By Emeka Obasi

This talk of Afro beat king Fela Anikulapo Kuti being injected to death by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency [NDLEA] sounds strange to me and it will be a huge shame if we let it define the legend.

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Dede Mabiaku was close to Fela in his later years. I must also point out that their friendship came at a time Fela was done with many of his great battles. The fire of radicalism was being quenched gradually by wear and tear.

Mabiaku suddenly went public with this part of the Afro beat king which many of his followers did not know. I am not even sure that Fela’s children suspected all along that their father was given something akin to the Bob Marley treatment.

Indian hemp was the least of Fela’s problems. It does not sound logical that if there was any outfit designated to deal with him, the NDLEA, of all agencies would get such deadly contract.

And I must say that the real threat to our corporate existence as a nation is not marijuana. We should be tackling cocaine, the opium of cultists, robbers and terrorists in our midst.

Fela never did drugs or he was not known as a junkie. At a time in his life, Fela detested cigar and smokers. He was what one could regard as a well polished gentleman.

His friend, Sunmi Smart Cole, was on the popular TV show ‘Ali Baba Seriously’ and disclosed that the Fela he knew never smoked hemp until his time in the United States in the 1960s.

It does appear to me that some of those who claim to be close to Fela do not even know the real Fela. And these are the ones who want people to believe that his world revolved around women, weed and wine.

To understand the musician, one must go back to his roots in Abeokuta. It is not enough to visit the ‘Shrine’ regularly and come out trying to be more Anikulapo than Fela.

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Born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome–Kuti on June 15 1938, he came from a family of great men and women. Grandfather, Rev. Josiah Jesse [J.J] Ransome Kuti was the first Nigerian Cannon.

JJ was very well known for his mastery of musical instruments. He was thus nicknamed ‘Singing Minister.’ One could see how the flow of music in Fela’s blood began.

Cannon Kuti was also a very brave man. He was said to have stood in the way of traditional worshippers and would come out in the middle of the night, blast his flute till dawn, calling on the demons and deities for a duel.

Fela’s granddad once took his Christianity to Ijebu land not minding the scary presence of the dreaded masquerades. As punishment, the traditionalists caused the church hall to collapse on the worshippers.

To show that his God was awesome, no member of the congregation was hurt. The deadly building materials fell outside and the fiery preacher walked out spitting more Holy Ghost fire.

Fela’s father was Rev. Israel Oludotun Ransome Kuti, the first President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers [NUT]. Among members of the NUT Executive Committee was Dr. Alvan Ikoku.

Rev. Israel Kuti named Fela after his brother, Olufela, who died in 1889, same day as his sister, Olubode. Fela’s elder brother, Olikoye, was named after their great grandfather.

Fela’s dad was Principal of Ijebu Ode Grammar School [1919-1932] before returning to head Abeokuta Grammar School from 1932 to 1934. A very strict man with a deep voice, he commanded so much respect.

Any time the soccer team of Abeokuta Grammar failed to win a match on home soil, each player received six strokes of the cane from the principal. The import was that every soccer match meant more than football to the students.

Rev. Kuti was the third person to own a motor vehicle in Abeokuta. That was after he was injured riding his motor bike. That crash according to Fela’s cousin, Prof. Wole Soyinka, was to the advantage of his son, Olikoye, who inherited the bike.

Fela’s mother, Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas, got married to Rev. Kuti in 1925. She was a powerful politician of the NCNC fold and took part in Constitutional Conferences in the UK prior to independence in 1960.

Mrs. Kuti was the first Nigerian woman to drive a car. Known as the Iron Lady of Egba land, she caused Alake Ademola to step aside over tax related matters. As brave as her father –in-law, this amazon once snatched ‘power from Oro masqueraders.’

As responsible parents, they sent Fela to Britain to study Medicine. He ended up at Trinity College of Music and got married to Remi Taylor in 1960.

With this rich background, Fela returned to Nigeria and worked with the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation. He also toed his own path which was not far away from his lineage.

Fela was fearless. With his music, he preached to the masses and his homily was alluring. At a time he chose to call his ‘Shrine’ Kalakuta Republic. It was during the years of the military. He dared his friends in the Armed Forces.

Army Chief, Yakubu Danjuma, frequented the Shrine. One Friday in 1977, Fela descended on a Military Policeman who was directing traffic. General Olusegun Obasanjo, who is Fela’s kinsman, was Head of State.

Danjuma wanted Fela dead or alive. Lt. Sunday Garba took a detachment of soldiers from the Brigade of Guards and went after Fela. They burnt Kalakuta Republic and threw his mother out through the window.

Fela was bruised but continued to torment the mighty. He called Obasanjo and Chief Moshood Abiola, International Thief Thief[ITT]. Fela spoke truth to power.

When Fela died in 1997, Prof. Olikoye Ransome Kuti said, he died of AIDS. Something must kill a man.

Today, Fela’s Shrine has become a Tourist Site. President Emmanuel Macron of France was there. His children, Yeni, Femi and Seun are doing well just like grandson, Made.

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In death Fela has grown even more popular. He is an icon not because of marijuana but for his struggle and music. This is important.

Vanguard