‘DR’ SALIHU MOHAMMED NDA WORU: A FAST DEVELOPING INFAMOUS DISTORTER OF HISTORY OR JUST AN ICONOCLAST?
He once referred to the people of Moro Local Government Area as “slaves”, as “conquered people”. That was some three years ago. About that same time, in his characteristic rampageous brash use of language, “Dr.” Mohammed Nda Woru again once singled out the people of Shao Community for a reproof, lambasting them for erecting a billboard under the title “NO EMIRATE IN SHAO”, which highlighted certain aspects of the people’s history; their ancestral origin and tribal affiliation. In his latest assault again, our dear “Dr” Nda Woru, who has now assumed the image of a hireling parroter of Ilorin Emirate, referred to the traditional rulers of Moro Local Government Area as “Lesser Chiefs under the Emir of Ilorin” who do not therefore deserve to be given the status of recognized and graded chiefs. He was further reported to have warned the State Government not to accede to the request of the people of Moro Local Government Area on the recognition and elevation of their traditional Chiefs, the Ohoro of Shao and the Oba of Jebba. What a bunch of baloney!!!.

In the same statement, he was reported to have asserted that, for any Chief to be elevated/graded, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria needs be amended. All the above references have characterized the antecedents of Dr. Nda Woru over the years in his “war of attrition” against Moro people; in his efforts to sustain the oppression and suppression of the will and the rights of the people of Moro, and by extension, of the people, of the four other Local Government Areas corralled into the Ilorin Emirate.

It is worth noting here that when a man continues to repeat the same wrong thing, when he continues to babble and prattle distorted history and thereby ends up making erroneous conclusions, then something must have gone wrong, which could be either an amnesia, a mental fog or aberration, a befuddled mind or intellectual obfuscation.

I have tried hard to restrain myself from reacting again to the latest outbursts of Woru Mohammed, as recounted in the foregoing paragraphs, but I will be unfair to my conscience and fall short of my responsibility to Moro people while Woru Mohammed continues to add insult to injury.

Let me take us back in time, to 2017. However, before going further on this, a question has hitherto been agitating my mind about the status of Dr. Nda Woru. What is his status in the palace of the Emir of Ilorin that qualifies him to refer to the people of Moro as “Slaves”? Is he a freeborn and bonafide son in the palace, a prince? If not, what is his ancestry and who is his own progenitor in whose eyes the people of Moro are seen as slaves? Or is it a case of “Saago nbu’go”, the pot calling the kettle black, which, in the context of another Yoruba witty saying, a case of “Nda o mo ara re l’eru”? What must have therefore qualified Dr. Nda Woru Mohammed, who was only a former Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), to be a royal historian?.

The people of Moro, slaves? What an audacious affront! Now, back to 2017. In an open letter to Dr. Nda Woru that year, in response to his diatribes, I had this to say in the article entitled “Re: The Indegradable/irreducible Ilorin Emirate and the campaign of calumny by concerned Moro Elders, published in THE HERALD SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2017, here abridged.

“My dear Dr. Woru Mohammed. My attention was drawn to the article authored by you and published in the “Sunday Herald” of January 8, 2017 under the above caption, which was your response to the justifiable patriotic demands made by the “Moro Concerned Elders”, on behalf of their people in Moro, as relates to their (Moro people) freedom. The issues you raised in that response were more of diatribes than anything one can consider decent enough deserving of any reaction.

Despite the however, I still have this to say, but certainly ignoring certain things which I don’t need to deal with, particularly as they relate to your use of language, which one considers not good enough in the 21st century – words like “Conqueror”, “Slaves” etc. Such language in today’s modern parlance, is called “gutter language”.

Firstly, I will disagree vehemently with the wrong impression you have given in your write-up which could lead to the wrong conclusion by any reader that towns and villages in Moro LGA (and in the other constituent Local Government Areas in Ilorin Emirate), are satellites of Ilorin town. Honestly, I am hard put to ever think that this claim or assertion could ever be put down by any knowledgeable historian…………….

Secondly the character of the population of the Local Government Area like Moro is not anywhere near what one could consider as being the “admixture” of the settlers from Ilorin Town. In other words if Moro L.G.A. were truly populated by “Migrants” from Ilorin, then Moro L.G.A. today should not be having a population preponderantly Yoruba (original) who account for about 99 % of the total population of the area…………..

Thirdly, available historical accounts and evidences (monumental and archaeological) point to the facts that there are towns in Moro today, which were founded may years, with firmly established traditional chieftaincy institution, long before the first settler ever emerged in Ilorin town. A fact which justifies the demand of the Concerned Moro Elders for the grading of their traditional rulers; a demand you have found revolting and has therefore provoked your January 8 Sunday Herald reaction.

