His books are bound to provoke various reactions. While some are likely to reason with him, some will dismiss him with indulgent amusement and others may not find it funny. Yemi Ogunsola is a writer but he does not write about everyday issues. His passion, which has formed the basis of his writing, is to give voice to the Yoruba history, which, according to him, has been suppressed. His book, The UFO that led the Isrealites, he says, is based on research that the pillar of cloud and fire that led the Isrealites out of Egypt was actually an unidentified flying object. Quoting copiously from Eric Von Daniken and Joseph Blumrich‘s books, he states the similarities between the UFO and the whirlwind, called Aja by the Yorubas.
”I believe many local accounts of Yoruba Aja (whirlwind) are actually UFO encounters. Remember Elijah‘s chariot of fire was also called a whirlwind in the Bible. What the Yoruba call Irawo Osan tii ba agba l‘eru (The noon-day star that scares the daylight out of even adults) shows even more awareness of the phenomenom,” he said. The book also studies the UFO phenomenon in relation to the Yoruba deities.
“The entity that led the Israelites and travelled them as his possession was a deity. Yoruba deities also traveled in Ope tente ereke to yaka yabu ka merindinlogun (the flying palm-like thing that has 16 branches or compartments).Yahweh had his agenda for Israel and deployed his advanced technology in favour of Israel. The Yoruba deities were no less behind,” he adds.
Ogunsola says he is very aware of the kind of controversy a book like his can attract and he is ‘very prepared‘ to challenge everybody with facts. He believes for instance that the technology that are being celebrated today are nowhere near what exists in those times and chronicled in the Bible
“There are in the Bible account of aerial objects which fall in this category of sophisticated technology. They were vehicles which, in technology, surpass some of ours even today. So, the relatively primitive nomadic Israelites naturally found them incredible, even out of this world (heavenly) and described them so: ‘Bright cloud‘ ‘Glory of the Lord‘ ‘Chariots of fire‘. Prophet Ezekiel described his encounter with a UFO in Ezekiel chapter one. Many Western writers have been researching into this ancient evidence of advanced technology. Eric Von Daniken, a Swiss, is prominent among these writers. A NASA scientist and expert in the construction of rockets (space vehicles), Josef M. Blumrich, who attempted to discredit Daniken discovered to his utter amazement that Daniken was right: Prophet Ezekiel actually saw a UFO! Check out Josef Blumrich on the internet and you‘ll see all these things.”
Apart from books, he has several articles published in newspapers that seek to expound these beliefs and is currently compiling them. Being a graduate of Biology/Zoology from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) whatever would have led him to delve into this kind of literature when there are more pressing issues in the sphere of science he could have attended to? He says it all started out of curiousity.
”Like virtually every other human being, I‘ve been curious about so many things about life. Who‘s that entity the Bible calls God? Is He the same entity the Yoruba call Olodumare? The usual answer I get is ”Yes”. But why then do Christians brand as ”demons” Olodumare‘s ministers to the Yoruba--Orunmila, Obatala, Ogun,Osun, Oya etc? I was never comfortable with the Christian notion that only followers of Jesus will enter the Heaven of this God. What about the millions of wonderful Muslims many of whom are my good, good friends? Why would this God order the wholesale massacre of Canaanites just to give their lands to a nomadic tribe of Israelites? I was passionate in my search for answers. Gradually, I began to make some discoveries. Many of them were very shocking but very enlightening, if only one summon the courage to face the facts. It then dawned on me that most of the problems plaguing our otherwise beautiful world today - from the Middle East to the Kano riots - stem from ignorance of these discoveries.”
Even though his ideas are yet unpopular, Ogunsola is undaunted. He believes that his books have the power to open the eyes of all who care about the truth. That is why he pursues his goals so passionately.
FS suggested link: Yoruban cosmology and mythology
(Original headline: Between the UFO and Yoruba mythology )
