STEPHEN KESHI: A Minuscule Tribute

By Omoseye Bolaji

Yes, it still seems incredible, but the fact is Stephen Keshi has departed this world after indelible, glittering contributions to Nigerian and African football. And more.

The footballing world  these days knows much more about Keshi the Coach, not the player. And  those of us who have fond memories of Keshi strutting his stuff on the field of play - amidst other glimpses of this scintillating personality - feel that we should reminisce un peu about the past.

Keshi, always charming and confident, always had greatness thrust upon him. How else do we explain that some of his erstwhile colleagues on the field of play - like his fellow central defender, the superb Sunday Eboigbe - have been forgotten, whilst Keshi's stature remains evergreen and lustrous?    

Hark back to Keshi decades ago holding the fort for Nigeria at the back, directing, organising; even lubricating the attack intermittently...as he did so splendidly during the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1984 when Nigeria garnered the silver medal so unexpectedly...what a fine young team that was!!

Keshi and some other Nigerian stars however were thereafter banned by the powers that be, and he in particular found himself moving onto Ivory Coast to ply his trade. That was over 30 years ago. It was the making of the Keshi the world knows and mourns now, as he became more cosmopolitan, learned other languages and went on to do very well in Belgium as a prized footballer.  

All this would rub off positively on the national team, and the increasing number of young Nigerian footballers who regarded Keshi as the icon he already was even then, and who would also have the confidence to try their luck in European football. And Nigerian football continued to be enriched, thanks to The Big Boss.   

Keshi was now at his peak as a footballer, in the late 80s and early 90s, scoring more and more fantastic goals for the Super Eagles with blistering shots; as he did against Angola in 1989 during the World Cup qualifying games.  

And against Cameroon that same year (same qualifying campaign) Keshi repeated the trick, hitting a superb shot and goal. I was inside the stadium that day in Ibadan (then Adamasingba stadium) and saw a thrilling Eagles side, brimming with the talents of the likes of Etim Esin, Siasia, Owubokiri...and Keshi of course held it all together. Tragic that such a fine team did not make it to the 1990 World Cup finals.

But at least Keshi - though aging by 1994 - would realise a life ambition of making it to a World Cup finals. He was still skipper, captain, motivator and leader, even if he did not play much in America that year. By this time, he had inspired so many African players to move onto professional European football that even before he became a Coach, his contributions were already carved in gold.

Keshi was always a born leader, as Coaches from Adegboye Onigbinde to Clemens Westerhof were quick to perceive, utilize and benefit from. He was also a born winner who nevertheless was never a "ruffian" on the field of play. He was exemplary, charismatic, ebullient and strikingly fluent on the field.   

And talking of fluency, Keshi was so proficient with languages. Many years ago I was surprised when he spoke Yoruba with me in Lagos (at an event); then of course he was so dexterous in French that you wondered whether it was his Mother tongue! What a man!    

His feats as a Coach are well known - for Togo (who could ever have imagined Togo qualifying for World Cup finals!?); for Mali, and for Nigeria. Yes we all know he won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player/captain; and then as Coach later on. But Keshi was much more than this. A quintessential legend. R.I.P, Big Boss.

'COGNOSCENTI'. By Omoseye Bolaji

'Cognoscenti', the new book written by Omoseye Bolaji, will be formally published and launched in January 2016, publishers have confirmed.  

Although Bolaji is largely acknowledged as a profound writer of fiction, this new work focuses on appreciation of African literature in general. As part of the blurb states, "here Bolaji further focuses on highlighting more African writers and their literary work".  

A breakdown of the book is as follows:

- Introduction by Henry Ozogula.  

- Flaxman Qoopane at 60. 

- Review of Tell Freedom (by Peter Abrahams).

- Review of Adventures of Souza (by Kola Onadipe). 

- Review of The Instrument (by Victor Thorpe).   

- Review of Kurunmi (by Ola Rotimi).  

- Review of The Wanderers (by Es'kia Mphahlele).

- Review of The African Witch (by Joyce Cary).  

- Review of Onitsha Market Literature. 

-  Review of Jagua Nana's Daughter (by Cyprian Ekwensi).

- Review of Because of Women (by Mbella Sonne Dipoko).

- Review of The Voice (by Gabriel Okara).

-  Review of Afrika my Music (by Es'kia Mphahlele).       

- Review of Why are we so Blest? (By Ayi Kwei Armah)  

- Literary profiles of Mandla Langa, Chukwuemeka Ike, and Gomolemo Mokae. 

- "Oiling the wheels of literary fecundity".    

- Introduction to the work, Let's Take a Walk, Mama. 

