…As Ekiti ANA inaugurates FUOYE Campus chapter
From Olanike Olawole-Orebe
Two varsity dons; Prof. Tajudeen Opoola of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and Prof Omolara Owoeye of Ekiti State University (EKSU) as well as a human rights activist and lecturer, Mrs. Yinka Nasir have advocated better and favourable treatment of women and girls in the Nigerian society.
This advocacy was made recently at the June 2021 monthly reading event organized by the Ekiti State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) held at the NUJ Secretariat Oke Ori Omi, near old Governor’s office in Ado Ekiti. The ceremony equally featured the inauguration of the executive officers of the newly established FUOYE campus chapter of the association.
The guest writer, who read extracts from some of his works is Prof.bTajudeed Bolanle Opoola, a Professor of Applied Linguistics and current Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Fe deral University, Oye Ekiti, FUOYE.
A published author and strong pillar of ANA in Oyo State, Prof. Opoola is also member, Africa Theatre Association (AFTA), Nigeria lnstitute of Policy Management, Fellow and patron of ANA, winner of the 2016 ANA Peace Award, alongside Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) General Buratai. The guest reader has over 50 published articles in reputable academic journals and books.
The guest writer did an exciting and dramatic reading from three works; ‘Tango in Oroki’, which he picked from a 2018- published book, entitled: Essence of Life, edited by Funsho Omotosho; ‘Reading in the Language of our lmmediate environment’, a 2002 published work written in Yoruba language, and ‘The Definition of Prostitution’, which was written by a Reporter with The Sun newspapers in 2006 and which was once used by Prof. Opoola to teach the Use or English.
While ‘Tango in Oroki’ is a satire lampooning the impunity usually displayed by the Nigerian military officials in maltreating powerless civilians, the piece in Yoruba presents a critique of the politics of bitterness and violence in a secondary school as is refective of the larger Nigerian society. The third piece, is a gripping x-tray of the concept of prostitution as obtained in varying dimensions in the Nigerian context.
Responding to the reading by Prof. Opoola, members of the association lauded the don’s creativity and exciting deployment of language as noticeable in the local idioms and proverbs richly woven to communicate in the pieces.
Prof. Lara Owoye, a professor of English at EKSU who asked various questions based on the thematic preoccupations of the piece, drew the author’s attention to such areas as languages tending towards being sexist, seeming upholding of patriarchal traditions in African societies among others. Also, Dr. Olaide Nasir, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of ANA, Ekiti, urged the guest author, to consider an adaptation of the piece in Yoruba into a film as way of encouraging reading and writing in indigenous language.
The duo of Mr Gani Salau (Secretary of ANA, Ekiti State) and Mr. Wole Balogun, Special Assistant on Media Matters to FUOYE Vice Chancellor noted the prophetic language used by Prof Opoola to mirror the current political situation in the country. Balogun asked if the guest writer had in mind the contempoary Nigeria when he was writing his story as far back as twenty years ago.
Also, Mr. Adeolu Ajobiewe, ANA Treasurer asked the author about what could be considered a standard Yoruba dialect and if it was okay if an Ekiti indigene writes in his or her dialect. Ajobiewe noted that the piece in Yoruba was highly philosophical, hence it could influence other writers to communicate with their local dialects. Meanwhile, Prof. Owoeye observed that the piece on prostitution was rather jugdemental in its conclusion.
In her critique of the piece, Prof. Owoeye, said: “It may be wrong for us to consider prostitution evil because the view being expressed by existentialist feminism is that prostitution is considered a survival strategy.
“Our opinions may differ but the thing I want to say is that it was defined as feminine profession in the piece, but in this century, there are male prostitutes who in our local parlance are called jingolos or aristos…
It is better you just drop it and be careful not to align so that the piece doesn’t end up being jugdemental. Do not take sides.
Prostitution is a way of life, and if you say it is illegal there are other illegal acts such as drugs addiction and others which should be condemned the more,” she said.
