Speech Delivered at the Public Presentation of a book, Omoluabi 2.0: A Code of Transformation in 21st Century Nigeria, Authored by Adewale Ajadi, 24th August, 2012 in Lagos.

1. Character as Devotion: Towards A
Transformative Ethos
By Dr. Kayode Fayemi,
The Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria
[Being a Speech Delivered at the Public Presentation of a book, Omoluabi 2.0: A Code
of Transformation in 21st Century Nigeria, Authored by Adewale Ajadi, 24th August,
2012 in Lagos]
Protocols.
Every society has its own fundamental conception of social
organisation, social composition and the world. Such conception is the
bedrock of how every society functions - or is expected to function – in
relation to itself and the world. Also, that conception not only determines the
framework and the totality of social, political and economic life, it
establishes and governs the relationship between the structures of society
and human agency. That conception, first described by the famous German
philosopher, Immanuel Kant, as Weltanschauung, is called worldview, in
English.
Worldview is a “fundamental cognitive orientation” which includes the
totality of knowledge in any society, covering natural philosophy, existential
postulates, ethics and values. It is “a global outlook on life and the world”.
Wilhelm Dilthey identifies it as "a general view of the universe and the place
of human beings in it, especially as this view affects conduct". Worldview
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2. forms the foundation of the way in which a person, cultural group or society
comprehends and interprets the world.
Leo Apostel, a 20th century Belgian philosopher, argued that a
worldview is a system of ideas about existence or a descriptive model of the
world. In his understanding, as one of the exponents of his ideas states, a
worldview "is a shared, rationalised, approximately coherent, open and
plural, aggregate of knowledge systems, valuative ethical systems, and
concomitant action guiding systems."
Apostel and his collaborator elaborate that any worldview must
consist of six questions:
1. What is? This question is directed at constructing a model of reality
as a whole.
2. Where does it all come from? This is concerned with a model of the
past.
3. Where are we going? This addresses a model of the future.
4. What is good and what is evil? This leads to a theory of values and
ethics.
5. How should we act? This question is about a theory of actions.
6. What is true and what is false? This question addresses a theory of
knowledge.
In many ways, the book which we are here to publicly present today,
Omoluabi 2.0: A Code of Transformation in 21st Century Nigeria, is an
attempt to answer the questions posed by any worldview.
In a sense, we can say that any worldview, given its grounding in a
particular moral and rational understanding of the relationship between the
individual, a group or a society and the rest of the world, is an ethics of the
world. Every religion, every culture, every system, be it social, economic, or
political, is predicated on a particular worldview. Against this backdrop, we
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3. can argue that every system is based on, and reflects, its own ethics of the
world. What I have called ethics of the world would necessarily involve a
system of values and virtues.
In the African world, specifically in the Yoruba context, our traditional
religious precepts form the foundation of our worldview. Indeed, even
though modernity has reconstructed and repositioned our worldview and
continues to do so, there is no doubt that the fundamental character of that
worldview is based on our religious culture and historical experience. To
give a concrete example, the Yoruba worldview is most evident, and
expressive, in the 256 volumes of Ifa - called Odu Ifa.
Even though many people have the wrong impression that Ifa is
exclusively a religious system, the truth is that Ifa is not merely the
foundation of a religious culture. It is much more than that. Ifa is a science
of ideas; it is literature; it is sublime and practical poetry; Ifa is a system of
thought; it is a conception of the universe and the relationship of human
beings with the elements and the structures and dynamics of society. Ifá
deals with all subjects including history, geography, sociology, religion,
music, philosophy, etc. Indeed, it is a worldview.
Distinguished guests: At the centre of this worldview is what is called
Iwa. In the Yoruba worldview, iwa, which translates in English to character,
is at the centre of human life and social relations. Its centrality is such that,
among the Yoruba - just like among the English and the English-speaking
people - iwa (character) is used essentially positively. The Yoruba regard
iwapele (gentle or good character) “as the most important of all moral
values, and the greatest attribute of any man” or woman. As Professor
Wande Abimbola states, “The essence of religious worship for the Yoruba
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4. consists therefore in striving to cultivate iwapele.” This is why for the
Yoruba, God is also Olu-Iwa (Lord of Character). This is so despite the fact
that character is also distinguished in specific context by its positive and
negative manifestations. Thus, there is a distinction between iwa rere (good
character) and iwa buburu (bad character). This binary between good and
bad is understandable, because, as the primus scholar and practitioner of
Yoruba religion, Professor Wande Abimbola, reminds us, Ifa is based on
“two binary orders as in the binominal theory of mathematics.” The first is
the binary order of opposition, while the other is the binary of order of
complimentarity. And as the Awise Agbaye of Ile-Ife and scholar and
babalawo points out, this is similar to the binary order from which the
computer originates. Against this backdrop, it is possible to think of the
modernity of Ifa. Indeed, the wisdom of the ancient are still very relevant in
contemporary times.
