By Igbimo Omo Yoruba Group
You would remember the great higher purchase dealer Àlejòlowó.At a time in Ìkàrẹ́ and its environ had a paper industry owned by Apostle Oladunni; Motor Vehicle Garage and a Tomato factory owned by Adura Bros. It was the best of times. Immediately after this era there was a deluge which was fatal.It drowned everybody as there was no Ark of Covenant to rescued anybody.It was the worst of times.
The Igbo traders are taking over Àkókó in an unrelenting pace.How they are able to do this will be made known in this piece.Gen. Adebayo complained about the dying industries in the Western region and the dearth of merchants and industrialists.In the past you had top notch business men in all nooks and crannies of Yorubaslands.I have mentioned those from Àkókó.At Ọ̀wọ̀ you had the Fagboyeguns and the Aruwajoyes. In Àkúrẹ́ you could count Fagbamigbe and Agbayewa.
Some people in Àkúrẹ́ whose brain went on errand burnt their factories and stores during the 1983 election riots.Many houses and business places were burnt in Ìkàrẹ́ at the time.There was none of such in Ìkẹ́nnẹ́ the hometown of the sage, Obafemi Awolowo and Boss of the Unity Party of Nigeria whose townsman Chief Kehinde Sofola SAN, was Attorney General of the Federation in the NPN government then.
Different people with different perceptions.
We had S.B. Bakare,Chief Omole and Chief Ajanaku in Ilesha.Allh. Inaolaji in Ìkirè.In Ìbàdàn we had too many to recount. Started with Chief T.A.Oni and Alhaji Odutola where do you end?We had Chiefs Ashamu, Amoje and Alata in Oyo axis.We do know that the Ikorodu Trading Company was owned by Alh.S.O Gbadamoshi. It produced clothes and bags right from the mid 1940s.In Ijebu axis,let us count Chief Odutola, Oshinusi and Oropo.Our Remo Carpet is gone.In Abeokuta you had Akin Olugbade or Baba Alabukun Powder whose product Alabukun Powder had survived for more than 100 years (Ìlishàn).
Even in our Oyo state, where are the Oni & sons Road construction giant or in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Where is Ẹmu(Bottled wine factory)? Where are our Transporters Yaro Agbeti & Sons? Where are the Ijiwoye stores and Mayfair hotels?Where are the Cocoa Merchants & their stores, they have become history as the town has lost its leadership in being the largest Cocoa producer in that part of old western region.
What of its neighbours – Iléṣà that used to boast of several factories like Nails & wire, breweries etc, all are now ghosts of their former selves as were too many to mention. Even in Lagos,where is S.L Edu, Adeyemi Lawson, Chris Ogunbanjo, Fajemirokun who brought Rank Xerox to Nigeria, Mobolaji Bank Anthony,Mr. Ajao the Awe man of Ajao Estate,too numerous to mention.You might ask why i didn’t include M.K.O. Abiola?He was a small boy when those i mentioned were millionaires in pounds sterling.
When Gen Adebayo said Lagos revenue would drop by about 60% if the Igbo in Lagos stopped paying taxes,yeah he was right. They have taken over all the markets in Lagos including Oyingbo, Orile and Tejuosho of which they were in recent past marginal players. There are 27 major markets in Lagos (including the Computer Village) and they are in charge of all. The Igbomina from Kwara State prominent in Orile iron rod and building materials market and Lagos Island are now thinning off the scene. Their children have gone to school and are not ready to continue with the trade.
The Igbo are buying properties on a continuous basis including family houses on Lagos Island. They convert them to shops and warehouses. Already in Ilé-Ifẹ̀,we watched Igbos buying up our parents derelict buildings turning them into multistory buildings containing shops while our Baales looked unconcerned. Go to Ìbàdàn,Iléṣà, Ado-Èkìtì and our major Yoruba towns,the story is very much the same.
They now own Olodi Apapa, Amuwo Odofin, Volkswagen, Okoko and Alaba.They are leaders in property ownership in new areas like Lekki Phase I and 2 to Victoria Garden City and Ajah.
The Industrial Estates set up under the Awolowo government in Ikeja, Ilupeju and Apapa etc are on life support.The empty factories have been sold to Pentecostal Churches. They are now used for casting and binding witches& wizards, imagined enemies we cannot see
Churches have taken over the land spanning from Lagos to my friend’s (Guru Mahariji) enclave at kilometer 14 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Ìbàdàn.I had thought there should be areas reserved for industries like i see in Sheffield and Birmingham. The Igbo were given 20 pounds each after the war in 1970 to start a new life. Five years later in 1975 Ekene Dili Chukwu had 250 luxurious buses.
