Old Lagos comes alive as cultural values take centre stage at symposium

It was meant to be an evening of book reading, a special session, organised by the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA) to deepen relationship between nationals of the two countries and rev up their cultural values.

Tagged, ‘An Evening with the Storyteller Olola Olabode Ogunlana’, the intention of the event, according to the President of the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA), Mr. Shola Tinubu, was to bring the crème de la crème of  the two nations and  culture enthusiasts together, particularly of South West, Nigeria.

The guests, comprising members of the association, prominent individuals from the nation’s business circle, such as the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Babatunde Ruwase and others were to listen to extracts from Pa Ogunlana’s collection of books, which include, ‘Out of The black Pot’, ‘Selected Tales’, ‘Yoruba Love Stories’ and ‘The Quest for The Rare Leaf’.

Interestingly, the collection, on parade, depicted the author’s writing prowess and his experiences, over the last few decades. According to the N-BA president, the evening would also be used to go down memory lane, as far as the nation’s history was concerned.

According to him, the theme was to explore the nation’s colonial era and the legacies left behind by the colonial masters, through story telling.

“Storytelling is an integral part of many cultures around the world and an even peculiar one in Africa. I say it is the fine blend of history and the premonitions of the future; all wrapped up in the aesthetics of words and vivid imagery.

“Stories are universal in that they can bridge cultural, linguistic and age-related divides, globally; and can likewise be used as a method to teach ethics, values and cultural norms and differences.

“It is only the story that can continue beyond the war and the warrior. It is the story that outlives the sound of war-drums and the exploits of brave fighters. It is the story that saves our progeny from blundering like blind beggars,” Tinubu had stated, in his welcome address.

While commending the organisers for putting the event together, the author, Olola Olabode Ogunlana, believed the thematic thrusts of the evening, woven around the legacies of the nation’s colonial masters was rather apt.

The audience was thrown into frenzy when the author described himself as one of the ‘leftovers’ of the British rule.

“I’m surprised that everybody is busy talking and looking for left-overs of our colonial masters, when I’m here. Let me quickly say I’m one of the leftovers of the British rule,” the author stated.

Pa Ogunlana argued that British rule had its positives in the life of the nation, arguing that there were some deliberate falsehoods being peddled, especially by the nation’s leadership, with the aim of distorting history.

“It depends on who is talking about the British leftovers in the country. If we are to follow the language of the politicians, we will say the British came, pillaged the whole place and left us empty.

“But the fact remains that the British left some legacies behind after 1960.  For instance, they left the best trained armed forces in the whole of Africa, in Nigeria. Even the nation’s civil service was rated the best in Africa after Britain’s exploits in Nigeria. Besides I’m also an example of the legacies that the British left. We were trained in those days, and we had our opportunities,” he stated.

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Taking his time to delve into the history of Lagos and how some of the city’s street names were derived, the author stated that it has become imperative for such history to be put in proper perspective, especially for the younger ones.

According to him, the popular Apongbon, on Lagos Island, derived its name from the advent of a white man, with a brownish beard, who was a cigarette merchant in the area, then.

“The white man sold all sorts of cigarettes, and you were sure in those days that you were going to get your choice as a smoker on getting to his store. So the word Apongbon simply means the man with a red beard (apon  lagbon).

“Besides, Lagos was the place to be, then, because of its serenity and beauty. And as a student then, we were told, by the uninformed that the white men were only using their culture to brainwash us and that they were not actually sincere about giving us quality education, but we know better today,” the author stated.

He berated today’s set of leadership for not giving due recognition to history, as a subject in the school’s curriculum, noting that such would only compound the myriad of challenges presently facing the country.

It was also an evening of poetry. Adebola Afolabi, a young poet urged individuals present to always identify with the culture of the community they belong to, while attributing some of the challenges the society is facing to serious identity crisis, due to neglect of culture.