๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ!
– ๐๐ข๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐ!
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป ๐ข๐น๐๐๐ผ!
Kristieni, Good evening!
๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐, ๐ข๐น๐๐๐ผ. ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ.
What did I do wrong?
๐๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ถ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ? ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐!
Okay, Igbagbo, ore miโฆ
๐ค: ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ?
๐: You see, you also called me our pet names, get serious! My names are Oluwole Oluwarotimi Onifade.
๐ค: ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐?
๐: I was initiated to the Palmwine Drinkards Club in 1980 as a fellow and was initiated in 1981 as a Kongo. That should be about 41 years nowโฆ
๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ-๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐
Right. Children born then are fathers and mothers nowโฆ
๐ช๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐โฆ
Correct! So, a lot has changed.
๐ค: ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ?
๐: Both, ore. Good because we can now coordinate far better in this era of the Digital Age and Social Media but it is now worse, (not bad) in that there are no regulations. In a country with loose laws or regulations, there wonโt be crime let alone coordinated repercussions or corrections. Like everybody is a law onto themselves.
๐ค: ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฑ, ๐ถ๐๐ปโ๐ ๐ถ๐?
๐: Right, but there is hope. Though time is running out for our generation to do the right thing now, or never.
๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐น, ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐โ๐บ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ดโฆ
Look at you, we were in school and got initiated at the same period. Be deceiving yourself, Kristiani. We grew up together in Mushin, how am I older, Igbagbo?
๐๐น๐น ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฒโฆ๐๐ฒ๐โ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐. ๐ง๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐.
Millions of experiences. Seriously, too many but I can remember one right away. It was going to be Kontogora World Gyration, Phase 1 in 1985/86. I would have loved to tell you how I was fellorized before my initiation the second time as a student.
๐ค: ๐ช๐ฎ๐ถ๐, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐? ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
It appears we will not be serious with this interview, Kristiani.
๐ค: ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐! ๐ฆ๐ผ, ๐ถ๐ป ๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ฑ/๐ด๐ฒ, ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ, ๐ผ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒโฆ
๐: Yes, all Kongosis were to converge at Ilya Lacoed, Ijanikin. The Lagos state government gave us a Luxury bus for the trip. A new bus for that matter. We were ready for the 4 daysโ trip. It was fun. We the drumitos were given the last long seat at the back of the bus and we all were to cruise while gyrating through the 10 hoursโ journey. So sweet, I swear. Not long had the bus taken off that gyration started. There was one guy who I have never seen before. He did not look like our mates. He looked more like a young lad still in form 3 then.
๐ค: ๐๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฏ, ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ฏ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผโฆ
๐: You just want to make me feel old, but why, when we are contemporariesโฆhahahaha
๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต๐ต๐ฎ๐ต๐ฎ๐ตโฆ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐ป๐ด
Yes, he was beating the โagogoโ (gong). If you are a Drumito or a Songito, you will agree that the agogo is the most important of all beats. It leads all departments of the gyration be you drumito, songito, echolala and even the dancers. So the dude saddled with the agogo was this guy I said was looking like a form 3 boy. He mis-stepped the agogo too many a few times and that got me mad. I just went for his big head with a huge knock. He screamed and begged that it was the rocky and wavy road that unstabled his hands holding and beating the agogo.
When we got to our first stop and I told Agosu, my friend, what happened a while ago about the dude.
โ๐๐๐ข๐ค๐, ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ! ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐กโ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐โ! ๐ด๐๐๐ ๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐.
โ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐โ! ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐! ๐ต๐ข๐ก ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐๐โ ๐ผ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐?
โ๐โ๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ท ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐โฆโ
๐ค: ๐ช๐ฎ๐ถ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐?
๐: Sickle Cell Disease.
Agosu scolded me and said you knocked the head of a lecturer! He told me he has a Ph.D. degree in Mathematics as early as age 25! Kristiani, I swear, that guy looks 17! It was a moment of a rethink, a sense of need for restitution. I felt horrible, Kristieni.
๐ค: ๐ฆ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐?
๐: I went to him, hugged him, begged him, and guess what? He hugged me, tika dima me, and assured me that we are brothers! God Bless Dr. Jeje wherever he is now, a nice guy to the core.
๐ค: ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถโฆ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐?
๐: I shook hands with the number 1 citizen of the world!
๐ค: ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐? ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ?
๐: It was at Temperance Farms. We usually hold mini-tapping gyrations at Obasanjo Farm then. Many of us got a job with the farm then, through the komradium. Many of us that I know you know worked at the farmsโฆ
๐ค: ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐๐๐, ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ด๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป. ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐?
Iwo lo mo ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ฉ
๐ค: ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐๐๐’ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐? ๐๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ต๐ญ๐ญโฆ
Right. So we were gyrating as usual when โGeneralโ came out and he was tanwigilizing with a few of his friends. It was not new to us seeing among his friends who are whites. But this particular night, quite a few of white guys were dancing with General and we all were having fun. It was the Nigeria Independence Eve Gyration and I was sweatening it out with the lead drum, talking with the beats along with the bass drummer. It was fun!
๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ผ๐ป:
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ข๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐โ๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ด๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐โฆ..
Those days were fun, I swear!
๐ข ๐๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ก๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ
After the gyration, we were called one by one to have a handshake with the 39th President of the United States; Jimmy Carter!
๐ค: ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ?
๐: No, I hung it over my head ni, Alawada. I actually shook his hands twice, on the Eve of Independence and the Day too.
๐ค: ๐ช๐ผ, ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น, ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ป๐ผ๐? ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐?
๐: We should be disciplined. But before we get the desired discipline, we need education on the komradium. The tenets and doctrines of the club as laid down by the founders should be sacredly offered as a class for us all. Just the way we met it, the way we enjoyed it then, it was founded on discipline. So, for me, we need our brothers and sisters to learn and we too, to relearn what the club stands for and the discipline that laced the durability. We need to foster reorientation of the history of the club, and work hard to bring back the old glory.