- The literary work of Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga (an overview)

GLIMPSES INTO AFRICAN LITERATURE (2015)

Book: Glimpses into African Literature
Edited by Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga
Published by Eselby Jnr Publications (South Africa)
Reviewer: Henry Ozogula

 

Let us admit it: this book is a very fine introduction to African literature in general; with a title that is both apt and concise.

What would probably impress the reader most is that the literature - or literatures - described here covers the whole continent. The editor is a South African, and we do have essays on South African writers like Njabulo Ndebele, Pule Lebuso, Don Mattera, Mbulelo Mzamane, Peter Abrahams, Flaxman Qoopane among others. 

But there are many other essays covering writers/and/or their books from east Africa (Grace Ogot and Okot p'bitek). From central Africa Mbella Sonne Dipoko is featured; the late Assia Djebar from north Africa is profiled in this work too.  

West Africa has always been vibrant in literature, and here we have essays on the likes of Ola Rotimi and Amos Tutuola,(both Nigerians) Asare Konadu,(Ghana), Camara Laye (Guinea); and there is an interesting essay on Omoseye Bolaji written by Tiisetso Thiba.

Omoseye Bolaji himself contributes four essays to this work. He writes about the late Mbulelo Mzamane in nostalgic fashion; and his book review brings Asare Konadu's well-known novel, A Woman in her prime, to life.

Bolaji also writes about the astonishing pioneering South African writer, Peter Abrahams, who has inspired many African writers over the decades; and in a clever cosmopolitan essay, Bolaji takes a look at criticism in general, with some focus on the early African literary critic, Eustace Palmer of Sierra Leone.            

The essays in this work are generally short and very readable. And informative. It is astounding how even the shortest essays here introduce and encourage us to read other works. The essay on Mbella Sonne Dipoko (Cameroonian writer) for example makes references to other writers like Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Wole Soyinka, and Naiwu Osahon.

Mr Ishmael Soqaga the editor of this work contributes six essays (plus the Introduction) - he continues to showcase his love for African literature. This book is certainly a must for anybody interested in African writing over the decades.

                                                    EDITOR.... Soqaga (above)

                                                         

FAR UP! FAR OUT! FAR MORE!

By Omoseye Bolaji

Very interesting comments here. It would appear that there is nothing else to say. But what about the new book itself which I initially read in electronic form?     

I would like to approach the book in apparent sections, though there is no such formal distinction in the work itself; so my approach is personal. For those who have come to expect the unexpected, or a measure of twists and turns in Bolaji's writing, the following chapters would stand out: The Termagant, The Shocker, Lucy, The Library. 

Some humour runs through a great deal of the short pieces here, probably moreso in the following: Keeping abreast of things, The bizarre episode, What is this, The Taxi, and The Termagant.       

As regards sports, at least two of the chapters focus on this: The fervour of the hordes; and Reminiscences of a sportsman. The latter obviously contains an account from an ex-footballer of some substance who touches on some aspects of the game that would not occur to the ordinary fan.  

The chapter or story, Oloolu, stands out for its sustained tension and suspense. It is dramatic, terse, vivid, and I dare say frightening. It involves the old ancestral masquerades of west Africa, which Bolaji incidentally touched on in his book, Thoughts on Free State Writing (2002)

One would expect occasional solid references to literature in this work, though in the main it is actually limited. The author's tribute to the magnificent writer, Wole Soyinka is the major article in this wise; though there are many other literary allusions in chapters like, A Man of the People, The Man Died, The Library, and even in Oloolu.

       

The scholar, Achal Prabhala has contended that in real life there are glimpses of the "Misanthrope" in Bolaji himself. (He correlates this with his impressions of the novel, People of the Townships - by Bolaji). As this new work is clearly very personal by the author, any traces of this alleged misanthrophy?   *Above, artist s impression of Bolaji.
  

It appears so - especially in the chapter titled The lugubrious one which is apparently wrapped in gloom and negativity. We are not really prepared for the presentation of the protagonist as a "very sad person" especially as he confirms this himself in the narrative!

Yet I suspect that this might well be another example of the author's occasional feigned naivete - which is hinted at again in chapters like The Shocker, and Merry Xmas a la Shoprite. 

I commend Mr Bolaji for this new trolley of his never-ending creativity. There is a lot to learn from this work, with a few chuckles along the way.

* Review by Raphael Mokoena 
Reproduced by kind permission of kagablog great art daily

Omoseye Bolaji - Unflagging Literary Icon

By Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga

Excerpts of his speech here:

Excuse my use of cliches, but this is indeed an auspicious occasion - as we not only celebrate this special birthday of Mr Omoseye Bolaji, but we also launch his new book, Far Up! Far Out! Far More! (See image below) Bolaji has published dozens of books, and we can no longer keep count!

