Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Like a lone voice crying in the wilderness, documentary photographer Chukwemeke Washington Uba has stood alone for almost a decade, fighting the spread of leprosy through his art. Determined to focus attention on the plights of people with leprosy, Uba showcased the enterprising spirits at Uzuakoli Leprosy Colony, Abia State, in his Killing the Entrepreneur photo exhibition. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

From the Roof Tile Factory to the printing press and the carpentry workshop where artificial limbs are being assembled to Palm Oil Mill and more, welcome to the enterprising world of Uzuakoli Leprosy Colony through the eyes of documentary photographer Washington Uba.

For almost a decade, he has fought the spread of leprosy through his art. During the period, this dedicated advocate has covered various leprosy colonies, shot diverse historic pictures and held diverse photo exhibitions and symposia around the disease.

As the world focus more on finding a lasting cure to COVID-19, Uba has raised the alarm over reports of upsurge in new cases of people infected by leprosy with children being the most affected.

With the theme: Killing the Entrepreneur, Charity Care Network featured works of Uba in Lagos.

Guests travelled to the enterprising world of people with leprosy as they moved around each exhibit.

The exhibition, according to the artist, was not only to demystify the disease, which is generally believed to have no cure, but also to highlight the plights of people with leprosy.

“We unite around one goal, which is to beat leprosy. This, we invite the international community to help spread the word that “Leprosy is Curable”, join in the fight to end stigma, and advocate for the mental wellbeing of persons who have experienced leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases,” according to the Project Coordinator.

Uba raised concerns over the sorry state of infrastructure in the colonies, while urging the government to employ the same awareness drive given to COVID-19 to the disease to prevent its spread.

“Experts have kept on saying that the level of infrastructure dilapidation in Nigeria is regrettably yearning for a state of emergency to be declared, the Leprosy colonies are not exempted in this regard. Having documented the major leprosy colonies in Nigeria for seven years, it is heart aching that the entrepreneurial facilities within the colonies are dilapidated, such as; carpentry workshop, tailoring, brick industry, palm oil mill, artificial limb factory, etc.

“The aim of this documentary exhibition, in marking the ‘2021 World Leprosy Day’ is to bring to fore the need for government support on the renovation of the facilities and to formulate new approach by stakeholders for entrepreneurial sustainability of the colonies, thereby reducing the reliance on donor organisations,” Uba said.

Nigeria is killing the entrepreneurship spirit

The exhibition was followed by a discussion session, focusing on the myths and facts of the disease.

According to the artist, over the past three decades goverment has implemented a number of policies and programmes aimed at addressing the high rate of unemployment, wide-spread poverty and low level of economic development; unfortunately, the various policies and programmes have failed to achieve the desired results because they were never all inclusive. People affected by leprosy were left out in the government policy considerations.”

His father worked in the colony

The exhibition had in attendance guests who were from Uzuakoli and the neigbouring towns. One of them was Mba Okpa, whose father worked as a medical personnel in Uzuakoli Leprosy Colony. He decried the misconceptions about the disease, “the unnecessary stigma people place on those suffering from the disease is what is killing the drive for creativity.

“My father had unique stories to tell of the place, especially about the love of the doctors and the medical team, which were mostly whites at  a time. My father and his team were very patient with the patients which is what we don’t see in our hospitals today. They made the patient laugh, saying laughter is the beginning of healing.

“In fact, he started his medical career at the place as a young man. He was a theatre nurse who was there when the safety measures we have wasn’t in existence and he didn’t contract it neither did others who worked there before and after him. Instead, people were being healed. And people came from far and were all healed and returned to their lives. Others from neigbouring towns were also healed and absorbed back into the community’’.

They can generate revenue

A  biomedical engineer, Chief Augustine Nwanze, who chaired the event, said: “I know most of these dilapidated structures were built by them and that’s killing entrepreneurial spirit in them.  They have the zeal of survival and what you expect from a serious government is to give them support because it would make them more productive and generate revenue for them and the government. They’d sell to the public and then survive. I also hope that the stigma would be erased so that they would go about their normal trade.”

