Category: Entertainment

Muslims in the Southwest under the umbrella of the Joint Muslims’ Action Forum (JOMAF) held a get-together at the open field of the Government Technical College, Osogbo, Osun State capital last Saturday. It was tagged “The Nation Prays,” writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

It was an event many had waited for. They could not wait for the day to break before besieging Oke Fia at Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State for it.

Even the environmental sanitation which holds every second Saturday in Osun State could not stop them. People were seen putting finishing touches to the setting of the venue. Shortly after the sanitation, people stormed the place, paving way for its early start.

Hordes of clerics from different parts of the Southwest teamed up with their Osun counterparts at the venue. Traditional rulers were not left out. They waved their horsetails to acknowledge greetings from the mammoth crowd who yelled Kaabiyesi ooo.

They arrived in time for the event organised by the Joint Muslims’ Action Forum (JOMAF), tagged “The Nation Prays.”

The open field of the Government Technical College, Osogbo where it was held, was ornately decorated. Giant size canopies dotted the length and width of the field.

Inside were cushion chairs usually used by traditional rulers and top government functionaries at events and plastic chairs covered with white satin clothes. A big signboard mounted behind the podium were reserved for the moderators who were coordinated by the Imam of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Ustadh Muhammad Jamiu Trimidhi.

The event began with an opening prayer bythe President-General, League of Imams and Alfas in Southwest, Edo and Delta, Alhaji Mustapha Ajisafe.

It was followed by recitation of the Quran seven times. This was done through distribution of the Quran leaflets to those who could read.

Immediately the congregation was done with the recitation, one of the moderators announced the arrival of the special guest of honour – Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Aregbesola, decked in his usual simple trademark – Buba, Sokoto, cap and footwear – all white, moved round to greet the people.

In his opening remark, JOMAF Chairman, Alhaji Kola Usaamot said the programme was organised to pray for the peace and progress of the country.

He said:“We are gradually but steadily moving towards a precipice. On the political scene, the centrifugal forces are too strong to be ignored. Issues that divide us are more on the front burner of national discourse than the ones that unite us.

“As if this is not enough, the general state of insecurity is alarmingly snowballing to a conflagration that may consume us all if we don’t recourse to prayer. Unfortunately, no single geo-political zone is totally immune or free.”

Usaamot observed that leaders in the country must wake up to their responsibility and steer the nation from collapse.

Chief Missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdurrahman Ahmad, who was one of the fathers of the day described the day as great.

He said it was a day to thank Allah for the life of Governor Aregbesola, who he said has done much to earn the respect of the electorate.

Sheikh Ahmad enjoined Aregbesola to ensure rights of citizens are always protected irrespective of political and religious affiliations.

He said citizens demand for their rights should not be seen as public disturbance.

“The continuous demand of rights by the Muslims should not be seen as act of militancy because we have been civil enough in going about it and we never close the chapter of dialogue to achieve this purpose,” he said.

A senior lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Is-haq Lakin Akintola, said it was high time the nation had a round table talk about the Nigerian project.

Prof. Akintola and The Nation newspapers columnist, Dr. Femi Abbas who were among the guest speakers on the occasion urged those in authorities to create an enabling environment through which rights could be demanded unhindered to allow for peace and tranquility in the country.

The gathering seized the opportunity to demand for using of Hijab (head scarf) by female Muslim students in all public schools, Hijrah public holiday, teaching of morals in schools as well as adequate representation of Muslims in public offices in accordance with their population in various states.

While praying for peace, progress and development of the country, Dr Abbas urged Nigerian to work toward achieving the aforementioned, saying “it would amount to hypocrisy for people to pray for peace and at the same time behave in a manner capable of breaching the peace.”

The gathering thereafter threw their weights behind Aregbesola on state policies that they said were in conformity with divine injunctions that harped on equal rights for the citizenry, promising to keep on supporting him in as much as he governed well and gave everybody his rights.

In his response, Aregbesola expressed appreciation to the gathering, assuring them that he would not relent in his efforts at giving every citizen his due as dictated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

His administration, he said, is poised to implement policies that would uplift the state and the nation at large.

He enjoined them to continue praying for the country.

An event tagged The Barry Colloquium organised by The Ayinde Barrister Legacy Club (ABLE) has been held in Lagos, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

Before the end came, ace Fuji musician, the late Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Balogun popularly known as Barrister had reached the peak of his career. He was the first among eqauls. He and others made Fuji the popular music it is today.

