Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: Strong African woman wey fight King and colonial goment

3 January, 1949 na day Abeokuta for Ogun State, south west Nigeria shake like earthquake as Oba Samuel Ladapo Ademola II, di powerful king resign.

Alake of Egbaland Ademola II comot for im royal stool sake of powerful protests wey Egba women bin do on top harsh tax and abuse wey dem suffer for di hand of British colonial authorities.

Di leader of di Abeokuta Women's Union wey organise di protests na Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and dis protests go make am overnight celebrity for di kontri.

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, di first of many tins

Many pipo wey don hear di name Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti go say, na she be di first woman to buy and drive motor for Nigeria.

Odas go say she be di first lady of di popular Ransome-Kuti family wey talent boku wey include; goment minister Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Afrobeats legend Fela Ransome-Kuti and human rights activist Beko Ransome-Kuti.

Wetin many pipo no go know be say for her time she be one of di most powerful women for Nigeria and her activist work helep women rights' for West Africa.

Na for October 25 1900 dem born Frances Abigail Olufunmiayo Thomas inside family wey cari education for head and na she be di first girl-student for di popular Abeokuta Grammar School.

E eye first open unto di way some oyinbo dey see black pipo wen she go school for England, e be like she jam racism wey disturb am sotey she comot all di English names she bin get.

Sorrow, tax and blood

By di time she return back to her kontri, di British wey dey rule Nigeria don dey nack pipo wit tax wey dem collect for Egbaland through di local goment of di Alake.

Dis tax na di biggest headache market women dey face, e plenti for dia eye and tax collectors and police dey cari heavy force and abuse collect dis tax.

Since dem no dey gree women to join local goment politics, women no fit complain on top di wahala dia eye dey see.

As tins begin hot and hot for market women dem, dem gree among diasef say di only panadol wey fit block dia headache na protest, and na di Abeokuta Women's Union dem feel fit lead dem.

Di Abeokuta Women's Union wey Ransome Kuti and her sister-in-law Eniola Soyinka (Wole Soyinka mama) start na join-bodi wey wan fight colonial oppression and gender equality.

Wen tori of wetin dey happun to Egba women reach Ransome-Kuti ear, say Egba women dey suffer big fat tax, harassment and Alake dey sell rice wey im boys dey seize and keep di money for im pocket, she vex.

So she begin protest day afta day wit thousands of women. But authorities no wan hear, dem use tear gas and kondo beat protesters.

Tins hot pass for 1947 wen Ransome-Kuti tok no gree pay her own tax so dem arrest and cari am go court, thousands of women follow am go di courthouse.

No agreement today, no agreement today

Di women no cari weapon so police no go get excuse to attack dem like wetin happun for Aba women's riots for 1929 wey dey also fight colonial tax for dat time.

Alake and colonial goment begin fight Ransome-Kuti personal, dem ban her from palace and dem try cause kwanta for di executive committee of di union so dem go sack Kuti, but e no work.

Di women tok say na only wen Alake resign dem go end dia protests.

For July 1948 afta years pf protests, di Egba chiefs and oda senior elders pass bill wey charge Alake wit wayo and abuse of power wey be strong head, dem remove am as king and dem bang di traditional drum to make dis announcement.

Alake finally comot from Egbaland and four executive committee of di Abeokuta Women's Union, including Ransome-Kuti become members of di local goment and dem ban di women tax.

Ransome-Kuti work no finish dia, she go continue to work for women rights, politics and independence for Nigeria wey go spread enta kontris like Ghana and Sierra Leone.

She go handover her activism to her sons Beko and Fela wey fight future oppression for Nigeria for dia time.