Opinion article by Duke of Shomolu, Joseph Edgar
I am a slave of history and have been angling for this visit. Mama was reluctant, I guess it was because of covid.
The play had come and gone and had received massive applause, so we now decided to take it to the UK.
Then I reached out again, and this time, Mama was open and willing to host us.
Mama is Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Papa Awolowo’s last surviving child and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Netherlands.
We arrived in Ikenne one hour before the appointed time, and Mama said we should go around the expansive compound that boasted of a library, museum, and the world famous mausoleum.
The compound was peaceful and extremely neat. We went downstairs first. I saw a lot of pictures, and you could actually feel the presence of the great sage and his men in the room.
A double seater chair was at the head, and so many other chairs were positioned around the double chair in obedience to the chair that usually hosted the great bum of the sage.
Pictures everywhere. Nigeria’s history in one room. I saw so many great men, including Nehru of India, with Ooni Sijuade taking most of the prominence.
Then, I ran upstairs to the private chapel. Papa Awo was Anglican, and you could see the little beautiful altar where Papa was said to have had his last communion with his maker before he opened the adjoining door to breathe his last in his room.
Then we went into the museum. By this time, my head was in a permanent daze. His academic gowns, symbols of his chieftaincy titles from all over the land including Benin, Calabar, Itshekiri, and the North.
The high point was the mausoleum itself. We entered the marble housed final resting place of the sage and his jewel of inestimable value.
I went down the stairs and into the belle of the tomb. Held his burst and looked deeply into his eyes, asking him, ‘Where is Mama’s burst?’ it was not there.
It was built by his associates in 16 days, we were told.
By the time we came out, Mama was ready for us.
She still looked very elegant with clean skin with her very lovely eyes. The center of my attraction in the 90s was still very prominent and engaging.
Papa was mystical, she started, and from there, we sat through almost two hours of discussions that took us through Nigerian history from the first republic to date.
Mama was very emotional as she described Papa Awos’ last day. Her eyes mistied up as she regretted not spending the night despite Papa’s request.
She had gone to Ikenne without her ‘boju boju’ – Papa’s lively and lovely grandchild, which signified her intention of going back to Lagos that same day.
She said Papa was crest fallen and had a discussion with her without looking straight into her eyes.
She wept emotionally again when I asked her of the day her beloved brother and father of the great Segun Awolowo Jnr passed.
She was 15 and was in school in Ibadan when the dark clouds came. She was spirited from school and taken home where she saw a loud crowd and her mother being carried into the room.
Her mother, the great HID Awolowo, was overwhelmed. Her husband was in prison, and she had just lost her first child.
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Tokunbo went straight to bed, her own way of building a wall between her and tragedy.
This was my most emotional scene in the play. Makinde, the director had crafted the scene where HID was in black and Yinka Davies in her sonorous voice cried – Dide omo Dideolu.
I cried that day, and today, I felt her pain. Even today, that day still remained very vivid to Mama.
Why was HID so influential and powerful? I asked. Because Papa made her so she replied.
She sat at the head of the table. She sat at the owners corner, and she was chairman of Tribune, which was established in 1949 and is still being published until tomorrow.
I saw today’s copy at the library and also the very first copy published in 1949 with an article by Chief Awolowo on page 2 and an analysis on Nehru, the great Indian leader.
Mama gave us rice. Two big coolers wrapped in leaves and called it – ayamashe. This was what we know as Ofada, but this one was different.
It was superbly delicious, and I ate two plates with 8 pieces of meat- Dr Nwabuoko will kill me.
She told us about her foray into politics. She wanted to be Governor of Lagos at some point, but that didn’t work, so she went back to the Awolowo Foundation before being appointed by Obasanjo as an Ambassador.
On our way out, we entered the great hall named after Chief Awolowo’s mother- Efunyela.
Gosh. Come and see pictures. This was truly a great man, and as you walk out of the hall, you will see an inscription by the great Zik saying that Awo had impacted generations of Nigerians.
As I bade mama bye, I looked back at the monumental compound and was surprised to see Chief Awolowo standing there smiling at me and saying – Duke, but why did you eat two plates and I said ‘Sir, the rice was delicious’.
I think every right thinking Nigerian should pay a visit to the Ikenne home of Chief Awolowo to better understand Nigeria.
Kai
*Awo will play the Shaw Theatre in Euston London summer 2024*
Thanks
*Duke of Shomolu*
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