•Talks About The Story Of His Life @ 87
There is no way you will meet with Baba Ayorinde for the first time and you won’t fall in love with his brains, knowledge and sense of humour. In fact, everything about him speaks volumes of the special grace he carries. He has touched virtually all spheres of life and succeeded in all. He is such a bundle of talents. A highly intelligent, lettered and well-exposed personality. He is a media guru, in fact, one of the doyens of the industry in Nigeria. He’s a poet, playwright, PR expert, public affairs analyst, pastor and a traditional leader. He is the Baale Ekotedo in Ibadan and Chairman, Association of Traditional Baales of Ibadanland. At 87, Chief Ayorinde remains as agile and as brilliant as ever. He still takes notes, keeps records and does light exercise. Last week, City People’s Correspondent, DARE ADENIRAN (08057639079) was a guest at Ekotedo home of Baba Taye Ayorinde. During which this paragon of wisdom and intellect spoke extensively about his private life. It was quite revealing as Baba took this reporter through the journey of his life. His background, education, exploits, many recognitions, honour and awards in his kitty. Chief (Dr) Taye Ayorinde was part of most of the television programs and play that rocked the 70s. Village Headmaster, Saturday Square, Omonide, his personal play that was showcased on African Freedom Day at the prestigious Royal Festival Hall in London. Becoming the first African to set such a record. You can’t afford to miss the excerpts of this quiet revealing Interview Read on.
You are many things rolled into one; a journalist, playwright, public affairs analyst and a traditional leader. How did these phases of your life evolve?
When I was at school, Ibadan Grammar School, I was a member of the literary debating society. I love writing and not only love writing, I also participated in acting with people like Prof. Sowunmi of the University of Ibadan. I was the one who founded the Nigerian Theatre Group, where we had somebody like Late Wale Ogunremi, who was my Secretary. Wale Ogunremi was then a typist at the Baptist Bookshop and I have been writing stories. I went to the bookshop to buy papers for writing and I saw him and I said, why don’t you join me and be typing my stories? Of course, he had known and heard of me because most of the plays we had were at Obisesan Hall, Ibadan. We had children of Ministers of the Western Region in my group. I had always made a name when I left school. Apart from that, I was a lightweight boxing champion for Ibadan Grammar School. Another part is that I had the award of All Nigerian Festivals, where I did very well. Nigerian Festival of Acts. I was good at music, I composed and arranged music and I sing as well. I also drum. I draw, I paint and arrange music. I don’t know how I got involved in so many things. But first and foremost, I grew up to be an extrovert. I was interested in what goes on around me. In the long run, when I left school, I was producing and arranging music. I later went to work at the Ministry of Agriculture. My colleague then was General Alani Akinrinade (rtd.), who equally happened to be an extrovert. We are good friends.
Does your being an extrovert has anything to do with your background or by choice?
Of course, show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Yes, my parents, my father wasn’t only an Agriculturist but a very good Yoruba poet. He was a Yoruba icon, spiritual, history, tradition name it. I think I got many things from him. That’s his picture (pointing to a framed photograph on the wall), we look alike. My mother had only one male and she had 3 sets of twins. I am the only male. I was blind. I mean I was born very blind. I couldn’t see but at the same time, I didn’t carry the tag of disabled. But with my eyes closed, I was able to predict things that would happen. And that is what eventually led my parents to say that I should go and be living with Bishop Akinyele. And from Bishop Akinyele I was passed to Arch Deacon Alayande in Ondo. I came back to Ibadan in 1948 with Deacon Alayande, to Oke-Are, where Ibadan Grammar School was, at the house in front of it. From there we went to Molete, which was how I got to Ibadan Grammar School as a student. Myself and Late Chief Bayo Akinola of Ondo State. We were both living with Deacon Alayande.
So at what point did you see, sir?
It’s part of the fact that my eyes never opened. I was running around with a cousin of my and I mistakenly kicked the keg of palm wine being used by my Uncle and his friends. They were playing ‘ayo’ game. He said, ‘so o ri ran ni’ (can’t you see). And my Uncle said, no, ‘ko ri ran daada’ (he couldn’t see properly). He said, what? He looked at my eyes, he said in three days time, come back, I will be here. My father’s senior brother said, he is a twin. He said by the time I come back bring everything that twins normally eat. That is, ‘Ekuru’, ‘Ewa’, sugarcane and all those things. And this was a man very versed in the Bible. He knows the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, including the psalms off hand. Not enough, he can quote Quran from beginning to the end including Adits. And to top it all, he talks to the leaves and leaves talk to him. He was 3-in-1. I saw all these in my father’s diary. My parents told me who he was. He was the senior uncle to Oba Operinde, Olubadan of Ibadanland. So, the man came and put those things down and started touching my forehead. Citing Quran, the Bible, incantations and things like that. As he was touching my forehead the place was going in and my eyes were opening. You can see the mark there (pointing to his forehead). So, that was how I got my eyes opened.
At what age was that?
After three years.
Was there a kind of prophecy or prediction preceding your birth, sir?