“OF CONQUERORS & SLAVES” Contrary to your claims of “Conqueror” and “slaves”, in the same January 8 Sunday Herald article, Shao, for instance, was never conquered in any war against the Fulani Jihadists. Evidence? Today, Christianity is the dominant religion in Shao despite its closeness to Ilorin (less than ten kilometers) and this is inspite of the known religious aggressiveness and fervor that characterized and hallmarked the Jihad, the spread of the Islamic religion being the well-known “raison d’etre” of the Jihad. Shao stood as an impenetrable bulwark against the rampaging Fulani attackers, shielding off other towns and villages in the area from the Jihadists. Moro Local Government Area in Kwara State, is, by all definitions, criteria, and parameters, is a wholly Yoruba region fully embedded in the Yoruba tradition, culture, language, arts and crafts and in every “thingamabob” Yoruba. Contrary therefore to the assertion in your write-up, the preponderance of the inhabitants of Moro L.G.A. are descendants of Oduduwa from old Oyo Empire, Ile-Ife and other Yoruba towns in the Yoruba heart-land”.

OF LESSER CHIEFS: Now back to your theory of “lesser chiefs”, which is your latest assault on the people of Moro. Who are the lesser Chiefs? Who are the superior Chiefs? How do you determine the status and quality of a traditional ruler? Of course, culture and tradition, both of which constitute the major ingredients and factors in the quantification of the history of any people, community, tribe or race. Under this consideration therefore, for instance, is Ilorin superior to Shao in terms of quantification of history? No! Shao was founded before Ilorin and it was never conquered in any war between it and Ilorin? It is an indisputable historical fact that Shao as a town was founded decades before the first settlers ever emerged in what is now known as Ilorin and much longer than the coming of the Fulani Jihadists. Shao was founded on a well established traditional institution, the OHORO STOOL, which was fully in place and in firm control of a wide territorial jurisdiction. The Ohoro Stool of Shao cannot therefore be inferior to the Stool of the Emir of Ilorin where quantification of history is of the greatest consideration. There is no community that has not got its own traditional ruler and there is no community that is not proud of its traditional/cultural institution. Every traditional institution is as important as the other unless of course where one gets subjugated by the other possibly in a war. There are traditional rulers of varied levels of areas of jurisdiction and authority. It will be therefore erroneous of anyone to say or conclude that today in Kwara State, one community is inferior to another or that no community has its own traditional ruler. The only difference lies in the degree of statutory status conferred on each by the government of the State at any point in time, where justice, fairness and equity reign.

Talking about statutory status, one will be talking about the grading of traditional rulers in the State. The policy of grading started with the colonial administration. How then can Woru now refer to the Ohoro of Shao as a lesser chief “under Emir of Ilorin” when as a matter of fact, as far back as 1913, the stool of the Ohoro of Shao was graded 5th class along with that of the Emir of Ilorin, as First Class together with a very few other traditional rulers of today’s Kwara State, with varying statuses. At that time the Olofa of Offa was a fourth class graded traditional ruler. Check the Gazetteer of Ilorin Province for year 1919 under Phillip Lonsdale, a 2nd class Resident.

Who then are the “lesser chiefs” in Moro referred to by Woru Mohammed? Is it His Royal Highness, the Ohoro of Shao who was graded at the same time with the Emir of Ilorin under colonial administration? Who are the lesser chiefs? Are they the two Royal Fathers, the OHORO of Shao and the OBA of Jebba who had been graded twice in the modern administration in Kwara State in 1983 and 2002? They were graded Third Class Chiefs along with many others in the other parts of the state, Kwara North and Kwara South. Today, some of their colleagues of 1983 have been upgraded to first class status. However, the two royal fathers in Moro have fallen victims of the evil machination in high places, they were degraded in 1984 and 2003, falling victims of the globally acknowledged characteristic feature of Ilorin, identified with shifty Byzantinism, which came into play in 1984 and 2003, respectively under the military administration of Group Captain Latinwo and the civilian administration under Dr. Bukola Saraki, both occurring under the two Zulu Gambaris, as the Emirs, one now late while the other is the current Emir.

OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION

What has the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria got to do with the issues at hand: the restoration of the grading status and elevation of more of our traditional rulers in Moro Local Government and the establishment of a separate Traditional Council for Moro L.G.A. What has the constitution got to do generally with the management of the traditional institution in any State? It is a State affair.

Woru Mohammed’s reference to the constitution in this context is therefore either a sheer mischief or a clear exhibition and demonstration of an ineffable quantum of ignorance where “ignorance” is defined in the dictionary as “the condition of being uninformed or uneducated. Lack of knowledge or information”.

It is the responsibility of the State Government, working through the State House of Assembly, to make laws relating to chieftaincy matters. This reminds me of my days in the Pioneer House of Assembly of Kwara State in the Second Republic between 1979 and 1983. I remember presenting a Bill, the first and only private member’s Bill in the Second Republic in Kwara State. The Bill was presented to the House for enactment into law for the establishment of an Emirate Council or a Traditional Council for EACH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA in the State. The Bll was well received by the House, successfully passing through the first and second readings after which it went into the relevant committee of the House, Local Government and Chief Affairs, to conduct public hearing. The Bill enjoyed enormous positive response and support from the public across the then twenty-four Local Government Areas of the State, except, of course, from Ilorin Local Government Area of that time. At the end of its public hearing, the committee could not submit its report to the House as the Army struck to put an end the Second Republic.

