COMMODORE OLAWUNMI ENDORSES MINIATURE MAP: Why Deep Thinking, Not Different Coops, Will Save Yoruba and Nigeria
From “Yorubas Are Done For” to “Deeper Thinking Is Rare” — How Awolowo’s 1987 Standard and 5Cs Answer Pocket Politics
“Yes, and I respect the author’s deeper thinking. He is rare. If you know him, please send him my deepest regards.”
Those words were not from a Facebook friend. They were from Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (Rtd) — Professor of International Relations, Diplomacy & Strategic Studies, Former Deputy Director Defence Administration at Defence Headquarters — in response when an officer asked if my article reflected his opinion.
The same Commodore who said “quote me — whether Tinubu wins or loses, Yorubas are done for,” who warned “Yorubas can never have mouth to speak anywhere again,” who reminded nation “I remember so-called Igbo coup, till today Igbos have been ostracised from governance,” now says writer who analysed his warning has deeper thinking, and is rare.
I did not post his endorsement for praise. I posted because his journey from warning to endorsement is exactly Nigeria’s needed journey — from Divided Nation to Miniature Map, from Different Coops to One Sky, from Ostracism to Inclusion.
WHY HE SAID RARE — THE POLISH JOURNALIST QUESTION
A decent Polish journalist friend, O’seun Ogunseitan on Facebook, asked fair question responding to my earlier piece: “Why do we keep different birds in different coops?”
Proverb is true for farm — chickens, ducks, turkeys — different diseases, feeds. But Nigeria is not farm, it is forest. Eagles, parrots, hawks share same forest because forest is ecosystem. Divide forest into coops, forest dies.
I am Miniature Map — Ijebu, Born Enugu, Idoma Northern Mother. I am Yoruba bird, Igbo bird, Northern bird in one body. Which coop for me? Prof Au Nnoyelum, Unizik Awka — Igbo heartland — who said “I read your articles daily. I wish elite are listening,” reads Yoruba-born-Enugu writer daily. That is beauty of unity — different birds, one sky.
Olawunmi’s warning about Igbo ostracism since 1966 is proof that different coops weaponise ethnicity, bequeath debt to children. Tag 1966 coup as Igbo coup, punish Igbos 60 years. Now risk same for Yoruba till 2040s if pocket politics continues. That is consequence of divided nation, shared consequence.
AWOLOWO’S 1987 STANDARD — WHY GREAT YORUBA HAD NO SCANDAL
At twilight of death in 1987, Obafemi Awolowo told Prof Moses Makinde:
_”As Premier I chose ministers on merit and because of education, standard and discipline. Every minister had to do homework properly before cabinet where it will be subjected to rigorous debate. Where grey areas, expert opinion would be sought for objectivity. I had to follow all procedures vigorously, meticulously, always relating decisions to public good… Office of President or Prime Minister is not for pleasure. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, it looks as if office of President, Minister, Adviser is for pleasure, like dining and wining and carousing with women of easy virtue both at home and abroad.”_
39 years later, as Nigeria marks 66th independence, his words dominate discourse because politicians live far removed from realities.
Yoruba that produced Awolowo — rigorous, no scandal — also produced Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Wole Soyinka Nobel, Obasanjo, Akinrinade, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Akinwumi Adesina AfDB, Fela, Sowore — antecedents well known without international crime, drug issues, certificate forgery, identity issues.
How then did lousy minority of Yoruba gladiators emerge, not conscious of Awolowo attributes, parading opposite — pleasure-seeking, not public good? That is entrapment factory Prof Adekunle Oloyede, Former VC, and a professor of Medical Engineering, described — we manufacture ZERO not HEROES, plant mango expecting orange.
Oloyede, who called my attention to UNGA speech nuance — VP’s speech not literal begging but tactful leadership of developing countries demanding climate justice from industrialized nations who created problem — is right on complexity. World politics is juggling conundrum, President’s speech product of many deliberate inputs. I respect realism call.
But tactful pocket politics is still pocket politics without 5Cs. Ghana/Kenya at UNGA 81 demanded POWER — Security Council reform. Nigeria demanded POCKET — financing for what we already own — oil, gas, gold, lithium, 200m minds. As Kagame said, we beg financing for what we own. Courage to demand POWER, not POCKET, is what separates.
HE IS RARE — BUT WHAT IS TRULY RARE
Commodore Sir, you said I am rare. I say I am not rare. What is rare is what you did — Yoruba Navy Commodore, a star General saying _”If you start behaving in way that jeopardizes interest of people that voted you in, I don’t care whether you are my brother, I will talk to you,”_ and _”Nigerians should not defend poor governance merely because leader belongs to ethnic group.”_ That is Conscience — first C — and Character — third C.
What is rare is Prof Oloyede saying entrapment factory manufactures ZERO. Prof Simeon Nnah upgrading 3Cs to 5Cs — adding Courage and Capacity. Plan without execution is hallucination — his words. Prof’ Nnoyelum wishing elite were listening.
What is rare is beauty of unity — Polish journalist in Europe debating Nigerian forest, Commodore in large platform endorsing Miniature Map, Professor at Unizik reading Ijebu-born-Enugu daily.
PROMISE TO COMMODORE AND PLATFORM
Commodore Sir, your deepest regards received. I send deepest regards back with promise: WITNESS 2026 will not beg pocket at UNGA, but demand POWER like Ghana/Kenya, with 5Cs. Will not manufacture ZERO, but HEROES — coder not cheat, honest F9 > bought A1, revive Ajaokuta — 24,000 hectares, N4 trillion, N29 billion salaries, 40 years unfinished — deliver BVAS/IReV flawless 2027, move from TI 154/180 score 24/100 to 4IR Top 10.
From Divided Nation to Miniature Map. From Ostracism to Inclusion. From Pocket to Power. From Different Coops to One Sky. From Pleasure-Seeking to Public Good.
From Mind Restriction to Mind Restructuring.
Nigeria Needs New National Model — locally responsive, socially compassionate, people-centred — not imported theories, not colonial coops.
_Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya, Ijebu, Born Enugu, Idoma Northern Mother — Miniature Map — Author, NIGERIA NEEDS A NEW NATIONAL MODEL — Convener, WITNESS 2026 — Architect of Dialogue_
_Acknowledgments: Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (Rtd) — “He is rare” endorsement — “Whether he wins or loses Yorubas done for” — Igbo coup ostracism. Awolowo (1987) via Prof Makinde — merit, discipline, office not for pleasure. Prof Oloyede Former VC — entrapment factory, UNGA tact realism. Prof Nnah — 5Cs. Prof Nnoyelum Unizik — elite not listening. O’ Seun Ogunseitan — different birds coops question.
