Dele Momodu
13 September 2007
column
Lagos — The more I read some of the reactions to my last week's column, The Mad Man At Charles De Gaulle, the more I get convinced that Nigeria is in desperate need of many brilliant literature teachers, and would even suggest to our beleaguered Ministry of Education that Literature be made compulsory at all levels in our educational system.
Before I go ahead to summarise the tonnes of e-mails and telephone calls I received, since it is practically impossible to publish all the verbiage, venom, praises and adulations, I wish to note that the level of discourse in Nigeria is abysmally low, and, usually, garnished with character assassination. We allow our personal frustrations to becloud reason, and everyone with a fat body such as mine is considered very rich, a friend of the thieves and looters and all what not.
My article was very simple and didn't require a dictionary. I ran into a mad Blackman at Charles De Gaulle Airport, in Paris, France, and employed a literary style to bring attention to the terrible state of illegal immigrants fleeing from the harsh conditions at home, but ending up with harsher conditions abroad. Many die in the process. many go mad, many do menial jobs far beneath their qualification. Some get deported on daily basis, and I meet them on most flights, and take time to discuss with them, and even help some through immigration when they land in Nigeria. Most of them always express regrets at thinking that paradise exists abroad, by wasting their hard-earned money in buying all manner of useless visas, and tickets,only to end up in a most dehumanising situation. The mad man was only a metaphor.
No where in that article did I say Nigerians should not migrate,or travel abroad.No where did I suggest that all Nigerians are fraudsters.No where did I say there are no Nigerians with good jobs, or that even the illegal immigrants don't "make it", in exceptional cases. And I wrote in very lucid English Language. It was a very serious subject that I treated in an easy-to-read style, and those who have ears should listen, and those who have eyes, should read. The job of a writer is to report reality, not to distort it. No amount of venom can change the fact that our youths are in great peril if they only insist on going abroad to seek fortune and good life.
"Macdonald from the University of Helsinki says: "Dele, I must confess that your piece is true.I had a pretty conversation with my German roommate and I was ashamed to know that blacks are "second class"citizens, who are(sic)peddlers in shopping malls in Berlin and other European cities. I have myself been(a) part of a difficult time and still do face one. But I do have a question for you,where does your magazine get its funding from?" I will answer all questions most frankly before the end of this article.
Bisi says he or she did not expect anything better from me, since I associate with those who have looted Nigeria, but did not elaborate on it, and believes that Ovation, my means of livelihood, and that of hundreds of Africans worldwide, should be scrapped. If he ever read Ovation, or any magazine for that matter, he would probably appreciate our efforts in creating a super brand, often described as the Hello of Africa, now published in English and French. He would have remembered the many African superstars we have celebrated, and the thought-provoking and inspiring interviews we published. I'm sure, he and his friends got carried away by the colourful pictures of the rich and famous.
Friday believes the "article is baseless, disrespectful and meaningless in the sense that it failed to offer any solution to the problems of emigration from Nigeria and the rest of Africa Mr Dele, why are you residing in Ghana, to begin with?" Good question. I live in Ghana and other countries as an investor, and not as a refugee.
Alex says, when he left Nigeria in 1994, it was a choice between committing suicide and 'fleeing'and he chose the second option."To every one mad man in Charles De Gaulle, there are thousands on the streets of Nigeria with no hope of rehabilitation because theirs are poverty induced insanity."
Emmanuel's response deserves special attention: "Dele, your write up was quite interesting, but it makes the un-informed think that all Africans or rather Nigerians who travel abroad,do so for the sole purpose of seeking "green pasture". There are Nigerians like me who left the country for the sole reason of change in scenery (sic).
"I was on leave of absence from Thisday newspapers and worked as a special Assistant to a Minister during Obasanjo's first term, before I chose to live in diaspora. Dele, I remember correctly you resided in London, did you or your wife arrive London with a resident permit? I am surprised that you would use the opportunity you have to castigate Nigerians in diaspora, and wash our dirty linen in public I have never seen an American journalist (sic) thrash his/her own people, the way you chose to thrash your own people."
