Leadnaija
You have probably heard the myth that the Lukumi Yoruba are cowards who are full of a particular type of braggadocio, known as Shakara.
But look at the behaviour of Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, AKA Portable.
Before his celebrity boxing match with Darlington Okoye (Speed Darlington), who did the most boasting?
Was it not Okoye.
After his defeat of Mr. Okoye, have you seen him prancing about gloating? No!
Rather, his vanquished opponent has been accusing him of using juju, saying that he could have beaten Portable had it not been that he pulled a joint out of socket (he did not pull his joint out of socket—Portable did!), requesting a rematch, and basically making himself a victim.
I have not even seen or heard from Portable since his victory. It is almost as if he lost. That is restraint!
Look, stop believing this stereotype about the Yorubas being cowards. As Portable has again proved, for the umpteenth time, it is not true!
The Nigerian Civil War was decisively ended by a Lukumi Yoruba man, Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo. Not only did he defeat the rebel Republic of Biafra, but he also captured their leaders, except Colonel Ojukwu, who ran away, and brought them to Dodan Barracks to surrender to General Yakubu Gowon on Thursday, January 15, 1970.
Before then, an ill-prepared, overwhelmingly Lukumi Yoruba-led, and manned unit of the Nigerian Army defeated the Biafran Army when they attempted to invade the Western Region.
That battle is the fiercest battle in Lukumi’s history, and it is commemorated with the proverb ‘Oleku Ija Ore’.
Furthermore, there is the example of Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, who chose to die with the then Head of State, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, rather than abandon his guest, which he was at liberty to do.
In the history of Nigeria, only two men have returned to Nigeria to face almost certain death, even when they had the option of a very comfortable political asylum abroad. Both of them are Yoruba.
In 1985, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida toppled the Buhari regime while Major General Tunde Idiagbon (mixed Yoruba/Fulani) was at Mecca, yet Idiagbon returned.
In 1995, Olusegun Obasanjo (pure Owu Yoruba) was accused of planning a coup by the bloodthirsty tyrant Abacha while he was away in Copenhagen.
He was informed by the then US Ambassador, Walter Carrington, that Abacha meant to arrest, try and execute him, and was offered political asylum in the United States.
He returned to face almost certain death.
Finally, there is the case of MKO Abiola, who returned to reclaim his mandate from Nigeria’s most brutal military dictator. He was arrested in 1994. He was offered bail but refused freedom in exchange for abandoning his mandate. This was a multimillionaire in US Dollars. Yet, Bashorun chose prison over freedom. He did not run away and abandon his people.
The Yoruba are a very tactful and diplomatic people. Some people mistake these attributes for cowardice or sycophancy. They understand how to stoop to conquer.
No Yoruba leader would abandon his people and side with their opponents during a war or flee and leave them to their fate after a battle. Others may behave like that, but not Omo-ti-Olu-Iwa-bi!
Portable has been the brunt and butt of jokes from various quarters, and most recently, by Arise Television’s Reuben Abati.
What I can say is that by defeating Speed Darlington yesterday, Portable, as bouncy and controversial as he is, has done more to destroy the raise stereotype of the Lukumi Yoruba as cowards than Reuben Abati has done in his almost sixty-year existence on Earth.
Diplomacy should not be seen as sycophancy or flattery, and humility should not be taken for stupidity. Every man has a natural desire to feel important and respected. Meet that desire, and that man will eat from your hand. Learn to stoop to conquer, or you will be conquered stupidly!