Chika Igwe, an engineer from Uzuakoli:

For Chika Igwe, an engineer from Uzuakoli, the community has always supported the colony in its small way. He observed that the stigma was borne out of ignorance or lack of understanding of the medical condition.

He said: “Some of them have been integrated into the community. They made all sorts of crafts, it’s in those days that stigma was there but once they were cured, they were empowered. I am aware of them making modern roofing sheets at the time; they were also using local materials to make household furniture and more. But all that is now history.

“More awareness needs to be done.You may not believe it but teachers, lecturers and business people who had the disease, came there and were cured and returned to their homes. Once they have not been deformed, you won’t even know they’ve had it. They lead healthy lives and go about their business. I am aware of a popular musician in the 70s/80s, Harcourt Whyte and his wife were also there and got cured and went about his business.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Edo University, Iyamho, Prof Emmanuel Aluyor, has been honoured for his excellence in engineering education in Africa by the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO).

The honour was bestowed on him at the General Assembly and Investiture Award Ceremony of the organisation held virtually in Ghana recently.

The award was aimed at promoting greatness in the engineering profession, charting a direction for the growth of the African engineering organisations, creating a platform for members to celebrate distinguished fellows and engineers across the globe who are friends of Africa for their immense contributions and efforts towards advancing engineering education in Africa as well as the recognition of past presidents and leaders of the Association.

Speaker after speaker at the online interactive session applauded the roles and efforts of the participants, who included the President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations, industry specialists, academics and vice-chancellors of universities, among others, for lifting the engineering organisation to an enviable height. The award, presented to Aluyor FNSE, was in recognition of his tireless efforts and commitment to excellence in engineering education in Nigeria, as well as his distinguished service to FAEO and the larger Engineering profession in Africa.

President of the organisation, Martin Manuhwa praised Aluyor and the Vice- Chancellor, Harare Institute of Technology, Zimbabwe, for making Africa proud in actualising their academic curricula without interruptions or a hindrances, even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mauhwa said: “The engineering education category was particularly touching as those two universities were very prominent in the covid-19 interventions, in terms of modern teaching, pedagogy as well as manufacturing of intervention equipment; we must recognise these famous vice chancellors, who took up the challenge and went into research to assist Africa and indeed their countries to solve problems that we faced in the pandemic.”

Manuhwa, who congratulated friends of Africa for their services over the years, also appreciated the Commonwealth Engineering Council, led by Prof. Paul Jowitt from the United Kingdom, for attracting myriads of projects through the African catalysts projects in Africa, which has prompted changes in the livelihood of African engineering.

In addition, a female engineer, Trudy Morgan from Sierra Leone, in her goodwill message, gave assurances on the commitment of female engineers in joining forces with the organisation to make Africa great. Ahmed Hamdy from Egypt on the other hand was confident that the leadership of the federation had earned the confidence that has attracted contributions to engineering development in Africa while Carlos Mineiro Aires, chair of the Portuguese Engineering Association, described his affinity with Africa as the greatest gift to him and sued for the strengthening of the friendship and togetherness.

There were other award recipients, who got recognitions in other categories, including a Nigerian, M.B Shehu, an enginer, who was a one-time president of the organisation and chairman of the 2020 awards committee.

Ace musician and broadcaster Onyeka Onwenu’s memoir, “My Father’s Daughter”, is a book of revelations. It reveals how the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti attempted to have her as his wife, her ‘battle’ with the late Sonny Okosuns, her travail over the GRA, Ikeja-based Unity Centre, and many more, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

Like a sinner, little Onyeka hid from her father on his return because she had without permission eaten the corn he bought for an expensive amount at a church bazaar. This was a father who would not eat without her. This was a father who refused to even sit down without being sure of where his daughter was. She eventually emerged from hiding and confessed her sin.

“Promise me you will never hide from me again, no matter what,” was the end of the whole saga.

With this beginning, written in an alluring language, Onyeka Onwenu opens the window into an amazing life with its ups and downs. Her memoir, ‘My Father’s Daughter’, recounts her pains at losing this loving father when he was 40 years and she was just about five years.

