The Edo People of Western Sudan (Pt. 1). The Benin Empire.

The extent of Benin in 1625
Capital= Benin City (then called Edo)
Languages = Edo ( today fragmented into Edoid sub-dialects)
Government Monarchy = King/Emperor (Oba)
- 1180–1242 EWEKA 1
- 1440–1473 Ewuare (1440–1473) expanded the city-state to an empire
Ovonramwen (exile 1897) = Last absolute Ruler
- 1979– Erediauwa I (post-imperial)
Historical era/Early Modern era
- Established 1180
- Annexed by the United Kingdom 1897
Area - 1625 90,000 km² (34,749 sq mi)
ROOTS OF IZODUWA( Prince Ekalarderhan) corruptly called ODUDUWA by the Yorubas.
The Benin Empire was a pre-colonial African empire, with its capital Benin City (located in what is now Edo State in Nigeria). It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey. The Benin Empire was "one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa, dating perhaps to the Eleventh century C.E",[2] until it was annexed by the British Empire, in 1897.
The original people and founders of the Benin Empire, the Edo people, were initially ruled by the Ogiso (Kings of the Sky) dynasty who called their land Igodomigodo. The rulers or kings were commonly known as Ogiso. Igodo, the first Ogiso, wielded much influence and gained popularity as a good ruler. He died after a long reign and was succeeded by Ere, his eldest son. In the 12th century, a great palace intrigue and battle for power erupted between the warrior crown prince Ekaladerhan son of the last Ogiso ( Ogiso Owodo) and his young paternal uncle - Evian the field Marshall of his father's army. In anger over an oracle, Prince Ekaladerhan left the royal court with his warriors. When his old father the Ogiso died, the Ogiso dynasty was ended as the people and royal kingmakers preferred their king's son as natural next in line to rule.
PRINCE IZODUWA BECAME RULER OF IFE A PRIESTLY MINI SETTLEMENT.
The exiled Prince Ekaladerhan who was not known in Yoruba land, somehow earned the title of Oni Ile-fe Izoduwa which is now corrupt to yoruba language as Ooni (Oghene) of Ile-Ife Oduduwa and refused to return, then sent his son Oranmiyan to become king. Prince Oranmiyan took up his abode in the palace built for him at Usama by the elders (now a coronation shrine). Soon after his arrival he married a beautiful lady, Erinmwinde, daughter of Osa-nego, was the ninth Enogie (Duke) of Ego, by whom he had a son. After some years residence here he called a meeting of the people and renounced his office, remarking that the country was a land of vexation, Ile-Ibinu (by which name the country was afterward known) and that only a child born, trained and educated in the arts and mysteries of the land could reign over the people. He caused his son born to him by Erinmwinde to be made King in his place, and returned to Yoruba land Ile-Ife. After some years in Ife, he left for Oyo, where he also left a son behind on leaving the place, and his son Ajaka ultimately became the first Alafin of Oyo of the present line, while Oranmiyan himself was reigning as Oni of Ife. Therefore, Oranmiyan of Ife, the father of Eweka I, the Oba of Benin, was also the father of Ajaka, the first Alafin of Oyo. Note that,Oni of Uhe and Alafe of Oyo were Bini terms in Benin spoken language. Also note that, almost all the Kings titles in Southerner Nigeria are in old Edo Language. In Nigeria Edo has the greatest and rich culture and most influence in West Africa and powerful King in Nigeria before the whiteman arrived.
THE IMPERIAL FOUNDATION
By the 15th century, Edo as a system of protected settlements expanded into a thriving city-state. In the 15th century, the twelfth Oba in line, Oba Ewuare the Great (1440–1473) would expand the city-state to an empire.
It was not until the 15th century during the reign of Oba Ewuare the Great that the kingdom's administrative centre, the city Ubinu, began to be known as Benin City by the Portuguese, and would later be adopted by the locals as well. Before then, due to the pronounced ethnic diversity at the kingdom's headquarters during the 15th century from the successes of Oba Ewuare, the earlier name ('Ubinu') by a tribe of the Edos was colloquially spoken as "Bini" by the mix of Itsekhiri, Esan, Ika, Ijaw Edo, Urhobo living together in the royal administrative centre of the kingdom. The Portuguese would write this down as Benin City. Though, farther Edo clans, such as the Itsekiris and the Urhobos still referred to the city as Ubini up till the late 19th century, as evidence implies.
INFLUENCE
Aside from Benin City, the system of rule of the Oba in his kingdom, even through the golden age of the kingdom, was still loosely based after the Ogiso dynasty, which was military and royal protection in exchange of use of resources and implementation of taxes paid to the royal administrative centre. Language and culture was not enforced but remained heterogeneous and localized according to each group within the kingdom, though a local "Enogie" (duke) was often appointed by the Oba for specified ethnic areas.
Bronze plaque of Benin Warriors with ceremonial swords. 16th–18th centuries, Nigeria.
The first name of the Benin Empire, since its creation some time in the first millenium (i.e, before year 1000) CE, was Igodomigodo, as called by its own inhabitants. Their ruler was called Ogiso.[3]
Nowadays, nearly 36 known Ogiso are accounted for as rulers of this first form of the state. According to the Edo oral tradition, during the reign of the last Ogiso, his son and heir apparent, Ekaladerhan, was banished from Igodomigodo as a result of one of the Queens having deliberately changed an oracle message to the Ogiso. Prince Ekaladerhan was a powerful warrior and well loved. On leaving Benin he travelled westernly to the land of the Yoruba where he became king and renamed himself Izoduwa, which is now corrupt to Oduduwa by Yorubas. Most Edo cultures and festival ethnics are now practiced by Yorubas such as Ishango, Ogun, Festac of Idia Mother of Oba Esigie of Benin. Also most foods of the Edo are now consumed by the Yorubas, such as Iyan, Eman, Usi, Ighiawo and Ogi. Most current cities in West Nigeria are a mix of Edo and Yoruba, such as Ekiti, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos itself.
On the death of his father, the last Ogiso, a group of Benin Chiefs led by Chief Oliha came to Ife, pleading with Oduduwa (the Ooni) to return to Igodomigodo (later known as Benin City in the 15th century during Oba Ewuare) to ascend the throne. Oduduwa's reply was that a ruler cannot leave his domain but he had seven sons and would ask one of them to go back to become the next king there.
Eweka I was the first 'Oba' or king of the new dynasty after the end of the era of Ogiso. He changed the ancient name of Igodomigodo to Edo.
Centuries later, in 1440, Oba Ewuare, also known as Ewuare the Great, came to power and turned the city-state into an empire. It was only at this time that the administrative centre of the kingdom began to be referred to as Ubinu after the Itsekhiri word and corrupted to Bini by the Itsekhiri, Edo, Urhobo living together in the royal administrative centre of the kingdom. The Portuguese who arrived in 1485 would refer to it as Benin and the centre would become known as Benin City and its empire Benin Empire.
The Ancient Benin Empire, as with the Oyo Empire which eventually gained political ascendancy over even Ile-Ife, gained political strength and ascendancy over much of what is now Mid-Western and Western Nigeria, with the Oyo Empire bordering it on the west, the Niger river on the east, and the northerly lands succumbing to Fulani Muslim invasion in the North. Interestingly, much of what is now known as Western Iboland and even Yorubaland was conquered by the Benin Kingdom in the late 19th century - Agbor (Ika), Akure, Owo and even the present day Lagos Island, which was named "Eko" meaning "War Camp" by the Bini.
The present day Monarchy of Lagos Island did not come directly from Ile-Ife, but from Bini, and this can be seen up till in the attire of the Oba and High Chiefs of Lagos, and in the street and area names of Lagos Island which are Yoruba corruptions of Bini names (Idumagbo, Idumota, Igbosere etc.). Other parts of the present day Lagos State were under Ijebu, and later Edo now conquer Ijebu and enlarge is domain to Dahomey (tossed between the Dahomey Kingdom, with its seat in present day Republic of Benin, and the Bini Kingdom).
THE SOLID EMPIRE
Benin city in the 17th century.
The Oba had become the paramount power within the region. Oba Ewuare, the first Golden Age Oba, is credited with turning Benin City into City States from a military fortress built by Ogiso, protected by moats and walls. It was from this bastion that he launched his military campaigns and began the expansion of the kingdom from the Edo-speaking heartlands.
Oba Ewuare was a direct descendant of Eweka I great grandson of Oduduwa, Oni of Ife.
A series of walls marked the incremental growth of the sacred city from 850 AD until its decline in the 16th century. In the 15th century Benin became the greatest city of the empire created by Oba Ewuare. To enclose his palace he commanded the building of Benin's inner wall, a seven-mile (11 km) long earthen rampart girded by a moat 50 feet (15 m) deep. This was excavated in the early 1960s by Graham Connah. Connah estimated that its construction, if spread out over five dry seasons, would have required a workforce of 1,000 laborers working ten hours a day seven days a week. Ewuare also added great thoroughfares and erected nine fortified gateways.
Pendant ivory mask of Queen Idia, court of Benin, 16th century, (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Excavations also uncovered a rural network of earthen walls 4 to 8 thousand miles long that would have taken an estimated 150 million man hours to build and must have taken hundreds of years to build. These were apparently raised to mark out territories for towns and cities. Thirteen years after Ewuare's death tales of Benin's splendors lured more Portuguese traders to the city gates.[4]
At its maximum extent, the empire extended from the western Ibo tribes on the shores of the Niger river, through parts of the southwestern region of Nigeria (much of present day Ondo State, and the isolated islands (current Lagos Island and Obalende) in the coastal region of present day Lagos State). The Oyo Kingdom, which extended through most of SouthWestern Nigeria to parts of present day Republic of Benin was to the West.
The state developed an advanced artistic culture, especially in its famous artifacts of bronze, iron and ivory. These include bronze wall plaques and life-sized bronze heads depicting the Obas of Benin. The most common artifact is based on Queen Idia, now best known as the FESTAC Mask after its use in 1977 in the logo of the Nigeria-financed and hosted Second Festival of Black & African Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77).
THE EUROPEAN CONTACT:
Drawing of Benin City made by an English officer, 1897
The first European travelers to reach Benin were Portuguese explorers in about 1485. A strong mercantile relationship developed, with the Edo trading tropical products such as ivory, pepper and palm oil with the Portuguese for European goods such as manila and guns. In the early 16th century, the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon, and the king of Portugal sent Christian missionaries to Benin City. Some residents of Benin City could still speak a pidgin Portuguese in the late 19th century.
The first English expedition to Benin was in 1553, and significant trading developed between England and Benin based on the export of ivory, palm oil and pepper. Visitors in the 16th and 17th centuries brought back to Europe tales of "the Great Benin", a fabulous city of noble buildings, ruled over by a powerful king. However, the Oba began to suspect Britain of larger colonial designs and ceased communications with the British until the British Expedition in 1896-97 when British troops captured, burned, and looted Benin City, which brought the Benin Empire to an end.[5]
A 17th-century Dutch engraving from Olfert Dapper's Nauwkeurige Beschrijvinge der Afrikaansche Gewesten, published in Amsterdam in 1668 wrote:
