Before They Destroy This Nigerian

By

Hakeem Babalola

mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

Introduction:

The video clip in which a Nigerian living in Hungary showered Adolf Hitler, a German leader who killed millions of people and remained a totalitarian ruler until his suicide in 1945 with praise, has generated a lot of controversy. Oludayo Olapite known as Fekete Pákó may get 3 years imprisonment if found guilty. Our brother either because of foolhardiness or ignorance or fame or greed or bullying, also saluted Szálasi Ference, a Hungarian who killed many people in Hungary in 1944. He even cast aspersions on Jews and the Hungarian minority known as Gypsy. What is Fekete Pákó up to?

It was last week that I stumbled on a video clip in which a Nigerian living in Hungary showered Adolf Hitler, the German leader who was reportedly killed millions of people and remained a totalitarian ruler until his suicide in 1945 with praise. In the video, Oludayo Olapite known as Fekete Páko, lavishly beams an expression of approval and recommendation for the German politician saying, “I am really, really proud of Hitler because at least he tells the truth. I am proud of you Hitler”.

Thereafter I received calls and e-mails from people seeking my humble opinion in one way or the other. My former student now a political science student also tracked me down in order to discuss what he termed "a scandal" involving one Fekete Pákó, a Nigerian. "You're a Nigerian. Aren't you?" He said rather than asking. I answered in affirmative.  It was he who told me the gravity of the offence.  "If Fekete Pákó could claim ignorance, the punishment may be light," he explained. "If not, then the guy is in real trouble".

Olapite, for those who do not know him, is a Nigerian who sings in Hungarian language. Although most Hungarians do not see him as a singer, his funny bait often entraps them. As a result, he is perhaps the most famous (his critics would prefer infamous) African living in Hungary. Unfortunately it seems that our brother is allowing this fame to overwhelm his thinking. He needs to be told the truth. He once told a phone-in radio host that he, Fekete Pákó is a cannibal. He later claimed he said it in order for the press to leave him alone. For a while, Nigerians in Hungary deserted him, and even some threatened to kill him. In December last year, I did a profile on him for The Nation , a Nigerian newspaper. 

In my view, the clip portrays Olapite as someone who knows what he was doing and at the same time lacks the knowledge to understand the implication of his utterances. This may sound like a paradox but it is not, because the truth of the matter is actually in the paradoxical approach of his speech. I quickly noticed he was enwrapped in dreams of being loved by the interviewers simply because they know the lyrics of his song; hence he considers it as a favour and thus ready to do anything in appreciation of such gesture. I believe he would have stripped himself naked had he told to do so.

I watched with my mouth agape how the interviewer desperately cajoles Olapite into giving Nazi’s salute; how he mischievously guides Olapite towards racial intolerance against the Hungarian minority known as Gypsy. He specifically refers to them as thieves and dangerous people. I couldn't fathom the rationale behind such outburst which is quite unnecessary, for that matter from another minority. How would Olapite feel if someone says Africans are thieves and dangerous?

I do respect people’s opinion including that of Olapite’s romance with Hitler but he should have known the consequences of dallying with such man. But surprisingly it appears Olapite was oblivious of the aftermath of his action. And it is on this observation I want to draw the attention of well meaning Nigerians and Africans both in Hungary and beyond to help save our brother from destroying himself just because he wants to maintain a certain tempo in the showbiz world.

It is simply lurid, to say the least, how Olapite claimed to be under duress for saying what he said. First, I could not spot any signs of force as I repeatedly watched the video. It seems to me that he expressed himself freely, and of course he was ready to do anything in order to appear on television. I had advised him without charging a consultancy fee when I told him that the press is a double-edged sword. Now I know he was not listening. Well, I offer to give him another advice: Iku omi nii pa akikanju, iku odo nii pa omuwe, iku efun nii pa lekeleke (I beg where is Wole Soyinka or Chinua Achebe to help me translate this to Oyinbo).

