• BISI ADELEYE-FAYEMI 

                                 ⁣

Eni Ogun – Warrior, leader, fearless, battle tested, survivor  ⁣

Eni Ogun – Descendant of Ogun, the god of war and Iron. Hunter, innovator, adventurer, mysterious⁣

Eni Ogun – From the land where the River Ogun flows gracefully as it waters the lands that have produced great sons and daughters from one generation to the next⁣

Eni Ogun – One man who stands as twenty. He calls one and a hundred answer. He speaks and multitudes listen. He writes and nations pore over the meaning⁣

Thank you, Professor Niyi Osundare ⁣

For telling us about these four different Oguns all rolled into one⁣

I am taking your permission for granted⁣

That I may explore these Oguns further⁣

What do you say to the indestructible warrior ⁣

who has fought nine decades worth of battles⁣

How do you describe the wielder of the flaming pen⁣

 the one with the innocent countenance of a gentle Uncle ⁣

who strikes fear into the hearts of many⁣

as he suffers no fool gladly with just a raise of his eyebrows⁣

Where do you begin to describe the breadth, depth, reach⁣

 of one of the greatest sages of all time⁣

What do you say about the son of Mama ‘Wild Christian’⁣

and Papa ‘Essay’⁣

The husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, friend⁣

And that is not counting the legion who share no blood⁣

Yet share tutelage, love, affection, respect, loyalty⁣

Stretching across lifetimes, generations and oceans⁣

Come closer and listen⁣

You can never find enough words⁣

Not in any dictionary in any language⁣

So, if we cannot say⁣

We cannot describe⁣

We dare not begin to recount⁣

What do we do?⁣

We first of all say Thank You⁣

As the indestructible Eni Ogun marks 90 years in this realm of existence⁣

There is nothing to give he does not already have⁣

He is richer than Croesus⁣

His wealth is not measured by any of the mundane parameters⁣

 celebrated by those with poor minds and poorer spirits⁣

His riches far exceed whatever number can be found ⁣

from the impossible task of counting his luxuriant white mane⁣

Move a little closer and pay attention⁣

After saying Thank You⁣

We show him how grateful we are⁣

How?⁣

We humbly turn to what he has told us over many a season⁣

We reverently learn from the examples he has shown⁣

It really does not matter where you begin or end⁣

Simply read, reflect, learn, pass on, then repeat the cycle⁣

There is so much to choose from⁣

If you are one of the lazy ones who always said ‘His books are too hard to read’⁣

We will not judge you⁣

The one-man battalion has a mind fashioned as a weapon⁣

Do not blame him, he is the sole occupant of his barracks⁣

His imagination has fired bullets, detonated bombs and cut all who should be concerned to size with a sword forged in the furnaces of Ogun himself.⁣

Find one of his many, many, many, many, many, many ‘Interventions’⁣

Surely, there should be something that can be understood ⁣

Please don’t move away, there is more⁣

There are those who try to tell us about tomorrow⁣

Yet, they are here with us today⁣

 How do they know?⁣

No one knows tomorrow, right?⁣

Yes, no one knows tomorrow⁣

But we often get signs⁣

So, we can prepare, for better or worse⁣

And when we do, it does not matter where the messenger comes from,⁣

what tongue they speak,⁣

What colour they are⁣

what waters flow through their village ⁣

or what can be found beneath their garments⁣

We received messages many decades ago⁣

From the keeper of stories told and untold⁣

He lived it, felt it, starved because of it and shed his blood for it⁣

He was hidden away for one score plus two months⁣

He knew, once they come for one, they eventually come for all⁣

He told of a time when those who we ask to lead us⁣

Will be those who place lashes on our backs⁣

He knew about lashes⁣

He was the recipient of many, both seen and unseen⁣

He warned of a season when worshippers will become the worshipped⁣

And the gate-keepers of the imported faiths⁣

Would guard those gates more fiercely than the original owners ⁣

How?⁣

With leashes on our necks⁣

Padlocks on our minds⁣

And bonfires to cruelly erase the memory of our ancestors⁣

He told us⁣

That the rich, great and mighty⁣

Will take from the poor, lowly and downtrodden⁣

He foresaw a time when the guns would boom ceaselessly⁣

Yet the resilience of the people would silence the deafening sound⁣

He lamented the lustful desire to service the guns of war⁣

Rather than swallow the bitter but necessary pills of peace⁣

Be your brother’s keeper, he would preach⁣

Be your sister’s wrapper he would imply⁣

No, we would be too busy Yorubaing, Igboing, Hausaing, Fulanining, Ijawing ourselves ⁣

into a morbid frenzy of meaninglessness⁣

Before you move away⁣

Remember⁣

Many men and women have died⁣

Uncountable jewels have been lost⁣

Yet, this man lives on⁣

He is still here⁣

He still speaks⁣

He still writes⁣

He still foretells⁣

He still warns⁣

Is it a coincidence that the abundant white mane reminds you of the lion?⁣

Maybe⁣

Maybe not⁣

As long as the lion roars in his habitat⁣

And the lioness does her thing⁣

Our famous incomparable hunter will continue his journey⁣

Armed with guns both literal and metaphorical⁣

With regular sips from his favoured products of Bacchus⁣

His piercing eyes seeing everything and missing nothing⁣

Sifting prey from predator⁣

Pointing out friend from foe⁣

A task that has taken a lifetime⁣

And even that will never be enough⁣

If you ever wanted to know the true meaning of a life of impact⁣

Look no further⁣

Happy birthday⁣

Thank You⁣

We are grateful⁣

We honour you⁣

We adore you⁣

Eni Ogun⁣

⁣

𝘉𝘪𝘴𝘪 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘺𝘦-𝘍𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘮𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘈𝘍@𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮⁣