Greatness in the Grain (fwd) - EDITED VERSION OF ADEDAPO COMMUNICATION
Mobolaji E. Aluko
Netters:
Timothy Adedapo has "allowed" me to release the following edited version
of his earlier piece to make it more readable if it is to be circulated
widely on his behalf.
Best wishes
Bolaji Aluko
------------ Edited Version of Timothy Adedapo's earlier piece ----------
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 23:38:26 -0000
From: Harry Ogunleye <harr...@email.msn.com>
To: NAIJANET <naij...@esosoft.com>
Subject: RE:Greatness in the Grain
Fellow Netters:
Special thanks to Kasirim Nwuke for this piece. It opened up an old
family wound. You see the Arinjale of Ise Ekiti in Ekiti State is my
grand-father, and the great Olowe whose talent the article (referred to
above) was written about spent the better part of his life working for my
grandfather as the 'AGBEGILERE OBA' (ie the king's sculptor).
Now get this: Between 1973 and 1975, certain part of our palace was
repeatedly broken into by unknown men/women who looted my grandfather's
treasures including all the sculptors and other acient treasures too
painful to mention. This sad saga caused so much 'wahala' [confusion and
dissension] within my family side of the ruling houses in our village.
Even as I speak, naturally we realized that this shameful event could not
have happened without the help and cooperation of some members of our
family.
I must tell you that my Grandfather the late 'AGUNSOYE BI OYINBO' OBA
ADEYEYE THE ARINJALE (II) of Ise Ekiti later died in 1976 as a result of
the 'FIASCO' and frustration that grew out of this rather shameful episode
in my family history. Let me further state that I know as a matter of fact
that Baba Olowe lived and worked for my grand-father until he died
sometimes around the late 1950's. I also know through family history that
Baba Olowe gave only one piece of sculptor work (ERE) to a group of some
white men believed to be from the office of the district officer (during
the colonial days) who visited my grandfather's palace at that time. It is
also a fact that Baba Olowe carved a wooden door for the Ogoga of Ikerre
Ekiti (15 miles) from our village. I can also tell you categorically that
Baba Olowe never travelled out our village, it is not true that he was
born at Efon Alaaye (although his family may have migrated from there to
Ise Ekiti.)
My question now is: given what I describe above (which I can prove beyound
reasonable dout), how did Baba Olowe's works make their way out of our
village to the art galleries and exhibition all over the world ie Europe
and USA? Is'nt it possible that these may very well be my family
treasures? Is there any way that my family and I can do something about
this? Just at about a week before I stumbled to this piece posted by K.
Nwuke on the Net, my sister and I were talking about this shameful part of
our family history. And bingo! few days later the article appeared right
in front of my eyes.
MY MISSION :
""""""""""""
1) It is more than important for me and my family to prove to the whole
world that these treasures exihibited world wide may very well have been
'stolen properties' from us .
2) The whole world should know that Baba Olowe's descendants are living in
appalling poverty in our village today under the leadership of Oga
Ogundele (as we call him). He is the only surviving son of Baba Olowe and
he is still a young man in his 50's .
3) Do you think Michelangelo's descendant (if any) can be living in the
kind of wretchedness as the Olowes? Is'nt something seriously wrong with a
situation where by a man's talent, creation and handworks are profited
world wide, and yet his family members live in despicable condition like
destitutes?
4) If these are my family stolen treasures (as I am sure they are), don't
you guys think that someone somewhere owes my family and Olowe family
something in addition to sincere apology? I know that there are
uncountable stories of how the white men stole black men's treasures,
inventions, etc all over the world from slavery to colonalism to
neo-colonialism only to profit from them world wide.
I am also conscious of 'BLAME THE WHITE MAN SYNDROME' but I assure you
Netters that I know what I am talking about. I was in secondary school
when all of this was going on in our family as you can see I was not a
baby then infact I can recognize most of the crafts if I see them.
You see I first read about Baba Olowe's work in the USA about 8 or 9 years
ago, my problem then as it is still is now is whether anybody will believe
me, especially in these days of international '419' but today I no longer
care how many people believe me or don't believe me. I feel like I owe it
to my family and Olowe family to say something.
Thus I wish you fellow villagers on this net will consider this as a
genuine call for help. I am sort of confused and don't know where to go,
and what to do. I am hoping that some of the opinion leaders on this net
e.g. Prof. Charles Ochie, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Mr. Ayo Ayetigbo, Francis I.
Achike, Kasirim Nwuke, E. Duruigbo, Nubi Achebo, Obi Iheduru, Sam
Akintimoye to mention just a few.
And please any lawyer on the net? Somebody please talk to me on this if
you want any proof you will be overwhelmed by many. In fact there was a
Govt. enquiry on this matter by then Western state and later Ondo state
Govts. As you can imagine there was plenty of 'grammar and drama' but no
result. Case was referred back home to be settled as family dispute. No
culprits arrested, no treasure found.
If these later turn out to be my family's stuff, I hope I will be able to
expose some people, restore some honor back to my family, and hopefully
help the Olowe family. And please if something good comes out of this for
my family it will be 'all's well that ends well'. But God knows that
compensation adventure is not my priority.
Thanks to my friend Harry for letting me in 'on the NET secret'. And thank
to you fellow villagers for listening to me. Now I will siddon dey wait
for 'your ideas'.
Prince Timothy Adedapo.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sam Akintimoye
Bolaji,
This is indeed a sad story. Please have the originator of this post
contact me, and I'll be glad to bounce some ideas he may want to consider.
Sam Akintimoye
----------
> From: Mobolaji E. Aluko <mal...@cldc.howard.edu>
> To: naij...@esosoft.com
> Cc: Harry Ogunleye <harr...@email.msn.com>
> Subject: RE:Greatness in the Grain (fwd) - EDITED VERSION OF ADEDAPO
COMMUNICATION
> Date: Sunday, March 29, 1998 9:40 PM
o. kasirim nwuke
Mr. Adedapo:
Sorry to hear of how your family lost her treasures. What happened to
your family is exactly what has happened to our national museum.
I hope your efforts to recover the stolen goods meet with success. I will
like to advice you however to provide corroboration for your story so that
those among us willing to append our names to your letter will have more
than your story to rely on. (Plse. note that I am neither questioning nor
doubting your story. But given the structure of families back home, I
have always thought that it is always better for outsiders to exercise due
care before becoming involved in a family's 'story'.)
Best wishes.
okn
----------
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher
esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
Nietzsche
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