The Bard @ 70   

Eddie Aderinokun marks his 70th birthday by launching two new poetry collections

•Eddie Aderinokun.

Eddie Aderinokun may not have hogged the limelight like Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe, yet he is a distinguished writer in his own class. He is a man of many parts who has succeeded in just about anything he has tried his hands on. In 1969, aged 29, he became the editor of the defunct Daily Express. And at 33, he was in the then Head of State, Gen.Yakubu Gowon-led federal government delegation that visited the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, at the Buckingham Palace. The writer, journalist and sports administrator has published more than a dozen books, including  Indigo Tears, Ebony On Snow and Dance Of The Vultures. Yet, Aderinokun’s hunger for writing has not diminished one bit.

On 16 July he marked his 70th birthday at the Banquet Hall of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos with the launch of his two latest collections of poems: From Zero To Hero: Thirty Thoughts In Thirty Cities and Ode to Artist Without Compare. It was an evening of music, poetry performances and signing of autographs, as friends, family and admirers paid glowing tributes to a man who fondly regards himself as the bridge between journalism and literature. Distinguished Nigerians in attendance included chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Mr. Odia Ofeimun, Mr. Kunle Ajibade, Bashorun Dele Momodu, Chief Tony Momoh, Chief Duro Onabule, Hon. Bayo Odulana and Sunmi Smart-Cole.

Tukur set the ball rolling when, in his opening remarks, he traced his 40-year old friendship with Aderinokun. His first encounter with the celebrant was at the Daily Express and he acknowledged Aderinokun’s penchant  for travel. He recalled how surprised he was when he met the celebrant in Gongola State when he, Tukur, was gunning for the governorship of that state.

In his speech, Hon. Odulana, a member of the House of Representatives, spoke effusively of the celebrant’s enviable physique and how he had been the object of his artistic designs. “Uncle Eddie to me is a piece of art work. If you look at him you will know he is really a sculptured piece. And that is what interests me about him. I painted him in pastel, I painted in pencil. I did a lot of sketching on him. That tells you how interesting his figure is,” Odunlana enthused.

The reason for the celebration was also not lost on the Federal lawmaker. “It’s interesting too that of all his siblings, he is the only one that does not go to the bank. That is probably why a lot of us are here to support him. He could have gone into banking to make more money, but he decided to go into writing,” he said.

However,  the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Mr. Hakeem Bello said Aderinokun was old enough to be a father not just in the journalism profession but in the real sense of it. Bello, who represented the governor, pointed out that the birthday celebration was one event the Lagos State government took seriously.

In his speech, the publisher of Ovation International magazine, Bashorun Dele Momodu did not only bemoan the poor reading habits of Nigerian leaders, but was also nostalgic about the past. “It is a shame that we have had leaders who could not appreciate poetry. It is not their fault. They didn’t go through what we went through in Ile-Ife in those days,” he said.

Musician and producer Mr. Laolu Akins spoke about how Aderinokun mentored many artistes in the late 60s and 70s, including him. Akins revealed that it was Aderinokun who gave him his name in 1967. “Eddie Aderinokun gave me my name. This is how he gave me that name: He wrote my original name down. He said it was too long. So he shortened it and gave me Laolu Akins. That day in 1967, Laolu Akins became my official name,” he recalled.

In her vote of thanks, Aderinokun’s sister, Prof. Gbemisola Oke paid glowing tribute to him. She noted that he has celebrated in his writings, the place of his birth, Abeokuta, Owu,  his siblings, Africa and the entire world. Prof. Oke also said though the celebrant was 70, he was entering a new chapter in his life.

Aderinokun was in high spirits throughout the event. Asked how it felt being 70, the celebrant who gave out his building to the Lagos State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors, said: “I’ve tried. I have run a good race. I don’t know whether I will be with those that rest, but I feel fulfilled.”

The poet, who said he imbibed his avid interest in the arts from his parents, believes he has every reason to celebrate. “I have been through all sorts of things – ups and downs, rivalries, cataracts and falls – in this life. But I weathered them,” he told TheNEWS. He believes that in spite of his travail, his works would survive him. “Even 1,000 years from now, my work can be excavated by archaeologists. The works are what outlast you,” he argued.

—Nehru Odeh