CELEBRATING B. J. AT 60

WEST AFRICA REVIEW

ISSN: 1525-4488

Issue 9 (2006)

Reuben Abati

Thursday, January 5 was a very special day for the Nigerian literary community. It was the day Professor Biodun Jeyifo, who has had one of the most notable careers in African and modern literature turned 60. Jeyifo, or B.J. as he is better known, or Bamako Jaji (his pseudonym) is one of Africa's leading literary critics, a central radical critic, a polyvalent mind, and clearly, a scholar and intellectual of the very first rank. It is hard to speak in moderate terms of the skills and accomplishments of this scholar of the word, as a public intellectual, as literary theorist and critic, and as a man of action in the Nigerian radical movement.

He is one of those unsung Nigerian heroes who through their ability, passion and commitment, and without any search for rewards, have helped to provide a more positive image of Nigeria in the international community, and who within the country, have committed themselves to a vision of a more humane Nigeria. It is most appropriate that Biodun Jeyifo is being celebrated by the literary community, by those who appreciate his genius, by his friends and family. He was in town on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Notice that something significant was afoot was served in the newspapers of that day, with a tribute to Jeyifo on the back page of The Sun written by Professor Olu Obafemi, himself a critic and writer, and past immediate President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). There was also a mini-tribute by Edwin Madunagu in the opinion page of The Guardian, titled "To BJ at 60, a salute".

But the big celebration came later in the day when the literati gathered at the Jazzhole on Awolowo road, Ikoyi for an evening of tributes to BJ which had been put together by his former students. It was a teacher's day of glory. The choice of venue could not have been more appropriate. Jazzhole is a bookshop and music store, and it was here amidst books and musical CDs, with music and poetry, that a small group gathered to have a sophisticated and modest ceremony, but one with high level resonance. With Dapo Olorunyomi as master of ceremony, and Kunle Ajibade, Kemi Eruosanyin and Kunle Tejuoso co-ordinating backstage activities, the event soon began. It was a night of revelations, humour and restatement of what had always been known and unknown about this great intellectual. Ohi Alegbe read a poem by Odia Ofeimun titled "For BJ" taken from The Poet Lied.

Professor Femi Osofisan who spoke first focused on BJ as his friend. This is a friendship that dates back to their days as students of the University of Ibadan, and that has taken many turns for over four decades, as Marxist comrades, as a troika of look-alike radical writers, the other member being Kole Omotoso, now in South Africa, and in typical fashion, Osofisan turned his presentation into a performance, beginning with a song, followed by a humorous account of what he called "the library incident", and then finally tribute to his friend whom he described as one of the three leading literary critics in Africa.

The laughter that Osofisan had unlocked and thrown into the atmosphere was stretched further by Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, who said he has known BJ for over 50 years, and that somehow, he always did nearly everything a year after the celebrant. Ogunbiyi will be 60 next year. According to him, he had gained admission into New York University for graduate studies on the wings of the solid reputation that BJ had acquired in that university as graduate student a year earlier. Professor Wole Soyinka had recommended Ogunbiyi to the school but he was accepted on the grounds that if it was true that he attended the same university in Nigeria as BJ, then he too must be good! And so Ogunbiyi entered NYU without even filling any admission forms. The same evening, in his home, Ogunbiyi would refer to BJ's capacity to win any argument with the power of his logic! This reference to BJ's intellectual prowess was the note on which Chief Mrs Sade Ogunbiyi made her own presentation. She was BJ's classmate in the Department of English, University of Ibadan, 1967-70 set. But the two of them had grown up in the same neighbourhood in Ibadan, and their fathers, Osiberu and Jeyifous, were both members of the same society at St James's Church, Oke Bola.

Mrs Ogunbiyi gave a brief history of family relationships, and a more entertaining account of BJ's life as a student. He was rascally, never carried a bag, was very shy with ladies, yet all the girls loved him for his brilliance and always reserved a seat for him in class. He spoke big grammar, and his essays were always chosen by teachers as the best. He graduated with a First Class. Mrs Ogunbiyi also disclosed how one evening in front of Kuti hall where she had gone to visit Yemi Ogunbiyi, who was then Chairman of Kuti Hall, she saw a procession of Pyrates and there, behold (!), was BJ in full regalia. She followed him and kept calling him: BJ, BJ BJ. But the seadog who did not want to be black-spotted refused to answer! Miss Osiberu as she then was quickly spread the word among her classmates that BJ is an AHOY, her boyfriend, Yemi Ogunbiyi having confirmed that it was indeed BJ that she had seen.

Now, it was the turn of Edwin Madunagu, mathematician, Marxist, and journalist. Madunagu had travelled from Calabar to attend the event to honour a friend, who is most deserving of celebration, and as he put it, "to set certain records straight about BJ's contribution to the Leftist movement in Nigeria", what he referred to repeatedly as "Our Movement." The young Madunagu and BJ had met briefly in 1969 when BJ was PRO of the Students Union at the University of Ibadan. But their paths crossed more meaningfully when Madunagu wanted to contest election into the Students Union, and his opponent started a campaign that the man everyone thought was Ijesa was actually Ibo. This was during the civil war, and to be identified as an Igbo seeking power in a Yoruba university had implications. Madunagu, a Calabar-based, Igbo man of Anambra extraction was born and bred in Ijesa land. Till tomorrow, he speaks Yoruba with an original Ijesa accent. According to him, BJ stood by him, although he lost the election. At the time, BJ and Madunagu were mere acquaintances but they soon became close friends as members of the Movement, as young men who resolved in the 70s to become professional revolutionaries, and shared unforgettable experiences of a lifetime. BJ was National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and a strong supporter of the students' movement during the difficult moments of the struggle against military tyranny in the 80s.