The circumstances of his death are the stuff Nollywood movie of old was made of: The house in which he lived with his family in Port Harcourt was sold to his neighbour while he was yet to complete his; the neighbour wanted him out by all means; and a day after a major hullabaloo with fetish dimension, he had an accident and became history!

On the day he was being conveyed home for burial, the truck conveying him suddenly stopped working on a bridge over Imo River and his sister was made to come down and plead with his remains for the truck to start. The plea did not do the magic; she had to threaten to abandon his body there before the truck roared back to life.

Onyeka tells this story straight from the heart and it is unarguably the most emotional part of the book. A shining star in education and politics of the time vanished like a candle in the wind. He was to be sworn in as Minister of Education in January 1957. His best friend, Mazi Mbonu Ojike of the ‘Boycott the Boycottables’ fame, also died about the same time.

“I was almost five when Papa died, but everything that happened remains etched in my mind. Through the mist from the harmattan haze, I could make out the faces of the many people who had come to bid him farewell. They were all crying inconsolably. Uncle Charles was devastated. He had to be held by four dimkpas or remarkably strong men, but even they could not,” she recalls.

The death was very personal for Onyeka because this was the only one who treated him special, now she had to be one of the hordes. Her special slot was gone forever.

For a man who was good to people in his lifetime, you would expect that his family would receive widespread support, but instead, his widow got a marriage proposal and offers for his property. His brother, Charles, also felt it was his right to take over the widow. She and the kids had to be sneaked out of their hometown for her to escape his claws, but he eventually found his way to Port Harcourt and sold a property belonging to the deceased and insisting he did no wrong. The popular, Dr Sam Mbakwe, who was governor of Imo State, was another beneficiary who didn’t stand by his family, but he made up with Onyeka before his death.

An angel in human form, however, gave them free shelter showing that the earth still harbours some good people. Onyeka’s mum took to various means of making money and ensured her kids and others staying with the family were catered for, even Charles’ children.

The narration of her first encounter with the late Afrobeat maestro Fela on Falolu Street in Surulere, Lagos is surreal. She had run into Fela and he had invited her to his nightclub. Their second encounter was less dramatic; Fela proposed marriage. She turned him down under the watchful eyes of his dancer-wives who were looking at her with scorn.

The ‘salacious’ details of her experience with the late Sonny Okosuns make for an interesting read and raise questions about the harassment of women in almost every sphere of life.

In this book, Onyeka exercised her right to her privacy. She gives details of her troubled marriage to the father of Tijani and Ibrahim, who later changed his name to Abraham but she refuses to mention her ex-husband’s full name. The best we are allowed to know is his middle name: Ibrahim. But, the other details she volunteered will make you understand her better.

Her exercise of the right to privacy also extends to the existence of a childhood lover; she kept his name and the information available is not enough to decode who he is. This, in no way, takes away from the joy that reading this book is. This part of the book reads like a romantic thriller. It is laced with emotions. The excerpts from the letters from this man who touched her deeply are the stuff good writing is made of.

The book also shows what Onyeka feels about dignitaries who are either dead or alive. We know her take on the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was murdered by the Sani Abacha regime; she shares her view of Mr. Ben Bruce, who was a senator until last year; Onyeka also gives insight into what she thinks of Ovation publisher Dele Momodu, the late MKO Abiola, the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the late Gani Fawehinmi, President Muhammadu Buhari,  UBA chairman Tony Elumelu and many others.

Onyeka also gives the details of her battle over the GRA, Ikeja-based Unity Centre. Her cousin, the daughter of her mother’s sister who once advised her to abandon Tijani’s dad at a trying period and hook a rich man with her beauty and status, is at the centre of the drama that has not ended.

Of course, she did not skip the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War, which saw her family fleeing Port Harcourt for the East. The account is heart-rending and drips with poetic prose.

