SENATOR PAUL
ANJORIN OGUNDIPE: AN EXEMPLAR
Seye Adetunmbi
I have always had the thought to
formally write, no matter how brief about Baba, Paul Anjorin
Ogundipe. There couldn’t have been a better time than when his revered name
came up during deliberations in Ekitipanupo 2014. The apt interjection of my cousin,
Ajibola Ogundipe made me to go and dig out one of his photographs that I have
kept all this while and wrote this short piece in honor of the beautiful memory of
one the best breeds and finest gentlemen of early hardworking and educated men
of Ekiti extraction. Unequivocally, his name was among those few eminent Ekiti
indigenes that made Ekitipanupo Initiative Hall of Fame (EHF). It is gladdening that big brother Moyo Ogundipe his second
child and some his younger ones, my cousins Yetunde, Jibola, Bunmi, Tinuke,
Niran and his cousins were part of Ekitipanupo forum. One unique thing about
Senator Ogundipe was that his lifetime was and still a classical study in
persistence, diligence, uprightness, selflessness and academic brilliance which
was reproduced in the well turned out children of the great man.
Senator Paul
Anjorin Ogundipe 1911-1997
I am rather too young and small
to write about Baba, Chief P. A. Ogundipe a.k.a. Baba Senator as he was popularly
called because I can only recall events or bear witness essentially to some of
his activities after he has retired as a career teacher and school principal.
One of the few elites that aged gracefully, who made growing old attractive to
the younger generation of his time. Through the grace of God he sustained in
old age his sharp dressing, handsomeness, good heart and was very kind till the
end. The tall gentle statesman was humorous in his elements and quixotic in
generosity. As a matter of fact I recall those visits in company with my
parents and siblings to Ijesha Isu; the trunk of our car would be filled with
different kinds of fruits and other farm crops as gifts from Baba Senator’s
fertile garden in the backyard of his vast compound. Be it dry or wet season,
planting or harvesting period, something would accompany us back to Ifaki from
the house of Baba P. A. with my very caring aunt, Mrs Tale Ogundipe (nee
Adelusi, Ojo-Onilepanu of Ilupeju-Ekiti fame) in her evergreen natural elements
making every visit a memorable one. Senator Ogundipe was indeed rich in love
and a distinguished full-time farmer after retirement, 1973 to 1997.
L-R: Olu Ogundipe, Senator Ogundipe, Mama Oluwayemi Ogundipe & Moyo Ogundipe
Though he rode in the 1950s and
1960s Opel Cadet, Opel Capital and Opel Record WP 858, yet I cannot forget his
1974 one-in-town milk colour Peugeot 404 station wagon car, WP 5199 which
served him well into his life in retirement. The highly respected Baba Senator,
like most of his peers could not place their exact birth date, yet by putting
circumstances together he must have been born circa 1911 in Ijesha Isu–Ekiti.
Having access to a formal education in his growing-up days was tough which
caused him to attend schools in Aiyede, Ikole and Ado at different times based
on his life experiences shared with his children. Persistence and personal
effort made it possible for him to attain academic qualification up to his
desired level against all odds. When his early primary education got stuck in
the old Standard IV, he got wind of a quarantined teacher on a medical ground
who could provide further learning opportunity for him, he offered to stay with
the man as a domestic help at the risk of his health and other consequences,
all for education. The determined P. A. ultimately made his Standard VI and
taught in Igbara Odo, Igbara Oke and Ogotun-Ekiti axis for years. There were
limited options open to people of their time in terms of furthering education;
then you either become a catechist or a teacher. In line with what could suit
his natural disposition, he settled for teaching and got admission to the famous St
Andrew's College, Oyo where he trained as a teacher.
In the early 1950s, he attended
Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone where he graduated in English and Latin. This
must have been responsible for the so much delight in listening to Baba Senator
talked. He spoke in his natural gentleness, Queen’s English with a very unique
diction. Of course going for higher education at a relatively old age made some
of the students who passed through his tutelage to become his classmates at one
time or the other. He was already married and had two boys (big brothers Olu of
blessed memory and Moyo Ogundipe) which was a common thing among determined men
who won’t be deterred in their academic pursuits. After Fourah Bay, he taught
at Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti. He later became the first Principal of Ise-Emure
Grammar School 1957-1973.
He was the first Ekiti Province
member of the Federal House of Senate, 1959-1966 when the federal legislators
were then meeting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. For those who said there
was no honest politician, then, they never met Senator Paul Anjorin
Ogundipe. He did not only serve as Ekiti provincial senator at the federal
level while he was a school principal, he came back to his duty post as a
career teacher after his legislative duties. This is why some of us still
advocate for the review of the emoluments of the legislative arms of the
government to curtail the yearning of the wrong characters aspiring to the National Assembly (NASS) in the present day Nigeria and make it grossly
unattractive for the bulk of the present crop of legislators who are ready to
do all kind of things to go back to the NASS.
