ( autonov 1,2,3,4) and D.O Fagunwa.
I won’t go without touching the governors because they are closer to us…they have mortgaged the education of Yoruba kids for G63 and Lexus SUVs and flamboyant SAs. When we had free education, our governors smiled in 504 salon cars.
We lost it I guess. Our leaders should start singing Amazing Grace..
Do have a great day.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
