As young as five years old, I went to my mum and asked: “what is the meaning of Luqman?” That look that elevates cultural insouciance took her facial expression as she replied gleefully that the name Luqman was one respected so much in the holy Koran. She said it feeling happy that they gave me such name but she remained unencouragingly lackadaisical to the probable damage done to her immediate culture if that name survives my native ones. I was this curious at that considerably small stage.

Adewale, Ayomide, Abiola, Omobolanle and Ayanmun. These were the beautiful names that the name Luqman set out to render useless regardless of it being culturally impotent and devoid of any message unlike my Yorubian names highlighted above. I would ask myself in solitary since my mom was not an agent of conviction in the naming philosophy of my race that “do you think this foreign name will add value to you at the mentioning of it?”

Although, I never for once blamed my parents for naming me this, for I believe that they are parts of the products of a miseducated society that think that naming you Samuel will earn you an automatic visa to heaven or calling you Bello will grant you personal paradise tour with the prophet of Islam, Mohammed. They didn’t know that Naming is a very powerful device that a culture always uses to suppress others the moment the target culture embraces their homegrown product: Religion.

If I answer the name Luqman, and my neighbor Salisu, you reading this Saka, your uncle Joseph, his wife Mary, their three children Samson, Elijah and Micheal respectively, give it 200 years from now and the name Ifaleke, Temidire, Osuntooke or Ojebiyi will sound foreign, if not odd, in the auditory channel of the then generation. By this time, it would be logically concludeable that Yoruba culture and/or race would have been once-upon-a-time tale. Particularly now when Kings in Yoruba land are either dragging the role of Imam in mosques or declaring Jesus as their father without any feeling of guilt.  If that is not the beginning of our end, then what is it??!!!

But some of us who have seen these alien products in the bare, who have known the motive of forceful intruders marketing their gods, with hell and paradise advert, to us, we would not sit idly and allow their gullic erosion of deceit to wash away the hard labour of our ancestors. Be told that we are in the era of knowing. We keep progressing everyday in our bid to finding our roots that have suffered negligence because it was painted by our slave masters. How can a tree grow healthy when the root is rotten?

Yorubian people are environment-conscious sets of individuals. They are keen observers of the world around them. Before they give names to new members of the family, they would have observed the nature surrounding their birth. Any name they eventually resort to will always serve as security, helpmate, spiritual soulmate, and driver to the child(ren)’s destiny. So if your parents named you Ifagbemi, for instance, and you decided to exorcise the prefix — Ifa, only to substitute it with either Jesugbemi or Abdulgbemi, resulting to cultural conflict, then blame no one when your real life is dominated by conflictual marriage of events.

No single thank to Samuel Ajayi Crowder for his efforts in degenerating Yorubian culture is not only monumental but also one of a kind. For the sake of verifiable history, this man was sold out to slavery at the age of 12 and was taken abroad to serve his slave masters. For anyone to think a kid of 12 years old would be well versed enough in his culture to authoritatively ascertain some things upon his return from a year long journey, particularly on his traditions, is purely delusional.

How can this person weaned of respected custom return from years of slavery only to translate the Bible and say that Satan in Israel equals Eshu in Yoruba folklore? Nope, he must be high on something. Eshu in Yoruba mythology is a well respected god. He is a god of justice who oversees every issue of passing unbiased judgement whenever occasions call for it. Unlike the Satan you have in the Bible, Eshu never for once contends the superiority of Eledumare. He works with Him in respect to his delegated duties.

Before you join your slave masters to malign the person of Eshu Laalu, Ogiri Oko, and your culture, conduct more research about them and stop displaying your intellectual midgetary to the wide world. I have seen some people with the name Eshubunmi, Eshuseyi, Eshufunke and more. The question you should ask yourself is that; if Eshu has been an abysmally wicked god like they keep telling us, would any family in Yoruba race have given their children names as above? Time to think.

Look at the respected scholars in Africa like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ken Sarowiwa, Wale Oyedeji, and more, they all drop their slave names or you think they don’t have them? They do, but they see what an ordinary mind cannot see easily. Does that not tell you something about naming culture? Think deeply brothers. It is now popular to hear names such as Jehovahyemisi, Jesulaabomi, Mohamadutomiwa, Abdugbamila and other trash even when they are utterly meaningless or we don’t know them.

A name should add value to individuals. Ask yourself, is your name adding value to your life?

Wale Oyedeji.