By
Obododimma Oha
In some great poems of Ifa, as selected by Wande Abimbola, Ọrụnmila the husband of Oro, returned home after many years and one of the things he did was to use Ifa incantation to kill the several lovers that Oro had. This would easily look like the work of jealousy. A legitimate husband won't be there and all these lovers would be operating. Killing them off would appear to be the easiest solution. At least, they would get out of the picture for Oro to look in Ọrụnmila's direction. Ọrụnmila was able to kill them because
-- he used Ifa.
-- they were unaware that they had an attacker and could not counter it in time.
Let us briefly examine this use of Ifa power. For some, this use of Ifa would look diabolical, just like many uses of the so-called "juju" in Africa. Some have asked, if this juju power is for us, why is it not deployed in eliminating tyrants in Africa or in going into deep space? Why is not used in doing good and advancing the course of humanity? Why is it not used in finding a cure for pandemics? Is it for eliminating good people, in poisoning and controlling people?
In other words, Ifa power possessed and used by Ọrụnmila reminds us about spiritual weaponry in Africa. Is Ọrụnmila not taking advantage of what his targets did not have? What if they had it or were invulnerable? Can we call it countervailing?
These days, countries and groups that should be focusing on development and human protection, prefer to buy and stock weapons. Maybe Ọrụnmila could have acquired Ifa weapon from China or USA. Weapons should not be to destroy humanity but to protect human life.
Ọrụnmila used Ifa power to kill Oro's lovers and in the name of cultural nationalism we have to applaud him. Was he not like any unfeeling and selfish dictator?
Maybe one is too hard on Ọrụnmila. But by killing the numerous lovers of Oro and beating his chest, he was just another terrorist. A jealous terrorist is very dangerous.
But apart from being naturally jealous, why didn't he tell them to keep off? Why was he brutal? And was he not holding Oro hostage?
It is understandable that he was a lover, too, or was supposed to be one. On that basis, he was jealous of other lovers. He didn't want a competition or felt it would not favour him. So, he resorted to killing! Some brainless competitors may sometimes resort to dark practices to win. But that is condemnable.
It would look as if Oro was flirtatious, but not so. Imagine a wife being abandoned for years! One should even embrace her for it (provided Ọrụnmila is not nearby to see it! He could kill someone again!).
One is not supporting having many lovers. It is not safe or good. But the circumstance is what one is considering. Why fall in love with your profession and abandon your family for long time? That reminds us of some colleagues who could pursue fellowships, grants, and all that, expecting their families to still be there after a very long time! Who be mumu?
Legality. Ọrụnmila would appeal to that easily. He killed the lovers because they were taking his property without his authorisation, which was stealing. It was a case of taking another man's possession. So, they were guilty.
I like this legal dimension. So, it was legal for Ọrụnmila to leave family for years? So, it was legal for him to take the law into his hands and commit murder, multiple murder, without even being called to order or arrested? Was he the ancestor of the president of a particular African country we know?
This idea of configuring a wife as a piece of property is not acceptable. It is true that, culturally, Ọrụnmila married Oro and provided so many things. But she was a living being and not a piece of possession. It is this wrong thinking that she was a piece of property that led Ọrụnmila into the wrong action of killing to protect the possession.
If they took his property in his absence, taking it when he was present was an insult. Yes, this is also garagara-oriented. Ọrụnmila wanted just to appear powerful, for one not to mess with his presence. Presence and absence are the issues here. Ọrụnmila could be indicating that his pride of presence must not be infringed upon.
He killed them to protect and promote his image.
This boosting of image needs a lot of attention. Ọrụnmila could have killed the lovers just to create an impression about his greatness. This is often what all alpha males among animals do. The try to advertise this greatness in silencing all challengers and installing themselves as the highest, until another that is greater comes along.
Ọrụnmila killed them out of annoyance. Yes. This is the simple inference. Naturally, Ọrụnmila would be annoyed to see some men courageously call themselves lovers of Oro. So, killing them was the work of anger. In our country, we say that it is the work of the devil. But it was the work of Ọrụnmila.
We know that the poem has been shifted to modern context. This should make critics uncomfortable. But what is wrong is wrong, even among deities. Injustice is injustice. Ọrụnmila was even misusing a form of power highly respected in Africa.
Comments
The narrator is a passive observer who assume a position of a judge but in a way cowardiced by fear. Fear of the supposedly stronger or brutal powers as noted in the article.
The title of the article suggests the avalanche of evil perpetrates across the globe. Orunmila killed his supposedly enemies using the African power (juju), yet we could see how the writer is able to create a nexus between the use of juju by Orunmila and the secular power used by leaders to oppressed their victims. As observed by the writer the leaders used illegal means to correct what they perceived as illegal which originally sprung from their carelessness.
The use of imagery such as juju, infedelity, socially and politically related politicalises crystal the dilemmatic posture of the world problem. He further reveals how people do evil and for the fear of shame commit Evil to cover their tracks. The female image deployed creates an appeal to the readers minds.