By Tony Afejuku

Your country my country our country is currently burning with “burning” issues. It wasn’t my intention to give thought to any of them or to examine any of them here today. I am, however, trying to safe-guard myself as a columnist against tomorrow by uttering the little statements I am uttering now with regard to the burning issues I am going to name shortly. Before then let me re-state myself: By my giving my little attention to what I am going to pay attention to now, I am only trying as a columnist, popular or unpopular, erudite or not erudite, to disembarrass myself. How or why would a columnist or a public intellectual or public commentator worth his or her salt not comment on public or burning issues of the day? What an embarrassment it would be if he or she is mum or neglects to make a note of any significant matter of public or of seeming public interest and concern? Thus without irony of further debate with myself I decided to speak from my heart wholly and sincerely in a spirit of enlightened magnanimity or of abundant generosity – which is not and can never be short of generous generosity. My train of thought now derives from this consideration and understanding.

The first burning issue I should start with – and which I am starting with – is the popular – or better defined by me as the notorious Farotimi-Babalola tug-of-law. I am amused by it. And everything I have been reading from and by especially those who can easily pass as the pro-Farotimi folks and anti-Babalola chaps is particularly out of tune with the practicability of the truth or of the fact of the matter which they want to promote or are promoting. So far as I can perceive it or as I am perceiving it they have turned or are turning Aare Afe Babalola who has claimed to be defamed into the under-dog rather than the top-dog. Afe Babalola, SAN, is no mean lawyer. He is a top, top Nigerian lawyer whom many Nigerians have been schooled to see and accept as a law genius and as someone who has lived the life of a man of genius. His accomplishments in law and outside the practice and teaching of law, whatever his traducers may say, speak volumes and take the pattern of inevitability associated with the man of sound sense. He is thus very equipped as the top-dog in the drama that Farotimi has created and dragged him into. In the eyes of the “human rights” preachers and advocates who have taken the case of the duo into the court of public opinion the young, upstart of a lawyer and possessor of a caustic rhetoric and tongue, is the top-dog-who shall and must defeat the now down-trodden Afe Babalola. How has the mighty one fallen! But is this real or can this ever be real ultimately? Time will tell from its womb at the appointed time that it will instruct it to tell us what it must tell us.

But what the pro-Farotimi folks and human rightists have dished out and are dishing out is half of the truth or far from the truth: Many of them – like this poor man, yours – very sincerely, have not read the book whose claims against his reputation and person Afe Babalola is contesting, challenging and has written a petition to the Nigerian Police about. Those who disagree with Babalola do so and are doing so – on the grounds of his method or procedure which enervated the Police to act as it has acted. They are not saying that Aare Babalola has no grounds to allege that Dele Farotimi, the ebullient young lawyer of the ObIdient camp, has defamed him. They are saying that one of this country’s ultimate lawyers should have adopted a different procedure or method to prosecute his case and fight for his rights which he is entitled to as Farotimi is equally entitled to his. I am not a Barrister-at-law so I don’t brabble as a brabbler here. Or should I be brabbling as a brabbling brabbler now? In any case, should the anti-Babalola chaps be allowed to dictate – as they are dictating – to him how to go about his complaints/case?Suddenly they want Babalola to accept that they are better and smarter than him in the matter and business of law. Interesting times are here in your country my country our country! How disgusting are our interesting times! How disgustingly interesting and interestingly disgusting!

I have carefully read Aare Afe Babalola’s petition from the beginning to the end several times. I have my opinion which I am keeping to myself on several grounds. I have not read Dele Farotimi’s book so whatever I may utter here may not and will, in fact, not pass as an objective or balanced opinion – even though I have watched Dele Farotimi’s videos several times on the issue. Besides, the case is in the court already. I don’t want to be accused as an offender of the law. The courts of law, or better, of justice, will deliver their judgments dispassionately and impartially in line with what currently exists as our justice system as our constitution dictates. But let me remark as follows: Whatever the disabilities of each party may be, may they even stand them in good stead in line with the impartial, dispassionate and objective practicability of the lower courts up to the Supreme Court. Public opinion or crowd intimidation or gang up against the top-dog or bottom-dog from which angle anyone views the matter, this burning issue, should not matter and should not come into play or into contention or into consideration. No distractions of whatever colour or of whatever kind should be given any attention whatsoever by the law that is the law.

