Osofisan Fetes Biodun Jeyifo and Olu
Obafemi
Sunday,
January 6, 2019 10:36 pm
Gbenro
Adesina/Ibadan
Saturday
January 5, 2019, friends, family, colleagues, writers, students and activists,
gathered at the Mini Hall of the Otunba Subomi Balogun Conference Centre,
University of Ibadan, UI, at the instance of Professors Femi and Nike Osofisan
to celebrate two literary icons, Professors Biodun Jeyifo popularly called BJ
and Olufemi Obafemi. Obafemi was recently the sole recipient of the 2018
Nigerian National Order of Merit, NNOM, while Jeyifo, recently clocked 73 and
retired from active teaching service from Harvard University, United States.
The occasion, where guests across the country were treated to delicious meals
and assorted drinks was lightened up with poetry rendition titled, “I don’t
know why”, by a world acclaimed scholar, Professor Remi Raji-Oyelade and music
by Ibadan based Femi Ajayi AJ-Sequential.
Among
the guests who graced the occasion were: Professors Muyiwa Awodiya, Bode
Sowande, Bode Lucas, Tunji Oloruntimehin, Professor Julie Umukoro, Ayobami
Kehinde, Olutayo Adesina, and his wife, Professor Duro Adeleke, former Managing
Director of the defunct Daily Times, Nigeria, Chief Tola Adeniyi and his wife,
Olubunmi, the Executive Editor of The News Magazine/Pm News, Mr Kunle Ajibade,
Chairman/Managing Director, Bookeseller, Ibadan, Mr Kolade Mosuro, former
member of House of Representatives and a novelist, Dr Wale Okediran, Dr Sola
Olorunyomi, Dr Modupe Ladipo, Dr Dayo Abayomi, Dr Wunmi Raji, Dr Tunde
Awosanmi, Chief and Mrs Roy Eboda, Olu Jeyifo and Ade Fadipe. Professor
Chima Anyadike and his wife Dr Bisi Anyadike, Professor Ibiyinka Solarin were
also there.
As
the invitees were enjoying themselves, notable individuals took turns to
eulogise the celebrants. Osofisan noted that the two were his friends who he
was so proud of. Professor Francis Egbokaire of the Department of Linguistics
in UI and the recently elected President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters,
NAL, noted that the two celebrants were of high moral standard. He pointed out
that the history of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, could not
be told without making reference to the significant roles of Jeyifo. He said:
“Biodun Jeyifo and Olu Obafemi are both literary scholars. They are both
comrades. They have moral authority over ASUU. When Jeyifo speaks truth to
ASUU, no one will feel bad. Jeyifo and Obafemi are logical and ideological
people. Obafemi is a man of contrast and contradiction. The truth is that I
have never worked with somebody who is as humble as Obafemi. He is stubborn and
difficult to be persuaded. He is open and transparent. He is very easy to work
with. Also, Jeyifo is highly influential. Your influence is more than you can
imagine. You are penetrating more and more. You are not diminishing in what you
believe”.
In
the same direction, Adeniyi paid tributes to his former teachers, Professor Ayo
Banjo and lauded the celebrants, declaring that right from school, he knew that
Jeyifo, a dignified man with a good character would go far. He stated, “Jeyifo
will not tell lies. To him, what is white, is white, what is black is black and
what is yellow is yellow. He will never become a millionaire because no one in
government will patronize him. He has in abundance, character of humanity. He
has feeling for people. We celebrate Jeyifo. We celebrate Obafemi”.
In
his tribute, Professor Sunday Ododo, who describe Obafemi as his mentor and a
great name in literature revealed that he cleared the path for those around him
to succeed, adding, “He started from nothing to something. Obafemi represents
many things to different people. He lives a classless life. He relates with
artisans, farmers and other people in low class comfortably and when he is with
high class people, he is very comfortable. He is humble”.
Also,
Professor Dan Izevbaye, pointed out that the celebrants have a lot in common,
though they are quite different, adding that they were both interested in drama
and represent vanguard of change. His words, “Jeyifo was introduced to a system
that was very conservative. We were among the first generation of the students
of post-colonial condition. We are programmed to see things through the
colonial lens. All our teachers and supervisors were colonialists who confused us
to think of colonial. In spite of the writings of the early scholars, the first
genuinely radical change from the colonial thinking came with the Jeyifo’s
generation. Tyrants who are intelligent are afraid of writers and scholars
because they will shake the foundation they are standing. Jeyifo and Obafemi do
the same thing with different style”.