Little wonder he was named Mr Fuji. The wide acceptability of his music beyond the shores of the country shows the humanity in his music.

Last Friday, his fans streamed into the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos for an event in his honour.

A roll-up huge banner with his bold picture welcomed guests.

A bevy of beautiful women escorted the guests to their seats. The hall bubbled with records of the musician.

Some sang along, some nodded their heads; some shook their bodies; others who could not resist the tune took to the dance floor.

Welcome to the colloquium organised by a facebook group, The Ayinde Barrister Legacy Club (ABLE) tagged The Barry Colloquium.

ABLE was incorporated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on May 10 last year as a trusteeship, not-for-profit organisation.

Its members cut across Nigeria, Republic of Ireland, United States and United Kingdom.

ABLE members on the occasion stood out among the gathering. Decked in uniformed blue Ankara, they were the cynosure of all eyes.

The attendance of Barry Wonder’s children – Rasaq Balogun; Barrymade and Barry showkey was a stamp on the event. Likewise, the presence of King of Juju music, Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye (a.k.a King Sunny Ade); Waka Queen Salawa Abeni; Bonsue creator Dr Adewale Ayuba and Abass Akande (a.k.a Obesere) was an icing on the cake.

The event began with an opening prayer. It was spiced with the rendition of the National Anthem, keynote addresses, entertainment, lecture, Ewi, Barry testimonial and investiture of Barry Fellow.

Welcoming the guests, ABLE President, Kayode Bello said Barrister celebrated Nigeria and did not bring shame to the country.

With his legacy, he said, a museum should be built in his name.

“What type of music are our young ones studying in the university?” he asked rhetorically.

He canvassed inculcation of his type of music into the education curriculum.

Bello enjoined the federal government to honour him as a foremost Nigerian ambassador.

Former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba who chaired the occasion, told the gathering his long relationship with the deceased.

“I am very close to Ayinde Barrister in his lifetime. Barry and I have been involved in the promotion of music right from my day as editor of Lagos Weekend. I was involved in the development of musicians such as Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey etc. In 1988, while I was still in Daily Times, Barrister prophesied that I would be governor and I became governor. His song became my campaign slogan. I wrote the forward of his autobiography. I am happy that even in death people came to celebrate him. His music is culture, wisdom and teaches education. I am happy that even in death; Barry’s name is larger than life,” Osoba said.

He thanked King Sunny Ade for his supports to his fellow musicians.

Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Otunba Segun Runsewe said “If he (Barrister) was born in the English world, I am sure he would be called ‘Ayinde the Edifice’”.

Barrister, Runsewe said, was one of the greatest artistes Nigeria ever produces.

“Our greatest problem is that we don’t celebrate our own. We did not realise while growing up that these group of artistes were the pioneer missionaries sent to the world because their music was loaded. Honestly, Barrister was a great man of our time. He was one of the most courageous and gifted man of our time. If a white man is celebrating our bests and we don’t, that is a problem. We must not wait to celebrate people when they have gone but in their lifetime. Barrister was a humble and unassuming man,” he said.

One of Barrister’s fans, Otunba Adisa Osiefa described Alhaji Agba as a contented man.

“He was not after wealth otherwise he would have left billions of naira behind. I watched him carefully, and whenever I introduced anything that would yield money even when he had the opportunity, he would just waive it aside. He was generous to a fault. As a musician, Barrister was the only one I knew would take money from his house and spray his host. He was a discipline, calm and gentleman. And in terms of education, he tried his best for all his children,” Otunba Osiefa stated.

Another fan, Asiwaju Oyasola Oyadeji said Barrister does not discriminate.

“We were always together before he passed on. We used to spend Christmas together and did most of his Xmas in my house,” he said.

Chief Lekan Alabi who stood in for Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola-Alao, thanked everyone for recognising the son of the soil and Fuji maestro.

Guest speaker, Prof Kunle Lawal of the Department of History, University of Ibadan (UI), promised to write a book on the deceased, because “there were many things to learn from him right from childhood.”

Prof Lawal, former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, described Barrister as a genius who he said single-handedly turned what was ‘just a play thing’ – Were into the most important identity of Yoruba popular musical culture.

“It will probably be surprising to hear that Barrister was an introverted personality. This much I came to discover from my close interactions with him. He was not a garrulous person; he was not the usually loud person who, because he was a star, would wants his presence to be noticed,” he said.