Mrs. Yinka Nasir, human rights activist and lecturer with FUOYE, also buttressed Prof Owoeye, saying “Prostitution and sexism are what people do in Nigeria, but they pretend about it and are jugdemental. People pretend a lot about it and this is the danger in our Nigerian society.. Why do lecturers force girls to have sex with them and the Society turns around to condemn these girls instead of blaming the lecturers?, ” She queried.
Responding to the issues raised, Prof. Opoola who noted that some foreign countries have solved negative perceptions about Prostitution by legalizing it, said: “
Every society has its own culture, where you want to legalize what is culturally conceived to be inimical, it may become quite challenging.
A woman by African culture is meant to be cheated by on; this is the African perception. But the pertinent question is, is a woman not a human being? but the wrong perception has gained more ground and we have added pretence to compound it. If there is anything you enjoy doing that is seemingly not good, don’t hide it so that when you want to drop it, it will be easy.
It is our culture that denigrates women but as elites, we should put things in proper perspectives.
I am a linguistist not fully in the literary world. I have no hatred for the opposite sex.”
Also responding to the question about the acceptable Yoruba dialect, Prof. Opoola said: ” The Codified autography is the one being considered as the standard dialect for Yoruba and it is dated back to the pre-colonial era, but up till now we have not agreed on the proper alphabets. It is very close to what could be said to be the standard Yoruba, which is the Oyo Yoruba dialect
“My creativity was inspired by my life as a prince who grew up in a royal home in an Oyo communtity and witnessed the proceedings of the royal court in dealing with matters of the people. About Tango in Oroki, it was written in celebration of the emergence of democracy in the late 1990s in Nigeria. But what happens thereafter we leave for all to ponder on. My area is mainly scientific analysis of languages, I published first in 1986, with these writings, I will continue writing in Yoruba to further propagate the idea of reading and writing in the language of our immediate environment,” he said.
Addressing the newly inuagurated FUOYE campus ANA executives, Dr Sola Balogun, chairman of ANA, Ekiti State said: “I congratulate you all. Every great literary giant today started from this way. Nobody was born great. They all started small. The sky will not be your limit. You can imagine yourself to be like the Chimamandas of this world. You need to be focused and if you know what you are doing you can ride to any height in the literary world. As we induct you into ANA, today, I encourage you to spread the good news of the association in your faculties and the University and encourage other colleagues of yours to come on board as they have a lot to benefit from being members of this association.
“You have the rare oppurtunity to meet and emulate literary giants like Wole Soyinka, Bose Sowande, Olu Obafemi, Femi Osofisan, Bakare Ojo Rasaki and many others.
You need to be law abiding, every organisation has its rules and regulations as this is one, you are coming on board at a very crucial time. In 2019, an event that split the national body of our association into two factions and as we speak the factions are yet to reconcile.
In his Goodwill message to FUOYE campus ANA, Akogun Tai Oguntayo, ANA National General Secretary noted ” Ekiti is loyal to the faction being led by Barrister Ahmed Maiwada. We urge you not to associate yourself with any other side than that of Maiwada. We hope that very soon ANA will become one. We charge you to please make sure you are loyal to this authentic faction of ANA, and national body being headed by Maiwada. As student members you are welcome on board.”
Speaking further, Oguntayo lauded the humanitarian gestures of Prof Opoola, adding that the association has huge respect for the University don.
Oguntayo also commended the Dr. Sola Balogun- led executive of Ekiti ANA for ensuring that there is a campus arm of the association in FUOYE.
He said: “I want to give kudos to the present Excecutive of ANA, Ekiti State, If we had had an arm of ANA like this across the tertiary Institutions in the state, it would have been difficult for the other faction to penetrate our association. It is a great achievement to the present Excos. To the new inuagurated ones, I congratulate you, you would become celebrated authors. Some of you who have potentials for writing would now realize your dreams and be bolder to become established authors.
” Be encouraged to write and you can be the best you wish to. Let your arm of the association have more activities on campus, invite us, we will support you in all ways. This association is very good for your growth and development in life.”
Oguntayo also urged Prof Opoola to use his good office as the Dean of Faculty of Arts, to wade into the issue of some faceless group members who parade themselves as Ekiti ANA Caretaker Committee which was fraudulently appointed by the factional ANA led Camilus.
