Igbein; Cradle of Activism

*Tribute to Abami Eda*

On Saturday 2nd of August 1997, around 0520hrs, exactly 20 years today, myself and Ademola Alalade (Alas) left our Jimoh Farombi Drive, Ire-Akari Estate home for the British Embassy at the Water front in Lagos Island for the visa application interview of the latter. The Peugeot 504 was racing through some of the popular Lagos notorious heavy traffic spots without much difficulty as we journeyed to Lagos Island.
We managed to get to the embassy before 0700hrs and to my very surprise, we met a tumultuous crowd already waiting on the queue for the interview which will be conducted by some privileged folks who were possibly still in their various beds snoring.
As the day continued to break on this fateful day, various events began to unfold most of which were very alarming and some really disturbing.
The long queue we met continued to grow longer and getting farther.
I noticed I was amongst the very few set of people who were not joining the queue, as everyone who arrived the vicinity were all rushing to join the growing queue, confusion began to set in as i began to see some of the poff-poff hawkers and newspaper vendors also joining the queue. As these was going on, I also noticed some family set of visitors, who seemed not comfortable with the rush to join the queue as some of them were in company of minors who couldnt stand the stress, they were waiting in their cars as they started brandishing different types of food containers to serve their breakfast in what began to look like a carnival or picnic like..
As these sets of carnival  applicants were relaxing after their meals, I started noticing that attention began to shift to their side, as many of the people on the queues began to throng where these set of family applicants were in their different cars, and within a twinkle of an eye, monies began to fly around and I later realized that most people on the queues were not genuine applicants, they joined the queue in order to have a slot and later sell their slot on the queues to people who will later arrive for the interview and these appeared to be a kind of organized racketeering within the embassy as policemen were also seen collecting monies from applicants to pay some of the commercial queue-ers or queue-ees if you'll allow me those words.
These fees ranged between one to five thousand naira depending on the number you want to buy, numbers 1 to 20 were more expensive.
The alarming and disturbing part of these events was that,  buying a slot from the queue does not guarantee your entry into the embassy, as some hefty armed mobile policemen who escorted some of the British workers to the embassy later came out to disperse some queues in order to put some of their own candidates from whom they've collected higher amount of money in order to place them at the frontline of the queue,  and that was when the real business of conducting the visa application interview actually began.
You may want to ask what happened to those that had paid money to the earlier mentioned commercial queue-ers in order to buy the front slot?
Money and efforts wasted.

I saw corruption in full glare at the British Embassy on this particular day,
and this disturbing incident contributed to my early desire for a just and orderly Nigeria.
At around 0950-1000hrs after the arrival of the interviewers, one of the most refined gentlemen in the history of Nigeria's political appointees arrived the embassy, looking so worried and dejected as he hurriedly made a dashing entry into the building, it was written all over him that something was amiss, within a very short while, he dashed out of the building again and hurriedly left as those who recognized him were looking so concerned and puzzled.
At about 1400hrs Ademola Alalade was through with his interview, we both headed to where the car was parked and we reeled out different accounts of various hilarious and disturbing accounts of the day's events as we journeyed back home.
The same day was the birthday of my cousin, Oladipupo Ibikunle and after washing off the sweat and dust of the embassy, I headed to Gbagada Phase-II for the in house birthday bash.
It was real fun as we enjoyed the merriment and good company of old friends and relatives, then suddenly, one of our friends, Adesanya Oresanya came into the house to break the news of the late Abami Eda, Olufela Anikulapo Ransome Kuti to the merrying crowd at the party, and in what sounded like almost impossible, the whole house was thrown into a mixed feelings and reactions and we tuned to Ray Power radio station to confirm the news,  Fela's music was played from dusk till dawn on the radio station, the birthday party was turned to Fela-bration as we all danced and sang along the popular Fela's evergreen songs from Beast of No Nation to Suffering and Smilling.
Today is another birthday of my cousin Oladipupo Ibikunle who is currently on paternity leave (lol) in the United States of America, I wish You many more fruitful and fulfilling years ahead. Amen.
May the new born baby girl be a blessing to her generation. Amen.
Back to the VIP whom we saw at the embassy earlier in the day, it was the news of Fela's death that unraveled the hurried visit of Professor Olikoye Ransome Kuti to me,  and I later concluded that he must had attempted to renew Fela's visa to the UK for a possible treatment. Fela had refused to take orthodox medications at the early stage of his ailment insisting on traditional herbs until he breath his last on Saturday 2nd of August 1997.
May the souls of Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his other illustrious sibblings and parents continue to rest in peace. Amen.

I am indeed very proud to be an Egba man from the Lukosi Ogundimu lineage of Igbein, in the present Abeokuta South local government area of Ogun State.
Igbein, a quiet and strategic section of Egbaland had produced so many sons and daughters who had tremendously and immensely contributed to the unique fabrics of Egba historical regalia through their exemplary sterling and heroic qualities.

Lisabi 'Ladeji Agbongbo Akala,  the great warrior who liberated the Egbas who were being extorted and terrorised by the Ajeles of Oyo Kingdom through his Aaro tactics in what later developed into the modern days co-operative groups and societie is from Igbein, and I am more proud to categorically state that my progenitor, the Lukosi Ogundimu was a very close ally of Lisabi Agbongbo Akala with whom he masterminded the defeat of the Oyo empire.
(see Lisabi Agbongbo Akala by Olu Owolabi)
Igbein remains a very pivotal part of Egbaland, and it is not surprising that the title of Egba Army General (The Balogun of Egbaland) is permanently zoned to Igbein according to Egba traditional chieftaincy arrangements.
With the bravery and gallantry efforts of the likes of Lisabi Agbongbo Akala, the Isreal Oludotun Ransom Kuti family members and other illustrious Igbein sons and daughters in the eye of tyranny and oppression, I make bold to say that every genuine Igbein sons and daughters has a bit of activism in their DNA, an average genuine Egba/Igbein man or woman is an activist and will NEVER trade his or her conscience or believe for a pot of sour political porridge or appointment.

In honour of Fela Anikulapo Kuti who died exactly 20 years ago today.

Deji Ogundimu.