Sunday’s outbursts by Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos has definitely got all Nigerians and celebs riled up. Radio and TV presenter Toke Makinwa decided enough is enough, and took to her Instagram account to douse tensions with some realness and honesty, sharing her personal experience with tribalism from a friend’s mother.
“There is so much to say on this topic, it is heartbreaking but real. Tribalism has been and is still been practised today.”
“Lagos is home for everyone, our generation knows better, too. Let’s not let this come in between us. The Oba’s statement was ignorant but do we really blame him? We all at some point in our lives have been on the receiving end of acts of tribalism. Let’s take out the tension and be real with one another. Our parents’ generation practised tribalism openly and they were not corrected.
“In some homes, befriending people from other tribes was frowned on, marrying from another tribe is still being frowned on today, tribalism even from people of the same tribe is real too. What we need is to educate and not instigate. I had Igbo friends growing up, I was the only Yoruba girl in the midst of Igbo girls. Did they make fun of me? Sometimes, but it wasn’t out of malice. We lived, we loved and we are still very close.
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“I have had a friend’s mum tell me ‘haaa omo ondo ni e? Mi o mo ooo, a kin ba ondo sore, meaning ‘I’m from Ondo? She didn’t know…. If she had, she won’t let her daughter befriend me cos they don’t like Ondo people, Ondo and Ijebu don’t mix. I was shocked. She went ahead and said ‘You Ondo people are wicked’.
“My friend is from Ijebu ooooo, we are both Yoruba girls and that statement was made by her mum. We are still friends today and her mum got over it.
“Please educate people around you. Vote who you want, vote your conscience but please stop with the tribalism comments. Our beauty is in our diversity. It is a distraction, don’t fall for it. Let’s all live as one”.
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