When the Personal Assistant on New Media to the president, Bashir Ahmad shared a video of Anthony Joshua on Saturday, January 18, 2020, prostrating to greet President Buhari, it went viral. The Nigerian heavyweight champion met with the president while he was in the United Kingdom for an investment summit.
Anthony was received by the Minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of industry, trade and investment, Nìyà Adebayo; and Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Abike Dabiri-Erewa along with the president. He also presented his heavyweight belts to the president as he prostrated in greeting.
The video caused mixed reactions. Some people, particularly from Southwestern Nigeria were impressed by his actions and took to Twitter to share their views.
Jubril A. Gawat, popularly known as Mr Jags simply said, “RESPECT: @anthonyfjoshua and President @MBuhari… OMOLUABI !!!!” Festus Keyamo (SAN) was very impressed by his actions and said, “Paying traditional respect to elders & those who’ve achieved more in life doesn’t belittle your own achievements. It rather draws more attention to them & makes them bigger than they are. Thank you @anthonyfjoshua for sanitizing the social media space – at least for a few hours!”
Others were upset by his actions and thought he could have used the opportunity to address issues facing the youths in the country. Femi Fani-Kayode spoke against the action saying, “I find this picture & @anthonyfjoshua‘s behaviour utterly repulsive and disgusting. Prostrating before this slave master & a bloodthirsty dictator & tyrant who is viciously persecuting and humiliating his people: what a crying shame. This speaks volumes. He has lost me!”Another Twitter user, Frank Toachi also tweeted, “I for one will not be supporting @anthonyfjoshua in his next fight. I pray he gets his face bashed in. Taking selfies with The man that locked Sowore and Dasuki up disobeying all Court orders is a no-no. Anthony Joshua is one of them, he is APC”.
Some people even had some choice words for the president. One Twitter user, Adetutu Balogun said, “When you shamelessly carry another man’s child, because you have failed your own. In 2008, Anthony Joshua was rejected by Nigeria’s boxing federation. Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua is a British boxer. AJ will always represent the UK. If you like, carry those belts to Abuja.”
Yet, it cannot be argued that Anthony’s greeting was the typical Yoruba thing to do. Considering the mixed reactions, I have decided to enlighten you about the reasons AJ’s behaviour was both culturally right and normal.
- In Southwestern Nigeria, greeting your elders by prostrating is considered the best way to show respect.
- It can also be a mode of communication. Refusal to greet the right way can breed hostility from the older person to the younger one.
- Greeting your elders and people of superior titles the right way fosters goodwill. It can make them warmer and receptive to requests.
- Some people, especially the older generation sometimes measure the quality of your ‘Yorubaness’ with how you greet.
- Refusal to greet right can raise questions about if you were trained right or if you refused to learn when you were taught. It can bring embarrassment to your parents in some places and we all know that African parents hate to be embarrassed. Just like Abike Dabiri said about Anthony Joshua, “Bibi ire Ko se fi owo ra, @anthonyfjoshua”. That means ‘you can’t buy a good upbringing’.
Prostrating to greet is an age long tradition of the Yoruba people. So, from a Yoruba person to another Yoruba person, I am proud of Anthony Joshua for doing the right thing and greeting the president the right way. However, as a concerned Nigerian, I would have preferred that he got one good punch in and knocked out ‘his excellency’ but that’s another story for another day.
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by 208headlines