Alhaji Sule Adeku Onoko, a.k.a Onikiri 1941-2011

By Mathew Raji Andah

There are trained experts who excel in what they do because of their training. And there are naturals who excel likewise with little or no training. Alhaji Sule Adeku Onoko a.k.a Onikiri whose passing occured in the early hours of July 19th 2011 was a natural and a giant of Unehe, an annual celebration open to both male and female on the eve of Ekuechi, itself, a predominantly male affair meaning masqurades are descending. Alhaji Sule Adeku was a genius, a composer's composer, a conductor's conductor and a singer's singer. There were many ways with him. His syntax, method of construction and musicology was one. Then there was his diplomacy, humility and modesty. Above all was his ethno-centric nationalism. His style was uncomplicated, combining simple linguistic elements to form powerful, lucid and philosophical statements translated into songs that are gentle on the throat, easy to sing and easier to remember. His musical iconography would surely be his enduring legacy.

The seventh of eight siblings of Pa Iganyi and Madam Eviyamoh Onoko, he was born on January 7th 1941, on the day of Ekuechi, as he put it in one of his songs and reflected in his name. (Adeku is a male child born during Ekuechi). Musical talent runs deep in his family. Before him was his elder brother, Sadiku Onoko. Onikiri started his musicianship at a very tender age. He started out with singing, accompanied by the sound of Ichekenne, a musical instrument derived from the seed pod of Flamboyant, his improvisation which, he transformed into a genre. At first, he played at social functions such as birthdays, marriages, naming ceremonies and burials. He grew in popularity, support and acceptance, garnering rave reviews.

So it was that Onikiri entered Unehe around the time of the nation's Independence as a player, effortlessly fusing his Ichekenne with Ikede, a musical vigil with pomp and, robbing shoulders with established performers like Audu Adavojor, Momoh Okasime, Shaibu Upahi and others. He quickly became a player of note, gained prominence and fame throughout Ebiraland and beyond. Otoyi, Okengwe, his base became a musical centre of gravity and a Mecca of sort. People -- young, old, male and female -- from all works of life, from all over the land and afar converged annually on Otoyi as if on a prigrimage. Onikiri's compound in Otoyi is a significant reference point and one of the most famous addresses in Ebiraland

The preparation for Unehe were detailed and elaborate. It included fixing, initially, a medium sized mobile wooden platform serving as the stage which was carried by several men on hand to the various locations where Onikiri would perform. Later the wood work was enlarged to accommodate more people and was immoveable. A second one was added at the Onikiri compound with seaters for the visiting VIPs. And then there was the decoration, the wiring of the perimeter of the compound for the lighting and the hanging of the banners. Graders were used to level the compound and the dusty street. The compound would still be accessible but it would be under surveillance for security reasons.

The energy that pervades Onikiri's compound during Unehe was electric. It was a great delight, indeed, a priviledge to watch the master himself over the years during Unehe. In an open air, he wowed, mesmerized and transfixed the spectators and fans alike hearing him pull out one heavy song pregnant with meaning after another from his repertoire, non stop, for over 12 hours. The carnival-like atmosphere, the good naturedness and the outfit or custome donned by the performers, supporters, fans and the spectators alike was an indication of the advancement of our culture, the civility of Anebira and the importance once accorded Ekuechi in Ebiraland. The electrifying nature of Unehe came across also in the videos and the audios. On this night and day, Onikiri and the other players hardly move on foot once the performance has started. They were carried around on the shoulders of a well built, strong and trusted member. The shoulders of men were like an extension of the wooden stage exclusively for the players, but carrying the players around atop men's shoulders was also a way for the unitiated and visitors to identify players.

Onikiri's compound may be his main stage where he broke the Kola during Unehe but, it was not his only stage. In the wee hours of the morning, he moved in a huge procession, carried on the shoulders to the compound of MJ Lawal at an intersection known as Imoga junction. There, he performed for a couple of hours before heading to Idiaudu, a sharp bend on the Lagos Rd at Okengwe. The area served as venue for a semi-final for all the dramatis personae of Unehe. Fans who were unable to witness the opening shots would catch up here and later at the grand finale.

