₦airaland Forum

smtx:
Your audacity na case study o! Cos you are a regular visitor at d shrine makes you a better Fela historian than anybody? Even Seun and Femi know no Fela reach you? Na wa o! For Nairaland nothing wey u no go read. I believe Seun, and oodua1stson dad's version. Your story can drown a FISH!

Caveatemptor is right.

Have you read Fela's own account of what happened? Can anybody else know what happened better than Fela? I know what happened. I was alive when these things happened. I don't need anyone else to tell me what happened, but I'll advise you to buy Fela's book "This B.i.tch Of A Life' (in which he was interviewed by Carlos Moore) and read Fela's own account of what happened.

We have read an account of the "shit story" from one of Fela's boys and we've also read an account of the "murder story" from the New York Times. Now let's read Fela's own account of the "shit story" (you'll see that it tallies with his boy's account). This is just after soldiers had burnt down his house (Kalakuta Republic) in 1978.

[size=14pt]I Nearly Beat Up Abiola (MKO) For Sam Amuka Office. He Begin Dey Beg – Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (ITT Story) Part One[/size]


“Whaaaaaaaaam! Here I was, in one blow, out in the streets with all my people: about eighty of us! My case in court? It was thrown out, man. They didn’t even hear it. They withdrew all of the bullshit charges against me.

Eventually the courts also threw out my multi-million naira compensation claim. Oh, the corruption of those courts! Those people are such bastards, man. Where to seek justice? Jobless. Homeless. Still in a cast, my body all bandaged. So I told everybody, “OK, motherfuckers, we must all get back to work!” We had to try to get the Shrine moving again ‘cause we didn’t have shit.

All of my equipment, my belongings, they’d all gone up in flames with the house. Not a fuckin’ thing was left. Me, my girls, and the rest of my people slept in my brother Beko’s garage for a while. We still kept our dignity, though, man. We started the Shrine back. I began playing again, with one arm and a leg in a cast. That’s when I composed “Sorrow, Tears and Blood”. We were penniless, man. Then I thought to myself: “Don’t I have money coming to me from Decca or EMI?” We’re now in June-July. … Now, what was this whole thing with Decca? It’s a long story, man.

You see, Decca is a motherfucker, man. Wow! Decca signed with me when I was popular. When they burned my house, Chief  MKO Abiola of ITT took over Decca and drove out Mr Booth, the white man who was managing Decca. The white man wanted me, so they drove him away to London. Then Decca started giving me horrors.

First I must tell you that, before my house was burnt down, Mr Booth had told me I was popular and that Decca wanted to sign me. But that he was afraid ‘cause people were saying I was a hooligan and things like that. They were telling him that I wouldn’t deliver. So he was afraid. When he talked to me though he said he liked me and that he wasn’t afraid of me. But really, underneath he was afraid. So in the contract he put a clause that whoever –Decca, me, or anyone –bleeped the contract up, they would have to pay 250,000 naira. That was what he put in the contract. You see what I mean?”

Penniless as I was, I decided to go to Decca. That first day I took along all my women and our mattresses to the Director’s office. I didn’t take over Decca office right away.

http://www.maziabeidris.com/i-nearly-beat-up-abiola-mko-for-sam-amuka-office-he-begin-beg-fela-anikulapo-kuti-itt-story-part-one/

[size=14pt]The (ITT Story) Part Two : “Abiola (MKO) Ke? I Didn’t Even Know The Motherfucker Existed!”- Fela Anikulapo-Kuti[/size]

In the first part of the series, Abami narrates in his own carefree way, the situation that led up to his rather humorous encounter with the equally legendary, Chief MKO Abiola, who was then Chairman of Decca Records, Fela’s recording company at the time. 

The story continues from the Alhaji, Pastor, St. Augustine’s mouth………

“Remember, I didn’t have a house ‘cause they’d burnt my house down, right, so I don’t have a place to stay. So we went prepared.

Now MKO Abiola had just put this guy there as Director of Decca. His name is Mr Ogeus, a Dutchman, from Holland. So I meet this Mr Ogeus to tell him to give me my 250,000 Naira for breach of contract, man! “Mr Ogeus,” I said, “if you don’t pay me, I will stay here with you until you do. We don’t have a place to stay, so I brought my mattresses. I’m not going to court. Just give me my money.”



