STORY PROMISE KEPT- MY FRIEND MAJEK FASHEK & I

MY FRIEND MAJEK FASHEK & I.
– Richie Adewusi

Prologue.

The global tag given to my generation, is Baby Boomers.
In Nigeria however, an unsavory tag was being mischievously attached to that same generation of Nigerians, by the same people who invented and have perpetuated challenges that subsequent generations of Nigerians have had to be facing, to date.
The generation in question, is that generation before the Baby Boomers.
I am not quite sure of what name they were or are known with, they have however remained the Natural Disasters that have plagued, and continue to plague Nigeria.
That generation, thought it wise and convenient, to refer to my generation in Nigeria, as the Wasted Generation.
Meanwhile, we had been hearing stories about how that generation before ours had been pampered with choice scholarships, job opportunities – even before they graduated from the Universities – complete with mouthwatering salaries and benefits…
And how did they use those opportunities?
Selfishly, prodigally, destructively, in such ways that by the time we were leaving the University to get on with the rest of lives, we had next to no opportunities.
That trend has only worsened.
Yet, the generation that initiated and has continued to supervise that state of plunder and wastefulness, would find it convenient to call us the Wasted Generation, and the generations after ours, Lazy Youths…
Personally, I found that description of my generation offensive, and decided to do something about it, in my own small way, in protest, to say ‘ we are, could be, and must be productive’.
But then, how do you get about becoming productive when all the odds are stacked up against you?
You had just gone to the University, graduated, done your bit of the prescribed National Service, via the National Youth Service Corp program, armed with your degree and National Service certificates.
No job.
If you had money, you bought the Newspapers, or joined the free readers’ associations headquartered around the various Newspapers Vendors’ Stands in cities and towns across Nigeria.
You are job hunting, via the classified advertisement sections of the Newspapers.
At some point, some days, your face lit up, your excitement heightened as you see ‘ …Wanted for urgent employment…’
You read on.
Yes, you are a graduate with the requisite qualifications.
Yes, you are young, energetic, self motivated, a team player…
Your excitement continued until you get to the line where they say you must have at least, five years hands on experience at a similar job.
Five years?!
Where do people go to buy experience from?
How do they get experience if they get a chance to get started at something?
And then,your reality was that you had just been discharged from your National Service duties, pumped up for making your own contribution along the spectrum for the needed changes and development in the society.
You are disappointed, getting discouraged, frustrated, chest fallen…
That was our situation.
That has mostly remained the situations of generations after us, in Nigeria…
That was the scenario I decided to protest against, as I finished National Service in far away Sokoto State, North West Nigeria.
The old Sokoto State, where I served with other young people like Tony Elumelu, Kayode Fayemi, Lekan Otufodunrin, Osagie Agbonwaneten…
We were all in Camp Bodinga.
As I returned to Lagos, South West Nigeria, I refused to join that job hunting party.
I had been offered a job in Sokoto, by my good friend and mentor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris who later became a two time Governor of Kogi State – North Central Nigeria, who owns the Ibro Hotels.
We had become friends after he sponsored part of our hosting needs for the Miss NYSC Sokoto Pageant, which I coordinated, as the head of Social Committee during our National Service year.
I had advised Alhaji Idris then, to construct a Banquet Hall instead of the Furniture Showroom he had at hotel premises, after the Pageant at which he was Special Guest of Honor, and eventually hosted the Pageant winners to an impressive Dinner party and gave them lavish gifts at his Ibro Hotels Restaurant, there was no Banquet Hall.
He built the Banquet Hall as he agreed with me that my suggestion was a good idea, and offered me a job at the Hotel, after our National Service.
I thanked him, but declined.
I told him I wanted to write.
I wanted to be a Writer.
He said, ‘yes Ade, you can write all you like in your office’
Years later, he visited my office in the Omole Phase One area of Lagos, South West Nigeria, I had started and Published Just It! Magazine.
I founded Just It! to profile contributions being made by young Nigerians, in all spheres of human endeavors, but with a niche for the entertainment industry.
I invited my friend and colleague Osagie Agbonwaneten, who served with us in Sokoto, and was a very active and supportive member of that Social Committee which I headed during our service year in Sokoto, to come join me at Aquarius Communications Limited, my first company that Published Just It! Magazine.
Osagie Agbonwaneten joined me, and handled marketing, but also did quite some writing himself.
Osagie Agbonwaneten walked into my office one afternoon, after his morning schedule with distributors and vendors, to say ‘Richie, there’s some music I want you to listen to. The musician is so good, so fresh, he’s taking over the scene…’
Our office then, was at 51 Ijaiye Road, Ogba, Ikeja area of Lagos, South West Nigeria.
Osagie Agbonwaneten went ahead to place the Cassette he was holding, into the playing chamber of the Tape Cassette Recorder in my office, and fast forwarded it to play a particular song.
It was SEND DOWN THE RAIN.
The Artiste was Majek Fashek.
That song got to become Majek Fashek’s multi awards winning song.
As I listened, I found it to be as exciting as Osagie’s expressed excitement, but Osagie did not stop at wanting me to listen to the music.
He said, ‘ Richie, this is what you are about, this is what you are preaching, this is what Just It! is about. We need to feature this boy…’
I said fine.
Great, let the Reporters work at setting up an interview with him then.
Osagie Agbonwaneten seemed unsatisfied. He pressed on,
‘ Richie, I want you to meet this boy yourself. I want you to interview him yourself. I can bring him to you…’
That was how my relationship with Majek Fashek, the Prisoner of Conscience, The RAINMAKER, started.
Osagie Agbonwaneten did arrange and brought Majek Fashek for the interview for Just It! Magazine.
The year was 1987.