The subject of ‘Do ba la’ is currently controversies among OAU students. Some see it as culture and others see it as degeneration. Afolabi Oni, just concluded his final examinations in OAU writes.
For students in part six Medicine, they do not know when it all started. It gained ground day by day, just like the Bamboo tree and now is a pronounced and prominent act in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. This is an act of demanding for respect from any artiste or invited guest in OAU as they are told to prostrate before they perform at all, if a male and go on bended knees on the ground if a female. This is usually echoed by boys residing in Awolowo hall who do not only come to the event ground to be entertained, but also to entertain their fellow students with their aroism in other to ensure that there are no dull moments. They encourage well performing artiste and dust their hands off for the artiste that isn’t getting the audience attention as sign that his absence on stage is needed.
On the 27th of November, 2010, EniObanke music festival was stage in OAU and organized by beautiful Nubia (Segun Akinlolu). Beautiful Nubia started singing from amidst the students and when he moved to the raised platform, he said, ‘Greeting’. Awoites and other students demanded that he should prostrate but he continues with his performance. Upon being asked to prostrate and when the tension had increased, he said, ‘In the yoruba culture, only a bastard will prostrate for someone younger than him, I know my age, I am over 42.’
The President of the Student Union Fredrick Joel came up stage stating categorically to beautiful Nubia with all humility, that it is a tradition in ife for any artiste to prostrate as a sign of paying homage to the students. He however said if that connoted sense of disrespect to Beautiful Nubia, Joel and other Central Executive Council officials prostrated to Beautiful Nubia right on stage and advised him to do the same to the students. Beautiful Nubia called that he coming back on stage to perform but that Pa Olandowo Julius should perform. All these happened after Jimi Solanke had performed.
Students sensed that it was just an antic and that Beautiful Nubia wanted Pa Olandowo Julius to play before they packed there things and left. In the cause of the tension as he wasn’t given audience by students who wanted him to prostrate, Beautiful Nubia said, ‘Okay, you want me to do ba le, let the Chairman of Awolowo hall come, I will do ba le for you. Sebi u want do ba le.’
Another member of his crew who beautiful Nubia felt has a right to express himself said, ‘This is not the culture in Ife, and it is degeneration. It wasn’t like this when we were here.’ The programme came to a halt when beautiful Nubia left the stage after inviting the next guest artiste and some of his crews were packing some musical instrument. Arguments continued as the Director of Socials and Culture, Babawale Olayinka countered what the President said and did say that it was not cultural and he was on the side of Beautiful Nubia. Some students asked him if he did prostrated or not before presenting his manifestos to the students as all the aspirant didn’t only prostrate but also affirmed that it was a tradition.
Adeolu Adesakin, 300level student of Sociology and Antropology criticized Babawale for supporting an artiste against the students, based on the fact that he has a personal relationship with the artiste. However, Ola Osebikan disagrees that to say do ba le is a tradition is subjective and restrictive. He recommends that it should be done away with as it is anachronistic.
After minutes, the President of the Students’ Union, Fredrick Joel appealed to students’ as well as Awolowo hall Chairman and they both prostrated again to fraying nerves asked Beautiful Nubia to apologize to the students and continue with performance. Beautiful Nubia apologized for his perceived harsh tone, arrogance and use of ‘provocative’ words and said they where all perceived as he didn’t do it on purpose but was just misconception. This calmed down the students and he didn’t do ba le but still performed ‘arewa’. Olando Julius thereafter preformed to the thunderous applause of the students and Beautiful Nubia was carried should high by Awoites after the show.
The students are not just interested in your do ba le but humility on stage. The cry for do ba le is just to send signal to the artiste that he is not in control of the stage but the students. The last time an artiste was in charge of the stage, was in the early 1991, when Shina Peter was in Amphi theatre to perform and he requested that a lady to suck his male genital on stage. The female student was however rusticated after the show and nothing was done to Shina Peters. Students after the incidence resolved to demand respect from artistes and guest irrespective of where they come from.
Many have raised eye-brows saying that it will discourage popular artists from coming to OAU, as TU-Face Idibia said in an interview with Babawale, ‘Why would you think I would like to prostrate at any show? Nigerians need to respect us; we are on the same level with Artistes they see on Channel O and MTV base. We deserve some respect. Should it be Akon who will ask him prostrate?’
Adeabgo Matthew replied Tuface that it is just pride that will not make you yield to the demands of your audience. The audience opinion needs to be respected. Should Akon come to OAU, he will prostrate. When Tuface further asked, ‘What will I tell the world when they see the pictures on facebook and twitter?’, Adeagbo replied that Tuface that he should tell them that he is respecting the people in their own way, it is not debasement, but humility.
Although, the controversy continues among students whether it should be struck out or not, but for now, pending the congress, that is even if subjected to debate at the level of the congress because it is beyond the parliament, artiste and guest coming to OAU should not forget to prostrate upon the students request.
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