Ogeus went to the police. You see that! I come peacefully and he goes to get the police! The police came. They asked him: “You want to force them out?” “No,” he said. “But I think I should discuss things with Fela.” “OK,” I said. “I agree, we should discuss it.” So we agreed to meet at the police office the following morning. I said, “I agree.” So I left with my wives and mattresses.

We met at the police station the next day and we discussed. The police agreed that their lawyer should investigate the contract, and that they would give their opinion after the investigation. You understand? The police kept the contract for two weeks and the lawyer gave his opinion: breach of contract. So the police promised to bring MKO Abiola to the police station to discuss it.

The first time, he didn’t come. Second time, he came. That was the first day I ever met MKO Abiola. I didn’t even know the man existed. So he comes to the police station and swears on his mother’s life, that he never did anything to me wrongly and that he promises to settle the matter. So we left. One week … two weeks … one month … nothing! OK. Good. So me and my women, we took our mattresses and went to Decca again, for a second time. “Now, where is my money?” I asked Ogeus. “OK, if that is what you want, I’m leaving the office for you,” he answered.

Now, he had a very big sitting-room and thick carpets everywhere, so we laid our mattresses down. Ogeus, the white man, left the office and went to the police station. When he got to the police though, they wouldn’t move ‘cause they’d already been to investigate the matter. So I was”there in Decca office with my women for seven weeks.

It was the Inspector-General of Police himself who got me out. You know how Yusufu got me out? Here I am one night, sleeping at Decca, when police come. Not to arrest me-o! But to take me to see the Inspector General. Yusufu had sent for me in the middle of the night to’ go to his house, man. When I got there, he said: “Fela, you have to leave now.” “Why?” I asked. “Sir, they have to pay me-o. Or else you send your police to batter me if you like.” “Fela, you know I can’t do that.” “Fine. Then, they’ll have to pay.” That’s when he said to me: “Fela, you know they’ve taken me to court now.” I understood then what was happening.

You see, while I was living at Decca office, those motherfuckers had taken me to court. The lawyers, they lie. And the magistrate issued a bench order on me for … “illegal occupation”. Of course, the court didn’t hear my side of the case at all. But the police who knew my side of the story and everything about the matter refused to execute the bench warrant. In court, they said that every time they would go to the premises of Decca to get me out, they couldn’t find me! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! So Decca sued the police in court for not executing the bench warrant. That’s why M.D. Yusufu said to me: “If I go to court, they’ll embarrass me.” “Yes,” I said. “I know that.” After a moment of silence, I said: “OK. Fine. Give me one more week. Let me enjoy one more week, Sir, ‘cause you know I don’t have house any more. At Decca they have big sitting-room and offices with carpet everywhere.”

Yusufu shook his head, with a bit of a smile in his eyes. “OK, stay there one more week.” That’s how I finally left Decca, you know. But people don’t know that Fela had  done his underground work legally, and everything. They think I’m a hooligan who just went into Decca and sat down. But, man, I was the winner, you see. Let me tell you the reason why I always get victorious over people. People think I’m mad, but I don’t do things rashly. People think I do things rashly because at the point when I’m gonna do action, those who do not know what’s been happening will think I am being rash…….”

Culled from ‘Fela : This Bitch Of A Life'
By Carlos Moore (1982).

http://www.maziabeidris.com/?p=1218

Some people are asking how can Caveatemptor know more about what happened than Seun. They don't realise that some people here were alive when these things happened and witnessed them. The "shit incident" happened in 1978 or '79, while the "murder incident" happened in 1993. Seun was born in 1983. What does he know about something that happened in '79?

Imagine if Babangida's daughter (that was born in 1989) says that her father became president in 1987. We that witnessed the coup will (of course) know that she's not saying the truth, because we all know that her father became president on August 27, 1985.

A funny guy here actually said that Abiola was never chairman of Decca!

Anyway, we'll read Fela's own account of the shit incident and what led to the ITT song.

Wow! What a goal!

ziddy:
That would be the late MKO Abiola, when he was chairman of Decca Records. Fela picketed the company premises, then eventually took over the place and lived there for severally weeks with his wives and hangers on.

