Beween Awe and Soyinka
By
I had just read a two-part serial on "Soyinka, Christianity and the Pyrates" by Professor Olumuyiwa Awe, Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of Ibadan and President, Fullness of Christ Evangelical Ministry.
Have you met Professor Awe before? The man is tall, big, friendly, kind and a gentleman to the core. He is the type you would describe as "a gentle giant who can not hurt a fly" what about Professor Wole Soyinka? Ah! I am sure you know him very well; a poet, playwright Nobel Laureate human rights activist and many more. I have often wondered how two persons with such different characteristics could be so closely related for over half a century!
My admiration for Prof. Soyinka started sometime in 1964 or thereabout when he stormed Radio Nigeria Studio at Ibadan and ordered the duty announcer at gun point to play a cassette tape containing his prepared political speech For close to ten years after this episode, I tried to be a part of the crowd where Prof. Soyinka was: Mbari Arthouse at Adamasingba in Ibadan; at the shooting of Kongi's Harvest; at campuses of universities of Ife and Ibadan.
Each time I had the opportunity of meeting him face to face, it was always "Good morning or good afternoon sir" - You know the servile attitude of an incurable hero worshipper. What I received in response to my greetings was a wave of hand until sometime in 1976 when I met Prof. Soyinka on Breadfruit Street, Lagos and he stopped to greet me! We chatted for a minute or so. When I left I became an instant celebrity. "Where did you know Soyinka? Is he your relation? Were you his student? Did you study dramatic Arts?" To all these barrage of questions was my terse response. "He is my friend" "Soyinka your friend? You must be joking" said a colleague incredulously. Came a second barrage of questions: What did he say? What did you tell him? "I just asked after Sisi Laide". Who is Sisi Laide? "His wife" You know his wife too? Is he married? "Of course he is married".
Prof. Awe took over from Prof. G. Parfit as the Academic and Administrative Head of Physics Department of the University of Ibadan around 1969. He was not the type that would stand at the gate to catch late comers or issue queries to late comers. He probably was tough on Academic Staff - his primary constituency. He was soft and kind on non-academic staff of which I was a member. I later tasted his awesome brilliance when, as a first year student of Physics I offered a course in Thermodynamics which Prof. Awe taught. I failed the subject and had to repeat it the following semester. I did not attend the first lecture because I thought ignorantly, that it would be a repetition of the last semester. When I finally attended the second lecture I was amazed at the ground already covered.
The diagrams were different; the questions were different; derivation of formula from first principle was refreshingly different. The questions were no longer textbook type but application of theoretical knowledge to everyday physics. And here is where students of whatever hue come away from the helm; application of theoretical knowledge to everyday situation. It was sheer hard work that earned me a pass. A hint that Prof. Awe might be a Pyrate came to the fore sometime in 1972. Pyrates in their usual manner sent notice of their intended "SAIL" to all notice boards on the campus; a warning that other students should stay indoors at the small hours in the morning when their "sailing" would start. To the uninitiated, "sailing" means smoking, boozing and dancing round the campus singing the most profane songs that can make the most lurid ears twitch!.
A student defied their warning and stayed in a classroom to read till around 2. am. when he left only to confront a few Pyrates. A fight ensued and the student a six-footer was "leading on points" as they say in boxing when more pyrates emerged on the scene and gave this student a beating of his life and chased him to his Hall of residence. They did not stop there, they brought the door down. If the same scenario play itself out today the student would have been dismembered. The following morning Prof. Awe emerged at the hall of residence where the commotion took place. He surveyed the scene and ordered the repairs of the door and probably paid for the repairs from his pocket. The action put paid to all rumours or speculations that Prof. was or was not a pyrate. Quite a lot has been written why and how University Clubs have been turned to murderous gangs in complete contrast to the ideals of their founding fathers.
Pyrates was formed according to history, to fight colonial mentality among other laudable ideals. If Pyrates confraternity were a cult, the University of Ibadan authority would not have asked the club (I regard it as club) to provide security during the University 21st Anniversary. Eiye confraternity was formed, according to its founding father at the University of Ibadan in 1972 or thereabout to preserve Yoruba culture as regards the traditional ways of healing, and making things happen spiritually. It was the opinion of its founding father that being a graduate should not prevent a Yoruba man from "talking" to "ogere a fi oko yeri" (mother earth) to spew forth water with fish swimming in it even in the desert or to talk to a dying child to come back to life by talking to it through its ears. Or by performing the duty of a midwife where there is no maternity by "talking" to the recalcitrant baby to come out to the world and spare the life of its mother. We are all aware of what these clubs have become today.
Back to Profs Awe and Soyinka. From Prof. Awe's contribution in the Guardian, it now seems as if things have fallen apart between these great sons of Nigeria a pride to the country and the world at large. While Professor Soyinka is a literary giant Professor Awe is a renown Professor of Physics with specialisation in ionospheric Physics i.e. propagation of Radio Waves through different layers of atmosphere at different times of the day and night.
For those of us who have followed these great men with keen interest and admiration for close to four decades, we see this disagreement as most unfortunate. On the other hand Christians among us can shout "Alleluya Meje" that Oga as Prof. Awe was fondly called in the Physics department during our time has now founded a Ministry to win souls for Christ. As he must have discovered, his little misunderstanding between him and his life-long friend on account of his Ministry, I think, is small compared to spiritual challenges he is facing, will be facing, for the rest of his life.
As most Christians will tell you, it is very easy to be a member of the flock than to be a shepherd. While members of the flock need only to stay away from sins, pray, fast, = be humble for God to hear their prayers, the Shepherd is expected to do more as he will tempted, attacked by various forces physically and spiritually, so he has to be absolutely clean at all times. To Prof. Awe, here then, is a prayer: May the Good Lord you have chosen to worship hear your prayers. (Amen).
June 2003