Honour For BAT

It was a night of fun, glamour and razzmatazz on 22 June, at the Civic Centre on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, as politics and entertainment fused seamlessly. The occasion was the investiture of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, immediate past governor of Lagos State, as a patron of KORA, the all Africa Music Awards, and the unveiling of nominees for the 2008 Awards.

Apart from the gathering of foremost Nigerian musicians, promoters, directors, comedians and, indeed, the leading figures in the entertainment industry, the event attracted the cream of the society and international personages like Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. There was also a strong representation of the political class, led by Babatunde Fashola, Governor of Lagos State, while traditional rulers, business executives, cultural groups from Lagos and Republic of Benin were also in attendance.

The event compered by Dayo Adewusi, presenter of One-on-One on Nigerian Television Authority network and Adesuwa Onyenokwe, publisher of Total Woman, kicked-off with a red carpet reception held at the Aquatic Section of the imposing centre, which allowed the guests to interact with ease before the main event. At 5 p.m. prompt, guests moved into the main hall for the event proper, with Eyo masquerades ushering the man of the moment, Asiwaju Tinubu, into the hall in style. In his welcome speech, Ernest Coovi Adjovi, KORA President and Executive Director, said the choice of Tinubu as one of the patrons of KORA was borne out of his immense contributions to the development of mankind and the former governor’s conviction that the emergence of an Africa that is devoid of poverty, disease, joblessness and homelessness can partly be achieved through a true cultural renaissance. He added that Tinubu has proved himself worthy in various fields and as such, his nomination is well deserved. The Beninoise businessman explained that the selection of Tinubu to replace Nelson Mandela, one of the world’s leading statesmen, was not easy to arrive at, going by the calibre of other individuals considered for the position. “Tinubu’s choice came after a stiff selection process which had names like Mr. John Kufuor, President of Ghana; Mr. Moletsi Mbeki, a renowned journalist and business mogul, who is a younger brother of Dr.Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, among many others vying for the same honour,” Adjovi said. In his speech, Fashola said the choice of Tinubu as a replacement for a man like Mandela is a great honour not only for Tinubu but Lagos State. He added that Tinubu, just like Mandela, is a dogged fighter, an attribute which he believes will be brought to bear on his tenure as a patron of the biggest musical awards on the continent.