Chyke says: "I do disagree with some of your statements and I can see your Nigerian reasoning. Please note that no job is demeaning. This is a mentality we take with us from Nigeria. Any job worth doing is worth doing well " How come you can accept certain jobs in London but feel ashamed of same in Nigeria?
Biodun asks "who can you blame? I think Dele Momodu has not done much to help the situation, i.e your magazine only (emphasis mine) celebrates those who embezzled Nigerians' money " Those embezzlers must include, if we believe Biodun, Mohammed Al Fayed of Harrods, Ahmadu Samba of The Gambia, Pastor Ashimolowo of KICC, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Ozwald Boateng, Ade Bakare and Adebayo Jones (our fashion icons), Chief Deinde Fernandez, Chief Bode Akindele, Alhaji Asoma Banda of Ghana, film star Akosua Busia, footballers Marc Fish, Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Jay Okocha and Shola Ameobi, scientist Frof Emeagwali, Angelique Kidjo, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Brenda Fassie, Richard Branson and so many distinguished personalities who have graced our beautiful pages. If we coverered events hosted by embezzlers, we did, just like other newspapers and magazines, and it is legitimate in journalism. We are a lifestyle magazine, and even newspapers have adopted our entertaining style.
Tope from Dublin sent these words: "Mr Momodu, your advice that Nigerian youths are better off staying at home in Nigeria rather than (sic) going abroad to turn into a madman at Charles De Gaulle Airport is well said but can you please explain to your teeming readers what are your own wife and 4 children doing in London for the past 10 years?"... My wife has spent her time well as a student, qualifying as a chartered accountant, doing her Master's, and will encourage her to do her Ph.d, by God's grace. My children are in school, and we are working hard from Africa to raise thie fees. Kindly pray for us.
Mobolaji from UK wrote this:"It is very nice reading from you and you abusing those of us living overseas. Though I will agree with you on some of the points you raised, I will never-the-less disagree with the majority of the useless points you raised. I will never support anyone to come either to the UK or any country abroad if they do not possess the necessary documentations as they may end up doing the wrong things as you said but may I say that you should channel your write-ups to the Government to provide jobs that will make us sit down at home as no one wants to become second class citizens in another man's country.
"I can remember when you arrived here in the UK,you had nothing to work with except you want to tell some ridiculous lies. It is the likes of Gbenga Olunloyo, Prince Aderemi, Ayo Togun, Bukky Arojojoye et al. that made the place comfortable for you. You equally arrived here as a refugee on the pretext that Abacha was after your life(sic) as if you were MKO Abiola or Bola Tinubu or Papa Enahoro "
Mobolaji went on and on and on,but space constraints wont allow me to publish the full ranting; and some benefactors he conjured for me I do not know at all.
I take solace in the fact that not all readers are jejune in their analysis.
I will give a few accounts of those who tried to depersonalise the issues raised in my article.
Kufre from Cadbury, Lagos, sent in his opinion:" I think Dele's underlying points were that there are a lot of our youths who believe that utopia lies in getting out of Nigeria-no matter how-oftentimes these youths raise a stupendous amount of money to achieve this objective then reality hits them in the face in Europe, US or wherever but there is no route back. Yet these sums could have raised them from poverty even while here in Nigeria.
"Several of these youths end up in illegalities, meanialities to survive because there is no way back or they would rather die than eat humble pie in coming back.
"Many of these youths take this step because they believe that there is no viable option to this course of action. I disagree (and not because I work for a blue chip company, either). I have personal experience with returnees and would-be 'escapees' and I believe we need to re-orient our people that there are options "please note that going abroad for studies, resettling for secure employment, escaping to seek asylum, etc are understandable but sneaking out of Nigeria to end up washing dead bodies with your hard fought degree does not qualify to be discussed in the same fervour with brain Drain "
Let me quote one or more reactions.
Christopher wrote: "My dear brother, how I wish the people concerned have the opportunity of reading articles like this. You have said it all. I have a cousin who got a visa to travel to Greece of all places. I bluntly refused to sponsor him because I know the implications of his going there, I very much doubt if he has forgiven me till today. People like you are doing a very good job letting these guys know that getting the visa is the beginning of their problem "
Since many of our people tend to suffer from what Wole Soyinka called "Collective Amnesia", I will now attempt a summary of the story of my life, hoping that someone, somewhere, would draw useful lessons from it.