The king's palace or court is a square, and is as large as the town of Haarlem and entirely surrounded by a special wall, like that which encircles the town. It is divided into many magnificent palaces, houses, and apartments of the courtiers, and comprises beautiful and long square galleries, about as large as the Exchange at Amsterdam, but one larger than another, resting on wooden pillars, from top to bottom covered with cast copper, on which are engraved the pictures of their war exploits and battles..."
—Olfert Dapper, Nauwkeurige Beschrijvinge der Afrikaansche Gewesten
Another Dutch traveller was David van Nyendael who in 1699 gave an eye-witness account.
MILITARY STRENGTH AND TACTICAL FORMATION AND DISCIPLINE
Copper sculpture from Benin showing the mix of weapons that co-existed side by side during the colonial era. Note firearms in the right hand of one figure, and traditional swords held by others.
"The King of Benin can in a single day make 20,000 men ready for war, and, if need be, 180,000, and because of this he has great influence among all the surrounding peoples. . . . His authority stretches over many cities, towns and villages. There is no King thereabouts who, in the possession of so many beautiful cities and towns, is his equal."
—Olfert Dapper, Nauwkeurige Beschrijvinge der Afrikaansche Gewesten (Description of Africa), 1668
The kingdom of Benin offers a snapshot of a relatively well-organized and sophisticated African polity in operation before the major European colonial interlude.[6] Military operations relied on a well trained disciplined force. At the head of the host stood the Oba of Benin. The monarch of the realm served as supreme military commander. Beneath him were subordinate generalissimos, the Ezomo, the Iyase, and others who supervised a Metropolitan Regiment based in the capital, and a Royal Regiment made up of hand-picked warriors that also served as bodyguards. Benin's Queen Mother also retained her own regiment, the "Queen's Own." The Metropolitan and Royal regiments were relatively stable semi-permanent or permanent formations. The Village Regiments provided the bulk of the fighting force and were mobilized as needed, sending contingents of warriors upon the command of the king and his generals. Formations were broken down into sub-units under designated commanders. Foreign observers often commented favorably on Benin's discipline and organization as "better disciplined than any other Guinea nation", contrasting them with the slacker troops from the Gold Coast.[7]
Until the introduction of guns in the 15th century, traditional weapons like the spear, short sword, and bow held sway. Efforts were made to reorganize a local guild of blacksmiths in the 18th century to manufacture light firearms, but dependence on imports was still heavy. Before the coming of the gun, guilds of blacksmiths were charged with war production—–particularly swords and iron spearheads.[6]
Benin's tactics were well organized, with preliminary plans weighed by the Oba and his sub-commanders. Logistics were organized to support missions from the usual porter forces, water transport via canoe, and requisitioning from localities the army passed through. Movement of troops via canoes was critically important in the lagoons, creeks and rivers of the Niger Delta, a key area of Benin's domination. Tactics in the field seem to have evolved over time. While the head-on clash was well known, documentation from the 18th century shows greater emphasis on avoiding continuous battle lines, and more effort to encircle an enemy (ifianyako).[6]
Fortifications were important in the region and numerous military campaigns fought by Benin's soldiers revolved around sieges. As noted above, Benin's military earthworks are the largest of such structures in the world, and Benin's rivals also built extensively. Barring a successful assault, most sieges were resolved by a strategy of attrition, slowly cutting off and starving out the enemy fortification until it capitulated. On occasion however, European mercenaries were called on to aid with these sieges. In 1603–04 for example, European cannon helped batter and destroy the gates of a town near present-day Lagos, allowing 10,000 warriors of Benin to enter and conquer it. As payment the Europeans received items, such as palm oil and bundles of pepper.[8] The example of Benin shows the power of indigenous military systems, but also the role outside influences and new technologies brought to bear. This is a normal pattern among many nations and was to be reflected across Africa as the 19th century dawned.
DECLINE
Britain seeks control over tradeEdit
The city and empire of Benin declined after 1700. By this time, European activity in the area, most notably through the Trans-Atlantic slave-trade, resulted in major disruptive repercussions. However, Benin's power was revived in the 19th century with the development of the trade in palm oil and textiles. To preserve Benin's independence, bit by bit the Oba banned the export of goods from Benin, until the trade was exclusively in palm oil.
By the last half of the 19th century Great Britain had become desirous of having a closer relationship with the Kingdom of Benin; for British officials were increasingly interested in controlling trade in the area and in accessing the kingdom's rubber resources to support their own growing tire market.
Several attempts were made to achieve this end beginning with the official visit of Richard Burton in 1862 when he was consul at Fernando Po. Following that was an attempt to establish a treaty between Benin and the United Kingdom by Hewtt, Blair and Annesley in 1884, 1885 and 1886 respectively. However, these efforts did not yield any results. Benin resisted becoming a British protectorate throughout the 1880s, but the British remained persistent. Progress was made finally in 1892 during the visit of Vice-Consul H.L. Gallwey. This mission was significant, being the first Official visit after Burton's. Moreover, it would also set in motion the events to come that would lead to Oba Ovonramwen's demise.
THE FRAUDULENT ONE-SIDED GALLWEY'S Treaty of 1892
The Gallwey treaty allegedly signed by the king required the Benin Empire to abolish the Benin slave trade and human sacrifice.[9] Despite the stories later told by Gallwey, there is today still some controversy on a number of points—most of all as to whether the Oba actually agreed to the terms of the treaty as Gallwey had claimed. First, at the time of his visit to Benin the Oba could not welcome Gallwey or any other foreigners due to the observance of the traditional Igue festival which prohibited the presence of any non-native persons during the ritual season. Also, even though Gallwey claimed the King (Oba) and his chiefs were willing to sign the treaty, it was common knowledge that Oba Ovonramwen was not in the habit of signing one sided treaties.
The Treaty reads "Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India in compliance with the request of [the] King of Benin, hereby extend to him and the territory under his authority and jurisdiction, Her gracious favor and protection" (Article 1). The Treaty also states "The King of Benin agrees and promises to refrain from entering into any correspondence, Agreement or Treaty with any foreign nation or power except with the knowledge of her Britannic Majesty's Government" (Article 2), and finally that "It is agreed that full jurisdiction, civil and criminal over British subject's and their property in the territory of Benin is reserved to her Britannic Majesty, to be exercised by such consular or other officers as Her Majesty shall appoint for the purpose...The same jurisdiction is likewise reserved to her Majesty in the said territory of Benin over foreign subjects enjoying British protection, who shall be deemed to be involved in the expression "British subjects" throughout this Treaty" (Article 3).
It makes little sense that the Oba and his chiefs would accept the terms laid out in articles IV-IX, or that the Oba or his chiefs would knowingly bestow their dominion upon Queen Victoria for so little apparent remuneration. Under Article IV, the treaty states that "All disputes between the King of Benin and other Chiefs between him and British or foreign traders or between the aforesaid King and neighboring tribes which can not be settled amicably between the two parties, shall be submitted to the British consular or other officers appointed by Her Britannic Majesty to exercise jurisdiction in the Benin territories for arbitration and decision or for arrangement." Oba Ovonremwen was a tenacious man, which is contrary to the accounts of treaty portrayers such as Gallwey; he was not doltish.
OBA OVERANMWEN REFUSED TO SIGN THE DUBIOUS TREATY
The chiefs attest that the Oba did not sign the treaty because he was in the middle of an important festival which prohibited him from doing anything else (including signing the treaty). Ovoramwen maintained that he did not touch the white man's pen. Gallwey later claimed in his report that the Oba basically accepted the signing of the treaty in all respects. Despite the ambiguity over whether or not the Oba signed the treaty, the British officials easily accepted it as though he did.
THE 1897 POGRON
When Benin discovered Britain's true intentions, eight unknowing British representatives, who came to visit Benin, were killed. As a result a Punitive Expedition was launched in 1897. The British force, under the command of Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, razed and burned the city, destroying much of the country's treasured art and dispersing nearly all that remained. The stolen portrait figures, busts, and groups created in iron, carved ivory, and especially in brass (conventionally called the "Benin Bronzes") are now displayed in museums around the world.
AFTERMATH:
The kingdom was fragmented and the British gave semi autonomy to all the dukedoms under the empire.they even tried to make some them feel superior to the mother empire as seen in the Yoruba mini states examples.
The monarchy was suspended and replaced with Benin City Council structure which failed to govern a people used to the most organized state for over 2000 years. They British were forced to restore the monarchy by crowning Aguobasinmwin the Crown Prince and heir to the exiled Oba Ovoramwen as Oba Eweka the second. He was succeeded by his eldest son Oba Akenzua the second who in turn was succeeded by the current Emperor Oba Erediawa in 1979.
CLARION CALL TO ALL EDOID PEOPLE
If our ancestors could build the biggest and strongest empire in Africa from the scratch,what stops us from toeing their footsteps. We can rebuild if we set our minds on it. The British,not the contrived Nigerian state,conquered us. They have since left and since there is no record showing Oba Overanmwen signed us away to Nigeria,we must reclaim our independent state and rebuild our united Empire.
References:
Ben-Amos, Paula Girshick (1995). The Art of Benin Revised Edition. British Museum Press. p. 20. ISBN 0-7141-2520-2.
Robert W. Strayer, Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources, Bedford/St. Martin's: 2012, pp. 695-696
http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_native.html
Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Africa's Glorious Legacy (1994) pp. 102–4
Chapter 77, A History of the World in 100 Objects
Osadolor, Osarhieme Benson (23 July 2001). "The military system of Benin Kingdom, c. 1440–1897 (D)" (PDF). University of Hamburg. pp. 4–264.
Robert Sydney Smith, Warfare & diplomacy in pre-colonial West Africa, University of Wisconsin Press: 1989, pp. 54–62
R.S. Smith, Warfare & diplomacy pp. 54–62
Hernon, A. Britain's Forgotton Wars, p.409 (2002)
Strayer, Robert (2012). Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources,. New York: Bedford/St.Martin's. ISBN 978-0312583460.
Bondarenko D. M. A Homoarchic Alternative to the Homoarchic State: Benin Kingdom of the 13th–19th centuries. Social Evolution & History. 2005. Vol. 4, No 2. pp. 18–88.
Ezra, Kate (1992). Royal art of Benin: the Perls collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 9780870996320.
Mercury, Karen. The Hinterlands, historical fiction about the Benin Expedition of 1897. Medallion Press, 2005
‘P.A.Igbate’ Benin Under British Administration (The Impact of Colonial Rule on an African Kingdom 1897-1938)
Roese, P. M., and D. M. Bondarenko. A Popular History of Benin. The Rise and Fall of a Mighty Forest Kingdom. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2003.
Culled from Wikipedia but refreshed and refleshed with additional information by Prince Friday Stewalt S.Ojealaro.

