African Epics

by - Ayomide Akinbode Have you ever asked any of your parents for money, especially continuously, and they gave you this reply: “Do you think I’m da Rocha?” Well, I experienced it and growing up, I never knew the meaning of the statement, until I came across a book a friend gave me, when I stumbled on the name “Candido da Rocha”. He was a rich man who would, from the balcony of his one-storey building, throw down coins to children who would, in a tangle of bodies and flapping hands, struggle for them. So, I remembered vividly why my parents denies being “a da Rocha” anytime I ask for monies I don’t literally need as a child. Also known as Nigeria’s first millionaire, he was a rich entrepreneur, businessman, landowner and creditor who owned Water House or Casa d’Agua on Kakawa Street, Lagos Island, Lagos. It was named Water House because it was the first and only house in Lagos in those days to have a borehole and in turn sell water to the residents. Candido da Rocha, a native of ...

KUNLE ADESAKIN wrote: At OAU, Ile-Ife, Alaafin blows hot, as Ooni’s drummers, gong beaters stir honest nest. Africans in general, and especially the traditional people of Yoruba land, propitiate and worship the talking drum, through the mysterious divinity they thought, has brought the art of beating the drum to the world. Across the span of Nigeria’s South-West, where the Yoruba people are largely found, and in distant places where they hold sway, one of the most privileged aspects of the varied layers of their tradition is the unique platform upon which the talking drum sits. While drums in other human settlements are employed for their rhythmic pleasures, the drum music of the Yoruba people is both tone-based and extends its functionalities to accommodate other uses. When the talking drum, in the hand of an expert drummer, traces the family lineage and ancestral history of their clients, currency notes would fly in the air and be pasted into the wet brows of the drummers. There...

June 3, 1971. My dear Commander-in-Chief, You will recall that in a statement made by me and published in the SUNDAY TIMES of March 30, 1969, I declared, among other things, as follows: “Even at the federal level, I have no desire whatsoever, and I certainly cannot be tempted or induced to develop one, to head, or participate in an unelected or even an electoral-college elected civil administration in a military or any setting. At the moment, I am participating in the activities of the military government because I have been invited, and I also think it is right, so to do. I am, therefore, obliged, morally and for the purpose of keeping Nigeria united, to take part, as fully as I can, in any measure designed, in particular, to keep the Ibos as a constituent ethnic unit in the federation of Nigeria, enjoying equal and identical status and benefits with other ethnic units, and in general, to preserve Nigeria as an economic and political entity.” I should have, in accord...

Charley Boy Is One Of The Few Igbo Men Making Sense, Read What He Said To His People "FOOLS' DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION!!! All your governors, Senators, HOR Members etc since 1999 have been turning out as multi-billionaires few months/years after being elected into Public Offices by you and still you see nothing wrong at home and feel very comfortable blaming Hausa Fulani for your home grown idiocy! Please remind us of the name of that Development Commission Shagari dashed the South East Region between 1979 to 1983 which helped Late Chief Sam Mbakwe PhD. achieve feats in Old Imo State that no other Southeast Governor has achieved till date in! Take Note: Mbakwe established many legacy projects including Amaraku Independent Power Plant, IMO Airport, IMO University, College of Technology Owerri (presently Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri), Mechanized Poultry Farm, 3 Star Concord Hotel Owerri, College of Agriculture Umuagwo, ADAPALM in Ohaji, so many roads etc! Show us how an...

  AARE Crown The Ooni of Ife is seen as the most supreme or paramount sovereign in Ile Ife, which is regarded as the source of the Yoruba race. Generally, he is recognised by his subjects as their spiritual leader and Chief Custodian of traditions.  From ancient times, men have always occupied the revered stool except on few occasions where a woman did occupy the throne. Such was the case of Luwoo who was the 21 st Ooni of Ife.    History has it that Queen Luwoo was a beautiful and elegant queen who took pride in her physical appearance and that of her environment. In her time, she was known to commission unique Yoruba custom of construction of decorative pavements; open-air courtyards paved the pottery shreds. She was said to have put everyone in town to work with their hands to keep the town clean, and even men were not spared, appropriate force was applied to get people to listen and attend to job assigned to them. It is said th...