The book also affords Onyeka the opportunity to retell her story regarding the pro-Abacha one-million-man march. She writes about how she was contacted for a pro-Super Eagles event and how she protested when it appeared in the media that the event was not what it was painted to be and how Abacha’s Chief Security Officer Major Hamza Al- Mustapha called her to allay her fears. It took years for her to shake off the bad label from the event.

Her years in the United States also find copious space in this book. Her music career, her time in broadcasting, her time in PMAN and so on are lit for better understanding and appreciation.

This is a book with the potential to ruffle feathers. What will the take of the Okosuns be? What will the father of Tijani and Abraham feel? What will the Saro-Wiwas say? What will Fela’s women think of her take on them? What about the newspaper publisher who wrote ‘thrash’ about the father of her children? It will be interesting to hear the views of Ben Bruce, the Tony Okoroji-led Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and the leadership of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) on the book. Equally interesting will be the reaction of the family of her late brother, Richard, whose first son she raised up to the university level. Her recollection of what he did after their mother’s death is ‘dirty’ and reinforces the need for the marginalisation of women in Igboland to be addressed.

This book, whose second edition has just been published by Parresia Publishers, is long in coming. It gives more insights into other facets of the Onyeka persona. Even with the exercise of her right to privacy, it is the first time she has been this open about her life. It is an absorbing dream of a book and an unwavering portrait of the musician, broadcaster, journalist and entrepreneur told in a moving and profound language.

Title:            The Charming Prince (In Journalism and Politics)

Author:       Otunba Bayo Osiyemi

Reviewer:      Ladi  Ayodeji

Publishers:  New Age Publishers Ltd

Pagination:    530

Many things make this book a compelling read, chief among which is the author’s life’s story covering his forays into journalism, politics and business. I am not quite sure if I can capture the details in full, within the context of this review, given the constraints of space.

The book under review, Otunba Bayo Osiyemi’s autobiography, The Charming Prince (in Journalism and Politics) is a moving story of Nigeria’s eventful Second Republic and the Army–led polity that truncated it. This story covers the 70 – year life of the Otunba himself and the reproduction of his weekly column in The Nation newspaper between July 22, 2017 and November 2, 2019.

Thus, the author presents his own life story in the first half of the 530–page book, and the compilation of his columns in the second. This arrangement gives us a balanced view of his life and work as a journalist, politician, business man, church man and Yoruba royal.

The fascinating thing about the book is the author’s narrative of the landmark events of the Second Republic and authoritative details of the roles of the dramatis personae of the civilian government like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Lateef Jakande, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, etc.

However, let’s begin the review from the beginning.Veteran journalist, Mr Felix Adenaike wrote the foreword to the book, which tells us something about the author’s standing in the media. In the first six chapters, the author tells the story of his origins: his birthplace, childhood days, education and parentage, which show he’s blue–blooded.

We didn’t get to know much about his royal heritage in his early journalism years until much later when he began to be addressed as Prince Bayo Osiyemi. Born on February 4, 1950, to the families of Sisu and Arowosugbo of Ijebu Igbo, the largest town in Ogun State, he took his blue blood from his mother’s lineage; the Arowosugbo Dynasty. In four short chapters, we read about his early years and his education. The narrative is gripping! It contains general twists and turns, anecdotes and escapades you’d expect from a man who grew up in sub – urban centres.

A true child of destiny, Otunba was actually born into a Muslim family and was named Abdul-Lateef. His traditional name, Omopeninu (child stayed long in the womb), speaks of delayed pregnancy which reportedly lasted three years, four months! What a miracle man, this prince!

As Otunba reveals, the trajectory of his faith changed when he went to live with his maternal grandmother who was a Christian. This set the stage for his ultimate full conversion to Christianity as a committed member of the Christ Apostolic Church; CAC. This is very important because his worldview and actions are shaped by his religious philosophy as a child of God.

The hand of God is seen in his appointment as The Press Secretary to the first civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande in 1979. This was the great leap into the public sphere that defined the destiny of Otunba Osiyemi and opened the doors of his upward mobility in politics and business. If his name resonates with us today, it is because of his step into the corridors of power at the young age of 29, and the part he played in the governments of Nigeria.

