CHIEF MKO ABIOLA: THE BROWNING OF MY HERO
I got a call last Sunday and it was from my very brilliant oga. Edgar, I will not support you on this one. This one being my new play on Chief MKO Abiola called “Kashimawo”, coming up this Easter at the Muson Centre.
Now, this is one of the most brilliant Nigerians ever invented. An Igbo man but completely detribalised and a patriot. I respect him to the hilt and take his positions very seriously. I have never won an argument against him and my heart sank because I knew I would not win this one.
I said, “Oga please na. This na Abiola o. Hero of democracy and winner of the June 12 election, the freest and fairest election ever. The federal government has apologised o and has even conferred on him the highest honour, although posthumously.” I threw these jabs knowing fully well that this Nobel prize potential will come with harder punches.
A stockbroker, banker, and economist par excellence, he just brushed aside my jabs and landed some very punchy ones. “Edgar, why do you want to make a hero out of this man who was a product of Nigeria’s rent system?”
Kai! I don die, piss catch me. I just knew that oga would floor me. I said, “Lord na, this man fought for us,” but he continued, “Edgar there is no one who attended UNILAG in the 80s and 90s that will agree with you.”
“He was a product of the military,” he averred. “What sustainable development did he drop for Nigerians, what exactly did he really do for Nigerians?”
By this time, I was quite regretting picking up this call. This Baba will scatter my head now o. Abiola, my hero, me that went on Ikorodu road like millions of Nigerians to fight that fight?
“Edgar, you cannot put Abiola on the same platform you are putting Awo, Zik and Sardauna. You are recreating heroes with your plays and as such you must be very careful of who you project.”
“This baba really mean Abiola o,” I said in my mind and then he dropped the bombshell: “Most people who are going to see this play were not born when June 12 happened and as such your story might just be the defining point of their impression of the man, I will not support and I will not buy the ticket…”
By this time, I realised that I had to run away and I started saying – helloo, hellooo, helloo, hello, sir network, network, I cannot hear you again ooooo. I quickly dropped before this man go put “sand sand” for my garri.
My own MKO? Kai!