This could be hilarious but it’s a serious matter.
I was educating some youngsters on the need to embrace our cherished heritage and always give respect to our Ancestors.
Why change the precious names given to them by their parents to imaginary names for religious purposes?
Ifakemi has become Oluwakemi
Opeifa has become Ọpẹjesu
Ifafunke – Oluwafunke e.t.c
These names being rejected at home, Nigeria, Oòduà land are being embraced in the diaspora. The Africans abroad are changing their colonial names to Yoruba Ifa/Orisa names.
Ẹni abínibí kìí wù wọ́n
Ẹni ẹlẹ́ni níí yá wọn lára ~Ìrẹ́ńtẹgbè
They don’t cherish their own
But prefer to promote foreign ideology.
One of the attendees of my lecture stood up and asked, “Bàbá wá Àràbà, our family name is Ọlọ́pàádé and I am talking to my siblings to change the name because I don’t understand the meaning because they didn’t tell us.”
Suddenly, another young boy stood up and said, “Sir, I know the meaning of the name, Ọlọ́pàádé”
I was happy thinking the youngster would enlighten us. I said, “please tell him”.
The boy said, “it means the Policeman has come”.
Everyone in the room including myself started to laugh. I am still laughing.
I told the audience that the name ỌLỌ́PÀÁDÉ is a name from the Divinity, ÒRÌṢÀOKO.
The enlightenment of the necessity to propagate Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is a task that must be done.
Stay blessed.
From Araba of Oworonsoki land Lagos Nigeria.