Otunba’s autobiography is worth reading because of his 70 long years on earth, he has spent 41 and still counting in the thick of the nation’s politics, if we add his years in journalism, the prince would have spent half a century or thereabout in public focus, which clearly makes him a senior statesman.

Unfortunately, his first public service career was terminated after a little over four years, when the military toppled the Shehu Shagari government in December 1983. The story of that coup and its aftermath is the core of this book, and that makes it a must- read for those who are interested in the evolution our great country.

The passages dealing with the coup, and other the Military regimes of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, his annulment of the June 12 election, and Gen. Sanni Abacha’s regime; read like a thriller. We cannot thank the author enough for giving us an eye witness account of episodes that have shaped the nation’s polity. If not for this book, we would not have known the truth about the approval given by the acclaimed winner of the June 12 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola to Yoruba leaders like Alhaji Jakande to participate in Abacha regime. Abiola, according to the author, urged him to appeal to Jakande, his former boss, to accept the ministerial appointment Abacha offered him, when the ex–Lagos governor wasn’t forth coming.The author gave us detailed analysis of the June 12 annulment, the officers behind it, etc.

However, it was the callous treatment meted out by the Buhari – Idiagbon regime to Jakande, despite his reputation as the best performing Governor of the Second Republic without any blemish to his reputation that irked the author the most. Otunba worked hard to get the Babangida regime to release Jakande, though his moves were a concerted effort with Chief Obafemi Awolowo himself, playing a major role behind.

Throughout the travails of Jakande in detention, Otunba demonstrated unwavering loyalty. Worthy of note was his rejection of an offer by Jakande’s   successor, Group Captain Gbolahan Mudashiru, who wanted Osiyemi to continue his job as the press secretary, in his government. But Osiyemi rejected the offer out of hand.

Perhaps, Jakande knew his ward’s disposition toward him, even in those dark days of his political career. Whilst in detention, Jakande charged Osiyemi with the task of running John West Publication, the ex – Governor’s publishing outfit. Otunba and another colleague helped midwife a daily afternoon newspaper, Lagos News, and a Sunday paper on the stable of John West.

This was the second career landmark of Osiyemi after his appointment as press secretary, and he ran the paper proficiently and profitably, thanks to his connection in high places in government. This project became a fall back for Jakande, a veteran journalist himself when he eventually returned from detention.

One of the important life achievements of Otunba was his two–year tenure as the Chairman of Mushim Local Government  Area. All the intrigues, political skirmishes and his achievements as the chairman of that strategic local government council are well documented and it’s worth reading because the administrative acumen he displayed is still an unbeaten record.

That experience now serve him well as a Special Adviser to Lagos State the  Gov. Babajide Sanwo – Olu on Chieftaincy Affairs.

It would be remiss not to mention the collection of articles reprinted from his weekly column in the Nation newspapers, which forms the second part of this book.

Frank, brilliant and written in a breezy, lucid style, these articles addressed several topical issues of the day. To dwell too much on them would be clearly superfluous.

The author’s penchant for using Yoruba proverbs and idioms from the hit songs of popular Yoruba social musicians, Haruna Ishola, Ebenezer Obey, Sikiru Ayinde Berrister, King Sunny Ade, etc, adds much spice to his writings. All this point to his sentimental attachment to his Yoruba heritage. From his narrative, we see that prince, a true child of destiny, owes his success in life to divine favour. His survival of two accidents abroad; one of which took the life of his beloved first wife, Esther, and miraculous escape from two assassination attempts, which sent him on a seven–year self-exile in London are reasons for him to glorify God.

The interesting story of his sojourn in London, where he worked as a Realtor and the friendships he struck with ex–Inspector General of Police, Sir. Mike Okiro, Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, ex–Lagos State Military Governors, Mike Akhigbe and Brig Gen. Oyinlola are all well documented in this book, as they helped stabilize him at trying times.

Space constraints deny me the opportunity to do justice to this review, but one can say with confidence, given the literacy merit of this work, that Otunba Bayo Osiyemi’s chronicle of his eventful, action – packed life, is an excellent book worth reading.