I was born a twin, one of the 3 sets of twins. They didn’t know that. But one thing I like to tell people when you have a newborn baby, disallow people from touching the head of the baby. You never know who carries a wrong ring, you will never know who are those carrying the baby and their intentions.
I tell you what, on leaving school, I kept on writing plays and we kept on acting and kept showcasing my musical plays at Obisesan Hall and at the same time working in the Ministry of Agric with Alani Akinrinade and co. It came to a point that there was this expatriate, who took books that were not supposed to be taken from the library. Chief Akindeko was the Minister of Agric then. We were not to allow anybody to go with books not only without permission but also for more than three days. There was to be this conference on Cocoa and there were books and files that were supposed to be brought to the conference. We couldn’t get them. Until the gatemen in charge of the library called our attention because my father also was working in the Ministry of Agric and my Uncle, Dr T.S.B Aribisala. They told us that they saw ‘Amukoko’, the piper, yesterday taking away some books. They wouldn’t know how he got the keys. Amukoko, the expatriate was the Conservator of Forest. It was a kind of sabotage. Here was a man that he comes through the corridors, you dare not put your head up, you must look down until he passes. Apart from that, he was a good slapper. He knows how to slap people. He had this colonialist mentality in him. We went to his room and coughed to get his attention. He stood up, when he stands up in anger like that, be ready to take a good slap. Alani was ready for it. Since then I knew he would be a good soldier. As he raised his hand, Alani parried it, gave him a good slap. You can’t slap an ‘Oyinbo’ man with your hand not show on his cheeks. Before the man could open his mouth to call messanger, I gave him my own slap on the other side. We then ran into the room where they were holding the conference. The Minister asked us, what is the matter? We then pretended as if were crying and told him that the Oyinbo took the books. He sent for him and put him in the same room where we were. It was not funny. He couldn’t slap us anymore. The instruction was given to go and search his house, where many things were found. Things and books that were not supposed to be in his house. That was how he left Nigeria. My Uncle, Dr T.S.B happened to be the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agric. It came coincidentally at the time when Federal Government were announcing for people to join the Army. Alani went and joined. My mother refused. So my Uncle had signed an empty paper, that was how I got myself in the Cooperative Bank. I hated mathematics. I hated that thing they called arithmetics. But there you are, I was employed as an Account Clerk. Chief Onagoruwa was the man in charge of Cooperative Bank. He took me in. You know the person called Oba Otudeko? We were in the bank at the same time. I enjoyed my being in the bank but the bank didn’t enjoy me. Because whenever I was closing a ledger, instead of writing 3, I may put 30. And it was always difficult to find 30 and 3 during the reconciliation of accounts. At times, I would be composing music on the book, forgetting it was a ledger book of the bank. In any case, that was my life in the bank.
Like how many years did you spend in banking?
Two years or so. I had to leave for England. In England, I studied Business Management, I studied Films & Television Production. At another time, I went to Regent Polytechnic to study Journalism & Public Relations. Because I just didn’t want to come back home. I was just studying all sorts. I also went to Stanislavski College, it is where you study methods. I then wrote a play, on the day they called African Freedom Day, titled ‘Omonide’. There you have the likes of Late Bukky Ajayi, Jumoke Adebayo, Ibidun Allyson, all of them participated in my play.
Tell us about how you got into T.V?
Before I left Nigeria, my theatre group was the first set of people to use television in Africa, WNBS, Ibadan. We were the first-ever. Apart from that, I have been doing many things at Obisesan Hall. I got used to that and that is why when I got to England, on African Freedom Day, my play was staged at the Royal Festival Hall. I got this man who asked me to come and stage my play at the Hall. How did I get this man? I took the last tube one day and here was this old man who looked haggard with beards. As I was composing a musical play, Omonide. Only two of us left in the tube. As I was doing the composition, I was saying it aloud and this man was coming near me. Then I said, what is the matter? He told me he’s interested in my music. Then he gave me a card. He just scribbled something at the back of it, no name but the address was there. He said I should see him. Then I went there, I met these people in a tuxedo, even the man at the gate was also in a tuxedo. I showed him the card, he said where did I get it from? That there was no job there. I said the owner gave me. He said I must have found it on the floor or something. I didn’t know the person was a Duke. I then created a scene, I said take me upstairs and see if am lying or not. As we got to the reception, the Secretary said, yes, there is no job. You know the way they treat Black people. I said am not looking for any job, I want to see the owner of this card. Not knowing the man was seeing us through CCTV. I also made a scene with the Secretary at the reception. Then the man came out and said, what is the matter? I said this thing won’t let me see you. He then turned to the Secretary, did you see my card? She said they thought I picked it on the floor. With the signature at the back? The man asked again and said would you apologize to him. They all apologized and he took me in. Then I saw this big hall, a big office that the man was using with all sorts of gadgets. He was also the Director and the man in charge of Royal Festival Hall. That is how I got lucky. That is how my life changed in England. I tell you what, anybody who doesn’t believe in God is a fool. But prayer and fasting without work is nothing. That was how I met my door opener. He then called somebody to come in. That one sat and they said I should tell them all about the play.
