THE GODS ARE PLEASED WITH NIGERIA - YEMI ELEBUIBON

IFAYEMI Elebuibon, a celebrated Ifa priest, artiste, playwright and teacher, tells OLUWABUNMI AJAYI on politics and culture and, especially on what Nigeria will look like under president- elect, Muhammadu Buhari. Excerpts:

How was it like growing up in a family that was neither muslim nor Christian?
Before the advent of Christianity and Islam, there had been traditional religions. Every Yoruba is a descendant of one deity or the other. For instance, in my family compound, we had worshippers of deities like Ogun, Osun, Oya, Sango and many others. My father was a herbalist while my mum is an Oya worshipper. That is the tradition I met and it is the one I still uphold and to which I am still devoted to till today. I am an Ifa worshipper because I feel that the tradition of my ancestors should not perish, so I want to preserve the tradition till I die.
We are in the season when politicians seek ‘divine’ help from spiritual fathers. How many of them have consulted you on what the future holds for them, especially those who are canvassing for people’s votes.
Yes, you are right. Quite a lot of them do come for divination but Ifa does not encourage its priests to divulge what happens between them and their clients to the public. Very many people come here but just like you noted, it is just because this is time for politics that we have an increase in number of politicians who come for consultation with Ifa.
Attending to politicians could give one challenges at one time or the other. Have you ever found yourself in such a situation before?
The situation you described fits in to what happened in the recent governorship election in Osun State where a section of the people misinformed others by saying I endorsed the candidature of Senator Iyiola Omisore over that of Mr. Rauf Aregbesola during their campaign. Moreover, they said I predicted victory for Omisore based on what Ifa said. As a respected Ifa priest, such rumour carried a lot of weight but Aregbesola, despite being a devout Muslim, is a great respecter of traditional religions. As fate would have it, I got a platform to address the issue during a youth programme organised by the state government three days to the election when I was invited to deliver a lecture. There and then, I told the world what Ifa actually said and which would come to pass and which has come to pass. That was my memorable occasion in politics.
You must have spoken with Ifa on the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari. What has the deity revealed to you?
I told people that it was a good omen that the election was postponed for six weeks and that March 28 coincided with Ifa week, meaning that we were going to have it very peaceful. March 28 was a day for the Osun deity and I told people that wherever there could be violence, Osun goddess will definitely step in and pour cold water on a boiling scene. This explanation will not surprise anybody in Yorubaland who believes that each day belongs to different deity. If March 28 incidentally was an Ogun or Sango day, we were not likely to have it that smooth or peaceful. That is why there are consultation before one chooses a day to mark celebration like marriages, house-warmings, among others.
As far as Buhari is concerned, he would still have won even if the election had gone ahead on the original February 14 date but there could have been bloodshed. The election wouldn’t have been as peaceful as it was on March 28. As for what lies ahead, Ifa warns Buhari not to deviate from the programmes of his party, APC, pledged to the electorate especially the key issues of security, economy and corruption. He is also warned to forgive and forget. He has said during the day he got Certificate of Return that nobody had any reason to fear but what is revealed to me is that he has plans to deal with some people who maligned his person during the campaign. Tell him that he is warned! Let go of all malice. If he can do this, there will be better Nigeria and you will say in future I told you so.
As an elder Nigerian who had witnessed many elections in the country, what is your assessment of the 2015 presidential and parliamentary polls held last Saturday?
Kudos to the chairman of INEC , Professor Attahiru Jega, for withstanding the pressure from politicians and ensuring the elections were free and fair. We hope it will be better on April 11.
People like you should be making annual predictions like your colleagues in other religions do. Don’t you think this is necessary?
As far as I know, we don’t have to go public on predictions when it is not necessary but when we have to do that especially when we see ominous signs, we make appeasement. Like I said earlier, you don’t run Ifa in public and you don’t say when you have not been asked.
What is happening to your drama group, it is long we had seen your troupe performing?
We are still active. In fact, we have just concluded a story entitled ‘Adayeba’ (History) and we are preparing for a new one ‘Ta lo meni ti o la’ (Nobody can predict prosperity) . I also have a new poem which video I will shoot very soon. I believe that I need to be meticulous in my productions, that is why we don’t rush things out.
You were very close to the late Yekini Ajileye whose plays revealed the dark arts of the spiritual world. Some people alleged that witches and wizards had a hand in his death. Is this realistic?
Ajileye was very close to me. I was the one who brought his theatre group from Lagos to Osogbo when I met him at the compound of NTA Ibadan. I used his cast in my plays and the man who was popularly known as Omolokun Koledowo (Tajudeen Akanmu) was from his group. As for his death, I wouldn’t say yes or no to those who feared the witches and wizards could have played a fast one on him but I can assure you that Alhaji Ajileye believed so much in tradition. He could not have ventured into any serious play capable of having repercussions without making necessary sacrifice.
As a teacher of Yoruba, what is the fate of the language in present-day Nigeria?
We have to be careful. There are no true ambassadors of the language again on Nigerian shores. Marriage, funeral ceremonies are no longer conducted in the authentic Yoruba customs and traditions. If you bury a Yorubaman, and you fail to conduct the rites of passage, you have denied the dead the honour of burial. I remember in the 70s, I had radio programmes, when I was one of the pioneers of Ewi on radio and television but later we were told our slots would be withdrawn because there was no money to pay us but that they would rather give the money to the purse of the church. That is killing a culture in the name of religion.
As a traditionalist, is it possible to have just one wife?
Of course, it is possible. One can also have as many wives as possible. There are good and bad in monogamy or polygamy. I have three wives, two here in Nigeria and one in the United States.
Pa Elebuibon is advancing in age. What do you think people will say after you might have gone?
I don’t know. You may think you are doing well and people may see you as being evil. However, as long as I live, I will preserve the culture and tradition of Yoruba race. The language will not die in my lifetime. I have written books, acted plays that could be useful and outlive me. I have also taken the language outside the shores of the country as a teacher. I speak Yoruba, eat Yoruba food and wear Yoruba clothes. It is left for the people to judge if I did well or not.