Yesterday

The Oduduwa Controversy.

 By Naiwu Osahon

A lot of dust was raised in the press in 2004 over the Oduduwa issue. The
controversies on Oduduwa are finally put to rest in this write-up. All students
of history must carefully preserve this historical record as a reference point.
Oduduwa is Prince Ekaladerhan of Edo and he entered Yoruba life about 900
years ago and that is categorical and final. The Yoruba/Edo collaborative
evidence follow. The first most telling revelation about Oduduwa’s ancestry is
from Oduduwa himself. He, in his lifetime, reserved a special seat in his Ife
palace for his ancestors. The seat remains reserved until this day for the Edo
monarch only. No one else, not even the reigning Ooni, or Oronmiyan (Alaafin)
in Oyo, or any of the Obalades of Yorubaland can sit on the seat. So, if Edo
is not the wellspring of Ife, why is it that no member of the Alaafin, or Ife
Ooni dynasties (or siblings), can use the seat?

Besides, the most sacred name for Ife is ‘Uhe’ a (non-Yoruba), deep and strong
Edo word, meaning virgin or vagina depending on how it is pronounced, and is
interpreted in myth as ‘innocence,’ ‘the birth canal,’ or ‘the source of life.’
Also, no major Ifa ritual or ceremony in Ife even now is considered authentic,
blessed by or acceptable to the gods and ancestors, without the presence and
involvement of relevant Edo traditional faith custodians. The dress culture of
Ife chiefs and priests is from Edo court.

Professor Ade Ajayi’s comment that the Edo are trying to re-write history and
that the motivation for this is political is ridiculous to say the least,
unless professors are not supposed to have some responsibility for truth and
scholarship. Ajayi’s comment influenced less-informed commentators who accused
the Oba of Edo of possible political bias at the age of 80, in an interview
published in The News of 28 June 2004. The age of the Edo monarch bellies the
silly accusation. No Edo historian, including Omo N’oba Erediauwa has said
that a rebel king migrated from Benin to father Oduduwa in Ile-Ife. The Yoruba
historians peddling this falsehood should take time off to read this specially
packaged report on Oduduwa because it puts the Oduduwa controversy to rest once
and for all.

Perhaps the most childish comment on the Oduduwa issue so far was the one in an
article published in the Sunday Sun of June 27, 2004. The writer is upset over
the antics of Edo prostitutes in Italy but ignores the Yoruba credit card
schemers, painting the USA and Europe red with their notoriety? He says and I
quote: “The Edo position on Oduduwa is motivated by imperial politics, a dose
of envy and irrepressible ego. It is part of an agenda to hijack the enviable
fame of Yoruba dynasty and superimpose it on the subdued ego of the Edo people
who have lost the glory of their once powerful Edo Empire to the greater might
of the British colonial masters.”

I was expecting the writer to say ‘Yoruba masters’ instead of ‘British masters’
in his erroneous statement. As far as I know, there is no record of the Yoruba
ever once conquering or colonizing even an inch of Edoland. Rather, the Edo
colonized, dominated and enslaved large tracks of Yorubaland and people until
British colonialism liberated the Yoruba, so who should be envying who?
Besides, the Yoruba were colonized along side the Edo and we all gained our
‘flag’ independence from the British on the same day, which was the 1st of
October 1960. Black collective plight as the most wretched people in the world
has not changed since ‘flag’ independence, so what is there in the Yoruba to
make the Edo or anyone jealous? The writer is proud that there are Yoruba
enclaves in Brazil and so on. But they got there as slaves and they are still
slaves, (second-class citizens), in the Diaspora right now. The Edo were never
enslaved, (the Edo kept hordes of Yoruba and other slaves from their conquests
and shielded them from the slave trade), so you would not find slave colonies
of the native Edo extraction anywhere in the Diaspora. What greater honour
could anyone have than that?

No Yoruba commentator or expert so far has provided concrete evidence or
credible story on Oduduwa. Some that have attempted to do so, have quoted
spurious speculations from racist, paternalistic and condescending British
historians like Basil Davidson, because that was what they passed their exams
on. Prof. Siyan Oyeweso of the LASU History Department, goes further to swear
by some 1950s – 60s researchers, such as Philip Igbafe, R. E. Bradbury, Alan
Ryder and G.A. Akinola, who quoted profusely from each other, and largely
relied on the ‘white god’ Davidson’s story for authenticity. What right do we
have to expect these ‘experts’ to transcend the infantile bias of their day
that Oduduwa was God incarnate, who as the Yoruba progenitor, descended with a
rope from the sky? Could the historians have said Oduduwa was not God at a time
of Yoruba political dominance in the region? Could they have set off on a limb
and expect their books to be recommended reading by the West African
Examination Council (WAEC)?

The overwhelming counter argument by the Yoruba so far, weighs heavily on why
the Edo have only just come out now with their Oduduwa story? It is wrong for
anyone to claim that the Edo origin of Oduduwa story is a recent creation. Prof
Siyan Oyeweso even tried to put a 1971 date on when Edo people invented the
Oduduwa story. He provides no evidence of his assertion other than that we
should take his words for it because he is a professor. And if he were allowed
to get away with his blatant distortion of history, it would become the history
that students pass their exams on. That is how the Davidsons and Bradburys
became the authorities on African history.

I have discovered serious laxity on the part of some of our supposed African
professors. They accept any rubbish put out by the dishonest, ill-informed
Basil Davidsons of the white world as the gospel truth requiring no further
investigation. No black intellectual outside Africa today relies on racist
whites as sources of knowledge about themselves because such whites lie about
the African contributions. They claim that we were nothing until slavery. That
we were worse than wild animals before they intervened in our lives and that we
are still less than animals now.

Racists whites do not want us challenging their lies and upsetting the
applecart. But the greatest thing about truth is that until it triumphs, it
allows lie no peace. It does not matter when the truth comes out? If a
researcher comes out with the true identity of God today (as I have now done in
this book), billions of years into the creation story, does that make the truth
less true? The world continues to stumble on new ‘truths’ everyday because
original researchers did not have the accumulated knowledge and tools now
available to modern research work.