At that time they had resumed their leadership of business in Nigeria.I have gone through the nook and crannies of Igboland and i’m amazed at the things they have done for themselves. The big and beautiful houses and mighty cathedrals that dot their villages cannot be found elsewhere in Nigeria.I have been to Onitsha, Awka,Nnewi, Owerri, Enugu, Umuahia, Orlu, Isikwuato, Oguta, Okigwe, Abriba, Arochukwu, Nkwerre, Amaigbo (The town of Dick Tiger) and Abakaliki recently transformed to a beautiful city by visionary Engineer Umahi former Governor of Ebonyi state now minister of work.
Anambra is a state of millionaires and billionaires. Shrewd businessmen that are deadly. Ariaria and Onitsha markets are international markets alive every day.Nnewi is now better described as an industrial estate and Nigeria China.The only thing they cannot fabricate is the human body.Every story buildings is an industry and warehouses. The Igbo account for about 65% of Nigeria’s import and export businesses.
I was at the Redeemed Camp with a friend three years ago for an event.We concluded at 4:00 am and we had to wait till 6pm to leave the camp.At the gate we could count over 400 luxurious buses entering Lagos from all parts of Nigeria. These are Igbo traders coming to buy goods. They would return to their bases the night of the same day.
This scenario is the worry of Gen. Adebayo.
He felt his people had been left behind.
What has helped the Igbo is this thing called APPRENTICESHIP.Tell a Yoruba,Edo or Delta boy to go and learn a trade in Lagos which would entail sleeping in the store.His mother will withdraw him after the first month. “The child i suffered to ‘born’ sleeping in a store?”.”Not when i’m alive.”
In all those stores along Ikorodu road in Lagos there are Igbo boys sleeping in them.They wake up as early as 4:30 am to clean up and then wait for the day’s business. Madam of the house will send breakfast to them.The Oga will buy lunch for them and that’s all.
Our own children who live with the master at home would want to claim equal rights with the children of the Oga.If Oga’s wife tells them that they would have dinner without meat as the only meat in the port would be given to the master hell would be let loose.Ki lo mean? (What do you mean?) A ma pin eran yen je ni.(We must share that meat for everybody). What impudence? But it is real.
The Igbo boy would live in that store for five to seven years.With patience and endurance, he would learn the ropes.There is always an agreement on the terms and conditions of service at the beginning.It involves SETTLEMENT at the end of the APPRENTICESHIP.The Oga will give him a huge sum of money to start his own trade.In the alternative he would rent a shop for him and nurture it for him until it is self sustaining.
Among the Yorubas this is absent. You labor without a terminal benefit.You would be left to go empty. It is believed the master had done enough for you by allowing you to learn under him. On the day of your FREEDOM CEREMONY you would be expected to go to your master’s house with crates of soft drinks,malt drinks and wines.This is in addition to bowls of pounded yam and egusi soup baptized with chunks of meat.
The evening is the award ceremony where he would be presented with a certificate of service.The apprentice will be made to kneel down in the full glare of those present for up to an hour if not more for counselling. The master would stand over him and pray for him. In the course of doing that he would ask for a bitter Kola and alligator pepper.
He would put them in his mouth, shew them and add gin or Ogogoro to give a paste. The master would now spew it on his head. Rasaki o ti free nisinyi, yio da fun o. Omo yi ko ko oro simi lenu ri. Mo ni ko gbomi lenu ri. Bi o ti sin mi omo yi o sin iwo naa. (Rasaki you have earned your freedom now,it shall be well with you.This boy has never disobeyed my instruction,i say he hasn’t been rude to me.As you served me well your children would do the same to you).
There would be an overwhelming response of Amin (Amen). The boy would then be presented with a certificate. He would now stand up to the embrace off all.The Rasaki boy would have to source for money which may span some years to start his own business.He may achieve this by joining another person who is in that line of business to work for sometime.
With APPRENTICESHIP, thousands of Igbo traders are made every year. They are in China, Singapore, Dubai,South Africa,Japan, America and all over Europe. Business in Cameron, Gabon,Ivory Coast and Benin is controlled by Igbo.They rule commerce in all Nigerian towns and cities.In Abuja they own more than half of the estates and shopping malls.They have invaded the banks.
In fact they are everywhere. Their problem is their individualism resulting in poor leadership. They lacked cohesion and consensus. A small boy can interject an elder at meeting with a “Shut up!” Don’t blame him. He may have ten containers coming on the high sea. In the area of leadership they are not endowed. Unless we listen to Gen Adebayo the situation would move from worse to the worst.
Unless Yorubas put on their thinking cap… reversal fortunes shall continue. Both the Yoruba leaders of thought and Western Government leaders have role to play in enhancing cultural and economic change of the people.
•Opinions, positions or thoughts expressed here are personal and strictly of the writers/authors and not The Daily Crucible.
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