As a devout
Christian, his fear of God reflected in his relationship with people around
him, his community and devotion to the old Ekiti Anglican Diocese where he was an active member of the laity. He was disciplined and yet in his meekness he stood by
his honorable convictions with a strong commitment. Baba Senator was an
accomplished man by standard of his time which made him to be one of the
greatest teachers of all times and his reward was evident in his lifetime
exploits and continues in heaven to the grace of God. The exemplary
teacher and politician passed-on, on July 21, 1997 and his body was laid to
rest in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti on November 22 1997. Sweet is the memory of the righteous. Psalm 112
PRODIGIOUS AND CONSUMMATE ARTIST
MOYO OGUNDIPE
By
Seye Adetunmbi
Every family, community, nation and generation is often blessed with few gifted people in various human endeavours. Such talented gems are not limited to the academic, we have quite a number of outstanding naturally gifted sculptors like the ingenious Olowe of Ise-Ekiti for instance without any formal western education.
The exceptional cases are the few that are not only naturally gifted in their chosen passion of creative arts but combined with an extraordinary brilliance in academics. One of the very few prodigious genres in this category was ojogbon Moyosore Ogundipe. It would amount to an understatement to state that the precocious artist was among the best in the contemporary world in his rare field of painting. His out-of-this-world paintings manifest the depth of his awesome mental magnitude. His professional colleagues and art connoisseurs continue to attest to his excellent works that will compete favourably where such extraordinary imaginative creativity is appreciated. Brilliancy runs in Ogundipe dynasty of Ijesha Isu-Ekiti where his father was an exemplar and all his younger siblings and cousins have enviable records of distinct scholarship.
The renowned ojogbon Moyosoretoluwapesefunmi Ebenezer Ogundipe was born on March 10th, 1948 to the family of Senator Paul Anjorin Ogundipe (circa 1911-1997) of Ijesha Isu-Ekiti. His revered elder statesman father was the 1st Principal of Ise-Emure Grammar School 1957-1973 and the 1st Ekiti Province member of the Federal House of Senate 1959-1966. His mother was Mrs Esther Oluwayemi Oloniyo Ogundipe a native of Are-Ekiti who was related to the Ajibade family of Ado-Ekiti. His older uterine brother, was Engineer Olubiyi Olajide Ogundipe, an old student of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti with the school number 57/042. Quoting the words of Diane Von Furstenberg, “if you are a good person, the goodness will continue through your descendants”; Baba P.A. Ogundipe was an excellent man.
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| Moyo Ogundipe |
Education: Moyo Ogundipe was a product of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti; he got admission into form one in 1962 with the school number 62/045. He obtained Bachelors of Arts degree in Fine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (now Obafemi Awolowo University) 1969-1972, certificate in TV production from BBC Television School, UK in 1976 and a MFA Studio Art, Hoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, USA 199-2001. He also attended Syracuse University in New York City where he studied Film Making specializing in Animation. This was where he met one of the world famous film makers, Spike Lee. The foundation of his celebrated art work today was laid in Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti where he was exposed to formal teaching in fine art. The subject was introduced and started by a 22 years old Miss Anne DeSimone in 1963. Though the students had the concept of drawing, they impressively picked up quickly on the fine art subject. As a matter of fact, while most of the students dropped the subject after junior classes, the daring and talented Moyo continued with it to the final year class and passed with A1 distinction. The signature on his paintings in his secondary school days was Lancelot M, his nickname. His 78 years old teacher now based in USA was not surprised that he turned out to be celebrated as a renowned artist with his distinct paintings because “Moyo thought big since childhood”, she said. When she heard of the death of her favorite student, she brought out some of his early paintings that she has kept for the past over 53 years the pictures of which are among the photos published in this book of tributes. He was very popular in Christ’s School and his university days. He got active in students’ unionism and was elected General Secretary in 1970.
Family: On the 21st of September 1985, he married Mrs Ajoke Yejide Ogundipe, nee Fagunwa. She is a lawyer and one of the children of the famous literary giant and great author of the timeless Yoruba fiction books, a native of Okeigbo town in Ondo-State. God blessed the marriage with three fruitful children: Mrs Oyinkansola Oluwayemi Famuyide a lawyer, Engineer Similoluwa Moremi Ogundipe and Olubiyi Ibikunle Ogundipe a.k.a. Kako, a graduate of international relations. To the glory of God, a grandchild, Oluwafoyinsayemi joined the family in on 31st of March 2013, the first child of Oyinkansola.