Ovbia Oba Edun Agharese Akenzua, in his book: Ekaladerhan, tells us that while
the Oba of Benin was visiting Ife on November 11, 1982, the Ooni said in
part……”As we have mentioned briefly during our historic visit to your domain
not too long ago, we said that we were there to pat you on the back for a job
well done. Your present visit we regard as a short homecoming, where you will
have an opportunity to commune with those deities you left behind. Now my son
and brother, long may you reign.” “The address suggested that the people of
Benin, or at least, the Royal Family, owe their origin to Ile-Ife. In the
prelude of his response to the Ooni’s welcome address, the Oba of Benin tacitly
rebutted the submission.” “The Oba said: If the Ooni of Ife calls the Oba of
Benin his son and the Oba of Benin calls the Ooni of Ife his son, they are both
right.” “The Oba did not elaborate, but in the womb of that innocuous assertion
is the fetus of a story, which had never been told in full. In both Benin and
Uhe, the story is told with varying details.”

Six years ago, I sent the Edo story on Oduduwa to Adeniji, the Arts Editor of
ThisDay newspaper at the time. I phoned and he said I should send it but he
never used the story. I understand that the Daily Independent of Friday May 14,
2004, published a version of the article in my name with my original title. I
have not read it but I suspect it is the same article I sent to ThisDay two
years earlier that the Daily Independent newspaper published when the controversy
was raging. Whatever it is, am I to blame for the story not being used earlier?
I don’t own a newspaper or magazine. I can only try and reach out through
facilitators, hoping that they and everyone else would be interested in the
unraveling of truth.

Edo historians have written volumes on the Oduduwa story. My parents told me
the story in my early teens. They too were told the story in their teens as are
every Edo child regardless of what they are taught at school for WAEC exams. I
wrote about it in the Sunday Guardian and the Post Express some twelve to
fifteen years ago. Five years back, I put the story all over the Internet, and
a few years earlier I produced a book on Oduduwa in my Obobo book series for
children. Four years ago, I did a four-part series on Edo history in my Daily
Sun’s weekly column, which was lost on the public until the Oba of Edo’s book
reviews woke up our pseudo authorities on Oduduwa. The Yoruba professors who
put a workshop together on Oduduwa history at the EKO FM Multi-purpose Hall in
Lagos on Thursday October 7, 2004, were not aware that my write-up preceded the
Edo monarch’s book reviews, and yet they pretend to be knowledgeable on what is
written and when about Oduduwa. So, there is a time, place and opportunity for
everything.

Prof Isola Olomola of the OAU’s History Dept. claims that Oduduwa could not
have been a Benin man. Olomola would not accept such history anyway and his
reason is very simple indeed, Olomola is a professor and a Yoruba. He puts no
argument forward to buttress his position; instead, he allows his tribal pride
to becloud his better judgment. That is not scholarship but an attempt to write
history by ‘ugboju’ or terror tactics. Prof. Siyan Oyeweso beats his chest that
Oduduwa is not Ekaladerhan and that Oduduwa dropped from the sky. The works of
such professors litter library shelves around our country, distorting our
history and keeping us ill informed. To move forward on the Oduduwa issue,
Yoruba historians must let go on their two fallacious preoccupations: (a) that
Oduduwa dropped from the sky at the beginning of time, and (b) that Oduduwa was
the Yoruba progenitor. The Edo do not claim to be the Yoruba progenitors and
as Prof. Isola Olomola suggested at the October 7, 2004, workshop on Oduduwa,
skeletal remains of a stone-age man has been found at Iwo Eleru, near Isarun in
Ondo state, with similar sites also discovered in Ife, Owo, and Asejire. Dating
of the sites may need more vigorous investigation and coupled with the
facilities of an open mind, we could begin to move forward on the Oduduwa
issue. This is what this article on Oduduwa tries to do by asking questions and
providing available knowledge in a systematic, comprehensive, and simplified
way, to solve the controversy and carry even non-scholars along. My most potent
weapon in this regard, is the unraveling of the date of the Oduduwa experience.

When did Oduduwa reign in Ife?

If we can establish the date and time of Oduduwa’s interregnum in Ife, most of
the mysteries about who he was would be laid to rest. I have solved the problem
of date in this article to finally put the Oduduwa controversy to rest. The
Yoruba do not know the time of his reign in Ife beyond the speculation that his
name was synonymous with Ifa, and that the Ifa divinity was there from the
beginning of time. In other words that Oduduwa is as old as time itself. The
idea that he was here at the beginning of time is too vague for serious minded
people to consider.

The Universe is some 10 to 20 billion years old and the Earth 4.6 billion
years. Humans are the late comers on Earth and have evolved over a period of 13
million years albeit as members of the chimpanzee family. We only started
looking as we do now (i.e. Homo sapiens) 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. 15,000
years ago to be specific, the human race was still very primitive. The stirring
of civilization started in earnest from Black Egypt less than 10,000 years ago.
All races of the world originated from the African (Black), and moved to occupy
the rest of the earth from Africa. Even when original African settlers all over
the world had begun to change in skin colour due to climatic differences and
had forgotten their African origins, new waves of Africans continued to invade
their old colonies to assert their authority and teach new knowledge. From the
Osirian reign in Egypt in 4100 BCE, Africans began to teach the rest of mankind
farming, industrialization, commerce, and how to organize cities and nation
states, while the African religion, the Mystery System, (which is the mother of
all the religions of the world), began its uninterrupted supremacy until about
2000 years ago.

Africans from Egypt colonized Mesopotamia and Elam in 4000 BCE to teach the
rudiments of civilization and introduce African religion (spirituality), which
with emphasis on Nimrod, carved from the image of Ausar (Osiris), went through
several phases to become Zoroastrianism. The African religion also gave birth
to the Islamic religion in Persia, 1000 years before the birth of Muhammad. The
Dravidians from Ethiopia took Hinduism to India in 3200 BCE. In 1640 BCE, 70
Hebrews entered Egypt but some 3,154,000 African-Hebrews left Egypt in 1230
BCE, under the leadership of the African prince called Moses. Moses trained in
the Mystery System as a prince for 40 years and adapted its laws for his
followers. Arabs are a hybrid of Africans and Caucasians. Muhammad was born in
570 CE and he adopted the Babylonian (African) religion that was already 1000
years old from Persia during his time.

The reverse dispassion of blacks from the Nile Valley began seriously as a
result of the over population of the Valley, then as a consequence of social
upheavals, and finally due to Persian 525 BCE, Greek 332 BCE, and Roman 55 BCE
invasions of the black race Egypt. The civilizations that emerged from the
Egyptian disturbances in the West African sub-region, not in any special order,
where Ghana, Chad, Mali, Benin and Songhai, with some dating back to 1500 BCE,
at least.

The Edo so far trace their history to perhaps hundreds or thousands of years
before 40 BCE when they where called Idu and to 40 BCE specifically, when the
Ogiso dynasty began. Thirty-one Ogisos ruled Idu (called Igodomigodo), between
40 BCE and about 1200 CE. The first Ogiso (king) was called Ogiso Igodo and his
capital was at Ugbekun. Ogiso Igodo’s successor, Ogiso Ere, transferred the
capital from Ugbekun to Uhudumwunirin. The last of the Ogiso kings was called
Owodo. He reigned in the early 11th century CE and had only one child, a son,
despite having many wives. That child, Ekaladerhan, is Oduduwa. All Oduduwa’s
telltale links with Edo are still there open to investigation. The non-mortal
aura of Edo God-son kings since 40 BCE. The sacrosanct first son succeeding
father traditional law. The, around 1200 CE, Ogiso succession problems because
heir apparent, Ekhaladerha, escaped to Yorubaland. The emergence of Ogieamie
chiefdom to sell Edo land at every coronation to Edo Oba elect since 1200 CE.
By the above account, Edo historians are saying that Oduduwa’s reign in Ife
ended around 1200 CE. Yoruba historians confirm that Oduduwa’s first child and
son was Oronmiyan and that Oronmiyan was the first Alaafin of Oyo. Yoruba
historians deliberately avoid discussing the date Oronmiyan ascended the
Alaafin throne obviously because that would destroy their myth about when
Oduduwa intervened in their lives.

The Edo say the Alaafin’s dynasty in Oyo began around 1200 CE. Oronmiyan was
in Igodomigodo in 1170 CE, and it was after his sojourn in Igodomigodo that he
set up his Oyo dynasty. This date is not difficult for Yoruba historians to
verify and if it is true, Oduduwa was alive during his son’s sojourn in
Igodomigodo and also when the Oyo dynasty came into being. Therefore, the Ife
stool could not have become vacant until about 1200 CE. This is not really
debatable because Yoruba historians confirm that 37 Oonis reigned in Ife before
Akinmoyero in (1770-1800), and that 13 more have reigned since. This enables us
to prove the 1200 CE date mathematically. If from 1800 CE to 2004 CE (i.e. a
period of 204 years), produced 13 Oonis on the average, how many Oonis could
have reigned from 1200 CE to 1800 CE (i.e. a period of 600 years)? The answer
is 38 Oonis.

