Misconstruction And Misconception Of The IJESA Virtues

I'm an IJESA Man. A proud one. And an handsome one too. You can argue that for all i care. Ijesaland is a land with great potentialities, and I'm always proud to flaunt it. It is a place of pride, and a pride of place in this world.

Of recent, during one of my journeys to no destination, I had an encounter with a young man. Later i discovered he's one of those government mosquitoes posted to serve in a neighbouring State. Not long i engaged him in an argument i realized he's an illiterate of the 21st century who is not ready to learn, unlearn and relearn. He's one young man suffering from crudity and intellectual bankruptcy.

We argued about social and economic downturn, and political divides in the country, among other pressing issues. We talked about our religious and tribal differences. His points were so illogical and intellectually watery. To him, 'the YORUBAs are the dumbest political animals existing. At his sight of Samuel Ladoke Akintola's tribal marks, all Ogbomoso indigenes live with deep facial cuts, and they all are traitors, judging from his history book.

"Ijesa people are obstinate, and stingy", he unzipped his mouth without any sense of civility and shunt that out in a rather displeasing and demeaning way. I took offence in that. We argued. I don't agree that some traits are peculiar to some people, from a region, state, ethnic or sub-ethnic groups in this country. And to generalize based on few unrepresentative without considering all of variables is distasteful and unacceptable. I faulted his faulty statistical fallacy unjustified by logically sufficient and unbiased evidence(s). He never shifted ground, he was totally sold to untruth. I don't like engaging in an argument with people of his kind. No, I don’t! I walked off.

It was people of his ilk that propagated the inglorious misconstruction and misconception of our strong-willness, persistency, aluta and militaristic spirit for Stubbornness and obstinacy, and our prudence for stinginess. I'm an Ijesa man, and my dealings with other people of Ijesa descent have proved otherwise.

"IJESA people are obstinate, and stingy. They are blessed with those virtues, and whoever of that descent with none in his/her blood is a bastard."

That is the single story that had been told of Ijesa people over and over again, and it has become the only people ever believe. That is the specific point of view everyone is fixated on. In actual fact, the story is fallacious, and the virtues are being misconstrued. Even though we usually laugh it off whenever it is said to our faces. That doesn't mean we acknowledge it as a basic fact that it's not. We do because we wouldn't want to argue it out, doing that is like recalling for a Kiriji war centuries after the peace treaty had been signed.

For fact, we are generous, kind and large-hearted. We're not stingy, but prudent in spending, and accountable for any penny spent. As for being obstinate, it is no truth. We’re principled and not easily swayed once we have an opinion on an issue. We're perversely persistent, stubbornly tenacious and pertinacious on any course of action we believe in. We're 'no nonsense' people, and we don't give in on any struggle.

Our No is No, and you have to take it as No, else, our militaristic spirit will come to its exhibition in no time. We stand by our words, which are final. We do no shit and give room for no shit. Take that!

I'm a proud son of the soil, and I remain an handsome one.

Oluwatomilola K. Boyinde,
Initiator & President,
Ijesaland Renaissance Initiative.
Ijesalandrenaissanceinitiative.blogspot.com

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Articles by Oluwatomilola Boyinde