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Funmi Iyanda
Lagos, Nigeria
Funmi Iyanda is a multi award-winning producer and broadcast journalist. She is the CEO of Ignite Media and Executive Director of Creation Television
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Moving Awo

There were many more reports to get hot around the collar about but the one about the replacement of Awolowo statute by that of an unknown soldier took the akara for seeming absurdity belied by revelation. That anyone would so dishonour what is actually an inadequate tribute to the legacy of one of Nigeria and Yoruba lands most gifted and visionary leader is disturbing. One is apt to dismiss it as yet another sign of the idiocy of the garrison command in governance in Oyo State, hopefully to be redressed by a different administration but wait a minute!. Is this not an indication of the kind of ignorance of history, total disregard for finer points of learning, dignity and humanity as well as the crass vulgarity that so pervades many aspects of life? I heard the story of how Dele Olojede walked into a literary office and most of the young educated staff had no idea who he was. The Pulitzer was only won three years ago…..eeehm no vex, what is a Pulitzer? That hot! (I bet they know who made that phrase popular).

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Ms. I!
Another diversion but: Help! Been trawling through cyberspace looking for Nigerian media blogs with a similar theme with yours. It’s shocking to discover the Nigerian media makes almost ZERO percent use of the Internet apart from select TV programmes, Reality TV shows and reading newspapers. What’s up with this?
Speaking of Reality TV, saw your friend ZiZi on Celebrity Takes 2. Heard (not WATCHED - no thanks to PHCN) Funlola won eventually. Thought ZiZi was the BEST and most improved Celeb Dancer (too bad she left earlier). Omowunmi was the most entertaining, most beautiful and most every-other-thing-in between but I guess Funlola did deserve to win. Still looking for any blogs/sites/bulletin boards SOLELY dedicated to CT2 (apart from their website of course). Any help with this? Might also be tempted to write an article soon on the show.
Are there any other 1000% dyed-in-the-wool CT2 fans out there? Can’t wait for CT2 Season 2. Nominees anyone…?

Nonesuch said...

You sure did make the word popular I agree 100%.I saw a flicker of hope last sunday edition of WWTBAM when the male 30 something year old fine artist contestant from Enugu was asked who won the Noble Prize for Literature in 2007? Without given it a thought,he gave the correct answer -Doris Lessing.

Chakams said...

Good job with the regular venting,funmi...aided religiously by the wonderful language known as English...here's my own blog though...do stop by whenever u have the opportunity..
http://chakams.blogspot.com/

Iyaeto said...

Funmi, on the Awolowo issue,it's the cas of Awon omo ale ti won nfi owo osi juwe ile baba won. Even if the Awo statue was pulled down, the most honourable thing that Akala could have done was to replace it.Unknown soldier bawo? I also think this Akala guy is an attention seeker.

Sherri said...

yes o
ignorance or madness?
anyway, i think the man himself would rather not be honored by such retards.i can just imagine him beating them all to a pulp with the statue. lol

Comrade said...

I passed beside the statue the other day and i could say they did a great job on the "Unknown Soldier". The history of the statue would be pertinent. Before the advent of democracy (pre 1999), the Unknown Soldier statue stood in front of the Agodi Governor's Lodge. When Lam Adesina was sworn in (May 1999), he removed the statue.
On the eve of the departure of Governor Lam Adesina from the Agodi Governor's lodge, he hurriedly put up a statue of Awolowo in front of the Governor's house. This was done about 3-4 days before Ladoja came into power (2003). A few days after Ladoja was sworn in, the statue was pulled down by a group of youths said to be from Adedibu's camp. The space was left vacant until last week when Gov. Alao Akala put up the Unknown Soldier statue.
The Awolowo statue was actually pulled down in June 2003.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately i am from oyo state but i bet to say that no oyo indigene would go so low as to pull down a statue no matter who it was designed for,but seriously i am not surprise that such a childish act will be happening in IBADAN by IBADAN indigens themselves o ma se oh

Funmi Iyanda said...

@chuka, 'fraid l cant help you mai broda but we will air our CT2 post show special edition with everybody, organizers, contestants, winner et al in a week or two. The videos will be available on line soon after but te organizers did assure me that there will be a second season.
@nonesuch, those rays of hope keep us going dont they? Lets keep trying to brighten that ray.
@comrade, be n tie ri! omowe!! the title of the post is drive thru news so l am only reacting to the news as reported by the dynamic nigerian media. However thanks for that info, will check it out.
@iyaetto/sherri, hallo babes!
@chakams are you calling me a shrew:-)? will check you out.