The Ife history of

the Ooni dynasty confirms 38 Oonis, including Akinmoyero (1770 – 1800). Here
are their names in the ascending order of the period of their reign: Ogun,
Osangangan, Obamakin, Ogbogbodirin, Obalufon, Oronmiyan, Ayetise, Lajamisan,
Lajodogun, Lafogido, Odidimode Regbesin, Aworokolokun, Ekun, Ajimuda, Gboo-Nijio,
Okinlajosin, Adegbalu, Osinkola, Ogbooru, Giesi, Luwoo (female), Lumobi,
Agbedegbede, Ojee-Lokunbirin, Lagunja, Larunka, Ademilu, Omogbogbo,
Ajila-Oorun, Adejinle, Olojo, Okiti, Lugbade, Aribiwoso, Osinlade, Adagba,
Ojigidiri (Lumbua), Akinmoyero (1770 – 1800), Gbanlare (1800 –1823), Gbegbaaja
(1823 –1835), Wunmonije (1835 –1839), Adegunle Abewelo (1839 –1849),
Degbinsokun (1849 – 1878), Oranyigba (1878 – 1880), Derin Ologbenla (1880
–1894), Adelekan Olubuse I (1894 –1910), Adekola (1910), Ademiluyi Ajagun (1910
–1930), Adesoji Aderemi (1930 – 1970), and the current Ooni Okunade Sijuwade
Olubuse II, whose reign dates from 1980. Obviously, Oronmiyan, the first child
and son of Oduduwa, did not inherit his father’s throne, which is the genesis
of the quarrel between the true Oduduwa’s heirs and the Ooni’s dynasty.

Oduduwa’s eight children (as claimed by Yoruba historians), are known as the
Obalades or crowned chiefs of Yorubaland. The argument is that not all Yoruba
Obas have genuine crowns; only the Obalades are the exception and consist of
the Alaafin of Oyo, the Oregun of Ile Ila, the Alake of Egbaland, the Owaoboku
of Ijeshaland, the Alaketu of Ketu, the Owa of Ilesa and two Obas in the
Republic of Benin as follows: the Onipopo of Popo and the Onisabe of Sabe. What
this means in effect is that Yoruba civilization did not start in earnest until
the reign of Oduduwa and his sons. All leading Yoruba historians agree on this.

In fact, we know that it was from early twelfth century that Ife grew into a
large city surrounded by walls, inhabited mostly by farmers and some skilled
craftsmen who created great works of arts respected around the world today. The
famous Ife bronze, terracotta works, statues in baked clay, some representing
the Ooni dressed in full regalia, are among the world’s greatest works of art.
Some of the terracotta were so large and complex, it is impossible to bake them
today even with modern technology. All these date back to the eleventh century
CE.

Because Ogun, the first Ooni after the demise of Oduduwa, was not Oduduwa’s
child, he was not considered an Obalade by Yoruba tradition and elite. Ogun was
a chief with spiritual responsibilities. He usurped the Ife throne because the
true heirs to the throne were busy else where at the time of their father’s
death. Ogun out maneuvered the children of Oduduwa over the Ife throne with his
superior knowledge of the inner working of the Ooni’s palace, and his spiritual
prowess as the head of the Ogun shrine. Oduduwa’s true heirs have been smarting
over this ever since.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria in the
early sixties, strengthened the hands of the Oonis, and facilitated their
prominence in Yorubaland by appointing Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ife at
the time, as the first Governor of the now defunct Western Region of Nigeria.
Oba Adesoji Aderemi’s ascendance was consolidated with his Chairmanship of the
Western Region’s Council of Obas that at the time entrapped the Edo Oba. With
such immense political power of his own, and the political influence and
authority of Awolowo as the leader of the Yoruba, no one could raise a finger
against the supposed illegitimacy of the Ooni’s dynasty in Yorubaland. The
Edo, of course, were worst hit as a voiceless minority in Awolowo’s Western
Region’s politics of tribal exclusion and domination.

The Oduduwa lineage tried to fight back by identifying with the NPN in
opposition to the UPN. Awolowo accentuated the schism by promoting the
emergence of Bode Thomas, a young and dynamic lawyer from Oyo. Bode, with
Awolowo’s clout, wielded considerable political power in Oyo to the point of
being rude to the Alaafin, who was alleged to have put a curse on him. Bode
became mad to the chagrin of Awolowo, who promptly banished the Alaafin from
his Oyo throne. Just as the Oduduwa’s legitimate heirs and the Yoruba elite
generally, have always known and concealed the quarrel over the Ife throne, the
Edo have always known their history and borne the pains of not being able to
act on it because Chief Awolowo was unassailable and had turned the Ooni
dynasty into a colossus to cow all opposition.

Another way of confirming Oduduwa’s 1200 CE demise date in Ife, is to look into
the famous account of valour during Oduduwa’s reign when an external invasion
by the Igbos from the East took place. The record can easily be traced and
Moremi’s courage came to the fore at the time for sacrificing her life for the
safety of her people. From 1200 CE to 2004 CE is only 804 years, so the Yoruba
should stop deceiving themselves that Oduduwa dropped from the skies at the
beginning of time or that Ife is the ‘source’ of the universe. Ife is ‘Uhe,’
meaning Oduduwa’s re-birth, or successful re-location from Edo land of his
ancestors.

Where did Oduduwa come from in Yoruba myth?

The Yoruba story about Oduduwa is extremely thin on substance. What we have is
wrapped largely in myths, parables, and folktales. In fact, the most generous
way to describe the story is that the Yoruba do not know anything about their
highly revered progenitor. Oduduwa himself left a tell tale evidence of his
ancestry in his lifetime. He reserved a special seat in his palace for his
ancestors, which only the Edo monarch can sit on even now. No other human,
whether Arab, Eskimo, Alaafin, Ooni, or Yoruba, (bleached or not), can sit on
the seat. Despite this vivid evidence that has survived through the centuries,
some Yoruba historians still claim that he was from somewhere in Arabia.

Any place from Egypt to Lebanon to Iraq to Saudi Arabia has been mentioned, and
the Yoruba professors’ strongest proof of Oduduwa’s Arabian ancestry so far is
that he was light in complexion. This may have influenced some heirs of
Oduduwa, who have been accused of serious attempt at bleaching. The ‘light’ in
complexion argument could place Oduduwa’s origin any where in the world from
Edo, to China, to Britain, to Mexico, but who dares fault our professors who
passed their exams on European history? The Saudi Arabian origin theory is not
popular with the Ijebus who erroneously claim Wadai as their roots. Those
linking Oduduwa with Iraq claim that he descended from Lamurudu (the Nimrod of
Babylon’s myth). Nimrod was not an historical figure but a myth constructed
from the life image of Ausar, the god of the Chaldeans, who invaded and
colonized Persia from 4000 BCE. In any case, is it not dishonest to try to link
6000-year-old ancestry with 900-year-old personalities, without authentic and
verifiable historical documents or DNA test? You can deceive the illiterate
with myths but Nigerians are becoming more and more educated now.

There is another school of thought among some Yoruba historians claiming that
Oduduwa came from the East. Some Yoruba historians are more specific and claim
that Oduduwa first settled on a hill East of the valley over-looking the native
Yoruba settlements. If he settled first in the Eastern side of the hamlet,
isn’t there a good chance that he may have come from that side too? Edo would
appear to be more East of Yorubaland than any Arabian country. The argument
that the native Yoruba people probably did not know their East from their North
is not tenable because the same people told us that the Igbos attacked them
from the East in Moremi’s story, and both the Edo and the Igbos are East of
Yorubaland.

Who was Oduduwa in Yoruba myth?

There is a measure of agreement between the Yoruba and Edo historians about
who Oduduwa was. The Edo say he was their prince. All Yoruba historians agree
that Oduduwa was a noble and some say he is a god. Many settle for a prince
with impeccable royal blood and immense spiritual powers. The Yoruba historians
tell us that Oduduwa was the first ruler of the Yoruba people.

There is no mention in any Arabian historical records of a prince of such
illustrious ancestry who abandoned his privileged ranks at home and moved
several hundreds of miles through bush paths to live in the West African
jungle. Such incidents do not happen casually or without clear excuse such as a
jihad or war of conquest, and when it did, all tribes along their routes felt
their impact one way or the other. In the case of Oduduwa, mum is the word from
the Northern flanks of Yorubaland all the way through the jungle to the other
side of the Mediterranean Sea.

Please Continue this article here: The Oduduwa Controversy Resolved (Part 2)

