Re: Simple Means Of Ending Cultism In Ikorodu – Our Culture Cannot Be Wrong By Halilulai Sanni

Re: Simple Means Of Ending Cultism In Ikorodu – Our Culture Cannot Be Wrong By Halilulai Sanni

I read with great enthusiasm the position paper written by my brother, Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni on the prevalence of cultism in Ikorodu and what he assumed to be the genesis of the decay which he claimed to have been embedded in the traditional sing-sang called oriki of the people of Ikorodu.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am absolutely against cultism and agree absolutely with him that the government and to a certain degree, the family institution have failed the younger generation not only in Ikorodu but across the length and breadth of Nigeria. In the efforts to be Westerners than the West who happens to be our colonial masters, we have subdued our family values and culture that made us unique even in the eyes of the West.

Read Simple Means Of Ending Cultism In Ikorodu By Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni

I believe the breakdown of our security architecture and rent-seeking political setup is the cause of unending proliferation of cult related activities in Ikorodu Division and not the Oriki as alluded to by Sulaimon. Our Oriki is a reflection of our culture and culture it is said to be the way of life of a people. No part of our culture abhors killing or the disregard of human sanctity, the cult issue needs to be viewed from a broader perspective.

The indigenes of Ikorodu have been known for decades as “Asalejeje” and the products of those who bear the appellation – our late grandfathers, have been eminent personalities in all spheres of human endeavours and made the Town proud globally. So our oriki can not be wrong, our culture can not be wrong on this particular issue.

Read also Re: Simple Means Of Ending Cultism In Ikorodu By Durojaiye AKeem Olalekan

Echoing the music of one of the Legendary products of Ikorodu, late Nosiru Atunwon, he sang that “Talole so fun wa pe omo Ikorodu oda, ninu wa unse Adajo, ninu wa unse Lawyer, pelu Doctors, Town planning janti rere, Accountant janti rere , Engineering janti rere,musicians janti rere , Tailor janti rere (who can tell us that the children from Ikorodu are bad? Who can say it? Amongst the children of Ikorodu are Judges, Lawyers, Doctors. We have many Town Planners, many Accountants, many Engineers, Musicians and Tailors) etc, all those mentioned are products of our “Asale jeje” oriki.

I want to strongly believe the writer got the asalejeje sing-sang out of context to have concluded that it is the source of the cultism we face today. The Oriki asale jeje bi emi to ori Obirin ri (someone who pampers women like he has not seen others before) only portrait us as a people who had a gentle and caring attitude towards the opposite gender. Go anywhere in the world today, the way Ikorodu people treat women is unique and worthy of emulation.

I agree with the writer on our eroded family values and upbringing of children in Ikorodu. As a matter of urgency, the way in which we bring up children should be looked into “nitori omo to aoba ko loma GBE ile tako taa (it is the child not trained that will sell off the sweats of the parents), not only that, after selling the parent’s property and exhausted the money, he will look outwards for other means of survival, which is the crux of the current Ikorodu predicament.

Cultism today is not peculiar to Ikorodu alone, it is becoming a societal menace that needs to be curbed. Cultism is more like the olden days fabric that generated the saying, “aso oni Sugar, okari Aiye, only that ours is given much public awareness, and rightly so, Ikorodu people are never known for hooliganism, thuggery and the likes, we are known as socialites, we party and pamper our women, how did we get here?

In order to bring the menace to an end, our security agents should change their attitude, a situation where the security and the Obas will be calling a meeting of settlement amongst rival groups like we are settling rift within Iyawo ( second wife) and Iyale (first ), diminishes the authority of our traditional institutions. This should not be encouraged any longer, the previous settlement did not bring any solution, let the law take its full course on any erring child.

It is quite pathetic that amongst the “training-miss-road” children are those whose parents made efforts to make them somebody in life. You will also be surprised to find children of prominent elites in Ikorodu amongst them, now you can understand why arrested cultists in the past always find their way back to the society. To have a new beginning, we must all take responsibility and bear consequence of our actions, ofin ti atori eru da, akin tori Omo ru (laws made to punish the slaves should not be subverted to favour one’s child), the authorities should endeavour to let the law take its full cause, irrespective of whose horse is gored.

Ikorodu onibaje o

Contributed by Halilulai Sanni