Wale is a son of celebrated playwright and lecturer, Prof. Femi Osofisan. He talks about the life of his father outside the classroom with GBENGA ADENIJI
Give a brief background of yourself
I am Dr. Wale Osofisan – the firstborn of Prof. Femi Osofisan. I am a governance technical advisor with the International Rescue Committee – an international humanitarian and post crisis development organisation.
Did your father encourage you in your career choice?
I think I also speak for my siblings (Yemi, Akin and Oyintomi) when I say none of us would be who we are and where we find ourselves today without the encouragement we received from our parents. I remember sometime in 2000 when I had just finished the National Youth Service Corps scheme. My father asked me what I wanted to do and what would make me happy and fulfilled. I told him I would like a job that involved travelling to other parts of the world helping people in need. I wanted to work for an international organisation. He then encouraged me to study a relevant postgraduate deg
ree course in that area. This informed my master’s degree in Humanitarian and Refugees Studies at the University of Ibadan. There was a time in 2002 when we were both at the University of Lagos staff club drinking a beer. He asked me how I plan to make my dream a reality. At that point, I had begun contemplating applying for a job at what used to be known as Standard Trust Bank. He encouraged me to stick to my dream to see the world, that working for a Nigerian bank would not make that dream come true and perhaps, would not make me happy. So, I took his advice and began an unpaid three months internship programme with the United Nations Development Programme in Ikoyi. I was lucky to later get a contract as a Governance Programme Associate and moved to the UN House in Abuja. I left towards the end of 2004 to pursue a PhD in Post-Conflict Recovery and Development Studies at the University of York in the United Kingdom. Since then, I have worked for a number of international organisations before joining IRC. So, I can confidently say I am living my dream. Thanks to my father and mother for encouraging and supporting me.
What memory of your growing up years with him can you recall?
This is a tough one. There are a number of such memories but there is one particular memory I have which is worth mentioning because it really shaped some of the values my siblings and I hold dear till today. These were the times my father would take us into his private study where he read to us stories about Ijapa (the tortoise). Though these stories were quite entertaining, we also learnt a lot of lessons and morals listening to them. He is also a brilliant actor so he did not just read the stories; he would practically be acting them. These sessions also involved singing and playing various instruments like beating a small hand-held gong or a talking drum. These are fantastic memories that will stay with us forever.
As a child to professors, was there pressure on you as a student and did you enjoy any preferential treatment in school?
Definitely, there was pressure but no preferential treatment. In fact, I always joked with my parents that they created a problem for us because the moment I introduce myself in some places including the classroom, the reaction is always the same. Everyone expects the best from me because of who my parents are. It is a good thing because deep down one cannot afford to fail but it also puts pressure on one. I reckon it was the same for my brothers and sister.
How did he create time for his family while he was in the university?
My father works very hard. Growing up, I recall he travelled abroad a lot. He spent time working and writing till very late hours in his office at the Faculty of Arts or directing plays at the Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan. I understood at a very young age that having an artist/writer as a father meant one would probably have to live with seeing less of him. But the older he got, the less he travelled. Nowadays, it is actually my mother (Prof. Nike Osofisan) that does most of the travelling while my dad is the dedicated ‘house husband.’ It’s an interesting reversal. I reckon he is putting into practice his belief in gender equality. He has also contributed immensely to the feminist movement through his writings. He believes and uses female characters in his plays to promote equal opportunity for women as well as celebrating women as heroes in their own right.
Did he take his family out?
Yes, he did when he was around. He would often take us to the University Staff Club where in those good old days we had a functioning and well-managed swimming pool, a movie room and a comic shop. He also took us to the Arts Theatre to watch rehearsals or a play. A few times we went with him to the Nigerian Breweries Limited staff club. His friend, Banwo Smith, I think, was the brewery manager in Ibadan at that time.
How does he relax at home?
He reads a lot – books, journals, newspapers and news magazines. I know many people will not consider reading a form of relaxation but it was, and still is, a form of relaxation for him.
What are the values you have imbibed from him?
We learnt great values from our parents. They always emphasise hard work, excellence, honesty, simplicity and compassion. They encouraged us to think critically and independently. I must say, with all due respect, my parents are not the typical Nigerian parents that don’t entertain their children asking them critical questions or challenging their ideas and views. We were always having one debate or the other in our house. We were also encouraged to always question and challenge certain societal norms and conventions by making rational, coherent and logical arguments. We learnt at a very young age that we can disagree with each other on certain issues but this does not mean we don’t love one another. No one takes it personal by bearing a grudge. We just happen to disagree on principles and everyone moves on without it affecting the love and family bond.
How has his name helped you when people know you are his child?
People expect one to excel in what one does and that very fact increases one’s determination to work hard and succeed in life. For me, this is the benefit of being his son. He also encouraged us to learn to depend on no one but ourselves. My father will never tolerate or take kindly to any one of his children using his name to gain some favour or advantage. That is just not acceptable and it is certainly not how we do things in the family.
What are the values your father holds dear?
The values my father holds dear are fairness, compassion, hard work and a belief in the power of humanity to make the world a better place. He sees the world from the perspective of the under-privileged, the oppressed and the exploited. All these values are reflected in his plays.
How does he handle misunderstandings with your mother?