• 

  Otedo News Update

  EDO STOP ADDING YORUBA TO YOUR HISTORY! DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND SHOWS ILL RESEARCH PRESENTATION!
  WHY YORUBA NEVER HAD AN EMPIRE BUT CIVILIZED BY BENIN.
  1.Their story of kingship began with Edo prince and the Benin recorded History.
  2.Ayayi crawder said, little were know about yoruba existence, meaning they were not part of Nigeria of today boarder or were in small settlement close to dahomy. yoruba are half muslims and those with African traditions copied or got them from Benin civilization. I doubt if they not immigrants from dahomy mix with Benins or other fulani-hausa from Niger . Go figure,
  3.They have dublicity of kingship with the process highly politized to being traditional
  4.Most of their Religion are Benin Origin, Olokun, Ogun, Iha oguega(ifa), oronmila, Esago(shango), Ayelala etc. Many Benin traditions and spirituality are stillfully documented by yorubas in high places as YORUBA? (Never mind the Edo man's christian mindset quickly dening Edo have niothing to do with African traditional religion, agreeing they are foriegn to Edoland...LIE)
  5.Benin Ruled Yoruba
  6.Benin founded lagos and ruled lagos
  7.Benin first to meet Europeans
  8."Oba" adopted from Benin not the other way round as many made to believe
  9.They never conquered no territory but rather struggle with their neighbours before and after the first encounter with Europeans
  10."Edo" have no relative with the word Yoruba.
  11.Note history is subject to scientific diagnosis and many historic writtings in the past about Benin yoruba have been proved by archaeologies and scientist as erroneous and false.
  12.Many Yoruba being those in the forfront of Nigeria history writters,used in Nigeria institutions had the benefit of making their yoruba look leading culture and history for nigerians
  13. Yorubas all along paddling lies in Nigeria, US and British universities. deceivng Africans with grammar and academic titles. They confuse other external scholars about the true realities of African history.. buy their lies into African America book, which Benin in the Palace have no ideal. thank God the world is now a small village.
  14. Yoruba had and did the highest slave rading in their togo-oyo region stretched to lagos during slave trade.
  (15) Yoruba never colonise Benin but Benin colonize Yoruba
  (16) Yoruba is not in anyway related to Igbo ancestral history
  (17) Yoruba not in anyway related to itsekiri history. Their could be later migrant during the European expliotation and commerce but not related to the itsekiri ancestral lineage. Never mind all the title of "Olu" in the region, its all inventions
  (18) Thank God for Obafemi Awolowo, Yoruba is known today as an ethnic group in NIgeria
  (19) How can an Empire be inside an Empire? Many so called yoruba territories of today never existed in the past but invented and stillfully documented into their borrowed history
  (20) Yoruba copied Benin-Edo history, twisted them and publish as Yoruba History. Most of their books and publications are mere opinions of the writers inside their rooms without no singgle scientific research or a visit to Ancient Benin for true archaeological discovery. Covered up with self hate, jealousy and envy of the Great Benin, bias and leftish in many of their so called Nigerian history.
  (21) if cameroon was inside Nigeria today , Yoruba would have as well say they are their ancestors..
  (22)Many yorubas dominating Lagos today came as migrant workers for British companies and construction project. that why you have alot of their fotos with whites. Britain also use them as colonial officers.
  Before Britain or before the punitive expedition of 1897, Yoruba have no were to be found as recognized major ethnic group in lagos but Edos.
  (23)lastly, where is yoruba ancient flag or before 1897?
  Nigerians wise up! Yoruba have been writting and teaching us Gabage for so long.....
  DETTAILS LATER...¨^view bellow map carefully and never mind other maps spread accross the internet designed by photoshop *
  Sep 19, 2014

Khobe - The Brave

Asante, Ben
 Ben Asante who knew Gen. Maxwell Khobe personally writes about the exploits of the Nigerian general and chief of defence staff of Sierra Leone who died of a heart attack on 18 April.
  Sometime around Christmas 1998, Brigadier General Maxwell Mitikishe Khobe invited us – a group of visiting journalists – to lunch with him at his official residence in Freetown.
It was a Sunday. He arrived late, and when his military convoy sped through the gate, he briskly jumped down from the jeep. With a quick apology, using words like, “he has been busy doing nothing and wasting other people’s time”, he proceeded to say the grace. It was unusual for even an ofFicer known to be deeply religious. For several minutes, Khobe prayed that President Kabbah be protected and allowed to complete his mandate against attempts by rebels to overthrow him.
Little did we know at the time that what was uppermost on Khobe’s mind was rebel activities slowly threatening the government and the people of Freetown. Barely a year before, he had liberated the capital in a swift action against the AFRC military junta headed by Major Johnny Paul Koroma. Khobe was among a small core of Ecomog officers who saw action in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. I first met him in Monrovia, Liberia, in 1992.
Few soldiers trust civilians, and least journalists, especially during operations, but Khobe invited us to film battle action involving his tanks.
We were not disappointed For one moment by the experience and in seeing what impact our work was having on the morale of Ecomog troops. Several times soldiers came on our camera to send messages to their relatives. One 25-year-old gunner shouted a message on camera to his father. “Papa, I am a man now for I have fought in a war as a soldier!”
Khobe hardly entered a tank at the front but preferred to walk armed with nothing but a radio. In typical fashion, he and several officers and troops marched on foot to take town after town in Liberia until they captured Buchanan City in 1992.
Because of the utter confusion generated by Ecomog’s role in fighting to protect itself and the civil population in its areas of control, people began accusing the force of becoming a party to the conflict. The level of misgivings about Ecomog was such that a CNN reporter asked the then Ecomog chief of staff Brig-Gen Victor Malu, why his troops who were supposed to be neutral were fighting alongside other factions opposed to Charles Taylor’s NPFL and allowing them to operate freely in Monrovia.
We visited Khobe regularly at his Caldwell base in Monrovia where he kept an open door. He was an avid poultry farmer, a habit he brought to Monrovia.
After his tour of duty in Liberia, he went back home where in very quick succession, he held appointments first as head of a special unit formed to protect Lagos against armed robbers, then to Abuja, and to the Armour Brigade headquarters at Yola, not Ear from his hometown, Numan.
In 1985, he turned down a political posting from the military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. After serving in Ecomog in Liberia, another posting was to follow not long after. The May 1997 overthrow of President Kabbah by the AFRC junta in Sierra Leone offered Khobe another opportunity to work abroad. He was appointed the commander of the Ecomog Task Force in Sierra Leone.
In a lighting action, Ecomog troops marched into the capital and seized the centre of Freetown including the State House with Koroma’s junta in flight. In recognition of his efforts, President Kabbah asked the Nigerian government to second him as chief of defence staff of the Sierra Leone army.
Khobe had been promoted a full Brigadier-General but he hardly had enough time to re-build the Sierra Leone army before the rebels invaded Freetown again on 6 January 1999. In spite of repeated intelligence warnings, no-one would listen.
Weeks before the attack, Khobe went out one early morning and removed the rebel leader, Foday Sankoh from the Pademba Maximum Security Prison where he was on death row. Had he not removed Sankoh, the fate of Sierra Leone and the outcome of the 1999 invasion would have been different.
The rebels broke into the prison on G January and freed all the inmates, but they missed Sankoh who remained in the hands of the government and ended up negotiating for a ceasefire.
Khobe was a joy to watch at the front. He kept encouraging the troops to move forward. Several times we went to the front at first light only to discover that the men had withdrawn from the positions we left them the evening before. Many factors caused the pull back. Ammunitions were not delivered after they ran out or no food supplies came through. Other times rumours circulated that the rebels were coming with anti-aircraft guns, and lacking effective cover the men just pulled back. Wherever Khobe went, the troops seeing him surged forward and just kept going.
Late last year, Khobe came to London to undergo an operation to remove a shrapnel lodged in his back which he sustained on duty in Freetown. He came only after the rebels had signed a peace agreement. His back hurt him most times and he walked with a limp but he rather put up with the pain than abandon his post. The first operation was successful.
In December he had another operation which unfortunately had to be reopened after an abscess was discovered at the airport just as he was about to return to Freetown.
  He returned to his post in January this year. His wife, Martina, who was in London throughout his treatment, went along to Freetown to nurse him.
In March, Khobe went to Harare, Zimbabwe, to address an NGO conference on the plight of civilians in a conflict situation. He passed through London on his way back From Harare, and told me that his British doctors had given him a clean bill of health. He planned to come back to London for further check up in April.
But while in Harare, someone had given him a photocopy of New African’s report (NA February) on how Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first premier, had been killed in a Western-backed plot in 1961 while UN peacekeepers looked on. He wanted the original copy badly because UN troops had recently been sent to Freetown to keep the peace in Sierra Leone.
I sent copies of the Lumumba report to him later, but according to Capt. Hassan who was with him in London, Khobe had been unwell since he returned to Freetown on 23 March. Until then, I knew nothing about his sudden poor health.
He died of cardiac arrest in his hospital bed at 10.30 am on 18 April, aged 50. He was buried in his hometown of Numan in Adamawa State, Nigeria, on 29 April. NA


