Yorùbá ni “Omi lènìyàn, bi ó bá ṣàn siwájú á tún ṣàn sẹ́hìn”.  Òwe yi túmọ̀ si wipé lati ọjọ́ ti aláyé ti dáyé ni èniyàn ti nkúrò ni ìlú kan lọ si ikeji fún ọpọlọpọ idi.  Èniyàn ma nkúrò ni ìlú abínibí nitori: ogun, ìyàn, ọ̀gbẹlẹ̀, ọrọ̀ ajé, ìtẹ́síwájú ninu ẹ̀kọ́, àti bẹ̃bẹ̃ lọ.

Ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú kún fún wàrà àti oyin nitori ọgọrun-din-marun ohun àlùmọ́nì gbogbo àgbáyé wà ni orílẹ̀ èdè naa.  Ó ṣeni lãnu pe, ọgọrun-din-marun ìṣẹ́ wa ni ni orílẹ̀ èdè yi nitori ìṣe àti ìwà awọn “Olórí” nipa gbígba abẹtẹlẹ, ìwà ìbàjẹ́, ọ̀kánjúà, jija ìlú lólè àti bẹ̃bẹ̃ lọ.  Lára ìwà burúkú yi ló ndá ogun àti ọ̀tẹ̀ si ìlú àti tẹ̀mbẹ̀lẹ̀kun awọn ọ̀dọ́. Èrè awọn ìwà ìbàjẹ́ wọnyi ti ba ìlú jẹ, èyi jẹ ikan ninu ohun ti ó dá kún ohun ti ọ̀dọ́ ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú fi nkúrò lọ si òkè-òkun/ìlú-oyinbo ni ọ̀nà kọnà.

Ọkọ̀ tó kó òṣìṣẹ́ ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú dà si odò ni Lampedusa, Italy: African Migrant Workers ship wreck on the Mediterranean, Lampedusa, Italy

Iroyin awọn ọdọ òṣìṣẹ́ ti o nṣi kúrò ni ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú ti ọkọ̀ wọn dà si òkun ni ìlú Lampedusa, Italy kàn loni ọjọ́ Ẹti, osu kewa, ọjọ́ kẹrin ọdún Ẹgbãlẹmẹtala.  Iroyin ikú ọ̀rùndínrínwó òṣìṣẹ́ tó ṣègbé si òkun kan.

Yorùbá ni “Ẹ̀bẹ̀ là mbẹ̀ òṣìkà ki ó tú ìlú rẹ̀ ṣe”. Òwe yi bá awọn Oṣelu ti a npe ni “Alágbádá” àti awọn Olórí ìjọ ilẹ̀ aláwọ̀ dúdú, ki wọn jọwọ tún ìlú wọn ṣe.  Ọpọlọpọ ewu ti awọn ọdọ nla kọjá iba din kù bi awọn Olórí ìlú bá lè fi ìwà burúkú sílẹ̀, ki wọn tu ìlú ṣe nipa ṣi ṣe ìdájọ́ fún Olórí ti ó bá ṣe iṣẹ́ ibi bi ki kó owó ìlú jẹ àti awọn ìwà ìbàjẹ́ yoku.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Yoruba adage said “People are like river that flows both ways”.  This proverb can be applied to support the fact that people have always migrated from one place to the other for many reasons.  People leave their places of birth as a result of: war, famine, drought, trade, pursuant of further education etc.

Africa is full of milk and honey because ninety five percent (95%) of the world treasures are in Africa.  It is a pity that, ninety five percent (95%) of poverty exist there because of the actions and behaviour of their “leaders”, such as bribery, corruption, greediness, stealing from the public purse etc.  Many of these evil acts are the cause of war, conspiracy and youth rebellion.  The result of corruption has destroyed the land, and it is one of the major contributory factors to the desperate youth migration to Europe/Abroad.

The news of more than three hundred African Migrant workers’ death during the ship wreck on the Mediterranean at Lampedusa, Italy broke out on Friday, October 4, 2013.

According to Oyekan Owomoyela in his book, “Yoruba Proverbs”, “One can only remonstrate with a wicked person to urge him or her to improve his or her town”.  This proverb can be used to appeal to the Politicians alias “Men in flowing robe” and the Religious leaders in Africa, to improve their land.  A lot of the danger that the youths had to pass through in a bid to escape from the continent could be drastically reduced, if the leaders can change from their wicked ways, improve their land by mating out the appropriate punishment to curb the corrupt leaders to prevent them from squandering the wealth of the continent and other vices.