Dr Ahmed Yerima, the Director of the National Troupe, spoke next. He was BJ's student at Ife, and he drew attention to BJ's mastery of all the "isms", his humanism, and his readiness at all times to assist students. When Yerima returned from England with a PhD, and he wanted a job as an academic in Ife, and he was being tossed up and down between the Departments of Dramatic Arts and Literature in English, BJ had stepped in to help. "Don't worry, Yerima, the University of London cannot be wrong". Yerima was for many years a lecturer in Dramatic Arts at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University before moving on to the National Theatre of Nigeria as a Director and resident playwright.

The next speaker was Professor Akinwunmi Isola, scholar, playwright and translator, who read a piece on "Igilango Geesi" about the English grammar and the comic ordeals of students of English as a second language. The Professor nearly had everyone rolling on the floor with laughter with his brilliant, unobtrusively witty composition. This was followed by a brief interlude during which Kunle Ajibade read an e-mail from Professor Wole Soyinka in which the Nobel Laureate apologised for his absence at the event, having received the invitation so late, at a time when he had an engagement, to which he was committed, on the East Coast. After wishing the celebrant a happy birthday, he promised to hold his own party later, to which all "the January 5th exclusivists" who had conspired to keep him out by not informing him on time would not be invited!

The programme now entered its second phase, with more tributes. AIG Dele Thomas who had been BJ's childhood friend spoke about a certain Biodun Samuel who later changed his surname to Jeyifous and then, Jeyifo. He also disclosed that BJ's father who was a policeman popularly known as Samu Amuni had actually wanted his son to join the Police Force after secondary school. Everyone sighed. Clearly if a man of Jeyifo's gifts had ended up as a policeman, that would have been a great waste indeed. Odia Ofeimun spoke about BJ as a literary theorist, and as one of the members of the Positive Review. Ofeimun's presentation was titled "BJ: Denizen of the Fourth Stage". He added that BJ's latest book - Wole Soyinka (2004) is incontrovertibly the most authoritative study of Soyinka's writings to date.

I spoke next. I used the opportunity to draw attention to BJ's significance as a public intellectual, as teacher and critic, and as a role model for many young men growing up in Nigerian academia in the 80s. BJ is the author of three seminal books of criticism: The Truthful Lie (1984), The Popular Yoruba Travelling Theatre (1985) and now Wole Soyinka (2004), which constitute compulsory reading for any student or scholar working in any of these areas otherwise that scholar or student's research and knowledge would be incomplete and inadequate. I pointed out the ironies indicated by the celebration of BJ at 60. Here is a man who has made his name as a critic, today literary criticism in Nigeria is trapped in the wings of illiteracy. He has given his life to literature: what is the fate of Nigerian literature in a season of alienation? Here is a radical Marxist: where are Nigerian Marxists today?

I proceeded from here to attempt a review of BJ's commentaries in the Nigerian press, notably The African Guardian which he served as Contributing Editor, 1986-1990, and The Guardian on the pages of which he wrote literary criticism and engaged in celebrated arguments on cultural studies and political theory. To celebrate BJ in his own words, I read aloud, his "What I'm paid to teach" (African Guardian, Nov 27, 1986). I ended by noting what exile or brain drain had deprived us of, for in late 1989, Professor Jeyifo relocated to the United States. He is now a Professor of Literature and Cultural studies at Cornell University, Ithaca. Previously, he taught at Harvard University. Kayode Komolafe who spoke after me, praised Jeyifo's commitment to the radical struggle.

Now, the event was over. BJ made a brief response in which he warned those telling stories about him that he also has many stories to tell. He disclosed for example that Madunagu once mistakenly ate yam with engine oil. . . . From Jazzhole, the party continued at the home of the Ogunbiyis at the Victoria Island extension. Dr Ogunbiyi and his wife had organized a dinner in honour of BJ. It was attended by the girls in BJ's class in UI, some of their husbands, close friends, and the rest of us who moved from one event to another. But the big moment of the evening was the sudden appearance of Professor Wole Soyinka. When he was later invited to propose the celebrant's toast, Soyinka said he used a transponder to transport himself from the US to Nigeria. Someone quipped: "like Alams?" "Yes, like Alams", Soyinka responded. He then paid tribute to "a Marxist who does not sound as confused as others, and who is a great defender of progressive causes." There were three more speakers: Chief (Mrs) Iyabo Ogunshola, Mrs Bunmi Onabolu, and Dapo Adeniyi.

And then BJ had to respond. He caused quite a stir when he described Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi's excitement the first day he kissed the then Miss Sade Osiberu. "BJ, where are you?, Ogunbiyi had dropped notes everywhere. "BJ. I kissed her tonight!" Ogunbiyi tried hard to suppress this story, but his son who was sitting beside him was clearly interested in the details of how Daddy first kissed Mummy, and he urged BJ to say more. . . . Oh, we had a great time. Now who says a teacher's reward is still in heaven? To BJ, a great teacher, literary theorist and patriot at 60: congratulations and again, happy birthday.

Originally published in The Guardian (Nigeria) on January 8, 2006

Citation Format:

Reuben Abati. “Celebrating B. J. At Sixty,” West Africa Review: Issue 9, 2006.