A TRIBUTE TO A FOREMOST AFRICAN ATHEIST/FREEDOM FIGHTER

A TRIBUTE TO A FOREMOST AFRICAN ATHEIST/FREEDOM FIGHTER ByPeter AdegokeDr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Nigerian, Humanist and Free thought Ambassador Dr. Bekololari Ransome Kuti a doctor, democracy activist and a foremost Nigerian atheist-humanist died on February 10, 2006 at the age of 65 of long cancer at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos Nigeria. He was the last of the famous Ransome-Kuti family of Abeokuta, south western Nigeria; his life was marked by distinctive service to humanity and he showed great exemplary promethean spirit for us new generation of Africans to follow. His simple but precocious lifestyle served as a standard for the budding African minds as different from the general superstitions front portrayed by the gullible majority in Africa largely influenced by the scientifically illiterate and near irrational preachers those innocent minds are exposed to on a day to day basis. Influenced by the liberal spirit of his parents who nurtured him in a manner that is quit different from the absolutely dogmatic teaching style of the missionary 40s; this influence had a lot of impact not only on Beko but also his siblings. The Kutis are known for their non-conformist straightforward attitude, a trait which is hard to come by in Africa, they were really a rare gem. It is worthy of note that Beko is a cousin to our own noble Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. His father was the late Reverend I.O. Ransome-Kuti, that great Spartan principal of the legendary Abeokuta Grammar School in Ogun State, Nigeria. Reverend Kuti was the founding president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), a platform established to fight for the rights of the underprivileged poor teachers of the colonial era. He was reputed to have become an Anglican priest not as a matter of interest but as the only means to gain western formal education back the, as he could not afford education otherwise. Beko's mother, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti that fearless Nigerian Nationalist, whose organization, the Abeokuta Women's Union, fought for the rights of women to vote. She was described in 1947 by the West African Pilot as the "Lioness of Lisabi;" she led the Egba women on a campaign against arbitrary taxation of women, that struggle led to the abdication of the Egba King Oba Ademola II in 1949; Soyinka's mother, Eniola, was also very active in that struggle. She was the doyen of female rights in Nigeria and she was regarded as "The Mother of Africa" as she was a very powerful force at a time when it was a taboo for women to be heard. She was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria, a tradition which was the exclusive preserve of the men back then. Beko shared the simplicity of Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, the straightforwardness of their sister Dolupo, and the resoluteness of his beloved elder brother the famous afro-beat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Bekololari Ransome-Kuti began schooling at age 4, he then proceeded to the Abeokuta Grammar School for his secondary education; Beko later went to the University of Manchester for his medical studies, in 1963 at 22 he qualified as a doctor. He has been harassed, arrested, detained and imprisoned by successive repressive government of Nigeria as he never failed to keep mute at the face of tyranny and oppression and for standing by the side of the oppressed Nigerian Masses. He was simple but fiery, his no non-sense attitude led him to have constant friction with the military dictators of the day, in 1977, Beko's clinic was burnt, his leg was broken by the military junta led by the then Head of State General Olusegun Obasanjo. The travails of Beko was vividly captured by Shola Adeneye in the Guardian Unlimited of Wednesday February 15, 2006 thus: "After Abeokuta grammar school, he spent a year at the former Coventry Technical College before studying medicine at Manchester University. From 1964 to 1977, he worked in several government hospitals in Nigeria before establishing his own private practice. He came to prominence after soldiers under orders from Olusegun Obasanjo's military government marched into Fela's nightclub, Kalakuta Republic, in 1977: Ransome-Kuti's clinic was also razed; his mother was thrown out of a window and later died from her injuries. Suddenly, the quiet, urbane, corporately attired doctor, known to many Lagosians as the man who was always around to get Fela out of a police cell or prison, became a fervent radical, taking on the establishment along with Fela and Soyinka. He soon became chairman of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Medical Association and later its national deputy. His campaigns focused on the lack of functional mortuaries and of drugs in hospitals. In 1984, Fela was arrested at the airport as he was preparing to leave for a US tour, on what Amnesty International described as spurious charges of illegally exporting foreign currency. Using the new draconian decree that allowed for indefinite detention of political opponents, the government of General Mohammed Buhari sentenced Fela to 10 years in prison. Ransome-Kuti, using the medical association platform, began a campaign to get the decree revoked and get Fela and all those detained released. But in fact he himself was jailed and only released in 1985, when Buhari was overthrown by General Ibrahim Babangida, who freed Ransome-Kuti but did not escape the former prisoner's criticism. In subsequent years, Ransome-Kuti helped form the Campaign for Democracy, which was Nigeria's first human rights organisation. When a return to civilian rule was aborted in June 1993, and the winner of the election, Chief Moshood Abiola, was jailed, the Campaign for Democracy was at the forefront of opposition against the new dictatorship of General