Copyright International Communications
Jun 2000

LET THE ACTION BEGIN, PRESIDENT BUHARI

dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com

Your Excellency, please permit me to start by congratulating you on your swearing-in as Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Sir, it has been a very long and arduous journey back to the State House; such an epic battle, to say the least. Yours is an eloquent confirmation of the dictum that it is never over until it is over. There is a lesson for all to learn in your uncommon determination, extraordinary tenacity, great perseverance and tremendous patience and equanimity. According to William Shakespeare “all is well that ends well.”
Now that you’re back in power, it is time to settle down quickly to govern a particularly delicate country as well as a very sensitive people. It is not that Nigerians are too difficult to govern but the fact is that our expectations are rather huge after suffering for far too long in the midst of plenty. An average Nigerian voted for you in the hope that you have the magic wand to turn mass poverty into abundant prosperity. As a matter of fact, they expect you to turn water into vintage wine and if possible raise Lazarus from the dead. That is why the cry for change was overwhelming and reached a crescendo which culminated in former President Jonathan and the PDP being swept away by that proverbial broom of change! Such is the enormity of the burden you must carry today that nobody should envy you for attaining this exalted position once again. Moreover, time is not even on your side. You must therefore hit the ground running right away.
Nigerians, and indeed the world, would be watching and analysing your actions as well as your body language from now on. Your biggest headache would be how to manage the unruly politicians who litter our political landscape. They are going to make your job more complex and complicated than it should be ordinarily because most of them don’t actually believe in your principles and ideology. Their agenda is possibly at cross-purposes with yours. As far as they are concerned, you will have your say while they would always meander their way through the labyrinth of policies that you will have to make in order to give effect to your vision of a corruption free Nation. The Nigeria you’re inheriting today is steeped in filth and all manner of odoriferous mess but you have a chance of redirecting us all.
My candid advice is that you should stick to who you are and what made it possible for you to record this landmark victory. You are not a politician per se but a social crusader. Politics is always the means but never an end. The end is leadership and, ultimately, performance. If you deliver on your promises, no evil shall befall you and you will be celebrated by all and sundry. But if you fail, the same politicians who swarmed all over you singing your praises would jettison you and move on pronto to new suitors.
I do not expect you to fail and many Nigerians, including myself, are praying that you succeed. In case the unexpected happens, and our hopes are dashed again, let the last man remember to switch off the last globe as we plunge into eternal darkness. The candle of hope you hold out to Nigerians at home and abroad is incredible and I am not jealous of you. The last time Nigerians united behind a Presidential candidate was in 1993 when Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola raised the flag of hope and promised to banish poverty from our land. Sadly, many things went wrong and our hopes were dashed and Nigeria was abandoned in a quagmire. The rest is history.
It has taken 22 agonising years to arrive at this juncture and we can’t afford another misadventure. The burden of expectations on you and your highly cerebral Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, is stupendously heavy. As I wrote in this column on March 14, 2015:
“The People’s General, as I love to call him, is a victim of his own popularity. What ordinarily should have been an asset has almost become a liability, or put another way, a blessing turning to a curse. From all empirical data as well as mathematical calculations, General Buhari looks set to create a major upset on March 28, or whenever it pleases the gods of Abuja to hold the elections…
“To whom much is given, much is expected. General Buhari is thus expected to be the Lamb of God who must be prepared to carry the sins of the world. He must possess the power of optical illusion in order to perform instant magic, in a nation on its bent knees…”
Your first test is how and when you pick your highly anticipated and eagerly awaited “change” team. It is certain you must announce some key appointments immediately. Some States have already taken the lead and this shows a sign of preparedness. I’m impressed with the tone and tempo coming out of Governor Nasir El Rufai’s Kaduna State and Governor Ambode’s Lagos State. The Federal Government must borrow a leaf from such decisiveness. You must never be seen to prevaricate on urgent decisions as if your hands are tied behind your back. Sir, you are now in charge and must do everything necessary to select some of the brightest men and women it has pleased God to bless Nigeria with.  I must confess that I am somewhat agitated on your behalf that no appointment of note has been announced, not even those of your personal and household aides.  If you have already made these appointments please announce them as a matter of urgency.  Modern day governance is a transparent government and not one to be shrouded in secrecy.  That was one of the failings of the previous administration.  You must not make the same mistake, Mr President.
What you’re expected to do is tantamount to a football coach selecting a national team to take to the World Cup. Please, note that every Nigerian sees himself as a competent coach. The first set of appointments can make or mar this government especially if it is overloaded with hard-core politicians and nominees of interest groups. Realistically, it is impossible to ignore the Party that provided the platform that laid the golden egg. But how you maintain the precarious balance would clearly indicate if it is going to be business as usual in Nigeria or otherwise.
Mr President, let me alert Your Excellency right away that you have the media as well as the army of unemployed youths to contend with. The media is no longer comprised of the traditional journalists but the self-appointed publishers and bloggers on social media most of who belong to an angry generation and are very impatient and temperamental. They won’t listen to lame and dodgy excuses. Your media team must be rock-solid from Day One. If your media people do not know their onions or lack the influence within the media fraternity, all the goodwill of the moment may evaporate before our very eyes.  It must be clear to you by now that there must be a distinction between your speechwriters and those that propagate the image of your administration.  Whilst the former may be close to you and are your friends, the latter do not have to be.  What is needed for the latter are those who can connect not only to their network but also to the citizens of this great country.
PDP is not going to be a simple opposition to contain after controlling power for 16 years. The man in the street is hungry and almost disillusioned. Your government would need the services of efficient communicators and not those propagandists who may think telling lies is how to win the hearts and souls of the people. Nigerians have become more sophisticated than in the past when they had government apologists insult their intelligence with impunity. You have built your stock on your integrity.  You therefore cannot afford to have spokespersons that lack credibility because they will tarnish the good image and reputation that you have painstakingly built for yourself over the years.
Your cabinet should be carefully assembled. This is not going to be too difficult once you stick to your avowed yardstick and not to allow anyone drop any deadwoods on you. Nigerians collectively heaved a sigh of relief when you declared that you belong to everybody and yet you belong to nobody! You have a nation of over 170 million people to seek and pick just a few candidates to help your government achieve monumental greatness. There are so many other jobs to be handed over to political jobbers but the soul of government is your cabinet. The Ministers are the Ambassadors of your government. They must be tested and trusted people who can command the respect of all and inspire Nigerians out of the present state of despair and disillusionment. They must not be imposed or foisted on you.  They must be people that align with the tenets of your administration, your visions and your goals.  Your cabinet must comprise men and women that you personally feel comfortable to work with.
There are key areas of priority. What connects every family in any country is education. It is the foundation for success or failure. If we can rescue our education speedily, Nigeria would save millions of dollars being spent on sending our kids to school abroad. In the past, most of us attended schools in Nigeria and only travelled out after A–Levels or first degrees. An investment on education at home can never be a wasted one. It would generate employment and recreate a better society. Illiteracy is the mother of all backwardness. No nation can ever be considered developed if the citizens live in abject ignorance.
Sir, our economy is obviously in tatters. The need for diversification has never been in doubt and is even more pertinent now than ever. Our over-dependence on oil proceeds is stupidity at its worst. We can no longer afford to pay lip service to other vast potentials that bring us wealth and succour. Agriculture is one and thank God you’ve been actively engaged in farming in your personal capacity.  In my childhood days, the richest people around were cocoa and ground nut farmers. But they’ve been sacked and banished to antiquity by the oil barons some of who feasted with reckless abandon on our black gold without making any significant contribution to our economic well-being. A country that oozes crude oil from its pores is unable to fuel the yearnings of its people both literally and figuratively.  That is a big shame.  Once upon a time, we boasted about our groundnut pyramids. The people of Malaysia came to us for our palm seedlings. We had tonnes and loads of Ofada rice. Our yam tubers looked more like the legs of Japanese Sumo wrestlers. Our people fed and were content. We must return to those good old days soonest.
Entertainment is now big business globally. The time has come to properly manage the industry in a manner that will bring high yields to our gifted ones. Millions can be gainfully employed as singers, producers, engineers, event managers, make-up artists, caterers, ushers, models, designers, tailors, deejays, comedians, choreographers, composers, songwriters, instrumentalists, decorators, stylists, and so on, if properly managed and directed in the right direction by your government. It is the same with Sports. Nigerians are very talented in most sports but we have not been able to turn this into the goldmine that it is.
Every Nigerian, rich or poor, is totally frustrated about incessant power outages. Nothing is more pressing than finding a lasting solution to this national embarrassment. It is a jinx that must be broken. If you succeed in doing this, Nigerians will be forever grateful.   As with the oil and gas industry there are very simple ways of fixing the problem.  The first is that you must do away with cartels and engender competitiveness.  There must be transparency in allocation and distribution of these national assets and resources.  In this regard Your Excellency should note that subsidy is not the problem in the oil industry.  It is a mere red herring meant to deceive and hide even more monumental frauds.  In any event the issue of subsidy will not arise if things are done properly.  Our refineries must be made to work and we must price appropriately.
The last major issue that your Government must tackle immediately is the insecurity in our country.  The Boko Haram menace must be curbed.  Your commendable resolve in this respect has already been demonstrated by your directive to the Nigerian military command as their Commander – in Chief to move their base to the heart of the insurgency in Borno State. Also, the increasing spate of kidnappings, political killings and armed robberies must be addressed.
In the next couple of weeks, I will contribute my humble quota as to solutions to our seemingly intractable problems. Every Nigerian must support you by rising above partisanship.
Once again, I rejoice with you, Mr President and pray for your resounding success as you bring about hope and change in our dear beloved country! God bless Nigeria.

A New Nigeria Beckons As Buhari Takes Over

•     To relocate defence headquarters to Maiduguri as Boko Haram is taken head on
Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Senator Iroegbu, Jaiyeola Andrews and Chineme Okafor in Abuja
Amidst great expectations, Muhammadu Buhari was on Friday sworn in as the fifth civilian President of Nigeria, with a promise that his administration would firmly tackle the Boko Haram terrorists head on.

 In this regard, he said the Defence Headquarters would be relocated to Maiduguri from Abuja.

 The new President also pledged to tackle corruption, insecurity, epileptic electricity and a number of other challenges.

 Prof. Yemi Osinbajo earlier took his own oath as Vice President at very colourful ceremony held at the Eagles Square in Abuja.

 It was a historic moment as both the incoming president and outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan shook and embraced each other to the admiration of all who were gathered at the Eagles Square.

 For Buhari, it was a dream come true having tried three times to return to the office he left 30 years ago without success.

 Clad in flowing white Agbada kaftan dress, Buhari walked confidently to the podium at about 10.45 am to take the oath administered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed.

 Buhari swore with the Quran. After the swearing-in, the Eagle square went into a joyful shout.

 Buhari, also like Osinbajo signed the register of the oath of office.
 Thereafter, Jonathan handed over the national flag to him and a copy of the constitution. The two are the instruments of office.

 In a symbolic manner, the old National flag and the defence flag were lowered symbolising the end of Jonathan's era as President and Commander-in-Chief.