I was born some 47 years ago to a relatively poor family.We became poorer after my father suddenly died, when I was just 13,and was left with a poor, illiterate mother, who could neither read nor write. We had to squat with an uncle in Modakeke who was kind to give my mum, sister and I a room to live in. My mum struggled to send us to school and by the time I completed my secondary education in 1976, I had to urgently seek employment as an errand boy at CSS Bookshops in Ile-Ife. Thereafter, I worked as a village teacher in a very remote outskirt of Ile-Ife. My poor mum wept bitterly when she saw the condition under which her last son lived in the village and ordered me back home, despite the fact that I was ready to endure the hardship.
I later got a job at the University of Ife Library, as a Library Assistant, picking books for scholars who came to use the Library. This was how I came in contact with many great books on literature, religion, philosophy, sociology and anthropology, history and languages. My brother was also a lecturer on campus, haven bagged a doctorate degree in physics from the famous Stanford University, USA. Let me add, before some think he was an "escapee", that the exceptionally brilliant man got a scholarship right after his A-levels from Government college, Ibadan. He inspired, and disciplined me (and I thought he was too hard on me) to face my studies.
I was a pioneer JAMBITE in 1978, and was admitted to read Yoruba language and literature, at the then University Of Ife. At that time, I could have changed to a more "prestigious" course, as was fashionable in those days, but did not. Even my poor mum wondered if I wanted to be a herbalist or babalawo, but I had great fun studying under world-acclaimed scholars like Profs Wande Abimbola, Akinwunmi Isola, Bade Ajuwon and others. I graduated in four years and immediately went on National Youth Service after which I worked at different places before going back for my Master's degree in Literature-in-English, the first time a graduate of Yoruba studies would attempt such an "impossible mission".
Towards the end of my studies, I was invited to Lagos by my friend, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, who was at The Guardian, to search for a job, after he read a couple of my articles. I was employed by The African Concord magazine, as Staff Writer, and was transferred nine months later to join Mike Awoyinfa, Dimgba Igwe and others to start Nigeria's biggest weekend paper, Weekend Concord. i earned a double promotion in just two months, and became the literary Editor. Six months later, I became the number threee man on the paper when I was promoted News Editor.
Another six months later, I resigned and took up the challenge of editing Classique magazine, and became the highest paid editor around.
I resigned 16 months later, and was humble enough to start a small scale business as a bread - seller, selling Chief Moshood Abiola's Wonder Loaf. I also started a public relations outfit, and got the accounts of Chief Abiola's Summit Oil International, and later Dr Mike Adenuga's media briefs and that of Mr Hakeem Belo-Osagie, and several others.
Towards the end of 1992, I was invited to be pioneer Editor of Leaders and Company, and proudly joined the publisher, Nduka Obaigbena, to recruit some of the core staff of what later became ThisDay, Nigeria's numero uno newspaper. We worked day and night to set up, but I left when Chief Abiola suddenly declared his presidential ambition. I followed Chief Abiola but kept faith with the Thisday dream.
After the June 12 annulment, I was arrested and detained at Alagbon close for my political activities..I continued my campaign for democracy and good governance even after my release, and remained in Nigeria,after Abiola himself was arrested and detained indefinitely.
My life changed dramatically on July 22,1995,when I got a tip off that I was to be picked up because the Abacha regime believed I was one of the brains behind Radio Freedom,which later became Radio Kudirat.I had only a few days to escape,not as an "economic"refugee but as a "political"refugee.
On July 25, I challenged fate, and escaped through Seme border into Cotonou. From Cotonou, I traveled through Togo and arrived Ghana in the night. I spent three days in Ghana and arrived London on July 29,1995. Though I was not a Wole Soyinka or Papa Enahoro, or a Tinubu, those who should know the facts would attest to my modest contributions at a time some of those attacking us sat in the comfort of their homes, or sat at beer parlours in Peckham, or on old Kent Road to argue politics over bottles of beer and cowleg pepper soup.
You will never see them at rallies called by NADECO, or National Association of Seadogs, or the Nigerian Democratic Movement.
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