He does that through dialogue and respect for each other’s positions even when they don’t agree. Of course, they disagree and as I earlier said, we all do within the family. It is normal. But it never leads to animosity. I have never seen them have an overheated disagreement.
How do you feel each time you read some of his plays?
I seldom read his plays. I prefer to watch them on stage. Why read them when I can watch them on stage? Besides, I find reading plays less interesting than watching them. I prefer reading prose than drama. Watching his plays makes me feel proud to have him as a role model.
What impression of him do you have watching his plays?
Watching his plays further reaffirms what I already know about him. That is, his dedication to making the world a better place for all, especially the poor. He does this by questioning the abuse of power, ignorance, and the wrong orientations many especially in Africa have been given from birth such as the superstitions which most of us have swallowed like unalterable truths. Many people believe in things that are not backed up with reality or by evidence. His duty as a writer is to expose these falsehoods and continuously denounce and subvert them. He believes (and I totally agree with him) that what some people call religion or tradition is just a tissue of fabrications to frighten people away from asking questions and from claiming their rights. Hence, he uses his plays to constantly educate and enlighten people about the true nature of things and shows them the real purpose behind these false ideas, and how they can liberate themselves.
Which of his plays have you watched?
I have seen practically all his plays except two, I think: Nkrumah Ni, Africa Ni and Reel Rwanda. They were performed abroad so I am yet to see them.
Who are your father’s friends?
He has a lot of friends but I will single out Prof. Biodun Jeyifo as his best friend – a kind of his alter ego. The internationally renowned poet Prof. Niyi Osundare is also a very close friend. There are also Profs. Olabode Lucas and Olu Obafemi. He is also close to a number of people much younger than him.
How did he enforce discipline on any of his children who did something wrong?
He seldom used the whip or the cane but he did when he had to. I remember one particular incident when he used the cane on me. It was one of those youthful exuberant days when I thought I was smarter than my parents. I will not go into the details. It is too embarrassing to narrate. One thing though is that he rarely raises his voice but when he does, one knows that one is in real trouble.
What is his favourite meal?
He loved dodo (fried plantain) in those days but that has changed with age. He now tries to avoid food with high calories.
Does he have any special mode of dressing?
This is an interesting question because I have seen an evolution. In the 1980s, he was known for wearing his adire or French suit. He also had a bohemian beard. Then, in the 1990s he continued with his adire but somewhat dropped the French suit and shaved more. He wore more of short-sleeved shirts and jeans with the belt knuckles on the side. Then, from 2000, he started wearing traditional attire such as guinea brocade sometimes with a hat to match. This was when he was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Theatre in Lagos. I guess he had no choice but to look corporate. He has also been keeping a small ‘goatee’ beard since then.
What is his schedule like?
Now that he is retired and I have not lived with him for more than a decade, I wouldn’t be able to describe his current schedule. However, in those days when he was not abroad or on sabbatical in the universities of Ife or Benin, he woke up around 6am and would be at his desk writing. That is, typing away on his keyboard. He seldom took breakfast, maybe a cup of coffee. He left the house for the office between 8am and 9am. He would come home for lunch and not return again till evening. He likes working on weekends. I don’t think he can ever stop writing. It is in his DNA.
How close are you to him?
We were never really that close when I was a kid. My father thought he was not going to live that long. His own father died at a very young age and his step-father too. It was when he turned 50 that he told us he deliberately kept a bit of distance in those days because he didn’t want us to get too attached to him, only for us to lose him. He felt the trauma would be too unbearable for us. He opened up more afterwards. Since then, we have become very close and even closer since 2000 when we both lived together for a few years in Lagos. Today, we are more like friends. I can confide in him anytime and about anything.
How sociable is he?
He is very sociable. I think it is inherent in all artists especially the ones in the theatre business. He has a fantastic sense of humour. He can easily crack up a room full of people with laughter. He also likes going to the university staff club where he and his academic colleagues engage in intellectual discussions. He is also very easy to talk to, open-minded and I dare say liberal in his views.
Did he tell you why he loves the Marxist ideology and prefers to use the pseudonym, Okinba Launko?
We have discussed Marxism a number of times. I would say his thinking on Marxism has evolved over the years. We all know what happened to the Soviet Union. Even China is now a functioning market economy albeit with a closed political system. We also saw the unravelling of excessive neo-liberalism during the global financial crisis in 2008. So he is not dogmatic about Marxist or any ideology for that matter. Marxism was only an intellectual framework that helps to convey the messages one finds in his plays. He doesn’t believe in “isms.” What matters most to him is tackling inequality, oppression and social injustice. As for the pseudonym – Okinba Launko, we have never really discussed why he chose that name but I later discovered it was his way of speaking about the problems confronting the society without the true identity of the author known to the reading public. Remember that he adopted the name during the military era when dissenting voices were sent to jail for speaking against injustice and abuse of power. The good news is that he got away with it for a very long time before people realised the real individual behind the writings of Okinba Launko. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would have done to my mother if he had been arrested and locked up by the military junta.
Which of his plays do you love most and why?
I can’t pick anyone in particular. It is like picking a favourite child. Suffice it to say though that I do like the “Midnight Series” for their humour and comedy yet the seriousness in the messages they convey. It’s a brilliant way to entertain and enlighten the audience at the same time.
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