I started singing the play and demonstrating the beats and all with my mouth. As I was doing that, I didn’t know some people were recording somewhere else. I did all that from the beginning to the end. Then he said let’s go and eat. Another scene. When we got to the restaurant, I wanted to go in, they disallowed me. I said am following the man. They said it was exclusive, it was an exclusive restaurant on Oxford Street. I created a scene there as well. The man looked back he didn’t see me, he came out. He said he was following me, did you not know that? He said but he was not properly dressed. I wasn’t in a suit. He said sorry, I went in. I took a sumptuous meal and drink. At that time I used to drink and smoke. I enjoyed it. When we finished he said let’s go somewhere. We walked into one hall, through the door and when the thing was opened, I saw these men, all sorts of instruments. And the conductor was there ready. As soon as we got in, the man said now sit down and listen to your production. After listening, I started shedding tears of gladness. He said you can correct them where they are wrong. Correct? I have never seen a thing like that before in my entire life. That was how my life changed. My play was showcased on African Freedom Day at the Royal Festival Hall. The Duke of Edinburgh was Guest of Honour. Queen’s husband was there live. There were so many Africans. And there was a particular gentleman. After we finished the play and people were congratulating me and all. He came over to me and said, are you from Ibadan? I said yes. He said which Ayorinde is yours. I told him and he said, but for your father, I wouldn’t have been in England. That person was Late Chief Nathaniel Idowu, the famous industrialist. He said why don’t you come to my college? I agreed. That is how I got into Northwestern Polytechnic to read Business. In this life, only God knows where anybody will be. We became friends, he was studying Economics while I was studying Business. We were also in the same Ibadan Progressive Union, the Oluyole Club of Nigeria back in England. From there, there was an advert in the paper for somebody who known Nigeria. Who can be an Information Officer for the British Government? I went for the interview and when I got there, one of the people on the panel to Interview me, was the Oyinbo that wanted to sabotage the conference of Chief Akindeko, who made me leave the Ministry of Agric. He wouldn’t recognize me, I had beards all over the place or he couldn’t correlate the name. I said I know this gentleman over there, you know am very stubborn. I said are you not Captain Rose, who wanted to sabotage the Cocoa conference when Chief Akindeko was the Minister? Then he looked at me, he recognized me. He was supposed to be respected there. I said you left Nigeria in a hurry. He just packed his bag and luggage, he didn’t say a word. They called him to order, that is he right? He said he was right. He didn’t lie. That is how I got the job I got the job and then I had to be told to come to Nigeria before the war, to see whether there would be a Biafra crisis or not. I predicted it a year it happened. That’s how I know the whole of Nigeria, as representative of the British Government. I was also Adviser with Commonwealth African Programs. There was a program called London Lime which I initiated. We would produce the program, interview Nigerians with some British products and send them to all African countries. While I was in Nigeria to see what the problem could be, I got to NBC T.V. I met Segun Olusola, Christopher Kolade, who were my friends before leaving for England. Because we were all together. I merged my group together with that of Wole Soyinka. So when I came back they said when are you starting work? That is how I joined television again. There is no known serious dramatist like Ogunnde, Duroladipo and the lots, that didn’t pass through my hand in production. I was the Producer/Director. The best of my program was ‘Ibitombe’, it was a South African music program, which I never forget. The other thing is that Late Amororo, Oba Amororo of Owu Kingdom, himself and I adapted Village Headmaster. I created Bar Beach Show, Art Alade came out. Art Alade was a great talented man musical wise and presentation. There is also another program named Saturday Square, where we had Rosemary Anieze Adams. Those were the frontline presenters. I really enjoyed myself on the T.V.
Even during the left hand-right hand drive, myself, the daughter of the first Finance Minister in Nigeria, Alero Okotie Eboh and one or two other people with Babatunde Jose of Daily Times were in charge of change to right-hand drive in Nigeria.
At 87, you are still very sound, strong and coherent. How have been able to maintain all these?
It is a grace. God has been keeping me going. Because I was elected Information Secretary of United Nation Association of Nigeria in 1977, African Commonwealth Programs in London, African Panorama in London, at the Central Office of Information. I was anointed a pastor. Again, I happen to be a member of the Family Support Program (FSP), Task Force for Oyo State. I doubled as the Chairman, Publicity for National Immunisation Program for children. I got a certificate of Merit and Honour, Patron of Special Marshal, that is RHW unit 36, Ibadan Northwest, in recognition of my moral and financial contributions to Road Marshal. I got National Entrepreneurship Distinction Award from NTA. I got a grand order of Peace Pursuit International Fellowship of Reconciliation in 1998. This was in recognition of my religious interest. Incidentally, I, on my own introduced one block for Christ. That it is if every Christian were to donate a block. The. We’ll build that house in Jerusalem. That is my own initiative. Am proud of it but it is not by my might but the spirit of God.
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