Lending
his voice, Professor Ayo Bamgbose, who described Jeyifo as a scholar and
intellectual of no mean stature, explained that the nation’s national award is
given only to those who merit it. Bamgbose stated, “It is tough to get national
award. Thirty six candidates were considered for the award in 2018 but only
Obafemi got it. This shows how difficult it is to get the award. So, we must
congratulate Olufemi Obafemi”.
Showering
encomium on Jeyifo who is versed in virtually all fields of academic endeavour,
Professor Ayo Banjo narrated how Jeyifo bagged First Class in the nation’s
Premier University. According to him, in 1970, Jeyifo had already been awarded
2nd Class Upper Division after which the external examiner called for the
scripts of that set. After looking through the scripts, he singled out the
scripts of Jeyifo and said, “This is a First Class and we all said, Amen”. “He
was the best student among his set. Jeyifo has justified what happened that
day. Jeyifo has been consistent in scholarship. He has volunteered to teach
Nigerian populace through his writings in newspapers. Now he is back at home. I
hope the Department of English, University of Ibadan will get him involved in
academic activities and ensure his constant interactions with the post graduate
students. Obafemi too, whom I first had an encounter with in Ilorin is a very
wise man. I feel proud of the two”, he added.
Speaking
further, Banjo was disappointed that the Federal Government does not accord the
nation’s Premier University its rightful place. He said, “Biodun Jeyifo, Femi
Osofisan, and Niyi Osundare are the sorts of things that come out of the
Department of English, University of Ibadan. One is proud of the department
that is producing this kind of people. In Nigeria, there is only one first
generation university, University of Ibadan and other universities. The
government needs to pay special attention to it. The government should make it
a mentor for other universities”.
Equally
sharing his feeling on the celebrants, Professor Niyi Osundare, who declared
that the celebrants laid the foundation for the decolonisation of Nigeria when
it was most needed berated the Nigeria’s government for lacking the knowledge
that success never come by accident but must be worked for and nurtured to full
adult, after which it must be jealously, meticulously and painstakingly
maintained. He said, “Jeyifo decolonised the Department of English in the
University of Ibadan. With the interrogation and recreation of African
Literature, African Literature has never been the same again. Jeyifo
surrendered his life and everything he has to ASUU. He fought for ASUU. He was
so concerned about the welfare of ASUU and wanted the best remuneration for
ASUU but the civil servants were frustrating his efforts, especially when they
noted that with the welfare being put forward by the then ASUU, professors will
earn more than them.
Civil servants are extremely powerful. They are the rats
that eat fat. They teach politicians all the corrupt ways of amassing wealth
because of what they will gain. In Nigeria, “Kosi eni ti a je ki won fo agbon
lori ohun”, meaning no one will allow anybody to use his head to brake coconut
because if that happens, such a person will not live to eat out of the coconut.
But for Jeyifo, he offered his head to be used to break coconut.
As long as we
run away from sacrificing ourselves for the nation, Nigeria will never be out
of her challenges. We don’t have politicians, except few ones, who know what
idea is. They don’t read book and that is why they don’t appreciate writers”.
Responding
to the barrage of encomiums, Obafemi who described himself as a man from
nowhere thanked his celebrators across the nation for making him know that he
is worth something. He said he was more overwhelmed when his community hosted
him and sang to his hears that he is theirs and no one could take him away from
them. “I don’t belong here. Thank you for accepting me. I went home, to my
town, the reception was so frightening. I can’t swallow it. My people were
singing and saying that this is our own king, nobody can take him away from us.
The fact of accepting me, the claim that this one belong to us is overwhelming.
I am short of words but not short of thanks”, he said.
Also,
Jeyifo, who disclosed that he officially retired a month ago from Harvard
University has come back home with a prize, “Morounmubo”, meaning I brought
something, predicating on “Morounmulo”, meaning I went abroad with something
worthy. He said, “I have been immensely blessed to move around the academic
circle all over the world and I can say boldly none is richer than where I came
from. The students I produced here ranked with those that I produced abroad. I
received the best education in the University of Ibadan. I was well prepared.
What University of Ibadan was then matched any university I went. Today, there
is no “Morounmulo”. Now that I am back at home, I will do my utmost best to
sustain and expand “Morounmubo”.
