Pelewura
By Otunba T.J Abass
Press conferences were not part of her journey; neither TVC nor Arise was available to feature her story; the publisher of Eko Hot Blog was not even born then. She didn’t trend on social media or make news headlines, yet this unschooled woman named Alimot Pelewura engaged in advocacy with a quiet, unassuming strength.
Words like “feminism”, “activism”, “justice”, “equity” and “advocacy” would have been alien to her unlettered mind, still in the midst of her daily life, she unceremoniously championed an anti-oppression cause, rallying market women without fanfare.
This is the tale of the heroine captured in the eponymous biography launched on Wednesday 15th November, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was an event graced by society’s creme de la creme and academics.
This biography presents an undiluted and clinical exposition of Pelewura’s life as the leader of the first mass-based women’s interest group in colonial South-west Nigeria. Her leadership is an example of strong indigenous female leadership in the anti-colonial struggle.
Most significantly, the book launch was an opportunity for Lagosians to have a first-hand knowledge of the heroine effort of an uneducated Lagosian who rallied Lagos Market women against colonial masters.
The interest of Lagos was adequately represented at the event, as notable Lagosians (indigenes) whose contribution to the socio-economic development of Lagos State took turns to offer their perspectives about the book, Lagos and the heroic efforts of the unsung heroine, Pelewura
The presence of 3 notable indigenes of Lagos State at the occasion, with Alhaji Musiliu Smith, Former Inspector General of Police as the father of the day, Ambassador Patrick Cole as the Chairman and Bashorun J K Randle as the book reviewer, bears testimony to the significance of the day and the urgent need of Lagosias to have a unified voice on matters of the state. The mentioned household names are not only flag wavers of the country, but of course Lagos; it is Lagos first, and others follow.
I sincerely commend Dr Femi Olugbile — a psychiatric consultant, a retired permanent secretary of Lagos State government and an author of several books —for gifting us Alimotu Pelewura’s story through this remarkable book.
In the pages of this book, written by Dr Femi Olugbile, Alimotu Pelewura silently whispers to the modern Nigeria woman, “You don’t need a Gucci bag or bone straight wig to be relevant. You don’t even need to be a slay queen before your name outlives time, just like mine”.
This endeavor goes beyond a mere biography; it’s a testament to men supporting women. Next time someone points fingers at Nigerian men for patriarchy, remind them of how Dr Olugbile has dipped his hand in the archives and pulled out the file of this inspiring woman.In the grand scheme of things, humanity takes the lead, rising above the labels of feminism or patriarchy.
Think of names Bukunmi Awosika, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and other contemporary exemplary women; then search the page of this book. You would see that modern women are simply perpetuating history rather than rewriting it, as we erroneously believed.
Modern women activists are embracing, enhancing, and refining what trailblazers like Alimotu Pelewura and others from her era already set in motion, gracefully carrying forward the legacy of the past. Richard Evans said, “The more I study history, the more I realise how little mankind has changed. There are no new scripts, just different actors.”
Regrettably, Alimotu Pelewura would be turning in her grave at the dramatic transformation Lagos has undergone, infiltrated by a horde of outsiders.The population boom has turned Lagos into a battlefield, with everyone vying for a piece of the pie while the infrastructure struggles to keep up. It’s a tale of 4 million Lagosians bearing the financial burden for the remaining 30 million residents.
To make matters worse, the original inhabitants are now grappling with a distressing level of disrespect from the newcomers who’ve decided to call Lagos home. It’s a far cry from the Lagos Alimotu left behind.
Alimotu Pelewura’s tale is a proof that Lagos isn’t just a melting pot—it’s the very cradle of life for some of us.
Some newcomers throw around the term “melting pot” as if it gives them the keys to Lagos power house, reminiscent of the Yoruba saying, “Eni tí a pè wá jeun tó wá n dini lọ́wọ́ mú” (the one we welcomed to eat with now trying to snatch the food from us). Just because the soil of Lagos firmly holds external feet doesn’t mean we, the natives, are giving up our inheritance.
We saw this push in the last election with the slogan “Lagos is a no man’s land,” as outsiders tried to snatch the reins of Lagos leadership. Let it be clear, though—Lagos is irrevocably Yoruba land; that’s not up for negotiation.
What is the way forward, or how do we Indigenes get out of this impasse? Obviously, a robust legislative framework that will protect the interest of the indigenes of Lagos State, as advocated by the speaker during his acceptance speech is a recipe. “Laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles, and we will reverse all that is reversible to protect the interest of the indigenes”, said the speaker.
As lofty and noble as these suggestions are, we are yet to see any severe sights of implementation.
Advocating the rights of Lagosians is beyond lips service as demonstrated in the tale of Pelewura. And we had better picked a lesson from the happening between Israel and Gaza on the global stage. So, Lagos does not slip off our hands in the next few years.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s recent move to tear down buildings that violate the building code is definitely a step in the right direction. However, we all have the collective responsibility of protecting our heritage.
Our traditional leaders should stop acting like Esau from the Bible who sold his birthright for a plate of porridge; they should stop selling our land left and right to non-Yorubas.
Also, this habit of naming streets after people who aren’t even from Lagos continues to give outsiders a false sense of entitlement to what is rightfully ours.
Flagrant violations of Lagos State laws must be curbed, and consequences for bad behaviour should be at the top of the agenda of the current administration.
Events like the book launch should not only serve to tell us what was done by the people who have walked on this soil before us; it should also challenge us to make our own marks for the sake of posterity.
I see many other Alimotu Pelewuras’s rising as a result of this book. Once again, congratulations to the author!
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