For the former commissioner of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Alhaji Musbau Oyefeso, Barrister was a gift to the nation.

Oyefeso who taught he is one of the bests of Barrister’s fan met a better fan in the person of his childhood friend and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Legal Adviser, Dr Muiz Banire.

According to him, records of Mr Fuji are played at Dr Banire’s office everyday from morning till the close of work.

Dr Banire, former Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment said, the philosophies behind most of Barrister’s songs are too educative to be neglected.

While commending Prof Lawal for promising to write a book on him, he enjoined the club to compile all songs of the Fuji legend in one format.

One would have expected a Christian gathering; a church kind of event with bible readings and preaching. But it was none of that last Friday when the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) held its fifth Founders Day at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

As part of its activities to mark the day, it also held this year’s edition of its annual lecture entitled: Selfless Service: Key to Achieving Sustainable National Economic Growth and Development.

So, one after the other, they thronged the auditorium of the NIIA. Many were men and women of God, young and old, politicians alike who sang the National Anthem. They were all there to learn one or two new things.

The opening prayer was led by Deacon Ayo Durodola.

On the high table were chairs arranged for the special guests and the awardees. BSN National President Dr Aaron Nuhu gave the welcome speech. He noted that the annual celebration of the society holds on February 8 every year, having being founded on same day in 1966 by the late Alahu Ibia.

Nuhu also added that the society is to make available the word of God to every creature and Nigerian.

“It is done through five cardinal ways: translation; mass production; free distribution to the destitute, blind and prisoners; levelling subsidy on the bibles and raising funds to maintain the level of subsidy. These programmes are done to let people know the word of God and his saving grace.”

Nuhu said: “It takes 13 years to translate the bible and N30 million to translate a bible. So far, we have translated in 20 Nigerian languages. Nigeria has 505 languages so we still have a long way to go for the sake of those we have to bring to the saving knowledge of Christ.”

Representing the chairman of the occasion and former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was Deacon Olusola Durodola, who apologised for the non-attendance of Obasanjo, who he said was launching his foundation at the moment in London.

Reading a goodwill message from Obasanjo, Durodola thanked God for the impact the bible has on Christendom, which has enabled people read in their own language and spur them into action.

Congratulating the awardees, he said it is a testimony that their tireless effort is appreciated by many and God.

Another special guest was the former General Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation, (NNPC) Dr Gaius Obaseki, thanked those who have sustained the vision of the bible society.

“Nigeria is the largest distributor of the bible after the United States (US). Not only is the bible used in promoting the needed peace for the growth of the country, the bible being read by all ensures good living; believing in the teaching ensures salvation because the bible isn’t only for Christians but for all Nigerians.”

As soon as Dr Obaseki finished his speech, Professor of Political Economics, Pat Utomi mounted the podium for the lecture entitled: Selfless Service: Key to Achieving Sustainable National Economic Growth and Development.

Guests listened with rapt attention as Utomi took them down memory lane of how the country had been as compared to other countries. Their hope-filled eyes were on him, though, there seemed to be no hint of the truth registering in their minds yet of what the Delta State born don was saying.

There was also the opportunity for the audience to respond and ask questions on the lecture.

Soon afterwards, students of the National Society of the Blind, Oshodi demonstrated how they read the bible through the Braille Scriptures. There was also a musical interlude by the students of the Living Primary School, Lekki.

There were also awards given to notable men who have selflessly served Christendom and humanity. They were the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Sunday Ola Makinde; chairman of Modadola group, Sir Bode Akindele and the first governor of Lagos, Brig Gen Mobolaji Johnson.

In response, Brig-Gen Johnson thanked God for sparing his life. The day after was his 77th birthday and with a frail voice was grateful for the gift, adding, that it is more than what he could ever wish for. Prelate Makinde dedicated his award to his parents who taught him what Christianity is. For Sir Akindele, the award will inspire him more to service.

In attendance were: Archbishop Sunday Ajayi of the Methodist Church; Sir Akin Oyenusi; representative of Dr Tunde Lemo, Mrs Chris Okpala; representative of the wife of the governor of Lagos and wife of the Head of Service, Mrs Adenike Ogunlewe; former minister Maj Gen Godwin Abbey; Prof Vincent Anibogwu; former ICAN President Chief Ayo Oni; Chief Olu Falomo and Sir Remi Omotosho.