Let me, however, utter what may enter here or should pass here as an anti-conclusion. Let those who want to die or live dangerously Die or “Live Dangerously.” I have in my own peculiar way echoed Friedrich Wilheim Nietzsche (1844-1900), German philosopher, poet and critic. The choice is Dele Farotimi’s and Afe Babalola’s. Whatever happens, or, what will or that shall prevail must prevail. Live or un-live dangerously, Oh combatants! You will leave an everlasting legacy for our age and posterity. I say this as a literary detective in the manner of Nietzsche.

To be continued.

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.

By Toyin Falola

One of the tenets of a democratic society is the assurance of the freedom of speech and expression for its citizens. This includes the right to speak and criticize to ensure that society does not derail in upholding its values. The test of democracy is not at the point of comfortable tolerance of these rights but in allowing everyone to, even at the greatest inconvenience, manifest the utmost freedom granted to them by law and nature.

Criticism is an innate attitude. Humans criticize others and themselves, either when they achieve something or when they disagree with an act. It is not for us to decide but for us to tolerate. But would one be allowed to act and enjoy those rights perpetually without any form of constraint? When does a right become a burden or an infringement on the same or other rights enjoyed by others? Could the concept of a free person truly mean freedom in all ramifications? Would this not put others in bondage, too? While these rights abound, they are qualified by the right of others to protect their dignity, reputation, and the hard work they have built over decades.

I see the brawl between Aare Afe Babalola and Dele Farotimi as the clash of these two rights – the former defending dignity and reputation and the latter exercising the freedom of speech and criticism. Farotimi has built a reputation as a respected activist, author, and social commentator, even more so than as a lawyer. His views on equity, justice, and the actual enjoyment of human rights have recently topped the voices of freedom in the country. He has waged war against corruption and inequalities, often dragging inefficient and corrupt politicians for public evaluation. As an activist, Farotimi has championed causes aimed at encouraging citizens to believe in a promising future for the country, as he often calls for the dismantling of the very foundations on which contemporary Nigeria is built.

However, one thing is fundamental about Farotimi: he does not hold back or fear – he speaks out, regardless of who is affected. Chief Afe Babalola is a famous Nigerian who represents the echelon of success in many endeavours. He has climbed up the professional and social ladder to the point that achieving half of his accomplishments would be enough to say an individual has led a good life and to write such a person’s name in history. Babalola is a foremost educationalist, legal practitioner, and philanthropist, among other worthy achievements. Having built a reputation over 70 years of active service, business, and engagements, he is one of those whom we could conclusively say has a name to protect and would go to great lengths to do so.

It is within Farotimi’s right to make accusations based on facts he knows and can prove. The hallmark of freedom guarantees that he is afforded the right to express himself if his claims are based on verifiable facts. Farotimi makes some accusations in his book, and I am convinced that he is not a man who would make unfounded propositions against someone of Babalola’s status, so I expect him to prove his claims. Likewise, Babalola has the right to preserve and defend his rights and reputation. I am convinced that many of those who have condemned his actions would have gone far and beyond to protect their accomplishments, just as he has allegedly done.

Well, this is not a piece to decide who is right or who is overreacting. While clashes often arise from the exercise of these rights, as is common in many cases, societal institutions like the Nigerian Police are charged with the duty of ensuring orderliness. It is the legal and professional duty of the Nigerian Police and other law enforcement agents to ensure everyone’s equal standing and fair hearing in the prosecution of matters, with the goal of ensuring that justice is served. The aim of the law is not to persecute but to prosecute offenders, yet the Farotimi saga suggests that the Police are standing in the ease of the former rather than the latter. I mean, it has been reported that the Nigerian Police, with remarkable agility, tracked Farotimi from Ekiti State to Lagos to effect his arrest.

One of the common complaints and excuses the Nigerian Police often give victims of crimes and alleged crimes is that the Force lacks the facilities and means to effect arrests and investigate troubling situations. They claim a lack of vehicles or even money to fuel them. These excuses have allowed countless dangerous criminals to escape justice. What about the criminal herdsmen who disturb people’s farms and livelihoods yet remain at large? What about the hardened criminals who do not look one in the face twice before ending it all? The security challenges on highways and other problems militating against the peace of the nation? Is it that the Police now feel the headache more than the owner of the head, or is their commitment to the protection of a statesman suddenly becoming a matter of national interest?

