AFRICA’S CONFORMING GENERATION
One of the greatest figures we were introduced to during the Fresher’s
Orientation as a fresh undergraduate in OAU was Late George Iwilade; whose legacy
will always stand out, as a man of valour who fought against cultism. But one thing
also stands out, his pseudonym, ‘AFRICA’.
Why was he called Africa? I asked and discovered that Mr Iwilade got that name
as a result of the trend he began in his faculty, Law. Law students have a policy of
putting on a mandatory uniform of ‘white and black’ to lectures, but Mr Iwilade was
known to always put on African attires to lectures, thereby earning the name
‘Africa’.
Investigating the history of this mandatory tradition, I asked a couple of law
students why they wore white and black. I got unsatisfactory answers: ‘’That’s how it
has always been’’, ‘’They want us to get used to the uniform before we became
lawyers’’, ‘’That’s how the English system did it and told us to do it’’.
This leads to more questions; Why can’t we learn or practice law with our
African attires? Is it that it will affect our CGPA? Why can’t we create a distinct
uniform for law in Africa? Checking history, even before this ‘white and black’
tradition started in 1964, English lawyers dressed business-like and it didn’t affect
the effectiveness of their practice.
Nowadays, some say the reason is because of professionalism, sobriety and
even the distinct intimidating presence it gives in the Court of Law. But I ask again,
‘’Can’t all these be achieved wearing an appropriate African attire?
If this is the case, I find it contradictory when we say ‘Proudly African’ and we
cannot question the system and establish our identity.
Since the beginning of slavery, down to the end of the era of colonization and
even today; Africa and Africans have been in search of her identity and establishing
this identity.
We talk about transforming Africa, creating a positive identity, how the world
sees us. We want the world to appreciate and value our culture, fashion, music,
science, write-ups, etc, when we as a people are not proud to defend and establish
our identity.
I believe that the tools gotten from western civilization (In Mr Iwilade’s case, law)
are supposed to be harnessed and applied to issues facing Africa, but not at the
expense of losing our image in the process, our ‘African touch’.
Africa cannot accomplish revolution and influence in the world when we
conform to the shadow of another man’s system, forgetting our history and identity.
An African lawyer should be free and proud to dress as an African, even while he
or she studies or practices law.
An African should be free to be an African.
What do you think?
Written by:
PECULIAR
Department of sociology and Anthropology
Social Sciences
OAU
Orientation as a fresh undergraduate in OAU was Late George Iwilade; whose legacy
will always stand out, as a man of valour who fought against cultism. But one thing
also stands out, his pseudonym, ‘AFRICA’.
Why was he called Africa? I asked and discovered that Mr Iwilade got that name
as a result of the trend he began in his faculty, Law. Law students have a policy of
putting on a mandatory uniform of ‘white and black’ to lectures, but Mr Iwilade was
known to always put on African attires to lectures, thereby earning the name
‘Africa’.
Investigating the history of this mandatory tradition, I asked a couple of law
students why they wore white and black. I got unsatisfactory answers: ‘’That’s how it
has always been’’, ‘’They want us to get used to the uniform before we became
lawyers’’, ‘’That’s how the English system did it and told us to do it’’.
This leads to more questions; Why can’t we learn or practice law with our
African attires? Is it that it will affect our CGPA? Why can’t we create a distinct
uniform for law in Africa? Checking history, even before this ‘white and black’
tradition started in 1964, English lawyers dressed business-like and it didn’t affect
the effectiveness of their practice.
Nowadays, some say the reason is because of professionalism, sobriety and
even the distinct intimidating presence it gives in the Court of Law. But I ask again,
‘’Can’t all these be achieved wearing an appropriate African attire?
If this is the case, I find it contradictory when we say ‘Proudly African’ and we
cannot question the system and establish our identity.
Since the beginning of slavery, down to the end of the era of colonization and
even today; Africa and Africans have been in search of her identity and establishing
this identity.
We talk about transforming Africa, creating a positive identity, how the world
sees us. We want the world to appreciate and value our culture, fashion, music,
science, write-ups, etc, when we as a people are not proud to defend and establish
our identity.
I believe that the tools gotten from western civilization (In Mr Iwilade’s case, law)
are supposed to be harnessed and applied to issues facing Africa, but not at the
expense of losing our image in the process, our ‘African touch’.
Africa cannot accomplish revolution and influence in the world when we
conform to the shadow of another man’s system, forgetting our history and identity.
An African lawyer should be free and proud to dress as an African, even while he
or she studies or practices law.
An African should be free to be an African.
What do you think?
Written by:
PECULIAR
Department of sociology and Anthropology
Social Sciences
OAU
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