Sanni Abacha. Ransome-Kuti and others were repeatedly arrested and detained. In 1995, a military tribunal took just 15 minutes to sentence him to life imprisonment for alerting the world's media to the mock trial of Olusegun Obasanjo. The sentence was later commuted to 15 years. Amnesty International adopted him as a prisoner of conscience. After the death of Abacha in 1998, Ransome-Kuti was released and continued his activism, helping to ensure the return of civilian rule to Nigeria. This happened in 1999, but it did not satisfy Ransome-Kuti's idea of democracy and he continued to attack the new politicians for gambling with the principles of democracy. As rumours spread about Obasanjo seeking to change the Nigerian constitution to allow himself a third successive term in government, Ransome-Kuti, along with Wole Soyinka and Gani Fawehinmi, campaigned against such a move. He told the Chinua Achebe Foundation that he defined good governance as less corruption in Nigeria." Richard Bourne writes of Beko thus: " Beko was central to a major development in the modern Commonwealth, the suspension of the Nigerian dictatorship in 1995, and the introduction of membership rules that accord significance to human rights. As a member of the international body for the non-governmental Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) since 1989 he was constantly urging the Commonwealth to take action on Nigeria, while the CHRI was just as constantly trying to get him out of prison. In 1995, he was fortunately out of prison and able to help a CHRI fact-finding group led by the former Canadian foreign minister, Flora Macdonald. The group's explosive report, Nigeria: Stolen by Generals, demonstrated that the Abacha dictatorship was riding roughshod over all rights. So governments were already prepared at the Auckland Commonwealth summit in 1995, when Abacha committed the provocative act of executing Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders. Beko's health suffered grievously from his imprisonments, and his heavy smoking was exacerbated by stress. He deserves to be remembered not only for his unwavering opposition to abuse, graft and dictatorship in Nigeria, but for his contribution to a modern commitment to human rights within the Commonwealth." The Biblical "an eye for an eye" dictum never appealed to the humanist doctor as he refused to allow the fact that the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo that killed his mother and destroyed his property to prevent him from standing by the latter when he was framed up in a fathom coup plot by the late Nigeria Head of State General Sanni Abacha who was bent on having Obasanjo executed 3 decades later. Beko was an atheist till death; his wife Bosede and his daughter Nike believe that Beko is too good to go to hell. Bosede is reported to have said that Beko has gone to heave. This is common in Nigeria because it is generally believe that no one can be good without God, the same was said of Dr. Tai Solarin. A preacher was even quoted to have said that though Tai never believed in God, but God believes in him for his good deeds. His atheism cum critical inquiring mind often led to several intellectual disputation with his Trinity College, London trained musician brother Fela who was an Ogun worshipper (Ogun is the Yoruba God of Iron); Fela believe so much in African traditional religion that he renamed himself 'Anikulapo' which means, "the one who has death in his pouch." Fela believed himself to be immortal that he led a carefree unprotected sexual lifestyle. It was surprising that the man who has death in his pouch should die of AIDS. Fela regardless of hi superstitious believe is a straightforward, say it the way it is person, Africa will peace him. His believe often led to disagreement with the humanist Beko; on one occasion according to Bamidele Johnson: His biggest chance to laugh at Fela's belief was offered in the 1980s. One day, Fela got an amulet and traditional waistcoat soaked in some concoction. Fela told Beko and their elder brother Olikoye Ransome-Kuti that he was convinced the items would make him bullet-resistant. He then boasted he was going to confront soldiers and policemen. His brothers did not share his faith and suggested that they test the efficacy. For the test, they invited Dr. Ore Falomo, a good marksman and got two fat goats. One after the other, they put the charm on the goats for Falomo to shoot at. The outcome? The goats died, but not instantly. Olikoye was said to have jokingly described Fela as a foolish boy." Beko is cynical of Marxist philosophy, this stance often brought him in confrontation with his fellow activist particularly Femi Falana. But his attitude is typical of all humanists as they are neither slave to ideologies nor to deities; simply put, Beko was a skeptical Inquirer. All beliefs must be tested. Beko was simple in his fashion taste, he loved French suits, and he slept sparsely; ate parsimoniously and he preferred lots of fruits and coffee. Apart from alcoholic beverages and Gold leaf cigarettes, chess and books were his companions. He has led a lot of protest against bad policies of the government Wole Soyinka and Tai Solarin have the same ways has his. Beko was a fellow of the West African College of Physicians and was for many years a leading figure in the British Commonwealth human rights committee. He was the chairman of the Campaign for Democracy,.Bekololari was also the president of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance . He was born August 2, 1940;and he on died February 10, 2006 at age 65. Beko is survived by a wife, three daughters and two sons.The Legacy of Beko shall not be forgotten by African Humanists.Good Bye Beko!© February 25, 2006 Peter Adegoke is the founding president of the Ibadan University Humanist Society and he is an African humanist t and democratic activist.

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