I do not mean to insult this young man by saying that he has cap but the head to wear the cap is missing. Hum, the Yoruba are right. Eni ti o ni ori ko ni fila, eni ti o ni fila ko ni ori. Otherwise, I believe Olapite should by now know how to grasp the general purport of the Hungarian tabloids. It is disgraceful as well as unacceptable for Olapite to then claim he was under duress. I posit here that our brother knew exactly what he was doing when he faced Bombagyár TV crew. His repeated denials of whatever he might have said on TV or radio, to exaggerate a little, is an opprobrious monument. I find such excuse somewhat implausible and annoying. He should have let the worst happened instead of succumbing to intimidation and, or ignorance which is not an excuse before the law. I fear for my brother.

What is Olapite up to? I can’t really pinpoint what he tends to gain apart from the fact that he wants to be the focus of attention. But God knows he could do this without being foolish or making an ass of himself. I understand that someone like him needs media publicity, but instead of manipulating the media, Olapite has voluntarily allowed himself to be controlled shrewdly or deviously by the Hungarian tabloids whose purpose is to wreck the integrity of Africans in Hungary; and obviously to cause tension among the minorities. Let me reiterate here that Olapite is only being used to ridicule Africa and Africans. We must jointly fight this.

I came to this conclusion because, watching the video with total concentration, one would easily notice that the questions being asked were to provoke quarrel among the minorities. Gosh, how could Olapite have missed that! But as I said, he was too much absorbed in publicity than to notice something that might even ruin him. Going on television to praise Hitler? Going on television to cast aspersions on the Gypsy? Going on junk television to accuse Hungarian government of injustice? Ha, this is stupidity carried too far, my brother.

Even if he had had bad experience with some Gypsies, common sense should dictate to him that it’s wrong to judge people collectively. As for me, this is a parochial thinking and I abhor it. What is wrong in saying, sometimes ago, some Gypsies stole my money or car? By lumping them together in such manner of guilty by association actually weakens Olapite’s serious issue about the Gypsy. Hypothetical reasoning like this will always fuel discord among people.

“Gypsies don’t work, so what are they living on?” He says rather than asking. “They do incredible things, really in this country. They scam you, they lie, and you mustn’t believe what they say”.

Meanwhile the protest letter written by the Nigerian Union and jointly signed by Messrs Omoregbe and Adetiloye lashing out “at the Hungarian media for regularly engaging Fekete Pákó in the employment of devices calculated to bring the image of black people into disrepute” is in good taste, but at the same time amounts to double-dealing especially on the part of Mr. Omoregbe who is the current Nigerian Union President in Hungary.

Here is my reason: if Mr. Omoregbe knows all along that Fekete Pákó is a symbol of ridicule and hate for the entire black race, why did the Nigerian Union invite him as a guest artist at the last Christmas Party? Let Omoregbe or anyone answer this question. However, I quite agree that certain segment of the Hungarian journalists have violently engaged in the campaign of calumny against Africans living in Hungary, and I have already dealt with this issue.

As much as I sympathize with my brother, I think he should get much of the blame even though the entire interview was tremendously edited thereby causing excruciating distortion. One thing is sure though: it is impossible to fight the press and provocative questions would always be asked by the press. Therefore it depends largely on individuals or group to know how to deal with us.

So my dear aburo, Oludayo, do you still think you’re justified? I mean just because of publicity? Do you need to put your life in danger because of the recklessness of your mouth? Don’t you know that most of the things you said in that clip amount to criminal offence which could land you in jail for three years? Now that you are being questioned by the police, what would be your defence? That it was under duress?

Do you even know who Szálasi was? Szálasi Ference whom you saluted many times in the video killed a lot of people in Hungary in 1944. I hope the Hungarian government will be lenient with you on this one. But if you were found guilty of a criminal offence, it might be what you need in order for you to simmer down. This is one moment I wish I am a learned person, for upon your foolhardiness, I'd love to take up your case. I’d love you to overcome this scandal in spite of your whimsical expressive style which has made you a local celebrity.

Whatever happens I offer my apology to the Gypsy and all those that might have been offended as a result of your mouth diarrhea. But please be very careful the next time some disgruntled elements invite you for interview. They simply want to ridicule you and me through your ignorance, or should I say your obsession for publicity.