Five Decades on Earth: Iba for Olodumare the Giver of Life
by
Samuel Oloruntoba
Exactly five decades ago, the long and much-awaited child was born to the family of Chief Shaba and Mrs Janet Oloruntoba of Osoland, Ajowa city in Ondo State, Nigeria.
I am an African who grew up under the superintending eyes of the Olodumare[ creator and sustainer of the universe in Yoruba origin Orisa cosmology]. Suffused with fear that this promised child will not survive the raging atmosphere of witchcraft ravaging the community, my parents entrusted me into the hands of God in the African way through countless incisions, concoctions, igbadi and some forms of incantations administered by local priests. In the beginning, spirituality was a mixture of Church and Shrine. Syncretism was practiced as a routine.
The material deprivation that I experienced was mitigated by my exposure to the richness of nature. The singing birds under the thick forest of Abepe, Igbo-nla, Tepe, the meandering snakes on the trees of Eti-ose, and the cool breeze that flows from the Alomise river, provided natural comfort and assurance of a better future. The cold water of Isekue quenched the thirst in hot and sunny days. The numerous hunting expeditions were lessons in endurance and hope.
This journey of five decades has been full of wonders, travails and triumphs, happiness disappointments, trust and betrayals, suspense, and hope. It has been defined by the possibilities of faith, patience in tribulation, courage, and fortitude.
In this five decades, I have grown up to know that there are allies and adversaries. While allies want you to succeed at all costs, adversaries will do everything possible to put a clog in your wheel of progress.
Several experiences have largely influenced the trajectories of my life. Three of these stand out: Parenthood, Salvation, and Education.
As I wrote in the Investment of Hope as a tribute to my late Dad, my parents brought me up with values that continue to shape my being today. These values include dignity, integrity, endurance, hope, determination, courage to speak out the truth always, empathy and concern for humanity. My parents believed so much in me as the one who will turn the tide in their challenging condition. Through words of encouragement and affirmation, they spurred me to maximise my potential. They gave their best and sacrificed a lot, including foregoing buying aso ebi [expensive celebratory clothing in Yoruba culture], just to see that I got educated.
I remain grateful to them.
Secondly, the salvation experience that I have through faith in Jesus Christ has made a lasting impact on my life. As unconventional as the life in Christ appears to be in relations with the systems of the world, I have found it to be most satisfying, dignifying, honoring and fortifying. Although it comes with sacrifices and even pains, in the form of ridicules, insults, deprivation and denial of opportunities, it is a life worth living. The teachings and the practice of faith have enabled me to defy all odds to aspire, perspire and acquire modest accolades that would not have been otherwise possible.
To the fathers of faith, known and unknown, who have impacted me through direct teachings, exemplary living, and literature, I am grateful.
Education has provided me with soundness of mind, a cosmopolitan worldview as well as social mobility. As the motto of the magazine of Ajowa Community Grammar School (my alma mater) reads, 'Knowledge is Light'. The light that education provides has illuminated my mind and given me a sense of purpose, responsibility, and livelihood.
To all my teachers from the primary school to university level, I am grateful. I am particularly grateful to late Mr. F.O Nelly, my former English Teacher, who gave me the first words of affirmation, when he said much assuringly in in 1982, 'Ojo, you write well. You will go far'.
To all my mentors too numerous to mention, I am grateful. The details of the roles of friends and mentors in my life will be published in my memoir, which will come out in due course.
The three experiences above have empowered me to contribute a little to the global commons, through empowerment of homeless but hopeful people, teaching and mentoring future leaders across the world and production of knowledge that can reshape thinking and practice of politics and economy.
These fives decades have taught me real lessons of life. In this period, I have seen the contradictions inherent in human nature:
I have met Janus faced people who pretend to admire you but hate you due to envy and jealousy.
I have met narcissists who are so preoccupied with their own self worth that they cannot think of anyone succeeding near them
I have met sycophants and ingrates who will praise you to the high heavens when they need you but who will turn round to demonise you once they think you are no more useful to them.
I have met those who profess faith and claim religious piety physically but lack the inner power to live true to the tenets of the faith.
I have also seen contradictions of ideologies and ideologues. In this respect, I have met those who claim to be crusaders for social justice but violate simple principles of accountability, empathy, respect, justice and fairness at micro level.
I have met those who profess to be socialists who are worse than the worst capitalists in their desire for power, control and accumulation.
I have met Pan-Africanists in the day, who are nativists at night.
I have also met people who claim to be cosmopolitan but who are both insecure and inhospitable to the people they consider as the others.
Too many contradictions in life.
Tibi tire la da ile aye. Life is in binary of good and evil.
I have met great people, who sacrifice their pleasure and comfort to lift others.
I have met people who inspire and propel others to greatness.
I have met secure and institutional minded people who know that we are only here for some time and that in the long run, we are all gone.
As I face another half of a century and more, my mind is preoccupied with many questions on which I hope to find answers or provide solutions.
These include:
How can we rebuild Carthage and its civilisation?
How can Africa unite, reinvent, and renew itself to assume its rightful place in the world?
How can we resolve the contradictions of civilisation and primitivism that undermine humanity in our contemporary world?
How do we get rid of guns and hierarchies that privilege some people over the others?
A word of remembrance and appreciation.
I remember people who were once part of my life but are no more on this side of eternity.
I thank my late Dad, Chief Ezekiel Omotunrabi Shaba Oloruntoba, who raised me up to be a man of honor, late Mr. Jimoh Olukotun, who showed so much concern for me in 1987, when I was in a difficult situation.
I remember Mama Alakara who was so generous with giving me one piece of akara every morning, when I was a child.
I remember my late brother and friend, Professor Pius Adesanmi, whose legacy lives on.
I thank God, for sparing my life to this day. I thank him for his guidance, wisdom, knowledge, strength favours and protection in all the journeys of life.
Lastly, I thank my wife and children for the sacrifices that they have continued to bear in my resolve and determination to build a formidable future for the family.
To God, the only Kabiyesi, whose throne is incontestable, who sits eternally, alone be all glory, honour and majesty, now and forever.
Amen and Amen.
[ Copied from Facebook. Apologies for reposting, slight editing and picture inclusion without the permission of the writer]
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