Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti has publicly
asked the Federal Government to apologise to his family for the death of
his grandmother, Funmilayo Kuti, before putting her picture on the
proposed N5000 note.
Let’s go back in time; it’s February 1978,
and Nigeria was being ruled by the military, led by General Olusegun
Obasanjo. One of the most influential women in the country, Olufunmilayo
Ransome Kuti is resting in her Surulere abode, where two of her sons –
Doctor Beko Ransome Kuti and musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti also call
home. Her house is then invaded by a thousand unknown soldiers who
attack and brutalise Beko and Fela, vandalize property, including Beko’s
hospital, but in the heat of these inhumane behaviours of 'Kaaki Boys',
they allegedly throw Olufunmilayo from the second floor of her house to
the ground.
The first woman in Nigeria to drive a car and to
ride a bike; a woman often regarded as ‘The mother of Africa’ slips into
a coma and in April that year, died from the injuries sustained.
Today,
Goodluck Jonathan is the President of the junta that killed the woman,
and Seun, with full support of his elder brother and sisters, are asking
for unreserved apoloogies from FG.
If you recall, the Federal
Government have announced a proposed N5000 note to be printed and
circulated in the country. They have also announced that they are
considering putting Funmilayo Kuti’s picture on the note. Her four
children – Olikoye, Beko, Fela and Dolupo, who protested her death back
then are all dead, but one of her grandsons’ Seun Kuti isn’t taking the
news lying down.
"She was murdered by the Federal Government, her
house was burnt down on that same day, two of her children were
brutalised, almost killed on that same day and the family have not
receive any apology or compensation, most especially justice for such
atrocity." Seun said.
Seun, an Afrobeat musician himself, is
asking for not just an apology, but for someone to be held responsible
for the February ’78 attack which resulted in the death of his
grandmother.
Social network
campaigns have been put in gear, with family, fans and friends of the
Kutis. On Facebook an ‘I Hate the New 5000 Naira Note’ group was opened.
On micro-blogging site Twitter, popular singer-producer Tha Suspect who
is also an ‘advocate of the masses’ said ‘Elder Funmilayo Kuti On The
#5,000 Note?? Plenty Apologies Go First Take Place but Shame go Gree
Govt?’
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