Iba ni n o fojo oni ju
Iba Omode
Iba Agba
Mo juba akoda
Mo juba aseda
Mo juba Oluwo
Mo juba Odugbona
Mo juba Baba
Ibaa Iya
Iba Iyamopo to dorikodo ti o seje
E je o jumi n sise

Preamble: Perseverance is actually the word of Ifa and in its real sense, it is one of the basic pillars on which iwa pele is built. As life is a matter of time, anything that forms its constituent is also a matter of time. Perseverance elucidates faith and faith brings accomplishment. In what ever we do, one should be resolute to find solace in perseverance.

But how do we persevere or how does one know that what he or she is waiting for is actually going to be? The word of Ifa comes to mind in this order and gives us the answer. First, Orunmila (mo wa riri baba mi Agbonniregun) told us to always consult with him in all that we have to do. If you are going to have a child, you are getting married, or undertaking something worthy of note in life, one should commit all to the hands of the deity. Those that could see what the ordinary eyes could not see. By this, sacrifices may or may not be ordered depending on the importance of the event and its connotation. If one is told to perform sacrifice, it has to be done with immediate effect to forestall any evil on ones way or bring the good things for one to meet. As soon as the sacrifice prescribed has been given to Esu, and it is accepted, one can go on rejoicing. It should be performed in whole and not in part. Again, continuity in the observance of the sacrifice is part of perseverance. One has to know, in continuity, the minds of the gods for a certain thing, which we are trying to rectify. In other words, one has to consult with the Babaláwos until we obtain that which we long for.

Secondly, adherence to warnings given out is one other way by which man could live a life devoid of calamities, which in some case may be irredeemable. By looking at this special verse under holy Oyeku Obara, (Oyeku palaba). The ape family should have been another tribe within the human enclave if not for the fact that their ancestor refused to heed the warning of his Oluwo. He did not have enough patience and did not persevere to wait for the words of Ifa to become fulfilled. He therefore did not perform the prescribed sacrifice.

The verse goes as thus:

The madman’s dance in not rhythmical
Unfounded joy belongs to he that is insane
Cast divination for the great Monkey of Idere
He was asked to perform sacrifice to forestall overzealous acts wrecking his good fortune
The great Monkey of Idere had lived long ago
He was then living in the forest where Olodumare created him
He had the privilege to hear human conversations
But could not reply to them
He mused on how he could become one of these beings
Such that he could live with them
And be talking as they do
He went to meet Obatala
You Oosa
‘I want you to recreate me’
‘Such that I too would be like human beings’
‘And be talking like them’
‘For my skin to also be like theirs’
‘And as such people would not know the difference between us’
‘That is no problem’ Oosa replied
‘But before I do anything’
‘Go to Orunmila’
‘Go and find out about your Ori’
That was how the Monkey went to Orunmila
In a smooth cast of divination
Oyeku Palaba was seen
‘You, the great monkey of Idere’
‘How would you be able to restrain yourself and persevere’?
‘ Such that the escapade would not amount to a waste’
‘And such that your desire would come to fruition
‘That is not difficult’ answered the great Monkey of Idere
‘I would do that’
Orunmila then list out the objects of sacrifice
‘Offer these sacrifice with good faith and perseverance’ Orunmila said
Once you perform the sacrifice
You would then exercise patience
All the days that Oosa wanted to use to settle your case
You should exercise patience
You must never be in a hurry
‘I understand perfectly’ The great Monkey of Idere replied
‘What about the rest of the sacrifice’ Orunmila asked as he was about to leave
‘Is patience not the principal sacrifice you prescribed for me in whatever Oosa says’? The Monkey said
‘Which other sacrifice must I now be offering?
‘You are warned’ Orunmila said
‘I have heard you’ the Monkey said
All the warning you sounded
I would follow them all
The great Monkey of Idere then left Oosa’s place
‘Baba, he said joyfully’
Once I report to you as I was told
All those things you say
I have been warned to stick faithfully to it
Once I follow the footsteps
You would be praised for the work
That is fine, Oosa said
I would use seventeen days to achieve success on your grievance
In seventeen days, today inclusive
You would become a human being
The monkey of Idere nodded in elation
Oosa then assembled medicinal leaves in a pot
He placed it in the backyard
He asked the Monkey to use it to bathe
As soon as the Monkey wakes up early in the morning
He would take some to bathe his body
As he was using the concoction to bath
Changes started to be effected on his skin
He noticed his face has no hair growths again
The hair on his palms were gone
His foot palms were bare including his buttocks
By the end of the seventh day
The great Monkey could see a semblance of his face with human beings
Things were changing for the better
He was seeing the changes
He was so happy
On the sixteenth day
He has a dream during the previous night
He saw in the dream that he had become a human being
He saw himself in the midst of people
They were all dancing and rejoicing
Immediately the monkey woke up
He thought within himself
‘This must be a good dream’
‘This coming tomorrow’
‘I would become a human being’
He started to dance and was jumping with happiness
He was also singing ‘Tomorrow, Oosa would turn me to a human’
Oyeku palaba
Tomorrow, Oosa would turn me to a human
Oyeku Palaba
He was dancing and rejoicing
A he was jumping without consideration of its consequence
He collapsed on the pot of concoction
And the pot was broken
Immediately he was scared and started shivering
He ran to Oosa for remedy
‘Baba, he cried’
‘The pot of concoction you prepared for me is broken
‘But I heard you singing long time ago’ Oosa countered
‘You were already jumping and dancing
You have not become anything
‘Did I not tell you’, Oosa retorted
‘Please help me’ the great Monkey cried
‘The juncture at which you are now is the final’ Oosa said
‘The perfection you have achieved is the end’
‘Each person has only a pot of concoction’
‘Once it is broken’,
‘There is no remedy’

That was how Oosa chased out the great Monkey of Idere.

