Last night my phone kept ringing. It was the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of our great University of Ibadan Alumni
I was at a session with some young artists, so I begged to call him back.
He called back very late and apologised for disturbing me but he had some confirmation he had to make
Sir Otitujo, legendary media Man, former Commissioner of Information in Ekiti state, fmr Arisetv pundit, media personality, former Chairman Lekki Phase I Estate and an iconic fellow, was about to celebrate his 70th.
I knew that already cos we had discussed that when he confirmed his support of the Ekiti Theatre Festival so this wasn’t news
Then the oga dropped the bomb. The Alumni is organising a series of events for him and a Birthday Seminar was one of them. Now wait for it
Sir Otitujo has insisted that you must be the one to deliver the keynote speech and that you can choose any topic of your choice to speak on.
I immediately jumped out of my sleep-induced lethargy – me? I screamed on the phone and he said yes, you.
Look my brother, are you serious, I asked and he said yes that they wanted to confirm my availability knowing how busy I can be
Now, my dear reader, let me dimension this thing for you.
The University of Ibadan is close to 100 years old if not more making its Alumni very deep and expansive
Its membership pulls in such massive personalities who are making waves both internationally and locally.
The Lagos chapter is said to be one of the most prominent, with members playing very critical roles in all sectors of the economy.
With such icons like Mrs Maiden Ibru Publisher of The Guardian Newspaper amongst other such heavyweights, you will now begin to see my amazement
I stood up to pee and came back on the phone
Sir, are you serious? I repeated and he said positive
Sir Otitujo is a prominent member of the Alumni, a past chairman with access to the high and mighty of which he could have just tapped on any of them or even the Governors of both Lagos and Ekiti where he is a man of timber and calibre
Instead, he came to little me.
Now I’m in a dilemma, what will I wear o. It’s not as much as what will I say
I dress gothic with no boundaries. I wear a leg chain and carry tattoos visibly all over my body and spot a gold earring that has made some people call me gay – you see my problem for this lagos. One small boy chats with me and says – Edgar, I’m assuming you are not straight. I say my brother, I straight past your papa.
So I would now adorn my latest skirt with a powerful white t-shirt and Asos Slippers and climb the podium to address one of the most conservative but deeply cerebral audiences I can have the misfortune of addressing
What will I even talk about? Sir Otitujo has given me a free hand
Will I talk about sex in old age, same sex marriage, Tinubu, alumni issues, ghosts, lopsided appointments or tell them about the day Area Fada wanted to beat me up?
My people, no matter how this goes, we will still celebrate a man who dared to plant Agbado in Lekki Phase 1.
Sir Otitujo is a different kind of Nigerian. An Ekiti man with stubborn principles. A man who still physically travels to Ekiti to personally pay his taxes, a passionate Nigerian and a powerful commentator
This for me is more than humbling and I really do appreciate this honour
Let me just say this, I do not know how the day will go, but what I know is that I will not wear underwear that day. Kai
Come and beat me
Duke of Shomolu