THOUGHTS OF FEMOLAD: IDA NI YIO PE ARA RE NI ERU (IDA WILL SHOW HE’S A SLAVE)

 IDA NI YIO PE ARA RE NI ERU

(IDA WILL SHOW HE’S A SLAVE)

In Yoruba land, as well as in many other parts of coastal West Africa, Trans-Saharan and Trans-Atlantic slave trade lasted for decades. The Yoruba people of South West Africa were not left out while it lasted.

Apart from the international slave trades, there were the internal slaves acquired by the wealthy and affluent. A person’s wealth was often measured in part by the number of slaves he had.

The slaves were used on the owners’ farms and in other menial jobs.

There were the ‘Eru” who were usually captives from the many internecine wars. They were often sold by the captor warriors to rich and affluent people in the society.

There were the “Iwofa” who were kept in servitude as a result of debts owed the principal. Whenever the Iwofa paid off his/her debts he gains his freedom. The fate of the Iwofa is better that the perpetual servitude of the Eru.

Long time ago there lived a rich man in a town in yoruba land. The rich man owned many slaves as was the custom in those days.

Ida was one ofthe slaves of this rich man. He was so favored by his master that he was made the head of all the slaves.

Ida became more than a slave to the master. He had become almost a son and equally a trusted confidant of the rich man.

One day the master was to attend a social event in the city that will have the gathering of who is who. He told Ida they would be attending a function together, he therefore, prepared for Ida  a befitting dress that is appropriate for dignitaries.

The Master and Ida dressed up in identical rich Yoruba attire with beads of chieftaincy to complement their dresses. Ida looked every bit a royalty and regal.

They went together to the ceremony. All the dignitaries sat together, of course, including Ida. They were all served food and drinks befitting their status in town. None of the other dignitaries or invitees knew the social status of Ida. To them he was one of them and was related to accordingly.

As the merry making was going on, Ida left his seat among the dignitaries. He went to the kitchen where they were preparing and cooking all the food being consumed by the guests.

He looked left and right and seeing nobody in sight went inside the kitchen and squatted close to where there was pile of cooked-yams' barks and started scraping and eating them.

Unknowing to Ida one of the women that were invited by the wife of the host to come and assist in preparing, cooking and serving had come to the kitchen.

She was shocked, seeing one of the dignitaries squatted close to a pile of barks of cooked-yams. She went and called the other women and the wife of the host to come and behold what she had seen, that an invitee was scraping and eating barks of cooked-yams.

Quietly, all the women made their way to the kitchen to see what was going on. Ida, unaware of what was happening around him was enjoying himself with his delight.

The wife of the host went to where all the dignitaries were sitting and asked for the attention of her husband.

The host went to the kitchen with his wife and saw for himself what one of his invited guests was busy doing.

Meanwhile, the Chief that owned Ida had noticed the absence of Ida on the table and heard about the commotion coming from inside the house.

In state of exasperation the host went to his invited guests demanding to know in whose company had this slave of a person come to be in his merry making event.

All the dignitaries got up from their seats, followed their host to the backyard, straight to the kitchen and beheld Ida. In chorus, they all asked whose slave it was.

The Chief that owned Ida identified him as his slave. All agreed only a slave could behave in such a manner. 

Despite his affluent dressing he had succeed in exhibiting who he really was; a slave.

Ida, went back and lost his head slave position that had made him happy for years. If he had not gone to the party, his cordial relationship with the master would have continued.  He lived the rest of his life a sad man.

There are many Idas in our society today.

In politics

In communities

In families

In business organisations

In government

In every facet of life,

There are people who have been promoted beyond their worth.

Many people, who, as a result of persistent sycophancy and hanging on at the fringes, have been placed in positions they are unfit for.

At times nepotism, tribalism, politics and family influence thrust people in places that are beyond their competences.

Like Ida, they get to position only to exhibit their incompetence and lack of finesse.

No matter how much you try to elevate a man with a small mind and mentality and with psychological retardation, he will eventually reduce the high position to his level.

Many people have been dressed in robes that, like Ida, present them as who they really are not. They try to live up to the new borrowed status. But at the slightest test, exhibit who they are.

The society would be better if it stops taking the Idas to their ceremonies. If only the right people are put in the right places.

Sooner or later, they will show who they really are.

Femi Ladapo (Femolad) writes from Ibadan, Nigeria