First Gentleman with Wilson Orhiunu
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Young Nigerian entrepreneurs sometimes wonder which areas of business they should go into. Wise heads sit them down and ask them to “solve a problem”. Their next question is “what are the problems?” Next they embark on a book reading journey that goes in a giant circle that leads to the original starting point. Attempts to re-invent the wheel are usually unfulfilling voyages into orbit that bring activity with no progress.
The thesis about the problems has been written already and it is entitled – ‘Original Sufferhead’ by Fela Anikulapo Kuti. In that 1981 musical release, he highlights the four problem areas African entrepreneurs should solve – water, light (energy) food and house – but it appears only Aliko Dangote listened to the lecture. He has Mowa bottled water solving the thirst problem. Light and energy will be addressed by his refinery when it opens. Dangote Flour mill covers food and the cement factory covers the housing sector.
A sufferhead is someone who always manages to wrestle suffering out of the jaws of enjoyment. This is someone who receives all the possible elements required for pleasure and still manages to create great suffering. Original sufferhead is a state in which the sufferhead incredulously suffers when he swims in the actual thing he is lacking. Being thirsty on an island or being poor while living on land that lies above huge gas and oil reserves are prime examples.
If you dey Africa
You go know plenty
(I go no know wetin?)
About water, light, food and house
Although the song ‘Original Sufferhead’ was meant to be a protest song that highlights the plights of everyday Nigerians who have no stable electricity despite the many hours of sunlight that beats down on them, or the Lagosian surrounded by rivers, lagoons and the great Atlantic Ocean but still do not have running water. Arable land and no food and a huge population but limited housing (living 10 10 in one room). It is a sad description of life but it is an entrepreneurs dream.
Long before TED Lectures had been invented, Fela gave a breakdown of the absurdity of having a water scarcity next to the sea, the tragedy of having energy that cannot be harnessed, a huge population that cannot be galvanised into farming to meet Nigeria’s requirements (and even if we get a bumper harvest we have not the energy supply to refrigerate food) and the overcrowding of family homes in our cities. Homes are not built by government despite an exploding population. Anyone who does not know about water, light food and house is told in the song, na im bi say you no dey for Africa be dat.
So how did a nation not take heed of this great Ted Lecture? Perhaps the lecturer was too charismatic and the people got carried away with his unique style and forgot to reflect on the weightier substance of the music.
I wouldn’t blame them too much though. In 1981 when the song was released, part of the stage act was to have a selection of brightly and scantily clad ladies gyrate on stage in time with the music with beads on their waists. If that format of instruction had been introduced in my medical school i.e. girls with waists powered by Ferrari engines vibrating while our professors taught us, we would have had 100% attendance, but the pass rate would have been zero. Those babes were counterproductive to learning but for some reasons unknown to me Dangote understood the elucidated problems. He must have the focus of that man of steel; Superman.
Water
E no dey
Problem
E yen dey
Dem come turn us to Sufferhead o
Original sufferhead
It’s time for Jefahead o
Original Jefahead
It is not too late. These four problems areas can be attacked and solutions extracted from the thin sweat African air.
The song ends in an optimistic spirit.
Jefahead was introduced as a concept. Now this is the exact opposite of sufferhead. A jefahead is one who wakes up to abundance. He has clean water, renewable sources of energy, eats beautiful food and spent last night in world class housing. The transition from original sufferhead to jefahead is the ultimate transformation. Fela says we must be ready to fight for it.
The politicians perhaps listened to the song. They side stepped the provision of water, light, food and housing but saw a gem towards the end of the song. The promise of jefahead to suffering masses is pure music to the ears and gladness to their hearts.
With no agenda or roadmap to solve these four major problems politician used still used the slogan -Original suffer head to jefahead. Well not in those exact words dey to copyright problems but words the conjured up the same ideals were fabricated; transformation agenda and Abracadabra CHANGE. It was a promise and like all electoral promises in Nigeria a few months down the road, when you ask the politician about fulfilling his promises, na one answer you go get.
“Electorate! Somebori cannot even play with you again? Is that how you used to do?
“Your original sufferhead continues”.