In a triangulation, Onikiri's stage at Idiaudu was on one side of the road at the location where the Union bank branch is situated, while Momoh Okasime who started in Ozuja and came down staged at the other side, opposite Abubakar Umar's house, with the Kuti-like Alhaji Ayede Ibrahim from his starting point in a rocky place at Ukonovo standing about two hundred metres apart from Okasime. However in 1986 after the split with Musa Suberu, Onikiri ceased to maintain his stand at Idiaudu and relocated to Ohuda, a local market.

The fourth stage of Onikiri's performance on Unehe was at the grand finale, at the Garage near Ohumanaka, a popular market where all the players performed from around noon till about 3 p.m. The meeting of the players here would be highly anticipated, visitors arriving from all over Ebiraland and beyond. Traffic would come to a virtual standstill because of the sea of humanity, all in their best attires, colourfully dressed and in merriment, dancing, watching Onikiri and others in their elements.

At the zenith of his performing career, it was only in 1978 that Onikiri did not mount his stage in the Garage. At the time, Momoh Okasime also did not perform there prompting speculation that the two had aces up their sleeves. Momoh Okasime and Onikiri were competitors and rivals. The two, both late now, were great Ebira entertainers. The one was renowned for his flexible body and dancing skills while the other was a gifted orator and a talented composer. Apart from this incidence, the rivalry between them was good natured and devoid of acts of physical violence.The following year Onikiri explained the incidence in a song thus: ......Odumi okoko veneh hiangwe ezu, ezu nyemba veneehiangwa oo

In a musical career spanning nearly fifty years, Onikiri was always on top of his game. With him from the beginning when the source of lighting were series of gas lamps and later electric generators were: Members of his band including the lead drummer, late Mr Adebayo Lawal, Suberu Onugogonyi and others. Amongst his core members who used to stay on stage with him at the time were Mallam Momoh Yakubu, Alhaji Sheidu Lawal, Musa Suberu, Mr Micheal Ohinoyi a.k.a Garido, Victor Aliyu a.k.a Apollo and some elders including Onikiri's lifelong backer and friend late Mr Isa Ayetobi. When Musa broke away in 1986, late Sumaila Maliki a.k.a Sanko and Alhaji Umar Chatta a.k.a the Livingstone stepped in. The backbones include Madam Ananwureyi from whose house Onikiri used to emerge to mount the stage and break the Kola during Unehe. Others are Madam Avosuahi, his late brother Mr Ozigi Onoko, Raji Onoko, MJ Lawal, Aminu Lawal and many more. His financial backing came from across Ebiraland from business leaders, politicians, civil servants, academics, well-wishers and ordinary folks. In the Uhehe of 2002, Ahmed and Abdul Ogembe mounted the stage and did something extraordinary. They continuously sprayed Onikiri not with the Naira but with US dollars.

Musically, Onikiri was the musician to beat and he took a lot of heat in his musical career. Alhaji Ibrahim Ayede with his unique style used to be a torn in Onikiri's flesh not so much as a result of trying to dislodge Onikiri from his position of dominance as to radicalism and a sense of justice. Here, Onikiri deployed his diplomatic skill to handle the issue masterfully with the two later becoming close friends. During the reign of Mr Salihu Ohize as the Chairman of Okene Local Government, a controversial order was issued to stay the performances of Ekuechi Festival for a year, Onikiri and Ayede teamed up to defy this order and went on to perform in that year.

Onikiri honoured and paid homages to those before him like Kekere of Isungwe, a great pioneer credited with transforming Unehe into an all-night event, Salami of Nagazi and Audu Adavojor both great pioneers as well. He deserved some homage of his own. Once, in 2007, I thanked him for putting Otoyi, Okengwe on the map and the radar screen. He laughed and played down his contribution to that effect.

Onikiri was a celebrity and a star that illuminated very brightly. He never allowed his celebrity status nor his stardom to consume him, remaining on the ground, at home with dignitaries, political leaders, traditional rulers as well as ordinary folks. His musical skills made him a darling of masters of ceremonies. He traversed the land, performing in open air at Izoku, inauguration and other social events to wide acclaim. He also performed in recording studios, his performances on Unehe pulling the largest crowds.

