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This month I've decided to read two books. I'm
doing this to honour a man I've seen for over two decades on Nigerian
television without any scandal (I
guess our today's stars must learn a
lesson from this great man). Ambassador Chief Segun Olushola, mni,OFR, was
a man of many parts, he was a teacher, an actor, a director,
an ambassador and a humanitarian. He meant
different things to so many people.
For my parents' contemporaries who watched him
emerge as an actor, director and producer of class, they have a lot to say
about his artistic panache and the roles he played in the rested popular soap
opera The Village Headmaster aired n NTA in the 80’s. For me and some of my
contemporaries, we can confidently say that he was an advocate of African
refugees.
He was the founder of African Refugees Foundation- AREF.
The book titled “Segun Olushola The Real Village
Headmaster” was given to me by the author -Mr Akin Iroko who I worked with
briefly, he was a consultant on a DFID program of which my organization was a
benefactor. Ambassador Olusegun on the other hand was the honourary president
of my organization. Mr. Iroko gladly gave me a complimentary copy of the book
for my library.
The book has 10 chapters and 131pages. It touched
on the following areas, his early beginning, his career, the zenith of his life,
his ambassadorial sojourn to Ethiopia, his achievements as a diplomat, his
philanthropic service to African Refugees which led to the establishment of AREF.
The book also touched on his family life, his
marriage to Elsie Olusola (Sisi Clara) the screen goddess of The Village Headmaster,
their children, her death, his remarriage to his first girlfriend after the
demise of Elsie and his adopted children. The history of television in
Nigeria’s post-independent era was also not left out.
There were so many memorable areas that I love in
the book, but I will share two of those parts I cherished.
On page 106, he said, “A culture of peace must
begin with a deliberate educational project that would inculcate the primary
values of democracy at the grassroots. This is a confirmation of a level of
ignorance at the grassroots which only education can cure.”
Chief Olushola delivering a public lecture on
Akin Iroko’s fiftieth birthday on the subject of coping with culture,
communication and change said:
“In order to confront the problems of the year
2000 – Nigerians must construct a culture of social, culture science and
material technology based on the tradition of the past…..
The BBC is not iron or steel-
It is people and ideas
It is doing so very well for Britain
It cannot do as well for Nigeria
It is capable of harming Nigeria
The English Language is not neutral-
It possesses an inherent bias against the Nigerian people
It is a burden which must be tolerated, not accepted
Wherever goes the wig and gown-
There goes the coat and tie
-and the only way is out.
For none of these are simply functional –
And all of them are symbols-
Communication and culture reminders of
Nigeria’s painful past.
In the tradition of one of Nigeria’s illustrious
ancestors, they are boycottable and should be boycotted….
So Nigeria is not an island.
It is as well that Nigeria is not a refuse dump.
If the youth and youthful must dance disco, let
them create the music from the traditions of Bata-koto, Atilogwu and ata dabai,
and other varieties of musical idioms.
Coping with culture, communication and change
without creativity is being a passenger.”
As I finished typing this speech, I couldn’t but
wonder how big Ambassador’s creativity repertoire was.
Mrs. Ibidun Allison (Amebo of The village
Headmaster) just gave me my answer, when she described Chief Segun Olushola in
this book as “reliable and talented in every field”.
On this note, I join many of his numerous fans
across the world to say that he will be truly missed and the thought of finding
another Olusola brought William Shakesphere to my mind “ All the world is a
stage and all men are merely players…”
For sure I know, I will read this book all over
again.
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