OMO ALAGBAA: WHEN TOMORROW COMES

 

OMO ALAGBAA: WHEN TOMORROW COMES

Egungun is the Yoruba masquerade or masked, costumed figure connected with ancestor reverence. They represent the spirits of ancestors who have long gone. Hence they are referred to as “Ara Orun”, those who dwell in the heavens. These Ara Orun are believed to be in constant watch over their descendants on Earth.

Egungun are seen at appointed periods called “Odun Egungun” (Egungun Festivals) and on special occasions for special purposes. In calamitous situations the Egungun may be invoked to appease the gods for reprieve.

The Egungun festival depicts the holistic nature of the totality of visual arts, crafts, and the performing arts as well as an embodiment of the philosophy of the people in their communal essence.

Egungun festival is celebrated as festivals and rituals through the masquerade.

An elder from the Egungun family called Alagbaa presides over the ancestral rites.

During Egungun festivals different Egungun bring gifts to the Alagbaa.

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Akara is fried in the morning and different families bring Akara to the home of the Alagbaa.

Akara is a type of fritter made from beans, by the Yoruba people in Nigeria, Togo and Benin. It is found throughout West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines.

Throughout the season of the Egungun festival Akara is never in short supply in the home of the Alagbaa.

The children of the Alagbaa no longer go to buy Akara from the usual places. They would pass by the Akara seller munching at the ones they have in abundance.

Other children feel envious of the Chief Masquerade’s kids as they queue to buy Akara to eat their pap with. It looked like it was going to last forever, like the ‘omo alagbaa’ will never patronize ‘iya alakara’ again.

No matter how long it lasts, the Egungun festival soon ends.

The children of the Alagbaa will queue in front of the Akara woman to purchase the fritter for their family breakfast.

Like the children of the Alagbaa, there are many in power and in the corridors of power who live like tomorrow will never come.

The Chief Executive

Mr. President

Your Excellencies

Team leader

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Association President

Community leader

Mr Senator

Alaga kansu

People in the corridors of power

They live like the rendezvous will last forever; as if tomorrow will never come.

On the streets of Lagos I was in traffic and in a car in the other lane was a man sweating it out like the rest of us. Less than a year earlier we would have been bullied of the road for him by gun-toting, siren-blowing goons.

I waved at him and he was so glad someone recognized his ugly face. He gave me a great smile and a hearty wave, thinking my wave was in admiration. It was not.

So many people in authority look down on others as if they will never come down from their high horses.

Governors and Presidents take decisions that harm the populace. Council chairmen act like they are mini gods.

Commissioner and ministers change their locations and associations.

A friend, Barrister Adejumo, once said “A friend in government is a friend lost”.

That friend that won’t pick your calls because he is a Special Adviser to somebody will soon call you when the festival ends.

My friend Emeka recently told a mutual friend who’s in government, “You dey up there no de see ground again. You go soon come down and we go still dey here.”

I know a former Local Government Chairman who while in office refused to sign a form a young man needed for a scholarship. He wanted to sleep with the mother who was too virtuous to condescend.

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Almost two decades later, the man, out of power and financially troubled went to a company in the same town he held sway. He was given employment only to discover the young man of years back was the Managing Director. He didn’t sack the old man. He allowed the man work under him.

“Ohun to ntan l’odun eegun. Omo Alagbaa a fi owo ra akara lati fi je eko.” No matter how long the Egugun Festival lasts, it must come to an end, and the children of the Alagbaa must spend their money to buy Akara to eat their Pap with.

The man on horseback must come down when the day dusks.

Live your life in power so that you will be in good stead when tomorrow comes.