Sometimes situations require the stance of late Bola Ige, who was asked why he stayed away from the fray of politics in the Abacha era, and he said the circumstance called that he be a spectator rather than join any of the five political parties at the time. In his poetic coinage, he said they were five fingers of a leprous hand. His description became more apt when the five so-called parties converged to ask the military Head of State to transmute to a civilian President, saying they were unanimous in their decision, which implied that there would be no election, given the awkward instance where one candidate would hold the ticket of five parties. Abacha, who drove away Chief Ernest Shonekan and became Head of State, did not live to tell the story. The confusion at that time concerning transition and the subsequent one when the late President Umaru Yar’Adua took the saddle seem to have found a new abode in this era. It rankles the senses that the President is “hale and hearty” and yet some top, powerful traditional rulers would ask Nigerians to pray for him concerning his health. Like Ige would have said, the best response for now would be to “siddon look.” When the mystery unfolds, we would see it .
Today, I would rather discuss music, particularly, a musician that made indelible imprints in the industry before he went to the great beyond nearly one decade ago.
Chief Sunday Akanite, alias Oliver De Coque, was a rare talent in his time. In my days as an entertainment reporter, I remember mending the rift between him and late Chief Stephen Osadebe. Both men were respected and talented highlife maestros. They took the genre from different perspectives and made their mark. In my view, it was Oliver that made popularity gains from that rift given that Osadebe was better known. But that belongs in the past.
To live in the heart of those you love, they say, is not to die. And absence, we hear, makes the heart grow fonder. Oliver is absent, the way a pupil would be from school, but he lives on and always will, in all his power, fame and glory, as long as the kind of circumstance that nurtured his emergence and fame remain the same.
Soon, it will be exactly nine years since the legendary Chief (Dr.) Oliver Sunday Akanite (Oliver De Coque) passed on. Ever since the demise of the Ogene sound exponent and the king of highlife music in Nigeria at the age of 61 on Friday, June 20, 2008, and his remains interred on Friday, November 14, 2008, the question millions of his fans across the globe, who were grief-stricken over the loss, have asked is, would it be the end of the Ogene brand of highlife music or the last of his legacy?
Unlike the case in similar situations, where associates abandoned the family and unfulfilled projects of the artiste, where band boys split into different camps at the death of their boss, each camp wandering off in search of entertainment relevance, for the late Oliver De Coque, his closest ally and official biographer, Ogbuefi Ray Ifeme, from the date of his demise, decided on keep the Ogene spirit alive, making sure that members of Oliver’s Expo ’76 band rose on the strength of his spirit by collectively chorusing (Baba, as they called him). They had come a long way with Oliver, they studied his method and style, and are still ever ready to offer themselves to the bearded big masquerade’s band of Ogene fans. Oliver only died, the music and band is intact under the leadership of Ebere Amaefule, according to Ogbuefi.
On his plans to immortalise Oliver, Ogbuefi said: “We lost a hero, a lover of arts and culture, and my major concern and prayer, after the sustainability of his band, is to bring to fulfillment Oliver’s Musical Museum, which is at an advanced stage and will serve as a tourist centre and legacy for posterity. His biography. ‘The Root of Highlife Music in Nigeria,’ where he honoured his best 100 fans, the ones he referred to in the book as ‘My valuable associates,’ is ready for public presentation; the pet project, Ogene Music Foundation, to support upcoming African artistes and indigent musicians before death came calling.”
The programme was initially scheduled for October and December 2016 but due to late response from the personalities involved, sponsors, as well as the economic recession, the programme had to be put on hold for a more conducive time and date to suit the high profile event.
“I am doing this to allow for effective packaging and the expectant positive end result. The more reason I waited this long for those golddiggers who masqueraded as Oliver’s friends, brothers and relations during and after his funeral rites to enrich their pockets only to abandon everything about him immediately after,” the late musician’s friend said.
Ogbuefi added that their closeness is more of spiritual than just coincidence of their pedigree as kinsmen and members of the defunct Biafran Organisation of Freedom Fighters (BOFF).
“Oliver and I were contemporaries in the Biafran special guerilla strike force (BOFF), where he played music to entertain soldiers during the war through my recommendation. But our personal relationship that lasted 40 years until he died was so strong, glued like Siamese twins destined by God to accomplish great things together.
“His wives, children, relations, kinsmen, even his close associates knew about the closeness and this was evident immediately the music icon passed on, and the family became confused on the way forward. So confused that they couldn’t remember to inform me that the king’s wrapper had fallen off in the public. Not until Oliver himself, strangely appeared to me at Ojota bus stop, Lagos, smiling, immediately, I suspected something was wrong somewhere and left for his house at Ifako, Gbagada, and behold, the family was surprised to see me.
“It was not because I was there that morning to see Oliver and we had breakfast together at about 10:15am, before he passed on that day. But because of our relationship and again being his closest ally who could take charge of affairs on his behalf and fashion out plans for the sustainability of his immediate family, musical group and accord him a befitting burial. Expectedly, nobody was able to do something about his burial, not until I came up with the kind of burial rites he, Oliver, deserved and constituted two burial committees. One in Lagos, led by Chief John Odumegwu (John Megwus) with Barr. Sam Ifeme of Ajuba Chambers as secretary.
The other committee, which was the central burial committee, took charge of the home zone and was headed by the late Ezeoha I, HRH, Igwe Reuben A.N. Ananti, of Ezinifite, while Ichie Akaeze Felix Ndidigwe, also of blessed memory, served as the secretary. That shows our closeness.
“Oliver was a hard-working, resolute and self-made man who single-handedly built an enviable, music family that stood the test of time and competed among his peers. He was a legend who planted his feet in the sands of time. I enjoin his fans too numerous to mention that cut cross all ages, religion and tribes, whether in Nigeria or in the Diaspora to look out for the book and be part of the project.
I walked tirelessly to complete work on the biography with some eggheads in the media helping me out with additional materials to ensure that the book turns out well”, Ogbuefi added.
He noted that Oliver is not of an age, but for all time. He lives today in our language, our culture and society and through his enduring influence on music. Hereby, enjoin all Oliver’s fan to always celebrate their music icon, his best friend and brother. “The darkroom of sorrow is over; we are now out with the picture of happiness. I know Oliver never died. Although we are physically separated, he still communicates with me even as I kept ruminating over what to do to keep the Ogene flag of excellence flying or how to go about it, he inspired me that he would like to see his people. Immediately I heard it, I knew he was referring to his biography, his fans especially the 100 he classified as “my valuable associates” and our immediate nuclear families. This marks the reason I am doing this for him. It is basically to celebrate his iconic posture. He was a hero and mentor for all.”
Ray is right. He was my source of stories in those days. He has a deep knowledge of the man whose talent and legacy must not be left to rot.