Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, a popular Fuji musician, has never hidden his dislike for Islamic clerics, particularly money-seekers. The ‘talazo’ crooner is no stranger to stirring up bees’ nests. At the burial of another Fuji maestro’s mother, Saheed Osupa, the ‘Talazo’ crooner peered into lions’ eyes, yanked their tails, and nothing happened. I probably attributed the lack of major response to the low visibility of Islamic clergy on social media. In the video, Wasiu Ayinde was heard admonishing Islamic clerics, specifically Buhari Omo Musa, to teach them about God’s ways and to avoid running away from the face of the Most High.
The Fuji maestro has once again stirred the bees’ nest. A video emerged on social media in which Wasiu Ayinde was chatting with an unidentified man and stated that the Islamic clerics would leave his father’s hometown, Fidipote, and his mother’s home but come and ‘GA NU SI’ in his mansion. This time, he was unlucky. He pulled the lions’ tails so hard that they are still roaring loudly in rage. Wasiu Ayinde cannot disturb the bees’ nest and expect them not to fight back. They have launched war on the Fuji maestro, attacking with similar patterns and directives. They felt terrible, painted and continue to paint Wasiu Ayinde with every negative phrase, especially an arrogant, selfish, or unpleasant affluent individual.
I watched a video of an Alfa complaining about Wasiu Ayinde’s usage of the term ‘GA NU SI’ to describe Islamic clerics. According to this scholar, Wasiu Ayinde – a famous beggar, has no right to use the term ‘GA NU SI’ to describe, portray, or paint Islamic clerics who have come to condole and sympathize with him following the death of his mother.
The Islamic cleric emphasized that Wasiu Ayinde is an Alagbe, a privileged one, and that he should not abuse his goodwill by criticizing Islamic clerics who have come to condole with him. In English, “alagbe” means “beggar”. Is he attempting to argue that Wasiu Ayinde and the Islamic clerics he is criticizing are beggars and should not insult others for being privileged beggars? I pondered.
When I viewed the video, I firstly concluded that the term ‘GA NU SI’ as a misyarn. Wasiu Ayinde has always been a keen talker who is not always comfortable with Islamic clerics ‘tasking’ others. Ayinde refuses to see Islamic clerics as partners in progress. You sing for money; they speak for money. Is Ayinde jealous? These clerics are not juju or Afrobeat performers. They are not Fuji musicians either. While Ayinde and his fellow artists sing to seek money, Islamic clerics disguise themselves as religious figures, collecting Isakoles from people in exchange for prayers so that their requests can be sent to God as quickly as possible.
Sheikh Faruk Onikijipa, a Mufti and spiritual father of the Fuji maestro, detected the attrition during his speech at the Fidau’s prayer and may have exhibited remarkable courage to address the situation, but he underestimates Wasiu Ayinde Marshal’s obstinacy and right to refuse. The Ilorin Mufti urged Fuji maestro to apologize to Islamic clergy over the ‘GA NU SI’ attributed to him. Rather than saying ‘sorry’ to quell the fire or to honor or respect his spiritual father, he was more concerned with being right and preserving his self-esteem. He informed Sheikh Faruk Onikijipa and anyone who cared to listen that saying sorry is an admission of guilt. “I can’t say sorry for what I haven’t done. They should provide evidence that I mocked Alfas. “Please let us continue with my Mother’s fidau,” Omo Oloku requested.
GA NU SI? Is it a Yoruba word or slang? Is it an abusive word? I picked up the phone and dialed the number of Otunba Kehinde Oloke, Governor Adeleke’s Special Adviser on Traditions. He is a cerebral Ifa priest with a high level of education. Have you heard of GA NU SI? Yes, he responded. Is this a Yoruba word? No, it’s slang, he confidently said. I thanked him and concluded the phone call. The findings demonstrated that GA NU SI is a slang, albeit a derogatory one. GA NU SI refers to being uninvited or undesired at a party. GA NU SI refers to not being invited or permitted to participate in a discussion. It is simply a harsh statement to make against people who are not welcome in our party, house, office, or area.
Wasiu Ayinde is undeniably a Lagos ‘boy’. If you grew up in Lagos and have experienced the grace and blessings of its streets, slangs will mean nothing to you. In Lagos, they live, prosper, and grow in slang. Before I watched the video in which he refused to apologize, I assumed he misfired or mistakenly misyearned. His failure to apologize suggests two things: GA NU SI has a different contextual meaning in his opinion, or he purposefully uttered the word to insult, mock, or lessen the number of Islamic clerics in attendance.
Wasiu Ayinde’s public statement is the sad fact that everyone is trying to avoid. We may disagree with the terms he used to express himself, but the majority agrees with him since Islamic clerics have genuinely become a menace in our society through the act of begging and lying.
My loving sister, who traveled to the Department of Arabic Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University to request lecturers to officiate her Islamic wedding because she does not want clerics to molest or irritate her guests with monetary demands, would agree with the Fuji maestro as well. I’ve seen countless videos on social media of Islamic clerics begging for money from people they should warn against bad behavior. From politicians to musicians to yahoo boys, some Islamic clerics can beg money from ghosts and they do so openly and shamelessly without apology.
In one of my weekly columns, I encouraged Arabic colleges in Nigeria and their owners to incorporate entrepreneurship into their curricula. I also recommended local Arabic teachers to take up farming or learn informal skills such as carpentry, masonry, or welding as a means of survival in their drive to spread Islam. People attend Arabic colleges with no means of subsistence and a mindset of having four wives and many children.
Because of local Arabic schools, the Muslim population may have the highest percentage of unemployed youth in the country. This is a growing problem that will not only tarnish the religion but also increase crime in society. It’s regrettable that the current wave of young Islamic clergy practicing yahoo-yahoo or publicly interacting with fraudsters hasn’t garnered enough attention. The rising cult-like following among young clerics who now worship money should concern the entire Ummah more than Wasiu Ayinde’s GA NU SI. Rather of condemning or abusing Wasiu Ayinde, the Ummah should focus on measures to promote financial discipline.
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