No, I'm not referring to Abiola. The issue with Abiola happened much earlier and I've already written about that on this thread. This particular incident that I'm referring to happened in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Can anybody remind of the person that Fela threatened to deal with in the late 1980s or early '90s? The person was the CEO or a top executive at Fela's record company and Fela alleged that the record company was making a lot of money from his music without giving him his agreed share of the money. So Fela threatened to personally deal with the person and have him detained at the Shrine.

The person replied that Fela cannot do anything to him because this is the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not Kalakuta Republic. I can't remember if it was Dean Disi or Chief Tabansi or who exactly the person was and I'll be very grateful if anybody can remind me.

I read this story in the weekend papers when it happened in 1993. The papers reported that a member of Fela's band had been accused of stealing and been beaten and also reported that he had eventually been found dead, but most of the papers were also sympathetic to Fela and believed that he didn't have anything to do with it.

Unfortunately there are no copies of those papers on line, so we are going to rely on the New York Times account. (Note that this was around the time of the annulment of the June 12 elections and all the riots and violence that followed it. Also note that Seun is wrong when he said that the shit incident happened because of the murder incident. The shit incident happened in the 1970s [because of the Decca issue], while the murder incident happened in 1993 ).

THE NEW YORK TIMES.

[size=14pt]Nigerian Star Blames Politics for Murder Charge[/size]

By KENNETH B. NOBLE,

Published: August 16, 1993

LAGOS, Nigeria, Aug. 15— About the only facts on which all sides in the case agree is that the body of a man was found here in January, not far from the house of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Nigeria's most popular musician and an outspoken critic of the military Government.

Fela, as the 54-year-old singer and saxophonist is known, has since been arrested, jailed, charged with murder and released on bond. He vigorously denies any involvement in the killing, and he calls the charges ludicrous and politically motivated.

"These people aren't serious," he said of his prosecutors the other day. "It's just another one of their ploys to trap me."

"This is how the military works in this country," Fela added as he relaxed at his home here in his standard press interview attire -- bikini underwear. "They make things up. They'll try anything to get you." Family Under Pressure

The question of Fela's guilt or innocence is not likely to be resolved soon. His lawyer, Femi Falana, was arrested last month and charged with sedition, an offense that carries the death penalty. So too, has Beko Ransome-Kuti, Fela's younger brother, a doctor and former chairman of the local medical society who is among the musician's closest advisers.

About the same time, Gani Fawehinmi, another lawyer and a prominent civil rights advocate who has often advised Fela, was also arrested for sedition and held without bail. And even Fela's wife, Fehintola, was arrested last week in a roundup of dissidents although she was released the next day.

What members of Fela's large extended family -- which includes relatives by blood and marriage and an assortment of lawyers, accountants, musicians and political figures -- have in common is their highly vocal and persistent opposition to Nigeria's military Government.

Many of them are leaders in the Campaign for Democracy, a coalition of about 40 trade unions and civil rights groups that has emerged as the leading opposition to the military rule of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Campaign for Democracy

It was the Campaign for Democracy that brought Nigeria's largest cities, including Lagos, to a standstill on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with three days of civil disobedience to protest the Government's decision to annul presidential elections held in June.

In turn, the soldiers who have ruled black Africa's most populous country for 24 of the 33 years since it gained independence from Britain have made no secret of their distaste for Fela or his friends and colleagues.

Fela's former communal compound, called the kalakuta, was raided countless times, most notably in 1977, when soldiers destroyed the building and threw his 77-year-old mother out of a second-story window. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a prominent campaigner for women's rights, died of her injuries the next year.

One of the most publicized conflicts between the authorities and Fela, who has been imprisoned many times, occurred in 1984. In November of that year he was arrested at the Lagos airport on his way to the United States for a concert tour. Convicted of exporting foreign currency -- 1,500 British pounds -- he was sentenced to five years in jail. In 1985, when General Babangida, came to power in a coup, Fela was released, having served 18 months, and until the last year or so, the authorities had generally left him alone. During most of that period, one of Fela's brothers, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti served as Minister of Health in General Babangida's Government.