Early works in Christ's School days
Working Career: After graduation he worked at Western Nigeria Television Service Ibadan as a Producer 1972-1973; became in 1977 at Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Ibadan; Principal Producer; Controller of programmes NTA Ibadan 1978-1979; joined the private sector and was Head of Studio 1980-1983 at Afromation Limited, Lagos a film making and copywriter company; relocated to USA where he worked City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affair, Atlanta, Georgia 1994-1997; Teaching Assistant at Maryland College of Art 1999-2000; the Artist-in-Residence Denver Art Museum 2001-2002 Bowen University Iwo in the Mass Communication Department and an Instructor in painting, drawing, art history, color theory and design at University of Colorado, Denver, USA 2003-2008. Ojogbon Moyo Ogundipe joined Bowen University, Iwo as a Senior Lecturer in 1999 where he worked until he passed-on. He resumed work on that faithful morning of March 1st 2017; the diligent worker slumped and joined his ancestors 9 days before his 69th birthday anniversary. His transition was devastating to all his loved ones, family members, friends, colleagues, classmates, relations and students.
Some works of the master
Exhibition
Art Works: As a result of the distinctness of painting works of Mr Mo as he was popularly called, he won some laurels and attracted international attention. His works have been exhibited extensively in Africa, Europe and the USA. Some of his selected exhibitions include: Mami Wata – Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and its Diaspora Museum of African Art, The Sithsonian Institution, Washington DC; The Mariner’s Museum, Newsport New, VA; New York City; Chazen Museum, University of Wisconsin at Madison 18/10/08-10/1/09; and University of California, Los Angeles 6/4/08-10/8/08. Quilt of Dreams: A retrospective of painting Marriot Courtyard, Denver, Colorado August-September 2006; Six African: American Artists Curtis Center, Greenwood Village, Colorado; Ablackadbra: Neo Gallery, Denver March-April 2005 and Found Objects Gallery, Denver, Colorado, April-May 2005. The Back President: The Art Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti at the Barbican Gallery, London September –December 2004; YerBuena Center for Arts, San Francisco, California and the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio July-October 2004. He first had a major exhibition in Nigeria in September 2008 in Lagos during which he exhibited 24 paintings of mural sizes and the last one in 2016. His paintings are so deep and rich in details that one could easily mistake it for some prints from a textile machine. He is so simple that his humble appearance contrasts the details he releases on his prized canvas works. In addition to the machine-finished details he gives his work, the sizes are usually in the mural ranges. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavour” said Vince Lombardi. The brilliant artist and one of the best in the contemporary world and of course a distinguished one in Africa has gone with all his virtues and beautiful talent in distinct visual art paintings. What we are left with now is to keep his memory alive through his timeless works of art.
Words on Marble: For 20 years he was out if the country and was based in the USA. On his arrival in 2008, he had an exhibition which afforded him the opportunity to share his thoughts on some issues that inquiring minds might have wished to know about his works, the world of arts and arising matters. For instance on the economic angle to the magnitude of his works he said:
"Mural size works are not common, but for me, art is not really about selling. I am just having fun; art is the oxygen I breathe, it is beyond the economic reason. Despite that, I have been able to sell my works for good prices; in fact my paintings are very expensive. I sell to museums and galleries. Even at that, I sometimes find it difficult to part with some of the works. There are some works that I am so much attached to; I don’t like to part with because it is difficult to reproduce mentally."
On his kind of art, he was so confident that Nigerians should not have problems identifying with it as recalled why he left Nigeria in the late 1980s thus:
"I was totally saddened, discouraged by the dictatorship of former heads of state, General Ibrahim Babangida and Sanni Abacha which pushed some of us into exile. Even though there is no covert political statement in my work, I hated the haunting of people into jails. So I couldn’t see me realising my dreams under such despotic regimes. Growing up in the 1960s here, I thought Nigeria would, by now, be as great as other developed nations. But the 80s pushed me out to go and fulfill my dreams outside the country. I have always stood my ground to right the wrong. In 1978 when nobody would touch Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s work, I was then the controller of programme in the NTA and had total contempt for the military regime. I was a very rebellious man. I showed Fela’s performance in Berlin, on NTA, unedited. I could do that because I have a smart and charismatic General Manager, Dr Yemi Farounbi. He trusted me and believed in my ability. After the Fela’s Berlin show was broadcast, I heard that the SSS were looking for me but it didn’t bother me a bit. What difference has the nine years of democracy made, anyway? Not a few Nigerians back home have asked this question, over and over again. Economy is still in the wilderness, lack of electricity, erratic education sector and almost a zero social infrastructure. For the past eight years we have a democratic system of government. And based on the reports I had from friends who have been visiting home from the U.S., I think hope is in sight. I got good results, particularly of the visual arts scene. Though the government needs to do more for the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy, but without the freedom we are enjoying today, nothing can be done. I agree with the popular saying that the ‘worst democracy is better than the ‘best’ military rule.