For many years till date many people who are ardent lovers of literature have candidly admitted that Omoseye Bolaji is a great African writer who invariably fascinates the world with his literary prowess. Significantly and simultaneously his literary work has not only been enjoyed solely for the purpose of reading but however it has been imperatively studied by some literary aficionados and other important institutions.

Habitually, the most famous work ever published by Bolaji is the popular Tebogo Mystery series.  Briefly Mr Raphael Mokoena in the book “Tebogo In The Thick of Things” (Introduction) accentuates the fact that Omoseye Bolaji and the African Detective genre is one of the most inspiring, comprehensive yet terse.  This essay has now been translated into many international languages, including French and Spanish.

Equally important Omoseye Bolaji’s  flair for writing has been witnessed by his multi – skilled repertoire in creating so many piquant literary genres that include fictions, play, poems etc.   Glaringly, as many know Omoseye Bolaji is seriously passionate about literature since his childhood.  Apparently, in his literary autobiography My Life and Literature is conspicuously noticeable to understand that the protagonist is comprehensively attached to literature.

Moreover, it is important for me to state that Omoseye Bolaji originated from a country (Nigeria) where literature has been highly advanced for decades.  Nigeria over the years has produced many remarkable writers whose literary influence has contributed immensely in the world of letters.  Starting with Achebe (world famous for Things Fall Apart) and Wole Soyinka the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature – these are outstanding African writers. 

Nevertheless, Omoseye Bolaji though he originated from a country where literature is extremely thriving but his broad mind remains the pillar of strength in his overall impressive understanding of literature.  In fact it is generally conceded that his literary achievement although internationally recognized essentially blossomed in South Africa where he garnered so many delectable accolades.

Moreover, it is quite interesting to apprehend the fact that Omoseye Bolaji’s literary dexterity has earned him oodles of respect throughout the world.  Apparently, his splendid achievement and studies are explicitly glaring on the internet! On the whole, he is an extraordinary writer in Africa and the world. 

It is gripping and enthralling to see Omoseye Bolaji continuing to produce proliferating number of exhilarating books.  Definitely, while the memory of his more recent books – like  It couldn’t matter less, Kunle Apantaku (below) Tebogo In The Thick of Things (some might include Bolaji in His Pomp by Pule Lechesa) - is still vibrant and alluring in many people’s mind.  He has again just done it on his latest birthday, with the publication of his new book.

Nevertheless, it is profoundly arresting to find out that at this point in time he persists to delight the world with his unremitting writing.  The assiduous Omoseye Bolaji remains a symbol of inspiration to many people, patently he is a charismatic African writer.  In essence I would like to briefly compare him with the never-to-be-forgotten Ullil Beier.

Ulli Beier was a German Jewish editor, writer and scholar, who had a pioneering role in developing literature, drama, and poetry in Nigeria as well as literature, drama and poetry in Papua New Guinea.  Of course Omoseye Bolaji might have been influenced by Beier as he was one of the impressive teachers in Ibadan who was interested in Yoruba communities – but that was decades ago!.

Due to his subsequent anthropological work among the members of the clans that are native to these places, Beier was awarded Yoruba honorary Chieftaincy, a titular ilk that was also conferred on Bolaji.  Omoseye Bolaji has also been conferred with an African Chieftaincy by the Olubadan of Ibadanland in Nigeria, again for his contributions to African literature. Beier was pivotal in encouraging and publishing many first generation African writers. And how Bolaji has encouraged literature in general too!

In the meantime it is worth mentioning that the new book by prodigious Bolaji is being launched here as the icon celebrates his birthday on the 16 August.  As many mark his special day I must say his new book is a must-read book and it is fundamental to advance literature. The new book Far Up! Far Out! Far More! is dedicated to Petro Schonfeld and Obafemi Fasanmi (Esq). It is a super- duper, fantastic work of literature that whets the appetite...

Selected Bibliography of Bolaji

They Never Say When (1994)

Snippets (1998)

Fillets of Plaice (2000)

 Impossible Love (2000)

The ghostly Adversary (2001)

The Guillotine (2001)

Tebogo's spot of bother (2001)

Thoughts on Free State Writing (2002)

Tebogo Fails (2003)

People of the Townships (2003)

Ask Tebogo (2004)

The Subtle transgressor (2006)

Reverie (2006)

Poems from Mauritius (2007)

My life and Literature (2007)

Tebogo and the Haka (2008)

Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009)

Tebogo and the pantophagist (2010)

Miscellaneous Writings (2011)

Tebogo and the Bacchae (2012)

It Couldn't Matter Less (2013)

KUNLE APANTAKU (2013)

Tebogo in the thick of things (2013)

Far Up! Far Out! Far More! (2014)