*🪔 “A Basket of Courage” – The Story of Mama Sekinat, Ilorin Market Woman* 🎤 Narrated by: _AYOLO BUSINESS ROUTE_ the story teller --- NARRATOR (V.O.) Gather round, children of Ilorin. Let me tell you not of kings or warriors, But of Mama Sekinat — A woman whose voice echoed louder than drums. --- 🌅 Act 1: Morning in Oja-Oba In the heart of Oja-Oba, before the roosters even remembered their job, Mama Sekinat was already tying her iro and loading up her basket. Peppers, locust beans, palm oil — all from her own hands. She wasn't rich. But her laugh? Her laugh could chase away thunder. > “Ẹyin mi,” she’d say, “you can’t eat shame. Sell well, speak proud.” Children ran to her stall, not just for sweets but for her stories. --- 🧕 Act 2: The British Collector Arrives One dry Wednesday, a British tax collector arrived. Tall hat. Tall accent. Tall arrogance. > “Women must now pay stall taxes,” he announced. The market froze. Mama Sekinat stepped forward. > “We pay with sweat. We feed the city. You want tax? Take pepper instead.” She handed him three hot ones. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ He sneezed for a week. NARRATOR (laughing) True story! Ask your grandmother. --- 🕌 Act 3: Called to the Emir’s Court That evening, palace guards came. > “Mama Sekinat, the Emir wishes to see you.” Was she afraid? > “Only fools fear truth,” she said. In the palace, she bowed low. > SULU GAMBARI: “Why did you defy the collector?” > SEKINAT: “Because hunger is a tax too, Mai Martaba. And my children can’t eat silence.” The Emir smiled. > “You are brave. Your stall shall be tax-free. And you will teach others the strength of words.” --- 🧺 Act 4: The Woman Who Was a Wall From that day on, Mama Sekinat became a voice for market women. She taught them negotiation. She taught them courage. She taught them to lift each other. Some say she later opened a night school for girls beside her stall — candles flickering like stars under the market shade. --- NARRATOR (V.O.) So when next you pass Oja-Oba, look for a stone bench carved with a basket and a crown. That’s Mama Sekinat’s spot. Not a queen with a throne. But a queen with a stall. --- ✨ Moral: Àgbà obìnrin ní Ilọrin ni àyànmọ tó lè só orílẹ̀-èdè mọ́. (It is the wise woman of Ilorin whose destiny can steady a nation.)