People know me in the U.S. and part of Europe, but not in Nigeria. It’s about time I came home from self-exile to give people the evolution of my art. The saying that “the river that forgets its source will dry off” is the compelling factor here. I have not been getting time to go and promote my works because I spend so much time in the studio. Each work takes me at least six months to complete. I couldn’t come home because I needed to build a body of work and still maintain my identity as a very detailed painter. I believe that my people would not have any problem identifying with my work. If Americans and Europeans could appreciate me, why not home. Though I was forced to part away with a lot recently, I still have quite a lot of those big sizes that survived. Despite my long stay in the U.S., I have not lost touch with home-mentally, culture wise, am still in touch. I have come to do a retrospective, coming to Nigeria since 20 years ago."
All his paintings in the USA underscored the fact that he was not far from home and an amazing fundamentalist artist. To him, time rather than geographical location should define the identity of an artist. In 2008 He also said:
"First and foremost I am an artist. I happen to come from Africa, a continent rich in art that it helped change Picasso’s art for good. I don’t see myself as an African artist, but a Yoruba artist because that is my identity. You may refer to people like Picasso as modern artist, while contemporary artists are those that are still living. Modernism, of course, started after the renaissance. The world of art changed when Western art came in touch with the African art. Western art used to be about designs, aesthetics, but African art has always been philosophical, the unknown, mysticism, abstraction, spirituality. We have contributed to the world of art in no small measure, taking art to the level of spirituality. So nobody can make derogatory of African art. For example last summer at Denver, U.S., where my work was exhibited, they saw me basically as a modern artist. There is a permanent display of my works there now after that exhibition."
Naturally Mr Mo would admire someone like Baba Olowe of Ise-Ekiti who was of one of the most gifted sculptors in the world. His love for the sculpture works of Olowe must have contributed to the influence of nativity in the art of Mr Mo. This is underscored where, he said:
"Though I traveled out of the country, but not without the spirituality of African art; I needed to be in touch with home. I could have been on Mars, and yet remains an Ekiti man, a Yoruba. In fact I got amplified being away. I had always admired the Yoruba native sculptural works, the spirituality, the egungun masquerade; dialogue between the ancestors and the living. So while there, I had a show that featured works of late Olowe and I was so thrilled. I didn’t have any issue with my art and admirers in the States. I have a good relationship with the people and even the media. When the people noticed that my work is different; a celebration of positive aspect of life, it was easy for them to see my work from a philosophical view. My work is derivatives of European and American. In fact, not until my final year at Ife that I found a fusion between western and African art, Yoruba art in particular, as a balance."
No doubt Mr Mo was a patriotic Nigerian whose desire was to add his own bit to value creation and empowerment of the youths from his own corner as highlighted here:
"I am passionate about the prospect of this country and want to contribute to the development of the youth, even though I still have my eyes at taking my works around the world for exhibition. I have this plan to set up my studio in Ibadan and see how I can assist in training our youth."
Awards: In 1996, he bagged Pollock-Krasner Fellowship, in 1996 and 2007. He was awarded the Certificate for contribution to TV industry in Nigeria by NTA Ibadan in 1978. He became a member of Africobra which was founded in the 1960s and parades membership of distinguished African-American artists.
Unequivocally, he was in a class of his own and the reality is that we will never have another Moyo Ogundipe again. Quoting Coco Channel; “in order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”! Indeed oga Moyo dared to be different and his works remain unparalleled in the contemporary world of art today. Mr Mo was like a dinosaur, when dinosaurs passed on, they are not replaced. Apart from knowing him by reputation and as the older sibling of my cousins, I met him physically only once and it was the last time on July 16th 2016 at the 70th birthday party of egbon T. K. Jinadu; though we interacted on Facebook before then. I kept gazing at the impressive personality with the city gentleman black hat on complete blue agbada as a familiar person; he was indeed different and unconventional. Naturally I went to greet him and was very warm. I was too excited to finally see him for real, and could not miss the rare chance of the photography we took together. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years". On the 1st of March 2017, Mr Mo passed-on and his remains interred on Friday May 5th 2017 in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti.
May his soul rest in peace, amen.
Fare thee well sir.
Seye Adetunmbi
5/5/17
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