BOLA TINUBU AT 60

From the chambers of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the pitch of Teslimi Balogun Stadium,the celebration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at 60 years moved on to the stage yesterday. On show at the prestigious MUSON Centre, Lagos ,was the play, Nigeria The Beautiful, telling the political story of Nigeria from Lord Fredrick to President Goodluck Jonathan through spectacle, dance and poetic dialogue. It was written by the renowned activist-poet, Odia Ofeimun, who said Asiwaju Tibubu’s impressive contributions to the progressive political movements inspired the staging of the play.He described the host as an activist, a political gladiator. Indeed Nigeria, particularly Lagos, is beautiful, Ofeimun said, declaring that Tinubu is one forthright politician who has worked to defend her political core. It was no surprise that the portraits of the nation’s founding fathers: Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Ahmadu Bello along with that of the Asiwaju, welcomed dignitaries from all walks of life into the Shell Hall. They came to celebrate Tinubu who was also featured as a character in the play. Ofeimun said: “To think of it, although many objective assessors have acclaimed the Hornbil House performances as grand showpieces, as we have named them, the point is that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu never managed to sit through any of them. But, sweet sensation, on his 60th birthday, here we are together with Nigeria The Beautiful. I think I am obliged to send him a ‘Happy Birthday Card’ because he sent me a properly signed letter of congratulations on my 50th birthday, when he was a governor, and another on my 60th, when he was no longer a governor. I need to register this because, outside the heckle of ceremonial occasions, he had, very consistently, showed me such unwonted deference… I never managed to get such opportunities. It was beginning to hug my mind with pin-pricks of conscience when his 60th birthday came to let me say that I am happy at the opportunity to ‘retaliate’. I mean, to reciprocate.” The portraits, which are parts of the play’s poster, were representative of the progressive movement that has evolved in the polity. He commended Tinubu’s contributions during his tenure as governor, saying his defence of the state against focused depredations was significant. “It was after he became governor that I saw the other side of him that resonated with a concern of mine, which connects imaginative city building with a sense of grand nation building. As readers of my poetry can tell, I have a very personal relationship with Lagos, my city by the lagoon, in accordance with which I judge whoever gets on board as the harbour master. “What is significant for me is the city’s representativeness of the ‘variousness’ that is Nigeria in a way that no other city can yet claim. The mode of Tinubu’s defence of Lagos state against the focused depredations was bound to pass into legend, especially in the face of federal voices insisting that Lagosians under him wanted to be treated as special citizens of the country. His road map to the future gave assurance that real roads can be built, which will not be washed away by the next rainy season. It got stuck in memory that Tinubu built roads to last and he established parastatals like LAWMA and LASMA to defend the citizens of the city.” The poet recollected Asiwaju’s role in the forward-moving progressive movement from the military days, when he became governor and a political force to be reckoned with. Ofeimun noted that the ‘birthday boy’, who was a senator in the Third Republic, was one of those whose support gave fillip to the pro-democratic movement as a serious project. “A politician, in the craw of a military regime who could support such a guerrilla outfit (the defunct TEMPO) had something to be said for him. Effectively, Bola Tinubu was acceding to centrality as a defender of progressive politics from his chosen stride. He was not only with those who marched on the streets, but those who provided what stasiologists, students of political parties and movements call the sinews of war.” Ofeimun compared Asiwaju to the late Pa Alfred Rewane, who supported the progressive movements and individuals with his hard-earned money, saying; “Bola Tinubu was like a latter day emanation of the same spirit. With the difference that Rewane never had to run for any elections but Tinubu was a steadfast gladiator.” He said: “In his days, after many NADECO stalwarts had to live in exile to escape military harassment, Tinubu proved his political mettle. At home or abroad, he never abandoned the turf. Throwing stones at dictatorship from some distance, he remained as close to the world of guerrilla journalism, with the panache of a warlord…Dealing in practicalities, he let idealism slip in as bonus after taking care of the necessity to run shop. There is no question that this was what made all the difference in how he ran for and became the Governor of Lagos State at the end of Gen. Abdusalaam Abubakar’s transition to civil rule. At the end of the drama presentation, Asiwaju said: “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the cast and Ofeimun have gone through political history. The hope to transform our country is still alive. You just need to work harder. God bless Nigeria.” In the audience were Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi and their son, Seyi; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Joke Orelope-Adefulire; Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Chief Bisi Akande; Aremo Segun Osoba; the publisher of Vanguard newspaper, Mr Sam Amuka; celebrity couple, Olu Jacobs and Joke Sylva; Chief Bisi Olatilo, among others. He praised the Committee of Friends for putting the programme together.