The benevolent West, traditionally avuncular to African writers is getting impatient with the attitude of African writers and is fighting back, beginning with The Economist’s recent review of Binyavanga Wainana’s new book “One Day I Will Write About This Place.” The imperially dismissive review snorted with derision: “ would be cheering to report that his first book… is worth the wait.
For Tayo Olafioye..
The shocking news of the death of Professor Tayo Olafioye hits like a painful arrowhead that strikes when least expected. No doubt, Africa has just lost one of her finest writers.
Tayo’s dexterity with the pen puts him in the same stead with the best literary aficionados to come out of Nigeria and indeed Africa. His works make very interesting read any day. Hence, rather than lament and grief over this huge loss, I choose to celebrate the life and times of a great literary iroko whose poetic rhythm beats fierce and free. Yes, today, I choose to beat my samba in celebrating the life and times of my mentor who contributed his own quota to the growth of literature in Nigeria.
Educated at various prestigious citadels of knowledge; University of Lagos, University Of Denver, Colorado and University of California, Tayo was a proud recipient of many meritorious prizes including The Golden Poets Award, American National Library Poetry Award, Yugoslavia Manifestation for Poetry Award and Thorpe International Award amidst others. He is devoted father, husband and compatriot.
I remembered vividly that first day I heard the late Tayo speak in class during my undergraduate days in Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State. What struck me forcibly was his resilient and courageous attitude as he recounted his chilling near-death experiences adeptly captured in poetry. I came in contact with a man of verve and valour who have looked at death in the eyes countless times and battled like a warrior till his last breath. In his poem, Musa Na’Allah*an alley cat with eight lives left, he has this to say of his tenacious struggle to stay on brown earth,
”….hit by a stroke
Pummeled by cancer
Speared by glaucoma
Harpooned by pneumonia
Racked by diabetes
Smothered by hypertension
Daggered by incontinence
Harrowed by a heart murmur
Pokered by a heart murmur
..Are you breathing?
His doctors wondered
What a cat with eight lives left!
Such was Olafioye’s tenacious struggle with man’s greatest enemy and for many years, he battled bravely till he succumbed after a well fought gallant fight. When Taiwo Olafioye, his amiable nephew told me some few months back of Prof’s battle with a debilitating illness at an American hospital, I had hoped and prayed that like in time past, he would survive and then live to spin more delightful works of poetry to his vast readers. But that sadly, that wish did not come to fruition.
The late Tayo was a dear friend and mentor who helped to rouse my interest in poetry and I daresay, he will be missed deeply. The power of literature however cannot be overemphasized in any society. Through his works, our dear Tayo lives on. In the pages of his books, we come in contact with applaudable literary fireworks artistically recorded on paper.
To some, the late Professor is full of flaws. However, aren’t we humans subject to imperfection? Can even the most pious priest boast of perfection? Let’s leave the jugding to Ubangiji; the conscience of eternity and appreciate positive contributions of diligent individuals in service of our land. Yes, we shall celebrate the late professor based on his brilliant works of literature, his humility and deep love for his homeland, Nigeria.
“Life sometimes hit with bricks”, Steve Jobs, the late Apple boss once said in one of his popular speeches. No doubt, Tayo’s cruel death is a huge brick life threw our way that fateful day in February 2012. I am particularly hit by this sad demise. I had particularly looked forward to presenting my first published work to him as a tribute for believing so steadfastly in my prowess as a writer. ‘You will make a fine writer someday, Soyinka” I can almost hear him say jokingly, always preferring to call me Soyinka after reading my analysis of his celebrated poem, Don’t call me daddy. 
As huge as this great loss is, life goes on and we dare dream of a new world, one which Tayo Olafioye longed so hard for. A land free of bizarre carnivals of looters and “execu-thieves” of graft. A world where tomorrow will not leave yesterday; a country where arrowhead to hearts would be as soft as love’s soothing fingers. Yes we believe in the futuristic radiance of a homeland free from kleptomaniac leaders drunk from the goblets of corruption.
We share that warm dream..
According to the heart beats
According to my fretting heart,
Our sun shall rise some day from the West
According to my weeping heart,
The dry harmattan wind brewing outside shall dry this wetness in our eyes.
According to my broken heart,
The salts in our tears shall taste like thriving sugarcane in triumph’s wind!.
And according to my doubting mind,
Africa shall be free from stiffling grip of kleptomatic leaders!
CALLED AT DAWN
We heard the clarion’s call
When dawn drips sweetness and the
Morning breathes of freshness.
Fans the plants of tomorrow.
Called to serve at dawn
In our prime, a land
Whose tomorrow has been battered by
Men with lubricated hands in the till
who sold their soul to the devil for a kobo!
Like warriors in ancient Ife,
We heed the call of our fathers
See, we believe in this land
The fiery zeal of youth surge our hope
For futuristic splendor of our land
Disengaging ourselves from Mama’s wrapper,
We told her who gave us life from rooms of labour that
We shall return before noon
Before the next harvest with proud conquests.
How we hoped to leave marks on time’s sand
with jungle boots!
But the enemy’s daggers
Piercing our dream destroys it all
Must we be the victim of hate and fanaticism?
Today, Mama’s cries water the land
For sons cut at dawn before the harvest
And we lie cold under , casualties of Jungle justice.
Our dewy dreams a bloody epitaph;
The shame of a nation
Where dreams die young.
