‘How Fela disgraced MKO in my presence’
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| Fela |
As some Nigerians continue to
feel euphoria over the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Federal
Republic honour on the late business tycoon-politician-philanthropist-hero,
Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola, a fellow Nigerian, Godwin Udoekong, has
revealed how this ‘hero’ was disgraced by another hero of the masses, the
legendary musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Though it’s public knowledge that
Fela and Abiola never saw eye-to-eye, as typified by Fela’s song, International Thief Thief, in which he
referred to as Abiola as a thief without mincing words, there was an incident
whereby Fela disgraced Abiola publicly, and Udoekong recounted it because
Abiola trended recently for his GCFR award.
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According to Udoekong, who’s also
a veteran musician, and is a multiinstrumentalist, he was at Fela’s Afrika
Shrine one night while Abiola was campaigning to become Nigeria President in
the early 90s and Abiola came to the Shrine.
When Abiola arrived, Fela was
performing on stage, and being the colossus he was, his arrival was heralded by
those outside the Shrine with loud fanfare.
So also his entrance into the
Shrine itself.
And on his entry, he proceeded
resplendently towards the stage where Fela was in full element singing his soul
out to entertain his audience.
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| Abiola |
But then, the shocker of the show!
When Fela spotted Abiola, he was
said to have stopped the song he was singing mid-way and asked if it was really
Abiola he was seeing. And when he confirmed it was him indeed, he launched into
the song, ITT.
Embarrassed that Fela welcomed
him by singing the song in which he accused him as a thief, Abiola came to a
halt, and so also his entourage. He then walked out with an instruction to his
entourage to drop the cartons they came with.
Udoekong said the cartons were
conveyed to Fela who opened them to discover they were filled with raw cash.
Fela then lashed out at Abiola
further, saying he thinks he can buy Fela’s support for his presidential
ambition with his stolen money, that it wasn’t possible.
And right there on stage, he
began throwing the bundles of cash to the audience.
Wow! No wonder Fela was referred
to as Abami Eda.
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