The Police are charged with the duty of maintaining law and order while protecting the interests of the citizens. However, their actions in this case seem to align with an agenda to suppress the freedom of expression, a perennial complaint of the citizens. With this duty to maintain order comes the responsibility to investigate without bias to give both the victim and the defendant equal playing grounds. Still, they have acted with such conviction of guilt and are ready to take Farotimi to the slaughter.

The Nigerian Police’s reaction only reinforces the people’s fear of the Force being used to pursue personal interests. What immediate benefit would the urgent and aggressive prosecution of Farotimi bring, compared to the already many pressing issues the Police are faced with? It only allows the citizens to suspect foul play. Do not get me wrong: my position is not that Farotimi should not be tried for any suspicion of criminal infractions, but he should be prosecuted, not persecuted in the way the Nigerian Police have handled the matter.

Remanding Farotimi is an unnecessary and apparent misuse of state power, seemingly aimed at punishing a “child” for insulting an elder. The charges against him do not warrant that the accused be incarcerated while an investigation is done. The Nigerian Police have granted administrative bail to people who have committed more serious crimes. Farotimi is a well-known public figure with an office, family, and other responsibilities attributable to him, which should guarantee his responsiveness.It is now clear that when there is enough motivation and interest in a case, the Police will act accordingly and within the required time. This highlights the need for greater accountability and reform within the Nigerian Police. The Nigerian Police must evolve beyond being mere instruments in the hands of the powerful. They must prosecute when the state is offended, not to persecute when private interests are affected. Farotimi has been taught an unnecessary lesson, but the joke is still being broadcast to the Nigerian Police!

PS: This piece was written at Gombe State University, Gombe, on December 10, 2024. I appreciate the management of the university for allowing me to use their space.

By Toyin Falola

The spread of knowledge in human history owes its existential success to the efforts of daring individuals who are categorized as walking libraries. These individuals are themselves a pastiche of different intellectual resources acquired during their interactions with people around them and the educational institutions available in their environment. Dr. Michael Oladejo Afolayan comes readily as an instance of this description in that his journey into academic stardom is littered with the experiences captured in the above introduction. Among other things, he was raised under the tutelage of prodigious individuals with solid native intelligence whose method of knowledge transmission differs completely from what is obtained elsewhere. Their stock-in-trade of knowledge transfer is to expose an individual to practical exercises and experiences so that they can activate their heuristic potential and discover things for themselves. To that extent, they can assimilate knowledge beyond the confines of their immediate borders. Education sticks to their head because they have been groomed to understand that knowledge is acquired through observation and, more importantly, with immersion in the values of their world and the world around them. Therefore, when you come across Yorùbá people, and by extension Africans generally, with sound knowledge of operations of social structures, that comes from their direct observations of their immediate family, especially in a way that their affairs are organized when they were growing up. The case of Michael Oladejo Afolayan is evidence of this transformation, and that explains why he remains an important icon for using his intelligence to transform the world.

Afolayan’s journey in his native environment helps to expose him to the fecundity of Yoruba traditions, especially in terms of how they organize their social activities. Among other things, this knowledge is revealed from his insightful publication, Fate of Our Mothers: The Collected Memories of An African Village Boy. In this memoir, I am fascinated by the knowledge of gender politics, as has been the practice among the Yorùbá people, which has been transferred to him by his people. He makes very profound clarification in the book to correct the wrong notions that one can universalize people’s experiences and impose on them modalities for which they would organize their cultural events and realities. This is illustrated in how he explains the conditions of the Yoruba women in their pre-capitalist history. African mothers have been an integral voice in shaping the world of their people through their participation and contributions in the affairs that concern the collective community. Rather than being sidelined by their male counterparts or being excessively dominated by them, Afolayan shows how they have made very impressive leaps to regulate the activities of their surroundings. For illustration, as he points out, an average Yorùbá woman in the environment where Afolayan was raised as a child is a custodian of social and economic institutions. Through their active participation in the economic affairs of their society, they wield the authority to shape how their world would be carved. They are, therefore, not passive stakeholders in the development of Yorùbá society. As custodians of the economic spectrum of their institutions, women could determine their domestic politics and socialization process as they have sufficient power to oversee their aspirations.