(C) Olayinka Oregbemi 2011
A tribute to the slained Youth Corpers who were killed in Northern Nigeria.
THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN BUSINESS
The last decade witnessed tremendous change in traditional marketing than any age in our common history. More business conglomerates have gone back to the drawing board to look out for strategies on how to stay relevant in an emerging global market where the customer has the final say on who stays in business or who should quit. The big brands are not resting on their laurels and are throwing brands more often in our face these days.
In view of the stiff competition in business, business owners know they have to come up with unique strategies that stand their business out among competition. It is not simply about who has the most brilliant brand in the market but who can effectively connect with the teeming customers and would-be buyers. Invariably, it is the bottom line of soaring sales made from that connection with teeming clients who are satisfied enough to buy and refer more people that counts.
The emergences of the social media in business practice have given a great boast to marketing and effective brand promotion. The success recorded from social media marketing is stunning and equally intriguing. These days, more and more leading businesses have harnessed the vast opportunities made available by social media to sell products and service to millions of earth’s inhabitants who use these sites daily.
It is particularly interesting to note that employers who are hitherto against employees surfing during official hours have recognized the limitless opportunities existing in social media networks like face book, Twitter, YouTube etc. Instead of paying huge bulk of money to advertising gurus, such business owners harnessed this unique avenue to bring their products into the face of millions all over the world.
Consumers desire a clear brand promise and want their needs to be met by the teeming business owners who vie for their attention daily. It is therefore very relevant that business tycoons who want to stay at the top of their game have to keep the brand promise made through the social media. People love to have a value for their money spent and a satisfied customer could give a very positive testimonial that will attract more would-be customers from these social media sites.
In view of the many benefits that abound in the social media, it is imperative that companies who want to leave an indelible mark in the 21st century global marketplace need to harness the social media marketing strategy to win more customers. It is high time companies look for more innovative strategies to be more distinctive among the myriad of brands available today.
Once was a time
Once was a time
I thought life was a sweet candy.
In my childish glee,
Never knew sorrow could patch my throat
Stealing away my voice
like a cruel thief
Once was a time
I gave no thought to dying.
In my childish glee,
Never knew a bitter enemy could steal
Away loved ones and dreams
like aborted foetus
In the womb of discontinuity!.
Once was a time
I thought Mama has all the answers.
In my childish glee,
Never knew time could tie her tongue
Like a cruel spider holding preys in its web..
Once was a time
i thought the world was a stage
In my chldish glee,
Never knew man could burn that stage with sulphur
Shattering a beautiful script
Like avenging demons with hairs on tongue!
Sagacity of History
Throughout the years that man has continued his existence on earth, the world has been replete with stories of men and women who have left indelible on the sand of time. History records bold paradigm of individuals whose name resonates across generations. These ones cannot be ignored and keeps popping up from one generation to another. The Nazarene, Jesus for example, remains one of the most popular figures in history. Many times he has been debated, eulogized, worshipped, rejected, abused, and his deeds critically analyzed by scholars who are fascinated with his albeit looming extremely popular and relevant brand that time cannot dim.
Other men of fame like the great Madiba, Nelson Mandela, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Mother Theresa, Osama Bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King Jnr etc remains popular today. The question that now comes to the fore is: do all popular figures provide good paradigm for today?
A careful study of history shows that the issue of morality is always difficult to analyze. For example, Osama Bin Laden may be viewed as a dreaded terrorist in the United States while some in some faraway nations might consider him a hero useful in the propagation of Islam. Hitler may be held responsible for the massacre of millions while promoting Nazism in Germany, it is interesting to note that to some adherent followers, he is the best thing to have walked on the brown earth.
At this juncture, let me stress that while the issue of morality might be hard to analyze as individuals are often influenced by the environment or certain beliefs, the forthrightness of history and her soundness of judgment cannot be ignored. Posterity remembers men who have contributed favorably to the growth of the society, men who are not blinded by fanaticism, ideologies and personal convictions to commit crimes against humanity. That is why men like Nelson Mandela and Ghandi are celebrated today for their verve and tenaciousness in their struggle to make the world a better place.
In the course of writing this article, I interviewed individuals on how if they rate Mandela and Osama who are both very famous. The result is worthy of mention and interesting. While 80% preferred Mandela, only 15% viewed Osama’s exploit as heroic and beneficial to humanity while only 5% is indifferent. Another research focused on the impact of Adolf Hitler and Mahatma Ghandi on our world. 85% believed Ghandi made the world a better place while 14% are staunch believers in Hitler’s Nazism and ideologies while only 1% is indifferent.
Using this research for my thesis, I have come to the conclusion that history records faithfully, with respect exploits of men and boldly classify these to provide lesson for generations now and that which is to come. One thing cannot be overemphasized however and that is posterity judge favorably men who passionately work for humanity, who strive to make people happier than they were, who are willing to sacrifice their time, resources and abilities to influence the world a better place.
The sagacity of history resonates in brave exploits of men and women who not minding their limitations expanded frontiers and boundaries, who challenged deeply enshrined dogmas and orthodoxies to make the world a happier place.
In all, we do not have to lie frozen in the dungeon of history where men filled with hate and strife lies in consciousness. Though their evil deeds may be hard to forget, history is patiently recording their acts of infamy for generations to view the disgusting show of shame; that there is more to life than sponsoring deadly suicide bombers, perpetuating evil genocides and the cruel killing of the innocent.
Yes, the sagacity of history rings true in our day like never before.
