THE SWEETNESS OF FREEDOM

THE SWEETNESS OF FREEDOM

ByMoyo Okediji

The Yoruba people comprise of several tribal units, each speaking a different dialect of the Yoruba language.

There is Yoruba literature, which has developed a large body of writings including novels, poetry, critical writing and essays.

Yoruba is studied in universities all over the world, and you may get a Ph.D. in Yoruba studies, one of the very few indigenous languages in Africa in which you get a doctorate.

Yoruba music is rich, with various genres both traditional and modern.

HOW MANY IGBO BOYS HAVE WE SHOT THIS MONTH?

HOW MANY IGBO BOYS HAVE WE SHOT THIS MONTH?

ByMoyo Okediji

Can someone help me to translate this into as many Nigerian languages as possible, please?Many of the boys I played soccer with in Ile Ife on bare rough grounds in-between houses, using oranges and rags tied together to form balls, all the way from infancy to age ten, were Igbo kids.In 1965, they told me they were leaving, returning home.“When are you coming back?”“Papa says we are not coming back.”

It saddens me.

It saddens me.

ByMoyo Okediji

It saddens me.

It saddens me a lot that the southern people are not able to understand the urgency of the situation they are involved in.

Those you call the Fulani herdsmen, or the Fulani people—they are the Taliban.

Please read the last line again.

Those you call Fulani herdsmen are the Taliban.

TOKYO OLYMPIC

TOKYO OLYMPIC

ByMoyo Okediji

TOKYO OLYMPIC

Mcheew.

Prince Dennise Osadebey–Czechoslovakia.

Sikiru Ayinde Barrister– Iceland

Sunny Ade–New Zealand

They thought Nigerians won no gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics that ended last week.

They don’t know what they are talking about.

How many gold medals did Nigerians win in the last Olympics?

Lots and lots of gold medals.

NEW MESSAGE FROM HUSHPUPPIE

NEW MESSAGE FROM HUSHPUPPIE

ByMoyo Okediji

Scammer: Hello, how are you doing?

Me: Very good. How about you?

Scammer: I’m fine, thanks for asking. how’s your day going so far?

Me: Excellent. Who are you?

Scammer: I’m Susan, from Idaho but currently living in Jacksonville Florida. I’m a registered nurse working with the UN nations overseas.

Facebook suggested you as someone I may know so I viewed your profile and decided to send you a request out of curiosity hoping we could get to know more about ourselves and maybe become friends.

Me: That’s great. Where are you currently working overseas?

THE PARABLE OF THE TOO BIG TO FALL

THE PARABLE OF THE TOO BIG TO FALL

ByMoyo Okediji

When young women went to the river to fetch water, they would disappear.

The king’s royal beads even went missing.

People were worried. One of the wise men said, “Let’s approach Ọlọ́run to give us a police boss.”

But who could they trust? One of them must be the thief.

They decided unanimously that the only trustworthy person in the entire community was Ijapa.

Ijapa gave them only one condition: “Nobody should visit my house without letting me know in advance that they were coming.”

GENDER WAR

GENDER WAR

ByMoyo Okediji

GENDER WAR

You naw go commot road? Abi you naw see?

Na ya papa road?

See trouble o! Becos dem buy you cellphone nau, na im make you come tanda for highway dey take call?

Na only where I stand you wan pass? You no see road everywhere?

PARABLE OF THE ARÁ AYÉ AND ARÁ Ọ̀RUN

PARABLE OF THE ARÁ AYÉ AND ARÁ Ọ̀RUN

ByMoyo Okediji

Once upon a time, the Ará Ọ̀run known as the Egúngún visited Ayé for the first time and saw Ará Ayé, known as Ènìyàn or human being, for the first time.Ará Ayé also saw Ara Ọ̀run for the first time that day.Intrigued by the appearance of Ará Ayé, the Ará Ọ̀run the Egúngún wanted to take Ará Ayé back to Ọ̀run.But scared of the colorful attires and striking sculptures of the Egúngún, Ará Ayé began to run when the Ará Ọ̀run approached.

MADE IN LAGOS

MADE IN LAGOS

ByMoyo Okediji

1234. That was what my clock read. Thirty-four minutes past midnight.Perfect math, I thought. I got up to take a walk. I plugged my ears with my earphones and turned on Apple Music 1. I stepped out into the darkness of the night. The Apple Music Radio deejay started playing some tunes. It was streaming all over the world from London.

The Miyetti Allah cattle herders.

The Miyetti Allah cattle herders.

ByMoyo Okediji

Miyetti Allah cattle herders want grazing grounds in the south?

I have not touched beef in more than a decade.

But fair enough.

We the Orisa devotees in Yorubaland have a simple request as well–in the interest of peace, progress and prosperity.

We want to have 100 square miles in each northern state reserved for us as our Igbó Orò. We need the space to break kola and worship our orisas.