Igi gogoro magun mi loju, okeere lati nlo- To prevent a tall tree from shooking one's eye, one announces it from afar (A yoruba proverb) - Sankofa competition

Thank you @sankofa for bringing back the past and promoting tradition. I have always been a lover of proverbs, there is a way it adds value and substance to your words.

Igi gogoro magun mi loju, okeere lati nlo- yoruba proverb
Igi gogoro- Tall pointed tree
Magun mi loju- do not shook me in the eye
Okeere lati nlo - we announce this from afar

This proverb as translated, is one that is used to express the importance of good preparation, foresight , thinking and planning ahead. It is a proverb used back in the days to advice individuals to prevent future havoc by countering obstacles or challenges early enough.

Here is a story to illustrate this:

Long time ago, in a village called Baye, there lived a rich farmer called Agbeyemi. Agbeyemi was rich and highly respected in the village, even the king of the land respected him and valued his friendship. Agbeyemi's farming success and trade brought great farmers from far and wide into the village, this gave Baye fame and respect amongst other villages. Despite his riches, Agbeyemi had just a wife and as much as they tried to have children, they were blessed with just one daughter, Ajoke.

Ajoke was the apple of her father's eye. So unlike most children especially female children in the village, Ajoke was sent to school. She went to the best of schools around the village and when she completed her primary education, she won a scholarship to attend an high school in the city.

Agbeyemi and his wife were reluctant at first but Ajoke insisted, she had been looking for an opportunity to leave the village, she also had great dreams of becoming a doctor so that she could build an hospital , where she could work and help her village in the future. After convincing her parents, telling them she could even find a solution to their partial barreness in the city, they allowed her go.
She lived in the school hostel as the scholarship included boarding, she returned home every holiday and the whole village was usually pleased to receive her.

Agbeyemi spent most evenings with the king. The king loved to chat with his friend and discuss issues in the village. It was usually at this gathering which sometimes involved the chiefs and the king's wife , olori that the king boasts about his friend's daughter becoming a doctor and the village becoming the first to produce a doctor among other villages. Agbeyemi was usually always happy and honoured that the king valued his daughter but olori wasn't happy.

Olori had never liked Agbeyemi. Sometimes she complained secretly to the king that he pays too much attention to Agbeyemi, ignoring her. She also told the king that Agbeyemi was becoming more prominent even more than the king himself and that his daughter will be more prominent than the princesses.

The king however didn't seem to bother, he loved Agbeyemi as his own brother and he saw his (Agbeyemi)successes as his (the king's) successes.

Another person that was not at peace with the constant praise Ajoke received was her mother, Agbeyemi's wife. She was often worried for her child, she had seen the faces of some of the women in the market whenever someone talked about her daughter and she needed no soothsayer to tell that her daughter was not loved by all.

One day, Ajoke's mother had a dream. In her dream, Ajoke was about to receive a crown, the crowd was cheering and everyone was happy then suddenly a monster appeared, snatched her crown and began to chase her. Ajoke ran and screamed, her mother ran after her. Ajoke fell to the ground at the tip of a cliff and the monster laughed, its head suddenly turning into heads of about 7 women in the village. Ajoke's mother screamed then she woke up panting.

Agbeyemi jumped up from sleep too, trying to calm his wife. But she couldn't keep calm. After she related the dream to him, he knew he couldn't keep calm. His wife's dreams alway come to pass. She had helped his farming business through her dreams several times. He became worried, he needed to prevent the impending disaster. He assured his wife that they will see yeye Osun (the Osun diviner).

In those times, yeye Osun waa the best spiritual helper anyone could get. After checking Agbeyemi's wife's palms, yeye Osun sighed and told the couple that evil truly looms ahead and something needed to be done fast.

Yeye Osun told the couple that Ajoke had to be brought into the Osun house and kept there for 7 days were her parents will be chanting prayers. After which yeye Osun will take her for spiritual fortification.

Agbeyemi quickly thanked the yeye Osun and he prepared for his journey to Lagos. Ajoke was reluctant at first to come back with her father but he insisted, threatning not to go back without her. The school authorities also had no other choice as Agbeyemi had declared it was a matter of life and death.

Back in Baye, yeye Osun had warned the couple not to tell anyone so Agbeyemi heeded. Not even the king knew.

Ajoke was in the prayer house for 7 days. Her parents kept saying the following prayers :

Ajoke omo Agbeyemi
O ti goke afara
iku fo e da loni
arun fo e da loni
oke oke lo o malo
titi ti wa fi reyin ota re e

Ajoke daughter of Agbeyemi
you have climbed the bridge
death pass you by today
diseases pass you by today
you shall go higher and higher
till you see the end of your enemies

They said this for seven days. On the 7th day, the yeye Osun took her to the special sacred river to bath for her. There and then she was free to return to Lagos. Barely a week after Ajoke returned to Lagos, something strange happened.

The king's first daughter Adesewa fell ill. Everyone ran helter skelter, the king was not at peace. When yeye Osun was summoned, she wanted to stay back as she already knew what was happening but she couldn't disobey the king.

At the palace, yeye Osun immediately told all that were present that, the princess was suffering the repercussions of her sins. The princess was pestered to confess and she eventually did. Writhing in pains she confessed how her mother had instigated her against Ajoke and her family. Telling her that Ajoke was more prominent than even the king's eldest daughter. She decided to visit the evil sanponna priest. She begged him to help kill Ajoke with Sanponna. Thinking that Sanponna might not be fast enough, as she realised, Ajoke was still alive, she visited the legion of witches too. The witches were however excited because they had been interested in Ajoke as well. It was after that , that she fell ill.

After confessing, the princess gave up the ghost and the palace was thrown into mourning. Although Agbeyemi was angry at the olori and her daughter, he felt sorry for his friend the king. He was however glad that he took action fast, he was happier that he had a seer for a wife.

The olori was banished from the village for instigating her daughter.

Three years after the incidence, Ajoke gained admision to study medicine.