Apologise Or Forget Honouring Fela – Femi Kuti Tells Jonathan

Apologise Or Forget Honouring Fela – Femi Kuti
Tells Jonathan

Femi Kuti, son of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti,
says the family will not accept any centenary award in his honour.
In a twitter correspondence with PM News on Tuesday, Femi
further disclosed that the family has not yet been officially notified
of a centenary award for Fela. He made it clear that the Federal
Government should first apologise for the killing of his
grandmother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and, burning of Kalakuta
Republic before accepting the award.
“We have not heard such but I can speak for myself, FG should
first apologise for the killing of our grandmother and burning of
Kalakuta,” he wrote.
Asked if the family will accept the award if the government
apologises for the two wrongs mentioned, Femi said, “Like I said,
we have not heard anything from the Federal Government. But I
doubt if the family will accept the award.”
For over two decades, Fela sang and protested against anti-people
policies of the government. Beginning from the 70s, he was a torn
in the flesh of military and civilian administrations in Nigeria.
Fela is to be awarded alongside 99 others as part of the centenary
celebration according to a statement released by the Presidential
Committee on Nigeria’s Centenary Celebrations. He will be
honoured by the FG in the ‘Internationally Acclaimed Artistes,
Literary Icons and Journalists’ category.
At the ceremony, President Jonathan would be presenting awards
in 13 categories to 100 distinguished personalities, either alive or
dead, who eminently symbolised the tapestry of Nigeria’s first
centenary.
The award is slated to hold at the Banquet Hall, State House,
Abuja, on February 28, 2014.