Lauded historian, author, lawyer and politician, Hon. Femi Kehinde is one Avant garde,away from the usual ceremonies of noise, his book ‘Of Rusts and Gold: Snippets of History’ is a comprehensive account about our history, culture, education and our lost values and of course politics.
How many of his generation can gather so many economists, scholars, politicians, technocrats, monarchs, different generation and class of people under one roof for a book launch? The reason he is a sheer class.
Class, indeed in Femi Kehinde, cannot be bought with money; rather, it comes as a grace. How many Nigerian lawmakers know about our chequered history? Or, still, remember our heroes past? More so, he has thrown a challenge to our new generation of writers and historians about what they write for the people to read in this junk and blog gist’s literature era.
My first encounter with him came at a time, I started working on notable and distinguished Nigerians for my documentary series “Movers and Shakers” and my associate producer Segun Adedokun asked me to read a certain article on Vanguard online, written about one extraordinary Nigerian industrialist and Africa’s earliest entrepreneur, Sanusi Adebisi Giwa. The article was entitled, “Sanusi Adebisi Idikan- (1882 – 1938) first Ibadan notable entrepreneur and philanthropist.” I decided to go through it and I was amazed by the level of research that threw me off guard. It was indeed an articulated story.I wasn’t in a rush to read it all over as the writer’s use of English was lucid to feel and enjoy. History was placed on my table easily by the writer. Every aspect of the protagonist life and style was detailed. His odyssey and foray in commerce and business were well researched. Sanusi Adebisi’s philanthropy, his hallmark remained distinct and unrivalled. At a time getting to read about the author became a beautiful mission and at the end of the ‘masterpiece’ I saw the name and designation; Hon (Barr.) Femi Kehinde,Former Member,House of Representatives,National Assembly,Abuja, Representing, Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency, of Osun State- 1999-2003. I became so much interested in meeting him. It was looking though a very difficult mission but that eventually came to fruition when I placed a phone call to a veteran journalist and erudite writer himself, Dr. Festus Adedayo, who facilitated my meeting the ‘celeb’ of course at the moment in the city of Ibadan in Oyo State.
His presence is as captivating, as he recounts his odyssey as a young man, educational sojourn, career path and his mission statement. One reflecting moment is, he is so passionate about the preservation of history and culture and instead of him lamenting just like many of his peers. And he has decided not to drop his passion for writing history. Rather, the ink from his pen must continue to write and celebrate our heroes.
During the interview, Femi Kehinde took us on a roller coaster, telling us more about what we should know about the protagonist, Sanusi Adebisi, in a recount that looks as if he grew up with him. It was incredible!
He rounded up his elementary school voyage at Saint Paul’s Primary School, Gbongan, in 1972. Femi Kehinde later went to Origbo Community High School, Ipetumodu, January 1973 – July, 1977, then moved to Ibadan polytechnic for his ‘A Levels Basic Studies’ between 1977 – 1978 from where he gained admission to read Law at the prestigious University of Ife, now renamed Obafemi Awolowo University, from 1978 to 1983 where he bagged an LL.B Hons degree, though with a brief period spent at the Department of History in the same school. After his stint at Nigerian Law School, he was called to the Bar on the 16th ofAugust,1984. The Law firm, Obafemi Awolowo & Co [Barristers Solicitors] Park Lane Apapa, Lagos will be his next destination where he had a pupilage law practice between June and October, 1984, with one more firm, Fawole Babalakin and Co, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, he soldiered on to establish his law firm, Femi Kehinde&Co in October 1985 and has remained a Principal Partner.
Also, included are essays on contemporary Nigerian politics, the entrepreneurial efforts and dynamism of our earliest entrepreneurs and industrialists. “I always find my way to make this work,”he says. “I go through my research thoroughly, before notifying each family of my intention and they always give me their support,” he recalls at our encounter at his Oluwalogbon Motors Chambers in Ikeja.
“Chief Richard Akinjide once asked me, “how old are you?”’ he recalls. Chief Richard Akinjide, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and one of Nigeria’s earliest practicing lawyers, alongside Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode and Chief Bode Thomas, was a witness of history and a privy to some of the research compilations by the author. He became astonished by the enormous dedication the writer, has given to do all these. The elderly lawyer sees Femi Kehinde as a phenomenon!
The Chief Bode Thomas and Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi II drama in 1953, would have looked more like a fairytale to the young readers today. It was a historical account that was underreported and very difficult to find from some of our available libraries, but the writer did justice to it.
The intrigues of Oni of Ife stool and Olowo of Owo mysterious double reigns and others make the book a literature classic!
Current school reforms are nose-dived ones and making the system to be experiencing a downward trend. The author himself, being a product of western region educational policy and largesse, laments the current situation being experience in the country, particularly, his home state
A mission he says, was to impact positively on the lives of his people so that the “Living Spring will Flow Again.”
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