Dr. Woru Mohammed should therefore be better informed on the subject he is ignorantly dabbling into. He should also learn to play the role of a freeborn when he is sent on an errand as a slave.

We the people of Moro are hereby advising our former Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) to respect the inalienable rights of the people of Moro L.G.A; their rights to freedom of association, freedom of choice of who their rulers should be. He should stop seeing, and referring to, the people of Moro as “conquered people” and “slaves”. He should equally stop playing the fake role of a royal historian. He should put an end to his disdainful perception of Traditional Rulers in Moro as “Lesser Chiefs” but accord their status with the respect and dignity they deserve. They are traditional rulers with unquestionable integrity. He should take to these pieces of advice lest his persistent aversion and hatred for the divinely destined and constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people of Moro assume COVID-19 notoriety.

As a side note, and for consideration, one would have expected that, long before now, the Ilorin metropolitan elite, in their advisory capacity, would have approached the Emir of Ilorin to let him known that the world has gone past the age of feudalism and as such he should respect the rights of the people of Moro to opt out of the Emirate, taking a cue from what has been happening in some other parts of the Real North these past three or four decades, the latest being Kano; that the Emir of Ilorin cannot continue to hold on to Moro against the people’s will and right. He should therefore stop to continue to see Moro as his fiefdom. But why play the mute on the part of Ilorin elite? Is it a question of indifference or passivity or could it be attributable to their fear of the Emir whom they will not want to “offend”? Judged by their bold statements and steps hitherto in some other areas of community concern, it will not be fair to see them as being lily livered over the issue now at hand.

AN APPEAL TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF KWARA STATE

It is apposite at this point to appeal to His Excellency, Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to listen to the people of Moro Local Government Area and consider righteously the issue that has become a matter of great concern and the major subject of discussion today among the people. This is a struggle that has spanned close to five decades now.

Your predecessors in 1983 and 2002 (respectively, Alhaji Adamu Atta and Alhaji Mohammed Alabi Lawal) took the path of justice and equity; the one (Atta) recognized and elevated the status of the OHORO of Shao and the Oba Jebba and graded them accordingly as Third Class Traditional Rulers. The other (Mohammed Lawal) restored them to their position of graded Third Class Chiefs in 2002 (after the evils of Latinwo in 1984 who degraded them). Dr. Bukola Saraki came in 2003 as the State Governor to undo what Lawal had done in 2002. There was no doubt at that time that the young Governor Bukola was merely dancing to the tune of the drums beaten for him by his father, late Dr. Olusola Saraki, who was not just a known intimate friend of the palace but a High Chief in the Council of the Emir of Ilorin, (acting therefore in compliance with the Emir’s request and desire), instructed/advised his son, Bukola, to degrade the two royal fathers of Moro, Ohoro of Shao and Oba of Jebba.

The degradation of 1984 by Military Governor Latinwo was during the reign of Alhaji Zulukarnaini Gambari, as the 9th Emir of Ilorin. The 2003 degradation by Bukola Saraki administration was in the reign of the current Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulukarnaini Gambari, the 11th Emir of Ilorin.

When Adamu Atta graded the two Moro rulers in 1983, the heavens did not fall. Mohammed Lawal in 2002 followed the path of honour and “Omoluabi” by restoring the two rulers to their deserved graded status, there was no earthquake; the sun never turned red nor did the day turn to night. What is being demanded by the people of Moro is justice and equity.

Your Excellency Sir, the courage and the political will to ensure that justice is done to the cause of the people should be mustered, fastened to faith in God, the just One!

The issue which Your Excellency may need to resolve is this: should the people of Moro continue to be psychologically traumatized having been stigmatized with the moniker and label of “Slaves”? The Yoruba people of Moro Local Government Area are no slaves. They therefore await Your Excellency’s positive action on this issue of their freedom: It is the inalienable right of the people to be free from all forms of bondage, not in the least, from this imposed foreign traditional rulership system. The people see this singular demand as non-negotiable.

Your Excellency Sir, our traditional rulers in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State deserve restoration and upgrading of the two de-graded royal fathers of Shao and Jebba. In addition sir, more traditional chiefs across the five districts of the local government area to be recognized and graded appropriately.

The establishment of a separate Traditional Council for Moro Local Government is sine qua non as a complement to the people’s total freedom.

Your Excellency sir, the Almighty Allah will guide you along this righteous path.

Chief (Hon) Wole Oke

Former Leader, Kwara House of

Assembly, Second Republic,

Jagunmolu of Shao,

Bashorun of Jebba

Gbobaniyi of Oro Kingdom.

I remember Shao, very lively town, Jebba, olo print, eyekorin ...very close to my base then...



99% decision taking in KWARA STATE must always be religion bias...how can they call Moro LGA slave, Is Kwara State not a slave to the FULANIS?

UNA DON START THIS MORNING ABI

Q

micellgevity:
‘DR’ SALIHU MOHAMMED .

Emir of ilorin is fighting a lost old battle in the modern era.