By Damiete Braide
olatunbosun Taofeek, a lecturer with Mountain Top University, Ogun State, has given his fans insight into his latest book, Ominla the Inexplicable.
He made this known during a recent virtual meeting which had in attendance, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Folu Agoi, poet, author and president, PEN Nigeria; Samuel Akeredolu, Olanrewaju Bello, and many others.
Some of his works on drama and poetry include Merchants of Trouble, Mr Grammar, Humans & Other Beings, Psychoanalysis as a Literary Theory, 1930: Life and Times of Ayo Babalola.
Olatunbosun likened reading Ominla the Inexplicable to riding a roller coaster: “Readers have to fasten their seat belts all the time, not knowing what kind of bumps and humps, rise and falls, turns and twists waiting ahead of their journey with Iyabo through this novel.”
In the offering, Iyabo has a whirlwind life moving to one city after another across Nigeria, changing her religion, and experiencing the unexplainable mysterious deaths of her children, husbands, betrayal by her family members that shook her dreams and emotions.
“She moved on searching for happiness, yet her life was being eclipsed by Ominla, who kept pointing the way back to her great river. Haunted by never ending sufferings, Iyabo kept searching for the link between Christ and Ominla, who previously controlled her fate. Will she be able to reunite with her parents for possible way out of Ominla specter? To get the answer, readers have to wait until the last page of this fascinating novel,” he said.
Renowned author, scholar and lecturer, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, added: “It is always a pleasure to talk about Olatunbosun. He is a wonderful young man. He was my student, and, in a way, I can say that, though he is no longer at University of Lagos, I still relate with him. One thing I like about him is his hard work. He works so hard and he is also a team player. He relates well to people, and this is one of the best virtues I believe.”
The revered writer, who has monitored his growth since his student days at Unilag, said further: “His is interested in myth and tradition —the culture of his people. I have the impression that he grew up very close to his community. He has a good grasp of the culture of his people and that is very important for a writer. A writer who is very well versed in the culture of his people will go a long way.”
A member of Rasmed Publications Limited, Samuel Akeredolu, publishers of Olatunbosun’s latest book, said he had earlier published Mr Grammar, written by the author, in 2017, adding: “Olatunbosun understands his craft, and has impeccable writing skills worthy of awards, and he is well known for his writings on spiritualism.”
Folu Agoi, President PEN Nigeria, added, “I have known Taofeek for a while now, and he is very energetic. He is very creative and always bubbling with ideas. There is no time that I reach out to him, irrespective of the time, that he doesn’t respond positively. All round the clock, he is always available. He is never afraid of hard work. There is no challenge that you put to him that he would run away from. He is an asset to his community.
“Ominla… is a product of his native background, and his poetry is well grounded in the culture of his people. He is a strong voice of his culture, and, despite his religious affiliation, he has never turned his back from his culture, and he is a young creative man, and I love to be around him. He is always there to embrace challenges that come his way. I congratulate him on his new work, Ominla, scheduled for release early this year.”