Professor
Obafemi has been a Professor of English and Dramatic Literature of the
University of Ilorin since October 1, 1990, where he joined as a Graduate
Assistant in 1976. He had served the institution in many capacities at different
periods including Head, Department of Modern European Languages, Dean Student
Affairs, member of the Governing Council and governing board of the
institution’s teaching Hospital, and that of the National Institute of Cultural
Orientation, NICO.
A
prolific playwright, novelist, poet, literary and theatre scholar, Obafemi has
published 14 scholarly books, 16 creative books covering plays, poetry and a
novel, and over 70 journal articles in national and international outlets. He
holds 2nd Class Upper Division Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from A.B.U,
Zaria, Master of Arts Degree in English from University of Sheffield and Doctor
of Philosophy in English specializing in Dramatic Literature from University of
Leeds.
Obafemi,
who has supervised many Masters and PhD theses and regarded as a teacher of
teachers and professor of professors was the chairman, Board of Directors of
the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, President of the Association
of Nigerian Authors, ANA, member of the Board of Trustees, The Nigerian Book
Fair Trust and he is the current National Chairman of the Nigerian Reproduction
Rights Society of Nigeria, REPRONIG. He is a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian
Theatre Artists, SONTA, English Scholars Association of Nigeria, ESAN, Association
of Nigerian Authors, ANA, and the Nigerian Academy of Letters, NAL. He has been
external examiner to over 20 Nigerian universities and Visiting Professor to
many universities in Nigeria and abroad.
He
was the immediate past Director of Research of the National Institute for
Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State, public orator of the
Nigerian Academy of Letters, Vice President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters,
immediate past President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and Chairman of the
Board of Trustees, Northern Nigerian Writers Summit. His play, Ogidi Mandate
won the 2011 ANA/J.P. Clark Prize for Drama while his poetry, Illuminations got
an honourable mention for ANA/Okara Prize for 2010.
As
a scholar and thorough bred academic, he initiated an experimental tool and
theory of analysis for revolutionary aesthetics in Africa exemplifying the
plays of second generation Nigerian and African dramatists. He also fashioned a
dialectical materialist theoretical cannon that has influenced the
interpretation of radical drama among theatre scholars in West Africa in the
80s and 90s. A journalist of over three decades, Professor Obafemi has been an
editorial consultant, editorial board member and columnist for eight national
dailies.
According
to Harvard University’s website, Jeyifo’s scholarly and professional Interests
are: African and Caribbean ‘Anglophone’ literatures; theatrical theory and
dramatic literature, Western and non-Western; comparative African and
Afro-American critical thought; Marxist literary and cultural theory; colonial
and postcolonial studies; twentieth-century revolutionary social philosophy and
literature. He is an authority on African drama, who is widely viewed as the
world’s leading interpreter of works by Nigerian writer and playwright Wole
Soyinka. Jeyifo joined Harvard from Cornell University, where he has been a
professor of English since 1988. Editor of the authoritative anthology “Modern
African Drama”, Norton Critical Editions, 2002, Jeyifo’s work has long framed
scholarship in African drama and theatre. His 1984 study of the Yoruba Popular
Traveling Theatre is viewed by many as seminal in the study of African drama.
Jeyifo’s
early essays single-handedly shaped critical discourse on dramatic works by
Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in literature and a fellow at Harvard’s
W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Jeyifo’s
three subsequent books extending the scope of these essays have established him
as a top interpreter of Soyinka. His book, “Wole Soyinka: Politics, Poetics,
Post colonialism”, weighing Soyinka’s vast and complex body of work, is
arguably the most sophisticated analysis of any single author in African
literature.
Jeyifo
also turned his attention to Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, writing a series
of essays in the early 1990s that placed Achebe’s work, including “Things Fall
Apart,” in an ideological and theoretical perspective not previously considered
by other critics. His publications include over 14 books and monographs, over
29 book chapters, over 27 articles and over 300 articles and reviews in
newspapers and magazines in Nigeria and Britain among which many have been collected
in published volumes. He has over 15 honours and awards from universities
across the world and six grants.
Jeyifo
received a B.A. in English from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria in 1970,
followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University in 1973 and 1975,
respectively. Before joining Cornell in 1988, he taught at Queens College in
New York from 1974 to 1975, Ibadan from 1975 to 1977, the University of Ife in
Nigeria from 1977 to 1986, and Oberlin College from 1987 to 1988. He also
served as a visiting fellow or professor at Harvard, from 1998 to 2000, as well
as at Indiana University and the University of Bayreuth in Germany.
No comments:
Post a Comment