Iwa is at the centre of the Yoruba universe. It is so central that, in the
aesthetics of life, the Yoruba not only conceive of character as beauty when
they say iwa l’ewa (character is beauty), more profoundly, they link it
directly with, and in fact, pronounce it as, devotion or worship by saying that
iwa l’esin (character is devotion, piety or worship). By this, we can
understand that the Yoruba, like many other cultural groups around the
world, perceive character as something that is at the centre of the structure
and agency of life and living. A Nigerian philosopher argues that:
“As the most important pursuit, embedded in the concept of Iwa
is the idea of a good moral standing in the society. This is
reflected not only in interpersonal relations but also in public and
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5. communal life. The concept of Iwa is a standard or aspiration in-
built into the framework of societal institutions. In other words,
Iwa must be reflected in the laws of the society, the collective
aspirations of the societal norms and regulations. It appears
very strong a view that in Yoruba land, the basic standard for
which every attempt at and enterprise of communal and
collective [life] is to be evaluated and judged consist in the
approximation and reflection of the concept of Iwa. This is true
in marriage, dressing, in communal service, kingship matters
and legislation, religious worship and family affairs.”
As something that denotes a high system of values and virtues, character
has some important suffixes in Yoruba, such as Iwapele (gentle character)
and Iwatutu (cool character). All these are different expressions of the
qualities of a good character and the ethical necessities of a good life.
What is the relationship of character and our search for a
transformative ethics and ethos in Nigeria?
As a social thinker reflecting on the role of character in contemporary
society, Oluwo Phillip Neimark argues that the Yoruba conception and
practices of iwa is a reflection of our culture’s thoughtful intelligence, rather
than blind obedience to rules. It is based on logic. It is “about working within
the logical matrix of the Universe to improve our lives without damaging
those around us or the Universe we must live in.” This is why good
character invites the best in us and invests the best in society, and
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6. therefore leads to common or collective good. Consequently, character is
superior to laws and formal rules. In one sense, it is what makes laws or
formal rules of conduct unnecessary, and in another sense, it is what
makes laws and formal rules easy to obey.
Who then best reflects iwa (good character)? Or rather, what is the best
human reflection of iwa? In the Yoruba world, the best human reflection of
iwa is anyone who is qualified to be called an Omoluwabi. The English
gendered approximation of that would be a gentleman or a lady. But it is
better expressed as one who is well-born, or well-bred. An omoluwabi is the
very epitome of iwa; in him or her is reflected all the fundamentals of the
ethics of the world that produced and nourishes him or her, and which he or
she best represents. An omoluwabi is an excellent agent of the worldview
that is prevalent in his or her culture. Therefore, in many ways, an
omoluwabi constantly reflects upon, and engages with, the ethical issues of
contemporary society on the basis of the lessons of the past, the duties of
the present and the challenges of the future.
To return to the philosopher, Apostel, and in the context of the challenges of
transformation, as reflected in Adewale Ajadi’s brilliant book, Omoluabi 2.0,
an omoluwabi is concerned with explaining the world, posing critical
questions about the implications of the social process by asking “Where are
we heading?”; an omoluwabi is immersed in the struggles about social
values and social goals by constantly asking “What should we do?”; and he
or she presses further into action by seeking answers to the question, “How
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7. should we attain our goals?” An omoluwabi also goes beyond that to seek
and establish what is true and distinguish that from what is false – and
thereby avoiding the false. Above all, an omoluwabi is concerned with
causation or origination and therefore constantly focuses on the processes
that lead to particular social results or social phenomenon, whether of good
or of evil. Against this backdrop, an omoluwabi then establishes links with
other omoluwabis in the social totality to expand and accelerate the good in
society and limit and, if possible, obliterate evil.
In a sense therefore, an omoluwabi as an embodiment of iwa and a
reflection of the Yoruba aesthetics or the philosophy of the beautiful (ewa).
Also in this way, an omoluwabi constitutes the personification of a critical
reflection on art, life, beauty, values, culture, and nature.