This native intelligence plants in the minds of everyone who has been raised in that society the understanding that mothers are not disposable materials that can be reduced to an article of satisfaction for their male counterparts. Instead, they are stakeholders and have the power to shape what occurs in their environment. Afolayan’s familiarity with such an area enables him to begin to understand the reason for the socialization process in society. With mothers in charge of economic power and also simultaneously controlling the domestic affairs of their society, they have the soft power to raise children in particular ways. The mothers relate with their children amidst the responsibility to improve themselves so that they can remain in an exalted position. This knowledge, therefore, helps to reproduce the thoughts of fairness and transparency in running the social and political affairs of the people. Afolayan admits that the remembrance of such an experience brings nostalgia, but it nevertheless helps him to understand that the place of women in Africa is central to social development. They were not to be considered articles of enjoyment for their counterparts on the assumption that they were weak, as perceived in some other civilizations.

As a young boy developing in an African village, it becomes apparent that he belonged to everyone in the community. Among the Yorùbá, the upbringing of children is collective, which gives people of parental age the freedom to intervene in issues affecting children other than their own. This way, they could collectively build a social group that is resilient and adaptive. But there is more.
Afolayan published a book in 2023, which he titled Fifty Children That Played Together for Fifty Years: Thinking about My Classmates. You don’t need Orunmila’s intelligence to understand the motivations behind his intellectual adventure in this book. The inspiration for the book is drawn from the popular Yorùbá axiom that “twenty children cannot be together for twenty years”. It remains apparent that the saying comes from the understanding that humans are meant to toe different paths in their process of self-realization or discovery. Life has been programmed to come with numerous experiences that people cannot escape their evolutionary mandate, which often necessitates that they take different directions in their course of development. Between the ages of 0 and 20, youths are bound to encounter difficult moments that compel them to make decisions about their life direction. As a result of that, they would be faced with the temptation to take lines and roads that are sometimes unpopular. But this does not undercut the fact that people who make conscious efforts towards strengthening bonds are only investing in good relationships. The sarcasm in his title is easily noticed in how he and his group of friends have been able to keep going for half a century. This speaks to the deliberate investment of time and other resources in their engagements so that they would not be distracted by the issues of life. I particularly derive from this book the knowledge that when humans consciously commit themselves to indulgences, they have the intention to improve the lives of others.

Apart from being an established academic, Afolayan’s contributions to humanity cannot be overemphasized. His profile, in this respect, deserves accolades. This prodigious academic has single-handedly organized different workshops for people to benefit from. In the United States of America, he conducted many of these community services that have become central to the improvement of educational engagements in various places. In addition to this, Afolayan has spearheaded community development programs that are geared towards the rehabilitation of people of different backgrounds. This is informed by his ceaseless commitment to anything that would bring progress to human life. He understands that people have unique experiences, and before they can become useful to themselves, there is a need to transform them into something better. To achieve this, they must invest in anything crucial to their growth. In every dimension of his involvement, one thing stands out: the provision of quality resources, mostly intellectual and financial, to the point that they would have an immeasurable impact on a target audience. He has been very valuable in the diaspora and remains constant in his recognition of his homeland. That way, people are continually tapping into his ideas because he represents a dynamic figure whose engagement and activities are worthy of emulation.

What more can reveal how important he has been to the global academic network than the recognition he has had in the profession of teaching? This great man has won numerous scholarship awards from well-established foundations to continue to carry out research engagements that would shed more light on the world. He is the winner of the 2021 J. A. Atanda Best Essay on the Yoruba, which means that he has always been someone with quality intellect who does not compromise on quality for whatever reason. More than one would imagine, he has become very important to the lives of many for whom he has given the opportunity to rise. He is a contributor to the course of humanitarian good. He has made candid donations where necessary to forward his investment in the betterment of society. Oladejo Afolayan has a good working relationship with people because he believes that everyone has latent values that they can share if we can provide them the atmosphere to do so.

Happy 70th birthday.