Adieu, Kole Omotoso

RECENTLY, news of the demise of the Akure, Ondo State-born writer, novelist and social critic, Bankole Ajibabi Omotoso, was announced by his family. The renowned writer, 80, passed on in Johannesburg, South Africa, following an illness, and the literary world will now be left without the presence of a most notable and distinguished  member of the clan. Naturally, tributes are being paid to the memory of the great writer by members of the political and literary establishments. For instance, expressing sadness over the passing of the celebrated author and literary scholar, President Bola Tinubu described his demise as a big loss to Nigeria, Africa and the literary world. Noting that Omotoso was a literary giant  reputed for his commitment and dedication to the sociopolitical reappraisal of Africa, Tinubu averred that respect for human dignity was evident in most of his works.

He said: “Professor Omotoso’s books and collections of short stories radiated beyond the shores of Nigeria. Africa was his oasis. Most of his works harped on Africa’s renaissance and for the continent to win back its lost glory. Professor Omotoso infused his commitment and dedication to sociopolitical regeneration of Africa and respect for human dignity into most of his literary works and seminal interventions, which is why he had such a huge following in Africa and impacted many. It is worthy of note that Professor Omotoso’s background greatly influenced his works. He grew up during the rising tide of radical nationalism and was enamoured by the potential that lay in the future of his country and Africa.” On his part, a former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr Wale Okediran, who recalled memorable encounters with the “distinguished short story writer, novelist, dramatist, critic, actor, biographer, founding General Secretary and a former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA),” said he was “the sort of wordsmith that many writers would love to emulate,” as “his writing was often so transcendent it might take flight from the page at any moment, buoyed by the profound goodness, honesty, and beauty he possessed.”

Malam Denja Abdullahi, another former ANA president, said Omotoso was an iconic and experimental writer, adding that his epochal book, Just Before Dawn, an admixture of facts and fiction and the first its first of its kind in Nigerian literature, marked a watershed. He added: “Omotoso was one who would stand for personal, literary and intellectual integrity. He was genial, accessible and down-to-earth. He had no airs about him and from his look and penetrating eyes, you would know he was wizened. He was a committed writer with deep concern for the society. It was a pity he had to depart Nigeria later in life to live elsewhere, but he was always making frequent forays to connect back home.”

Omotoso was born in Akure, now in Ondo State, on April 21,1943. He  was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents following his father’s demise. He attended both Oyemekun and Kings College, Lagos, for his secondary education and went on to study French and Arabic studies at the University of Ibadan, but would later become a professor of English at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, although he later switched to a professorship in the Drama Department at Stellenbosch University. Understandably, his father’s death took a toll on him as a budding writer. He was also constrained by the Nigerian military regimes to share his adulthood between Nigeria and South Africa. In 1988, after the publication of his faction, Just Before Dawn, an unraveling of Nigeria’s evolution as a country, its trajectory and the principal architects of its prevalent conundrum, it became obvious that he had stepped on the sore toes of the Nigerian establishment. He had to look elsewhere, as the atmosphere at home had become quite hostile.

In fact, he eventually became a citizen of South Africa where he flourished until the end of his voyage. It can be safely asserted that South Africa provided a home away from home. He became a folk hero as he modelled for many notable products and services and, as a matter of fact, President Nelson Mandela of blessed memory once quipped that he (Omotoso) was more popular than he was. The late Omotoso was the YeboGogo man, the face of a popular brand in South Africa. Indeed, Omotoso was critical to the establishment of the massively popular and highly successful brand, Big Brother Africa. His notable works include The Combat, Achebe or Soyinka, The Edifice and Season of Migration to the South, among others. He published widely across genres. As a dramatist, he wrote and directed a memorable play during the re-election festivities of Dr Olusegun Mimiko as governor of Ondo State. Although a transnational citizen, Omotoso never let go of his roots: he was often on hand to mentor young writers and literary enthusiasts in his native Akure.

In form and content, Omotoso left indelible marks of relevance on the African  continent. He will be sorely missed by the literary world and the common humanity alike.  Adieu, ‘Kole Omotoso!