One common question we often ask ourselves is why we are so apathetic when it comes to our communal issue; I mean, the Yoruba/Nigerian political atmosphere, especially the ongoing threat to the stability of the Yoruba as a major constituent group within the multiethnic Nigerian state.

Since the open attack on Yoruba dignity by the Kanuri-led ethno-military dictatorship in Nigeria, many of us, as soon as we are faced with the need to participate in working out solutions to this problem, run to the arena of escapism. We tend to find excuses of all kinds to justify our apathy. Unfortunately, we may not agree that the habitual apathy could be of pathological origin, because it is pervasive and insidious. In order to better understand this problem, let us briefly examine if from the Yoruba cultural perspective.

Yoruba culture frowns on social or political apathy. We can extract some help from Yoruba philosophy of life to aid our insight. Some Yoruba proverbs support the involvement of all in social duties:

Omode gbon, agba gbon, ni a fi da ile Ife (Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba was founded by the efforts of the old and the young).

Eni ti o wipe k’aye o sunan nikan ko lo maa jee (Whoever wishes the community to be stable will not be the only beneficiary from the stability).

Agba kii wa l’oja, ki ori omo tuntun o wo (No elder of substance ignores the communal wrong to persist without intervening in it).

A kii laju sile ki tobotobo o ko woo (We do not knowingly allow danger to affect us).

Abata se bii pe ko b’odo tan, bee emi odo nii m’abata mi (The marsh pretends it has no link with the river whereas it is the river that enhances the viability of the marsh).

In practice, renegades of communal duties are often severely punished by fines and ostracism. If habitual, they are banished from the particular kingdom. There is no doubt that Yoruba culture forbids a person to ignore his/her communal or social responsibilities. If our culture abhors any form of apathy, why do we not? Obviously, political apathy is a deviant act from the Yoruba point of view. Faced with the reality of that vice, why do we continue to live discordantly to that inherent Yoruba principle? Your answer may reflect the level of your centeredness in Yoruba culture. Edumare ma je kaa sonu! Aabo oro laa n so f’omoluwabi. . . . It is high time we examined our stand on issues!