In the meantime, many of Fela's relatives and associates, particularly his brother Beko, have stepped up their attacks against General Babangida's increasingly authoritarian rule. Indeed, last year Beko Ransome-Kuti became the chairman of the Campaign for Democracy. Getting Back at Fela?

Then came the death of Adesanwo Shokoya. According to the authorities, Mr. Shokoya, was a technician with Egypt 80, Fela's band. Last January some band members accused Mr. Shokoya of embezzling money, and Fela ordered that he be punished, police testified in court. Mr. Shokoya reportedly died from blows he received from two men who whipped him until he collapsed, the police said.

No one has accused Fela of witnessing the incident or being near the scene, but he was later arrested and charged with conspiracy and murder. As many Nigerians see it, the case is being used by the authorities as a way of getting back at Fela, his brother, Beko, and other dissidents who have formed the core of an increasingly effective opposition movement.

The Campaign for Democracy has planned another general protest for the period leading up to Aug. 27, the date General Babangida has said he will step down.

"Fela is certainly a nuisance, but he's no murderer," said a newspaper editor here, who emphasized that he is no admirer of the man or his music. "He's being punished not for what he's done, but for who he is."

Fela said he had been advised not to talk about the specifics of the case and declined to discuss the incident. But Beko Ransome-Kuti's daughter, Morenike Ransome-Kuti, a Lagos lawyer, said being harassed by the military authorities "is almost a way of life in our family, you're used to it after a while."

She added, "It's the price you have to pay when you're fighting for certain things."

Photo: "They make things up," said Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Nigeria's most popular musician and a critic of the military Government, who has been charged in the death of a man who was found near his home in January. "They'll try anything to get you." With him were two women who live in his Lagos home. (Kenneth B. Noble/The New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/16/world/nigerian-star-blames-politics-for-murder-charge.html

Cc Caveatemptor

This is a narration of the "shit incident" (which happened in the 1970s) from one of Fela's boys, Uwa Erhabor in his book Kalakuta Diaries. (I will also supply an account of the murder incident from the New York Times)

Their tumultuous relationship didn’t end there. Abiola was also the head honcho at Decca Records West Africa. Feeling invincible, he proceeded to release 10 Fela records without a valid contract. Upset at being financially cheated, Fela and members of the Kalakuta Republic stormed Decca Records, chased everyone out and took over the building. Left with no other options, the Inspector General of the police told Abiola that he would have to pay
Fela his money. Abiola was afraid of Fela.


In another instance, Fela confronted Abiola in person when he went to visit the office of his friend Sam Amuka, the editor of The Punch newspaper in Nigeria, and saw Abiola there. The conversation apparently went as follows:

Amuka: Eh Fela, how nice to see you.

Fela: Yeah Sam, I was just passing by and thought to say hell… (Sighting MKO), What is this thief doing here?

Amuka: Fela please don’t start any problems.

Fela: (Now facing Abiola) Oga Mr. Big man, now you look like a frightened rat. There is nothing that would give me more pleasure than to blow your fucking face. But I am going to let you be for my friend’s sake.

After Fela left, a frightened Abiola thanked
Sam Amuka immensely for saving his hide.

However, Fela wasn’t done with Abiola. Fela got an idea to give Abiola shit, literally. The idea came from his daughter Yeni, who felt that the police and powers that be weren’t going to do anything to apprehend Abiola, despite his crookedness.

Fela agreed to go to Abiola’s luxurious home in Ikeja to throw shit at it, but
he wanted to do it in an epic way.

He arranged for his pianist, Duro Ikujenyo, to organize the collection of as much shit as possible. Ikujenyo went to the Waste Disposal Unit in Lagos Island and procured 10 buckets of shit.

Fela, covering his face and dressed as an Agpebo (shit disposer), then drove with the buckets to Abiola’s compound. When security officials at Abiola’s home came to see who the guest was, a bucket of shit came crashing down into the compound. Realizing what it was, they all ran.


