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Behold Mr Garbage | By Tunde Busari
Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister lost it the day he rose from his bed and engaged in intense thoughts, which led him to define what Fuji sound was and should be among other genres of indigenous music in Nigeria in particular and world in general.
He lost it when he gathered his thoughts together, gathered his band members too, headed for studios and recorded his definition in the elpee to be titled FUJI REGGAE Series II in 1979, brilliantly articulating that fuji sound is amalgamation of different genres. Barrister completely lost his rest as well as his peace, his peace of mind.
He had exposed himself to the world, and the world was watching and impatiently waiting for what he was up to. They wanted to see how he was going to combine the highlighted genres of his definition to create a distinct brand and sustain it. He knew that he had set himself up; he knew the expectations were thousands of miles above sea level. But as a trained combatant soldier expected to turn every challenge to opportunity, he was determined to meet the expectations and surpass them.
Shortly, he subsumed Sakara and Apala but met a stiff obstacle in juju genre. Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade remained pushful on stage and inside studios, dropping one popular elpee after the other. Juju posed a real threat but the soldier in Barrister always reminded him that he could not afford to run back to the trenches. He moved on. I learnt it on good authority that at private function, he would always engage a juju musician to perform. This might be a strategy to, at a close range, understudy the tricks of the genre beyond what he heard in their albums.
A careful listener would pick some guitar rhythm which Barrister smartly and intelligently turned either to song or drum beats in his albums or at live performances. In line with his race, he was bringing western instruments, especially flute and strings, into his music. Aside mouth organ which was common among ajisari singers and which Barrister also used, he brought trumpet in 1981. And it spiced his live shows with a particular reference to a 1982 performance in Ilesa at which trumpet stole the show.
He would go ahead and feature the trumpet in IWA album released a few months later, and the instrument made a significant difference through its occasional intervention at the back of percussion. The success recorded encouraged him to combine two trumpets in LOVE of 1983, and both are effective and won fans of juju and highlife for fuji. It seemed Obey and Sunny were getting that message, that Barrister clearly rebellious message, and accordingly upped their game. Yet, Barrister soldiered on, enduring sleepless nights and fixed his eyes on his destination.
On his return from his Summer 87 trip to America, he combined piano with trumpet and gave us BARRY WONDER released in December 1987. This elpee, unknown to many, was the beginning of the journey to FUJI GARBAGE, FUJI GARBAGE Series II and FUJI GARBAGE Series III. Barrister repeated BARRY WONDER experiment in BARRY WONDER @40 some months after in 1988, and the triumph was unquantifiable. It was a bomb! Barrister shone. Fuji music and all good fuji musicians became instant beneficiaries having their patronage expanded.
Still, he was not carried away by the applause over that album dedicated to his clocking 40 years on the surface of the earth. He kept on moving and recorded FUJI GARBAGE in which he strangely featured Hawai guitar played by one dexterous and colourful John Akinola. If you listen to Obey very actively, hawai guitar was a key string which often electrifies his percussion. KSA and other juju acts also use it. But because a section of Barrister’s fans was oblivious that it was an experimental elpee, they did not key into what sounded odd to them, accusing him of attempt to turn fuji to juju and kill their beloved genre.
The cry, the justified fear though, of his critics notwithstanding, Barrister remained himself and hit the airwaves with FUJI GARBAGE Series II in December 1988. Few weeks after the release, the same critics turned 360 degrees, clapped for his ingenuity and also “danced to Fuji Garbage.”
FUJI GARBAGE Series II did the magic, and Sir Sina Peters made attestation to how the elpee singularly inspired his Afro-juju to later record what became a chart-buster, ACE in 1989. Go and listen to SSP ACE and SHINAMANIA in particular and dance to a perfect fusion of fuji and juju derived from Barrister’s brain work.
FUJI GARBAGE Series III did not come in quick succession of FUJI GARBAGE and FUJI GARBAGE II which were released some months apart in 1988. It had to wait for one whole year after Barrister had dropped CURRENT AFFAIRS in the mid-1989. And when FUJI GARBAGE III hit the market in December of that year, it was the completion of Barrister’s journey to his destination. He introduced a Caribbean Steel pan used as opening track, played on Basket ball as a coded language and used reggae instrumentation to background Mo gbere mi dode Osupa adini mi.’
Conscious that the first sides of the three ‘FUJI GARBAGES’ would cause distraction, especially with use of new instruments, Barrister deliberately reserved the flip sides for philosophical messages for which he is reputed. In those sides, brilliance of his team of drummers would be appreciated on how each expresses himself without disturbing others. The drummers speak with songs of Barrister to add meanings to the songs and produce more meaningful music to the fans.
Barrister’s music essentially is not all about jumping and sweating on dance floor even though it is danceable, if you are gifted with dance skills. His music is exclusively about meditating on philosophy, sermon, admonition, warning, education, history, tourism and beautiful use of language, different languages including, of course, Arabic, Latin, French aside English.
Are you still surprised on why his cds are still selling as if he had just dropped them from heaven?
A former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, has been sworn in as the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members of the party to rally support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo formally assumed office on Friday following the inauguration of the newly elected State Executive Committee members who will manage the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the party’s State Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, marked the climax of the party’s 2026 congresses in the state.
The South-West Zonal Legal Adviser of the APC, Kolawole Majaro, administered the oath of office on Adeyemo and 35 other members of the State Executive Committee.
The executives had emerged through a consensus arrangement during the March 3, 2026 state congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, under the supervision of a committee led by Amos Gombi from the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Adeyemo described his emergence as a renewed call to service, pledging to strengthen the party and sustain unity among members.
He appreciated party leaders within and outside the state for ensuring a smooth and successful congress process.
Adeyemo also commended members of the Local Organising Committee, particularly Fatai Ibikunle and Afeez Bolaji Repete, for their contributions to the success of the exercise.
He said, “This new State Executive Committee under my leadership is being put in place to add value and strengthen our great party in view of the challenges ahead.
“We have used the opportunity of the congresses to showcase our collective commitment to unity and harmony as progressives and democrats.”
The new chairman expressed optimism that the atmosphere of peace within the party would be sustained ahead of future party primaries and the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party’s target is to secure 90 per cent of the votes in Oyo State for President Tinubu while also reclaiming the state’s Government House in 2027.
Adeyemo praised the President’s leadership, saying the administration was delivering on its promises.
“President Tinubu is, no doubt, performing beyond our expectations and the best way to appreciate his good work is to retain him in Aso Rock until 2031,” he said.
“Against all odds, the President is pursuing his Renewed Hope Agenda with vigour and passion, while the positive results are being felt across sectors of the economy and national life.”
Other members of the newly inaugurated executive include Taofeek Lamidi as Deputy Chairman, Fatai Adesina as State Secretary, Adekemi Opatunde as Woman Leader, Olawale Sadare as Publicity Secretary, Olalekan Oladejo as Youth Leader, and Remi Adepoju as Organising Secretary.
Also inaugurated were Ajiboye Akinsanya as Treasurer, Sunday Aborisade as Legal Adviser, Tinuade Adigun as Auditor, Lukman Owonikoko as Assistant State Secretary, Fatimah Hassan as Deputy Woman Leader, and Jimoh Osundara as the Leader of Persons Living With Disabilities, among others.
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
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