Popular comedian Ayo ‘AY’ Makun has
apologized to media moguls Kenny
‘Keke’ Ogungbe and Dayo ‘D1’ Adeneye
for saying a joke about thePrimetime
Africa bosses which they found
derogatory.
In a open letter written on his Facebook
page, AY explained that it was only a
‘harmless joke that meant neither
vilification nor slight’. He further
explained that the ‘joke was only a
spontaneous exaggeration by a comedian
who needed to just lie to the world and
make a living from it’.
Read the open letter below…
Dear Sirs,
It is with deep sense of respect that I greet
you. With profound esteem as well, we
appreciate your invaluable roles in the
growth of the Nigerian music industry in
particular, and the entertainment industry
in general. What the combination of your
robust personalities means to most of us is
nothing short of being a blessing to our
generation as enviable mentors. My own
respect is not just fraternal, but somewhat
avuncular as well. You have been
championing the business of entertainment
with phenomenal contributions as veteran
producers and all-encompassing showbiz
personalities. Thus it wouldn’t be out of
place if something like a knock descends
from on high, directly from the ancestors
and lands on the head of any of us, your
very junior colleagues for disrespecting
the colossuses in the entertainment
industry.
As a standup comedian I have come to
discover that various sectors of the global
entertainment industry are systematically
tied together like a bunch of firewood. It
is practically the case of a healthy rapport
of mutual promotion. It is what has
enhanced the meteoric upswing of the
Nigerian entertainment industry. The
story of the comedy industry, which I
happen to be part of, is equally making
headlines. And yet, not without some
mutations in line with the spirit of our
time. As a matter of fact, dynamism and
creativity are attributes of the
entertainment industry. Hence, the
comedian has transcended the era of
tortoise-squirrel tales, cock-and-bull story,
narrative rambles, and redundant fart
jokes. Comedy has beautifully developed
into social commentary, what the public
can exhilaratingly identify with without
ado. Regrettably, the content of comedy
in most cases has shifted from just
anybody to celebrities. Today, the big
enchiladas and the Mr Somebody have
come to have a place in the comic chat. And
it is simply a waste of time and words
querying why it is so. Therefore, it
doesn’t sound bizarre to anybody anymore
that the American president has been the
focal point of many American comedians.
While alive, Mark Twain and George
Carlin never spared the American
government. But the government spared
them, digested the humour in what they
were saying and left them in their
clownish babbles. Actually comedians and
clowns are brothers – nobody takes them
seriously even though they habitually
provoke serious laughter. Nevertheless, no
comedic license to insult folks is intended.
Obviously, it is not just about the American
president. With due respect, it must be
stated that other highly influential
parsonages across the globe are involved.
More still, Her Majesty, the Queen and
His Holiness, the Pope are not excluded
from the humorous drama. What do they
do? They only smile and overlook the
facile act of the jester, or at best call on
him to put more smiles on people’s faces.
We are indeed in a world of humour.
Coming home, if OBJ had paid any
serious attention to the flimsy rants of
comedians about him, for sure, the king of
comedy Alibaba and some of my
colleagues would by now be staggering
with castrated tongues or even conduced to
the fate of extinct dinosaurs. To him we
all pay homage for his paternal
encouragement to the industry, but more
for providing inexhaustible materials for
our business to thrive. In the same vein,
Tuface Idibia, Wande Coal, Dele
Momodu, Weird MC, Segun Arinze, Chris
Okotie, Don Jazzy, Banky W, Tonto
Dikeh, D’Banj, Omobaba, Alibaba, the
Jonathans and others deserves constant
applause as well for having not drawn
the sword of enmity against me and my
colleagues. I am very sure that who ever is
reading this piece can relate the above
mentioned names to numerous jokes done
by comedians. The truth of the matter is
that only those revered by society enter
into the contemporary comical repertoire.
Please may all VIP’s note this down.
In other to flee parochialism in this slim
letter, let me quickly draw our attention to
a relevant point from one of the fathers
of African literature. Achebe writes:
‘Some years ago at an international
writers’ meeting in Sweden, a Swedish
writer and journalist said to a small group
of us Africans present: “You fellows are
lucky. Your governments put you in
prison. Here in Sweden nobody pays any
attention to us no matter what we write.”
We apologized profusely to him for his
misfortune and our undeserved
luck!’ (Chinua Achebe, The Education of
a British-Protected Child, London,
Penguin, 2011, p. 121) If it were like this
for intellectuals like Swedish writers and
journalists, how would it be for the lame
Swedish comedians? Definitely worse! It
must be noted that this manner of apathy
towards comedians is replicated across the
civilized world. I guess the point should
have been clear by now.
Dear Kennis Music, permit me to modestly
state that it was an harmless joke that
meant neither vilification nor slight when
I said “ we all saw an advert on television
confirming that Kenny and D One were
going to cover the Red Carpet at the last
Grammy Awards in America for our
viewing pleasure back home in Nigeria,
Only for us to find the two of them
interviewing their own artiste Jawon
(around an American 3rd Mainland
Bridge very far from the venue) without
having access to the venue and foreign
celebs at the event”. That joke was only a
spontaneous exaggeration by a comedian
who needed to just lie to the world and
make a living from it.The naivety and
clumsiness in attacking you aside, you and
I know very well that any attack on you
by any comedian is as pointless as a wild-
goose chase. However, my sincere
apologies if I exaggerated in my jokes.
Please no harm was intended. It was rather
a confirmation of your significance to
society. The several great artistes you
created will witness better to this than my
little self. Again, by ‘agelessness’ I
intended the lasting glamour of your
presence in the entertainment industry, and
the future and perpetuity you stand for in
the music enterprise. This is it; no
equivocation was intended. Please forgive
and forget.
Best regards.
Sincerely,
AY

Source:http://thenetng.com/news/ay-apologizes-to-keke-ogungbe-and-d1-over-grammy-awards-joke/

Keke and D1 should have known that is just a joke meant to crack one's ribs.comedians do it all the darn time.even presidents gets the same treatment like other individuals when it comes to being made fun of.

if na me be AY, i wouldn't turn to senator patrick and render this long epistle just to beg them cos they should have known the status quo of the comedy world.this is how i would have gone about it:

dear keke napep and F9 sorry D1

how una side they naw.o boy, e no easy down here o.my ministry don finally move to the permanent site but all this E-badu belles and E-jealousiers still they chuk chuk eye for my ministry o.well that tori na for another day.i hear say una they para, they rake say my YOKE wey i talk about jaywon and 3rd mainland bridge tosh una for body wella?.oya make una no vex abeg.i just crack that yoke mek my fans them laugh come my show.if una calm down, i go give una free ticket for my next AY show and i fit arrange s*trippers for una self.i no say una too like all this chap chap gurls...*winks*...i dey wait una reply

yours JOKEfully
AY