Abiola and his family were forced to evacuate the premises. Fela had no fear of even the most powerful, and that was why he was considered such a threat.

http://archived.thisisafrica.me/downloads/detail/19835/kalakuta-diaries-new-book-fleshing-out-the-story-of-afrobeat-legend-fela-kuti

Cc Caveatemptor

Caveatemptor has narrated the Decca - shit incident that occurred in the 1970s, so I'll narrate the murder incident. This case was widely covered by the Saturday papers then and Femi Falana also narrated part of it yesterday.

A man called Shokoya, who was the secretary or treasurer of Fela's band was accused of stealing the band's money. It is reported that Fela ordered that the man should be whipped. I don't know what happened after his was whipped, but he was later found dead on the road somewhere (sometime in January '93).

A few months later, the police arrested Fela and the two people that were alleged to have flogged the dead man and charged them to court for murder. Fela alleged that he was not guilty of murder and that the real reason he was actually arrested for political reasons.

Femi Falana yesterday narrated part of what happened during the trial (he didn't mention Fela's name until he had almost finished the story).

Mr Falana said that usually, when he wants to plead for bail for his client, he would tell the judge that his client has "no criminal record", but it was well known that this particular client had a criminal record, so he told the judge that his client had a "good criminal record".

Anyway, he was able to get bail for Fela and one of his boys, but he couldn't secure bail for the other boy because he couldn't get a good and responsible surety for him.

He said that his client was always on his case, saying, "You say you be human right lawyer, but my boy don dey for prison since". He said that he would always assure the client that he would get the boy freed.

Then Femi Falana had to travel for a conference and the client approached one of the lawyers in his chamber, "This your oga, I noo know wetin e dey do. See my boy don dey for Kirikiri since. Come, make I tell you wetin we go do". So they got another one of the client's boys and dressed him in a suit and took him to court to stand surety.

The judge asked the surety for his name and the surety told him his name. He then asked the surety for his occupation and he told the judge that he sells ogogoro (the lawyer was shocked by this answer). The judge then had a clue of what was happening. So he asked the surety if he sells indian hemp. The surety said that he doesn't know what that is, so the judge asked him if he sells igbo and he replied, "I dey try sah".

At this point the judge was furious and threatened to detain both the lawyer and the guy. The lawyer had to do everything possible to placate the judge.

When they left the court, the lawyer angrily asked the boy, "How could you say that you sell igbo?" And the boy said, "Fela say make we no dey lie",

Caveatemptor:
The real story is that Fela was on Decca label owned by Abiola. There was an argument over record sales and royalties, so Fela and his 27 queens and all his band boys headed for Decca records and illegally occupied the place for days until they were ejected by the police. Fela then hired some night soilsmen called agbepoo to go and dump buckets of poo poo(shit) in front of Abiolas house over night such that the occupants could not exit the house in the morning.
Seun should get his facts right please.

I remember this case very well, and even if I had forgotten I would have been reminded yesterday when Femi Falana spoke about it when he appeared before the Lagos State House of Assembly. It's not that Seun is wrong, but he has mixed up two incidents (1) the shit incident that occurred in the 1970s and (2) the murder incident that occurred in 1993.

Caveatemptor:
The real story is that Fela was on Decca label owned by Abiola. There was an argument over record sales and royalties, so Fela and his 27 queens and all his band boys headed for Decca records and illegally occupied the place for days until they were ejected by the police. Fela then hired some night soilsmen called agbepoo to go and dump buckets of poo poo(shit) in front of Abiolas house over night such that the occupants could not exit the house in the morning.
Seun should get his facts right please.

+100%

He also had issues with his record company in the late '80s and threatened to detain the CEO of the company at the Shrine.

RIP

truthspeaks:
Rip officer

Who died?

Stolen:
Northerners have no conscience, how do dey even sleep at Night.

They are already over represented in all arms of government and still taking allocation due to other contributors to Nigeria.


Aisha host former first ladies and dey are all Northerners but yet North must produce the next president after the North president. Very Poor indeed!

Mrs Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi (on Mrs Buhari's right) and Mrs Ekwueme are northerners?

naniawini:
D guy sef na FOOL. Must he bring it on social media? Una get time sef








*modified* wu does he tink he is? Obama son Gerraaahhhia mehn

UyiIredia:
The guy na buff guy. But wait o, shey im be the son of Shehu Shagari.

He is the grandson of President Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari (President of Nigeria 1979-1983).