Onikiri's pre-performance rehearsals for Unehe, at which he familiarised supporters with samples of his lyrical repertoire, were very brief, lasting only a couple of days. He democratised his performances, a characteristic that set him apart from his contemporaries. He never assigned roles to spectators. Spectators assigned roles to themselves, joining in the chorus and becoming active participants. Year after year, Onikiri surpassed himself by churning out massive releases that stunned everyone else including his toughest rivals. He was keenly aware of the symbiosis between his supporters, spectators and himself. Onikiri cultivated his supporters, took interest in their private lives and visited them personally after Unehe to offer his gratitudes. He used to thank spectators or fans for coming and saw to it that they were never dissappointed but satisfactorily entertained.

In 1986 he parted ways with his lead Odahee, Musa Suberu, a.k.a the Professor. The Professor used to perform during Moulud, an Islamic festival. On the promptings of his inner circle, he entered Unehe during Ekuechi and into a challenge with his master. People held their breathe, fearing the worst case scenario. The diplomatic Onikiri navigated the crisis without any incidence and over-performed during the Unehe of that year.

Onikiri was a true ebira-centric nationalist, the likes of whom are, sadly, not in the national or state assemblies. He was not into party or clan politics. He made Ebira Agenda his cause, had pensive reflections on it and pursued it earnestly. Privately and publicly, he was a guardian, remaining apolitical but liberal to the core. If we listened to him more carefully and the policy makers, at local and national levels, heed his advice strenuously Ebiraland and Nigeria would be a much better place.

The themes of Alhaji Adeku's songs were wide-ranging, covering many topics under the sun. His annual releases are comparable to the releases of annual publications featuring praises to Ohomorihi, interpretation of issues confronting Anebira and Nigeria with copious advice to the rulers and the ruled. He drew tears, applauses or standing ovations for his reflections on the human condition. He sang about death: "mava siye kenyi isozavii inehe ononi o nini...." and talked about human folly: "Ota ota anaku enyi revu da ka aninataba...." He talked about his wishes. His wishes were those of a modest man: mesii kama neekura oyivo inahe ononani........." was how he put it in a song. He sang about bravery as if he read Shakespare: ozo yengwu ehiangwa ano di isu vasho,,,,,, His wish to visit ekura oyivo (abroad) was realised, thanks to Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, presently the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, in 1981 when he visited London, UK enroute to Orlando, Florida.

Ebiraland has produced many public intellectuals. Apart from a notable few, like the leaders of Ebira Progressive Association, EPA, and the late professor Albert Ozigi who had written extensively about his own people including a biography of the late Abdulazeez Atta, majority took a rejectionist tack, prefering instead to safeguard their bottomline, writing biographies of prominent people from Hausa or Yoruba and completely uninterested on issues about Anebira. In this abdication of responsibility, Ebira stories are being told by Raph Omololu Agbana of the Nigerian Guardian and other non-Ebira writers. It was the cultural elites personified by Onikiri and others that were there, still standing, acting as rear guards and telling our version of the stories, spreading awareness, defending and focusing extensively on Ebira issues. People have come to rely on them, like in the great tradition of the African griots, to disseminate information, take part in public debates and to entertain.

Alhaji Adeku was a repository of knowledge and wisdom. He was a mirror through which Anebira are able to see themselves. Our hopes, yearnings, aspirations and drawbacks were amply reflected in his music. It is preferable to have him physically amongst us today, to continue savouring his musicianship and erudition on topical issues. He battled diabetis for a long time and died as a result of complications from it. He would be missed greatly but his footprints would survive the passage of time. His story shall be told from generation to generation. His name would be etched in our memories and his music would keep his fans around the world company.

Onikiri's contribution to indigenous cultural development parallel those of Kekere of Isungwe, Pa Ichimiri, Momoh Ajagu, Isa Danga, Obege, Osime and other Ebira-centric nationalists. He died while on the throne as the first Ohinoyi of abormahee saka, the entire musicians in Ebiraland, following his turbanning in 2000

Alhaji Adeku has achieved many of his wishes. He trained his 34 children, seen the world (visited the Moslems' Holy land, UK and USA), helped in bringing Ebira music to a higher pedestal and achieved immortality through it.

May God have mercy on him.

Adieu Onikiri.