ecently many Nigerians read with dismay about the waning health of one of the nation's cultural icons, the Ozziddi King, Sunny Okosun. What the media reported as a very strange ailment that has drastically reduced the once buoyant and vibrant musician to a-near-skeleton was later diagnosed as cancer of the colon. Even medical neophytes who have witnessed and attended to the sick at various times know that cancer of whatever form is a very serious medical condition. Cancer of the colon is even worse: for such a patient, nothing matters. Food becomes nauseating, eating becomes a traumatic experience, and the patient is constantly at pains to do things that we all take for granted. No one should wish such traumatic experiences to his enemies, let-alone his loved ones. And this is precisely the reason why the current condition of Sunny Okosun should be of concern to all well-meaning Nigerians.
Sunny Okosun needs no introduction as a foremost Nigeria's cultural ambassador. He sang for the individual; he sang for the nation; he sang for the continent; he sang for the black peoples of the world, and he sang for a humankind that transcends racial affiliation. Sunny Okosun's music touched the soul, and constantly reminded us of our common humanity. For Okosun, there is no Negroid, Caucasian, or mongolese race. "What we have", he says, "is the human race". Okosun's functionalist aesthetics was deployed by the Nigerian government to lubricate and penetrate the hearts of Nigerians at a time when it was necessary to persuade our people to pay what was then called "Apartheid tax" as a way of combating the racial inhumanities in Southern Africa. Nigeria eventually spent the whopping sum of sixty-two billion dollars (U$D 62 bn) to secure the freedom of our relatives in Southern Africa. But no amount is too big to be spent when it comes to the liberty of humankind. Okosun sang against apartheid, against Hitler's Nazism, against war, against man's inhumanity to fellowmen. He sang of love, he sang of motherhood and the love of children. Okosun reminded us of divine presence and even as early as the 1970s he had appealed to the almighty to lift him up. Such is the arduous task of selfless cultural ambassadors who have continued to labour so hard to stabilise the larger population of our people in the midst of apparent political 'earthquakes' often deliberately inflicted on them by many of our leaders.
Even more: Okosun maintained a national presence. Born of Ishan parentage in the current Edo state, his accomplishments as a musician far supersede any tribal definition. He sang in English, Ishan, Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba languages. Okosun spoke fluent Igbo, in fact better than many Igbo that I have met at home and abroad. He grew up in Enugu and for many years shared a flat with the other cultural symbol of our nation, Pete Edochie, who has carved for himself an enviable space in Nollywood. As a divine messenger, he reminded the Igbo and the rest of Nigerians that our God is supreme: "Zigara ha ozi. Gwa ha na Chi anyi ka nma". When it was necessary to mobilise the Nigerian nation once again through MAMSER, the Federal Government of Nigeria quickly remembered Sunny Okosun, and sought his services through the then director of MAMSER, Prof Jerry Gana. Okosun has served Nigeria in many such moments of national emergency by using his chosen profession to the service of humanity and the nation. Why is it necessary to highlight these few aspects of Sunny Okosun's life?
Simply: it is imperative to do so because we seem to be living in a new Nigeria where no one cares. It was never in our character to remain blind to the sufferings of our neighbours; it was never in our character to turn blind eyes to the agonies of our foes, let-alone our loved ones. We are a very caring people as a nation, and as individuals. Nigeria is known to have paid the salary of the entire civil service of Trinidad and Tobago for a whole year in the '70s. Nigeria was in Liberia, Sierra Leone, DRC, Burundi and Rwanda, where we spent billions of dollars to restore peace in other parts of the continent. Nigeria was in Asia after the Tsunami of December 2005. These are all noble engagements and we all feel proud that our nation maintained impressive presence in these countries.
When Prof Chinua Achebe was involved in a serious motor accident in 1990, the government of Anambra state quickly intervened and flew him to a London hospital due to the nature of the injury: the world has continued to benefit from that timely intervention as Achebe's presence continues to affect the world in a very positive way. Recently we lost two other cultural icons: Cyprian Ekwensi and Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe. The Anambra state government under the leadership of Mr Peter Obi immediately demonstrated a rare presence of mind by undertaking to finance their burial expenses. In Imo state, it was a sad story: Claude Eke of 'The New Masquerade' fame (Chief Jegede Shokoya) died unnoticed. Not even the Imo state's commissioner for Information and Culture attended his burial. Prof Ezenwa Ohaeto, perhaps the best known poetic voice from East of the Niger since Christopher Okigbo, died in Britain and his remains was almost abandoned abroad when we had Achike Udenwa presiding over the affairs of the state. In South Africa, we have watched with interest as Chalize Therone, the Hollywood actress, was hosted by both President Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela for making South Africans "proud"; we watched as the Federal Minister of Arts and Culture, Paulo Jordan, almost presided over affairs at the burial of Gibson Kente. Nearly every writer, actor, actress, singer etc who leaves the scene is mourned and their achievements celebrated by the central government. The list is impressive: Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube, Gibson Kente, Ashley Callie, to mention just a few. Looking at these developments, one is challenged to keep asking the question: "what is the problem with Nigeria?"
Sunny Okosun is only sick. He is not dead yet. Individuals in Nigeria, as well as the state and central governments could still help him. The painful questions he asked a few weeks ago while on his way to the United States of America were: "Where are all my friends? Where are all the governors and political leaders that always wanted to install red carpets for me when they needed my service?" The only other question that could be asked is: "where were Nigerians during Sunny Okosun's most painful moment in life?" As Achebe would always say: "It is morning yet on creation day". As I write this piece, the images of Mr Okosun keep flashing in my face as I remember him when we both boarded the same plane from Doula airport in Cameroon during a trip to Nigeria in late June 2005. The Edo state government cannot claim ignorance of Mr Okosun's ailment. So also are all the states governments of the federation, including the governments of Delta, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Benue, Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kaduna, and Aso Rock. Mr Okosun is too important a Nigerian cultural ambassador to be ignored at his moment of agony. All Nigerians should be concerned about the speedy recovery of this very energetic son of our nation who has served man, nation, and God towards the restoration of a sane world. The Nigerian government should, without delay, take on the responsibility of providing the needed financial and moral support to this cultural icon of the nation. Yes: "It is not in our character to be uncaring". But then, we have heard enough of the sloganeering. This is the time to demonstrate it.
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