Charly Boy — an enemy foretold

This is the real enemy of State. By State I mean the artificially induced way of living in a fake society. So, to maintain robotic order, society have set down rules they expect every member to adhere to. How these rules came about continue to baffle me. I can understand the need to wear clothes but other such rules like, who to marry, how to speak in certain areas and even the type of clothes to wear in certain situations continue to amaze me.

Here comes the rebel. The rebel with a cause, the eccentric who thumbs his wrinkled nose at society and decides to free himself from the chains of docility. The social rebel has been with us from the time of Adam. He will not say YES. He will stand up to authority and ask the question WHY.

Charly Boy has been a symbol of resistance since his emergence. I first spotted him in the cave in Anambra. He was in braids, lipstick and the rest. He caught my attention. I watched very closely as he plodded around the 90s stubbornly refusing to be nothing else but himself. His politics, his approach and much more importantly his stance against order caught my attention and has kept me.

His longevity being a testament to his brilliance. You know what a lot of people don’t know is the fact that eccentricity without innate brilliance leads to an inevitable whittling down of influence. Area Fada has retained his relevance across the genres he throds with the strength of his brilliance. His ability to sense trends leading to expert positioning and engaging with the brilliance that eludes his worse critics.

This is simply the reason why I continue to study this socio-political icon with the patience of a predator. I steal from him here an now, his positions, his fixation with gothic symbols, his love for life and much more importantly his sense of Justice.

Charly boy deserves a study. He is a socio -political enigma. A symbol of resistance and an enemy foretold. He fought the military; he fought their civilian cousins and he says he is tired. Should he be?

At 70, he should physically slow down. But his thoughts, his energies, his ideas cannot slow down. For they will keep growing in those of us that he has planted them in. He is truly an icon, an epoch changing figure that not only pushed the boundaries but made sure the boundaries was destroyed so as not to ricochet back and slam younger more feeble adherents who are in their thousands.

A few months ago, I hosted him to a round of Afang with other such personalities like MUDI and Olisa Adibua. I watched this man-child very closely. His strong legs, his aversion for authority, his fashion, his accessories and his eyes. Those eyes hold a story. They were lucid and telling. I watched him move gallantly slowly but ready to pounce. He is still fearless and bold also very sure footed as to his place in Nigeria’s history. But he says he is tired and I laugh even a prophet at times will be weary of the load on his shoulder.

I pity him but then again, I envy him. I wish I was half as talented. He has made his mark. My Lord happy birthday we await your instructions.