 The flags were later folded by the military officers and handed over to the Regimented Sergeant Major (RSM) and later handed to the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Barde who in turn handed it to Jonathan.

 Later, a box containing two new flags were given to Buhari by Jonathan who also handed the flags over to Barde.

 Barde in return gave the flags to RSM to be hoisted, which signified the beginning of a new era of Buhari's administration. At this stage, Jonathan stepped out with his vice-president, Namadi Sambo and were driven out of the square.

 Jonathan left for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for onward journey to Otuoke via Port Harcourt. Namadi Sambo left straight for Kaduna.

 At 11.09 am, Buhari released pigeons signifying peace and later the 21 gun salute heralding his administration followed. The President in mounted open jeep waved and acknowledged cheers from the crowd.
 Buhari also inspected a Brigade of Guard parade.

 All former living Nigerian Presidents and military Heads of State were in attendance at the Eagle Square.

 General Yakubu Gowon and his wife, Victoria were the first to arrive.
 Others that arrived later were General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and wife and former President Shehu Shagari.
 
 Inaugural speech…
Buhari in his inaugural speech said he was immensely grateful to God who made the day a reality.

 He said Nigerians had shown their commitment to democracy and were determined to entrench its culture.

 The President said: "Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a truly democratically elected government in place.

 "I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land, we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation.

 "Together, we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country.

 "Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians."

 He added that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody.

 The President urged every Nigerian not to exercise fears about his administration: “A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue.”

Buhari promised to tackle all challenges. He said: “At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.

 "In recent times, Nigerian leaders appear to have misread our mission. Our founding fathers, Mr Herbert Macauley, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Chief J.S. Tarka, Mr Eyo Ita, Chief Denis Osadebe, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance.

“They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house.

 "Furthermore, we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great civilizations: Shehu Othman Dan fodio’s caliphate, the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja’s formidable domain. The blood of those great ancestors flows in our veins. What is now required is to build on these legacies, to modernise and uplift Nigeria.

 "The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution.”

He said the legislative arm of government must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously.

 He also said the judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past: “The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office. It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.

 The President also pledged to curb corruption at all levels of government. He said: “Elsewhere, relations between Abuja and the states have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally, there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the federal government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments.

“Not least, the operations of the Local Government Joint Account. While the Federal Government cannot interfere in the details of its operations, it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the constitution allows me, I will try to ensure that there is responsible/accountable governance at all levels of government in the country. For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch."

 The President described the Nigerian press as the most vibrant in Africa and appealed to the media – including the social media – to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism.

 He stressed that his appeal for unity among Nigerians was predicated on the seriousness of the legacy Nigerians are getting into.

 Buhari noted that with depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and debts, the Nigerian economy was in deep trouble and would require careful management to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges confronting it.

 He listed the challenges as Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power shortages and unemployment especially among young people.
 For the longer term according to the president, "we have to improve the standards of our education. We have to look at the whole field of medicare. We have to upgrade our dilapidated physical infrastructure.”

On Boko Haram, he pledged to bring the menace to an end: "The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory cannot be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.

 "This government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion, Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory.

 "Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued, the government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connections to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a recurrence of this evil. For now, the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram. We shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed Forces.

 Buhari said Boko Haram was not only the security issue bedeviling the country. He included the spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings, which he said helped to add to the general air of insecurity in the country: “We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security architecture,” said the President.

 On the amnesty programme in the Niger- Delta which is due to end in December, he said his government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes currently in place.

 Buhari said: “I call on the leadership and people in these areas to cooperate with the state and federal government in the rehabilitation programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build prosperity for our people.”

On the power crisis, the new president promised Nigerians a new dawn: “No single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians.

“We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians."

 He concluded: "Your Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I cannot recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home, the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a window of opportunity to fulfill our long-standing potential of pulling ourselves together and realising our mission as a great nation.

Tinubu: Nigerians Are Heroes of Democracy.

By Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja
Following the presidential election that ushered in a new government, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, last night said Nigerians who voted out the incumbent government were the heroes of true democracy.
Tinubu spoke during the Presidendial Inauguration Gala Night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the electorate shunned all monetary inducement aimed at buying their votes and conscience during the election.   
"Despite heavy inducement to move otherwise, the people were not induced or intimidated. The people voted for their better destiny at last election. The average Nigerian, decent, hardworking, unseen and anonymous, they voted.
"They are the heroes of this glorious moment. Without their faith in democracy and belief in a better future, this election would not have been had and we will not be celebrating the inauguration of a new president tonight.
"Congratulations to millions of Nigerians at home and abroad. Congratulations to Africa, Nigeria is ready to lead. Today we celebrate; tomorrow we will turn our energy ... and our polity to the task at hand, giving better life for the people and our beloved country.
"A new era is upon us; all here are blessed by the hand of great providence to witness the awakening of our nation. This noble moment will endure for long after we have expired. A new president has been inaugurated, a new government established and a commitment to build a new Nigeria has been consecrated and ... of our people.
"We celebrate the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari. In him, we have a leader who is principled, bold, determined, passionate and determined to lead. He is like those leaders who have led their nations to greatness in time past. We celebrate because his election was a testament to the path of human decency and sovereignty of the people ... of power."
"We celebrate Nigeria's friends from Africa and around the world joining us today. Your presence is an expression of goodwill that shall never be forgotten.
"Your presence underscores for us the importance that Nigeria holds in the community of nations. That we have accomplished a peaceful transition of administration from one different political party, that is an historical landmark" the APC national leader added
He urged Nigerians to pray for the success of President Muhammadu buhari and his government.
"They come into power at a difficult moment and we grapple with multiple of challenges. we will be there for you and with you, Mr. President.  May his administration take the first mighty step in reconstructing a new and better Nigeria for all our people. May he begin to lay the foundation for a better house for all of us. Faith now ushers in a period of light and revival that will guide us to the upper road and a higher purpose. We thank God for this chance, for it was not guaranteed by our labour or by our effort. But it comes from the power of God Almighty.
"General Muhammadu Buhari and other African head of state here. From one programme to the other, the African renaissance must start with him. The challenge is yours. We that are looking up to you will continue to do so with great commitment and perseverance and all sense of value that Africans must build Africa to show that Africans can compete, Nigeria must lead. We dare not squander this good thing given to us," Tinubu asserted.
Buhari, at the occasion, thanked African and world leaders that came to Nigeria to witness the inauguration of the new government.
He also urged for more prayers from Nigerians in order to succeed in office.
According to him, one of the quickest ways to boost the Nigerian economy is through agriculture and mining.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Chairman of APC, John Oyegun and former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, also gave glory to God for the new dawn

Inaugural Speech by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, following his swearing -in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29th May, 2015.

I am immensely grateful to God Who Has preserved us to witness this day and this occasion. Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy. Nigerians have shown their commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its culture. Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a truly democratically elected government in place.
I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country.
I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and were counted. I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the social media. At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive.
I thank all of you.
Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians.
I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.
A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue.
Our neighbours in the Sub-region and our African brethenen should rest assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any leadership role that Africa expects of it. Here I would like to thank the governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing their armed forces to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria.
I also wish to assure the wider international community of our readiness to cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees and boat people, financial crime, cyber crime, climate change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the 21st century.
At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.
In recent times Nigerian leaders appear to have misread our mission. Our founding fathers, Mr Herbert Macauley, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Chief J.S. Tarka, Mr Eyo Ita, Chief Denis Osadeby, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance. They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house.
Furthermore, we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great civilizations: Shehu Othman Dan fodio’s caliphate, the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja’s formidable domain. The blood of those great ancestors flow in our veins. What is now required is to build on these legacies, to modernize and uplift Nigeria.
Daunting as the task may be it is by no means insurmountable. There is now a national consensus that our chosen route to national development is democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the democratic system. The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system.
For their part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past. The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office. It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.
Elsewhere relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account. While the Federal Government can not interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country. For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch.
However, no matter how well organized the governments of the federation are they can not succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of labour unions, organized private sector, the press and civil society organizations. I appeal to employers and workers alike to unite in raising productivity so that everybody will have the opportunity to share in increased prosperity. The Nigerian press is the most vibrant in Africa. My appeal to the media today – and this includes the social media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism.
My appeal for unity is predicated on the seriousness of the legacy we are getting into. With depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and debts the Nigerian economy is in deep trouble and will require careful management to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges confronting us, namely; Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power shortages and unemployment especially among young people. For the longer term we have to improve the standards of our education. We have to look at the whole field of medicare. We have to upgrade our dilapidated physical infrastructure.
The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we can not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.
This government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory.
Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a reccurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko haram. We shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed Forces.
Boko Haram is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land. We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security architecture.
The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is due to end in December, but the Government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes currently in place. I call on the leadership and people in these areas to cooperate with the State and Federal Government in the rehabilitation programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build prosperity for our people.
No single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians.
Unemployment, notably youth un-employment features strongly in our Party’s Manifesto. We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises. We shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of our railways, roads and general infrastructure.
Your Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a window of opportunity to fulfill our long – standing potential of pulling ourselves together and realizing our mission as a great nation.


Our situation somehow reminds one of a passage in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar
There is a tide in the affairs of men which,
taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life,
Is bound in shallows and miseries.


We have an opportunity. Let us take it.
Thank you
Muhammadu Buhari
President Federal Republic of NIGERIA
and
Commander in-Chief of Armed Force.