Distinguished guests: The book which is being publicly presented today is
not only one that critically reflects on art, life, beauty, values, culture and
nature of life around the world within the worldview grounded in that which
is represented by the omoluwabi concept and practices, it is also one that is
authored by an omoluwabi. Adewale Ajadi is a well-bred Yoruba man and
Nigerian, who has the sophistication, the expansive experience, the
cosmopolitan intellect, as well as the native intelligence to reflect on the
critical issues of transformation in 21st century Nigeria. He is a citizen of the
world as well as a product of a specific dynamic and proud culture.
As I note in the Foreword to this book, the author runs “through the lessons
from this continent’s greatest tragedies through [his] many reflective
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8. journeys, into nature’s lessons about complexity through the eyes of
ancestral wisdom and finally into the waiting guides of a re-emergent
omoluwabi gospel.” This book, I must re-emphasise, is a genuine
expression of the promise of Nigeria. I also note in the Foreword that this
book “offers an original and fresh spectrum of ideas and ideals that will
organise our better angels into the transformation we seek and for
generations to come.”
Let me conclude by saying with a measure of pride that, in Ekiti State, we
have embraced the spirit and letter of the concept and practices of
omoluwabi in our effort at a comprehensive and cohesive transformation of
the lives of our people. This is why we proclaim our State as: Ile yi, ile eye
(This land, a land of honour).
We have, and we will continue to, construct a future of values and virtues
based on the best ideals of public education and public service. We are
committed to ensuring the creation of a new generation of young people
with the foundational skills that will prepare them for competition not only
nationally, but globally. We are conscious in Ekiti State that the foundations
of our worldview is embedded in one of the most robust and most dynamic
cultures in human history; one that is predicated on the understanding that
character is devotion, worship, or piety (iwa l’ewa).
It is a duty that we owe to the present and future generations to continue to
recognise that, in the modern world, all the virtues of good character such
as excellence, devotion to duty, service to humankind, humane and
egalitarian governance, respect for the rights of others, democracy,
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9. freedom, justice and equity, must continue to be as much the legacy of our
government and as well as our individual legacies as leaders of our people.
Let me end by chanting, though in English translations, some of the minor
verses from Ifa literary corpus which speak to the centrality of iwa
(character). Orunmila, the father of Ifa, had a beautiful wife, called iwa,
which he had sent away. But not long after she left his house, Orunmila
could no longer live without her. He not only missed her, he had also lost
the respect of his neighbours and clients because of his action. He
therefore went in search of iwa. In every home he visited, he would sing a
song. Some verses of this song from Odu Ifa go thus:
... Where did you see Iwa, tell me.
Iwa, iwa is the one I am looking for.
If you have money,
But if you do not have good character,
The money belongs to someone else.
Iwa, iwa is the one we are searching for....
If one has a house,
But if one lacks good character,
The house belongs to someone else.
Iwa, iwa is what we are searching for....
All the good things of life which a man has,
If he lacks good character,
They belong to someone else.
Iwa, iwa is what we are searching for.
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10. After a long search, Orunmila eventually found his wife in the house of
Olojo whom he threw several miles away with a charm. Orunmila then took
his wife away in peace.
I urge you all to go in search of your own character and bring her home.
I commend this book to you all. And I thank you for your attention.
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11. References
Albert M. Wolters (1983). “On The Idea of Worldview and Its Relation to Philosophy.” In
P. Marshall et. al. (ed.) Stained Glass. University Press of America, pp. 14-25.
C. Vidal, C. (2008) Wat is een wereldbeeld? (What is a worldview?), in Van Belle, H. &
Van der Veken, J., Editors, Nieuwheid denken. De wetenschappen en het creatieve
aspect van de werkelijkheid. Acco, Leuven.
Gary B. Palmer (1996). Towards a Theory of Cultural Linguistics. University of Texas
Press.
Jan Broekaert. (1999). "World views: Elements of the Apostelian and General
Approach." Foundations of Science, 3: 235–258.
Oluwo Philip Neimark (n.d.) “The real meaning of Iwa Pele.” Ifa Foundation International.
http://www.ifafoundation.org/the-real-meaning-of-iwa-pele/
Ron Eglash. (1997). ‘Bamana Sand Divination: Recursion in Ethnomathematics’,
American Anthropologist 99(1): 112–22.
Wande Abimbola (1996) “Wapele: The Concept of Good Character in Ifa Literary
Corpus.” In Molefi Asante and Abu S. Abarry, African Intellectual Heritage. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press, pp. 98-106.
William Idowu (2005). “Law, Morality and the African Cultural Heritage: The
Jurisprudential Significance of the Ogboni Institution.” Nordic Journal of African Studies
14(2): 175-192.
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