The Pilgrimage of Macron to the Afrikan Sanctuary

By Owei Lakemfa

I T is night in the mega city of Lagos, the city that never sleeps. It is Tuesday, July 3, 2018. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, one of the most powerful rulers in the world, takes a late flight to Lagos and enters the new Afrikan sanctuary. He had come to the roots of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the iconic cultural ambbadador and "black president" who joined his African ancestors twenty-one years ago.

The French chef who had served in Nigeria in 2004, seven years after Fela became an ancestor, wore a white shirt and tie, sitting on the back of drums and African musical instruments and told how our Cultural workers, including Nigerian musicians, journalists and actors can change the African narrative by telling our own story. As the night progressed, the cravat disappeared, shirt-sleeves rolled up and Macron swayed on the rhythms of authentic African music sung mainly by one of Fela's sons and musical heirs, Femi Kuti. At one point, Macron gave a brief performance. The event made him love and France to the Nigerian people. It was a major diplomatic victory. It has recorded much more in the consciousness of Nigerians than any other state visit to Nigeria.

Usually, state visits are what they are; choreographed visit from one chief of state to another, staging courtesies, repeated smiles and handshakes, indifferent or disinterested people. The rest of Macron's visit, including meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, his promise to help Africa and especially Mali to fight terrorism, negotiations to strengthen Franco-Nigerian trade and the opening of the new headquarters of the French cultural center. ; visit to Afrika Sanctuary, exhibition of African culture and appreciation by Macron.

The visit and worldwide publicity firmly put the Afrikan sanctuary on the universal map of tourism; If the French President can visit the Afrikan Sanctuary and look happy, why not other visitors from France or Europe? It is to the glory of Fela and the continuation of his enviable legacy by his children, including Femi, Yeni and Seun. It is also to the glory of Nigeria to produce such an icon. Common sense dictates that the Nigerian state invest in the sanctuary and other cultural centers to boost tourism, which is a viable alternative to our oil monoculture. A good start will be to institutionalize Fela and his legacy as did South Africa to Nelson Mandela

With the visit of Macron, I remember the state visit in France of General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigerian head of state called himself "president". In his self-glorification, he thought that he was on a triumphal visit to France. I was then working in the Avant-Garde Newspaper and the Correspondent of the State House, Ogbeni Tope Awe was in the entourage of Babangida. At that time, the fastest way to send stories was the telex. Tope ran to a post office in Paris to send his story on the tour. The telex operator drew his attention to an "error". She told him that he had made a mistake about the name of the Nigerian president. Tope checked and it was Ibrahim Babangida that he had written. Intrigued, he asked the lady that she thought she was the Nigerian president, and she answered "Fela".

Babangida, although being a dictator, controlling the country's resources, holding critics without judgment and dictating generally to the country, was outside our borders, generally unknown. In fact, a French newspaper explaining who was Babangida to the French people would have stated that he was from the land of Fela.

That was the scope and the influence of Fela's "Black President". who, through his intellect, his musical prowess, commitment to Pan-Africanism and social justice, has influenced millions of people around the world and has become an international icon.

The French president was attracted by Fela's music. , that he visited the new African sanctuary dedicated to the latter.

Fela gave a recognizable form to Afro Beat. He regarded his music as an instrument of struggle for the emancipation of Nigerians and Blacks. For him, it was not a matter of making money, indeed those who knew him knew about it, he had a kind of disdain for money. He gave so generously that he could give everything he had and be financially broke. For him, the struggle for emancipation included African ancestors like Kwame Nkrumah. He therefore thought that his club was not only for social purposes, but also spiritual. So he called it the Afrikan Sanctuary. He also considered his group as such, so he called himself Egypt & # 39; 80 in recognition of the ancient black Egyptian civilization that gave birth to modern human civilization.

His songs and titles tell the story of Nigerian and African. Fela taught us and sang that Nigeria is a "Big Blind Country, BBC" led by "Beasts of No Nation" using "Zombie" (soldiers) and notorious police especially in "Alagbon Close" to suppress people in " Power Show. For him, that's why Nigerians are "Suffering and Smiling" and subjected to a life of "Grief, Tears and Blood". However, he knew that the mbades are like & # 39; Water No Get Enemy & # 39; except for their oppressors who are engaged in 'Trouble Sleep, Yanga Go Wake'. leading to a country of 'Confusion Break Bones'. So, there can be no 'agreement' between the people and its neo-colonial rulers with the struggles eventually leading to "Coffin for Head of State".

On Africa, he locates the problem in the emerging elite who suffers from "Ikoyi Blindness", just like their repatriated colleagues who are simply "Johnny Just Drop", JJD & # 39 ;. For Fela, the African elite is just "M". Follow Follow & # 39; or what Franz Fanon characterized as "black skin, white masks". The African elite, Fela sang, are "opposing people" suffering from the "colonial mentality" who can not hear the "cry of the black man", that is to say "Why does the black man suffer" today. Fela loved women, that's why on the African "lady" it is an "open and closed" case.

Fela, in death, remembers and is honored with a visit to his Afrikan shrine by a French President Babangida who went to France on a state visit, is alive, is not visited, and has faded into insignificance even in Nigeria. While Babangida was very rich, controlled the armed forces and built mansions, including the hilltop where he lives, Fela was not and could not afford to build a single mansion. In fact, the new Afrikan sanctuary was built after his death.

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