Loved by his Fuji fans, hated by many Fuji musicians, the recent appointment of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1) as the Life Patron of FUMAN (Fuji Musicians Association of Nigeria) has got many talking. The Oluaye of Fuji reacts in this session with TADE MAKINDE. Excerpts:

You've been appointed FUMAN's life patron, what will that do for you?

THE question should be what it will take from me. Of course my time, energy and whatever will be devoted more to FUMAN now than ever.

You admit that you've not been doing more for FUMAN?
Nobody has done more for FUMAN than I have. Of course I always do my best for the association in my little ways, but this honour comes with more responsibility than I may have been providing. It is a task, an expression of trust and confidence in an individual by an association comprising thousands of other members. It is a honour.

An honour people say you lobbied for?
I never lobbied for it. People can say anything, it doesn't mean they are right. You are the Oyo State chairman of EWAN but I've heard it several times that you lobbied for it. I don't know if you did, it doesn't remove the fact that you are the chairman. From my experience in life, for every success you achieve, two others envy you and will do anything, covertly or otherwise, to make others believe you are not worthy. That you don't deserve what comes from doing what is good, what is right. And as for critics, FUMAN headquarters is in Ajah, let them go  find out if I ever lobbied for anything in the association.

You can tell me how it happened, no need to go to Ajah 
Some weeks ago, the secretary and the second vice president of FUMAN came to my house to inform me of a visit from the elders of the association. Of course I couldn't say no, these are the people that started long before us in the industry. We are here because they were there. They pioneered fuji music. Even if they had said it was a meeting, I would have met them. But they made it clear to me that it was just a visit. I agreed on a Tuesday. For a personal reason I had to leave Lagos for Ijebu before that Tuesday and I told the general secretary that we should reschedule. He said no, that the elders had come all the way from Ilorin, Abuja, Port Harcourt and all the Southwest states and that they would come directly to Ijebu if I would be there. I was touched. So we agreed to meet in Ijebu on Tuesday. All along, since it was just a meeting, I had expected between six and seven elders, and some executive members, so I made transportation available. That Tuesday, I saw three bus-load of fellow musicians, elders, executive members and press guys. We exchanged greetings when they got to the place. I was in Ijebu monitoring those working on my site. Before they got to me though, the driver that brought them from Okota to Ijebu handed me a letter from Obesere. I was almost through with the letter when the elders got to where I was and we greeted. Of course I figured something was about to happen, but I couldn't really tell. I had the idea from the tone of Obesere's letter.

What was in it?
He talked about wanting peace, preaching peace, but ended up with a warning that it was wrong from me to hold any meeting as the national chairman.

What did you tell your August visitors?
I didn't tell them anything at first, I wanted them to tell me what they had come for. I had thought it was to seek my support or advice on an issue. As expected, we bantered for a while and I had to come in then to tell them Obesere's letter had given me an idea of what they had come to do.

What did you think they come for?
Like I said, an advice or my support. I asked to be allowed to read the letter. After doing that, I told them I would not give a definite answer to their request till they treated Obesere's letter. I also made it clear than I had not called any meeting as alleged by Abass. Because I wouldn't want to be misunderstood by many, I had to set the record straight. Obesere was wrong to have said it was a meeting because it was not. A meeting is not the same thing as a visit. Two, I did not initiate the visit, FUMAN and its several committees did. So, for the sake of peace, I said that they should act on the letter and that we should agree on another visit.

When is the new date for visit?
They did not agree. They said they didn't risk their lives to travel from North, East and South only to visit another day because of a member's letter.

He is the national chairman.
He is appointed, not elected.

So?
So, there is a limit to his powers. He is not above any elected FUMAN office holder. In respect to his office though, he was invited to the event, but he didn't come.

How did you know he was invited?
Saka Orobo, our national president said so. In public infact. He said Obesere was always carried along on development in FUMAN and that he was invited thrice to the event. Ask him.

You registered, created and nurtured FUMAN. Is it true you created the office of the chairman for you?
No, I didn't. The occupant of the office is appointed by the national president. If I didn't tinker with the constitution when I had the opportunity to, why would I covet the post of a chairman? Obesere believes he is above everybody with that post, while the truth is that he is answerable to the president, just as he can be instructed on how to act by the elders.

Do you think he will take you as his life patron?
He didn't make himself the chairman, FUMAN did. I have not made myself anything, FUMAN has. It is not Obesere that has made me the life patron of FUMAN, the elders and executives have. He doesn't have to take me as his life patron, I am the life patron of FUMAN. You see, I have paid my dues. I started in the industry well before him, I am older than him. I don't enjoy joining issues with him, but these are facts. I don't envy him and I don't hate him, I just want to do my thing peacefully.

OK then, how did the offer come that day?
The elders said they would not leave until they did what they were asked to do by fuji musicians worldwide. Alhaji Love Azeez stood up and said I had been made the life patron of FUMAN and the president handed me the letter. I cried inside. I was so stunned, and moved, that I couldn't speak for about two minutes. After getting a grip of myself, I told them that I accepted the appointment, but that I would still like the elders to meet with Obesere. They promised to.

You accepted?
Yes. You see, that was not what I had expected from my visitors. I had thought they wanted my assistance in other areas and I didn't plan to respond to anything till they acted on Obesere's letter.

What did you want them to do, beg Abass?
Before the appointment, every Tom, Dick and Harry always picked on me to get noticed in the fuji music industry. They abuse me in their songs, down play my achievements so they could get attention. I have always kept quite and enjoying my life as a human being. With this new position, I expect many will say stuff about me, but for the progress of FUMAN and the promotion of members welfare, we should embrace peace. I don't habour ill-feelings against anyone, but I'm not a fool to believe that everybody will be sincerely happy for me. For this peace to be total, the elders must act now.