If we look at another verse under Holy Otua Okanran, Olofin had called Yangi abori Kugu, Yangidi Awo Ese Oke, Erin Gbadagi awo Alase, and Akoko ni Deure in Ifa divination for his yearly festivities. They divined and read the word of the deities for Olofin. ’Olodumare said plenty of fortunes would enter your roof within the next seven days’, they had said. Unbelieving, Olofin asked what the content of the sacrifice would be. They too asked Ifa and Ifa told them that ‘it is a big Ifa that one has to use in exchange for another big Ifa, so let the objects of the sacrifice be in multiple of seven for all the sacrificial objects’.

They interpreted the word of Ifa to Olofin who nearly went berserk because of the sacrificial demand. But in the true faith of Ifa, he obliged to provide all the necessary materials. However he then added to the priests that they all must report to his house for the duration of the seven days, as they all had told him what Ifa said was coming. They all agreed. But the first three priests started to develop cold feet and they all refused to report to the house of Olofin as soon as it was the third day.

‘Such that this man would not annihilate my life, in case the words of Ifa does not come to pass’. They all sat down at their respective houses and did not go. Akoko ni Deure implored them to continue. ‘Is it not the words of Ifa that asked for the bountiful sacrifice that we offered, and the same ifa does not say a thing without it coming to pass’, he had told them. They said no, we would not go.

True to the words of ifa, on the seventh day and in the seventh hour, seven people arrived the house of Olofin. Each of them had a load of fortune on his head and as well at the back of seven horses. The booties were enormous and breathtaking. Olofin could not believe his eyes.

That was how Olofin took delivery of the goodies and divided it into equal parts. Where are the other priests? He had asked Akoko. ‘I don’t know was his response’. ‘They have all refused to come on daily basis as we agreed’. That was how Olofin gave the booties accruable to the rest three to Akoko alone. When Akoko was going back home, he branched the doorstep of each of the other three, in sequence, they saw the loads of fortune and they were taken aback. ‘So this is how it would be’, they all lamented rather belatedly. ‘That was what was divided for me’ Akoko told them all. He finally reaped the reward of four people including his own. He became rich but the other people died of poverty and prematurely too.

Warnings of Ifa have to be taken seriously and faithfully. Perseverance is not just a word. It is divine. If one refuses, he or she would end up the way the great Monkey of Idere whereby just seconds away from success, he used his own hands to spill away his fortunes.

What are the rewards of Perseverance?

1. Long life
2. Wealth
3. Wives that would last till one’s old age
4. Children of repute
5. Health
6. A world devoid of calamities

By way of ending this message to you all, Ifa says in a verse under holy Iwori Irete

The Dog that we teach tricks of survival that does not listen
Would ultimately become the dog of Elegbara
The ram that we teach tricks of survival that does not listen
Would ultimately become the ram of the deities
The troubled person that Ifa teaches survival tricks and does not listen
Would lick a finger of regret
Cast divination for Orunmila
Ifa was going to help them remove the noose on Ajere’s neck
He was asked to take care of the ground and perform sacrifice
He heard about the sacrifice and performed it
Before long
Without having to wait for too long
Come and meet us with victorious offertory
One is usually found with victorious offertory at the feet of the king of all the Orisa

I pray that Olodumare would give us all the necessary cool headedness to be able to wait and do that, which would make Him disposed towards us.

Aboru boye bo sise

Songs:

1
Baba arugbo o gbami lowo kin leyi o se
Ogede Agbagba
Baba arugbo o gbami lowo enu
Ko see kunni
Ka duro ni meta
Ko see kunni
Ka bere ni meji
Ko see kunni
Ko gbami lowo enu
Ko see kunni

God, please save me from those that want to preempt me
Ogede Agbagba
God, exculpate me from the bad words of their mouth
It is undesirable
In their group of three
It is undesirable
In their group of two
It is undesirable
Please save me from tyrants
They are undesirable

2
Ori lo da mi
Eeyan ko o
Olorun ni
Ori lo da mi
Ori Agbe lo dagbe lo dagbe
Atari Aluko lo si daluko
Eeyan ko
Eledaa mi lo da mi
Eeyan ko o
Eledaa mi lo da mi

It is Ori that created me
IT is not a mortal man
It is God
It is my Ori that created me
The Ori of Agbe bird created Agbe
The Ori of Aluko bird created Aluko
It is not a mortal man
It is my creator that created me
It is actually not a man
It is my creator

Mr. Ayo Salami was born into the union of Chief and Mrs. Anthony Alarape Salami of Jagun Ojoagabi House, in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria.  He obtained his first degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Ife, Ile Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University. Mr. Salami had never sat for Yoruba as a written paper or under any examination; but is good in oral and written aspects of the language.

He is popularly known and was called Ogun Matthew by friends during his student days while still in the University because of his radical proverbs and identification with Yoruba as a language of wisdom. His second book, Dialects and Language Origin, would be found to be equally breathtaking.

Married to beautiful Edore, Mr. Salami lives in Warri with his family.