The last days of Village Headmaster, Femi Robinson

The iconic Village Headmaster actor, Femi Robinson, who died on Wednesday, was a man who had anticipated that his days were numbered since the beginning of 2015.

Ever since Robinson entered his 70s, he started pouring out his thoughts on his Facebook page – about fulfilling a prophecy that had followed him since he was born.

Born on September 27, 1940, in the Village of Bodo in Abeokuta, Ogun state, into a family steeped in traditional religion, his parents consulted the traditional priests to learn more of the fate of their son.

“The Ifa priest told my mother that I was divined to be a great thinker. I would, from time to time, try to make the world a better place but the opposition, given the opportunity, would silence me before I attain the age of seventy and two,” he wrote in a Facebook post on his birthday in 2012.

“I am fully convinced that the prophesy is true, and those who know me today will testify that it is true. I thank God that my parents decided to perform the traditional rites to ward of the curse but at a cost that does no good to the people of Nigeria. Whenever my name was mentioned in a discussion that could endanger the prophesy, my name will was always expunged.”

He also mentioned that Ifa diviners had said: “This boy will be famous and would lead a revolution.”

He started cultural revolution programme to reawaken agricultural revolution initiative of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo that was stifled by foreign interests.

Early in 2015, Robinson suffered a heart attack and from that point, he felt his end was near. But then, he survived with the conviction of a new lease on life, and took it as a sign that God was giving him a second chance.

“Three months ago, I began to have a premonition that my time to exit the stage had come. I had read of most of my age mates who had exited the stage and had left unsung. As a playwright, I began to ask myself what had been my contributions to this world? How would I love to be remembered? What lessons did I learn and how would I run my life if I had ‘Another Chance.’ ”

He also realised that he had lost many of his fellow colleagues, such as Segun Olusola, an ace broadcaster-diplomat who died in June 2012 at 77, and Justus Esiri. who died in February 2013.

“Since I was born I had striven to be a ‘pacesetter’ in life. To live a Christ-like life. Three months ago, I suddenly fell sick. I was about to die. It suddenly occurred to me that all I stood for was about to end. I did not realize when I went down on my knees begging God to give me “Another Chance” and if he did, I would serve him with all I have.”

He decided that he would spend his final days as a staunch advocate against the vice of corruption and crime.

This was after his younger brother had problems with the law. His 57-year-old brother, Jackson Kayode Robinson, who was an employee of the Lagos state highway managers, disappeared with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Femi was contacted by the police after his brother’s body was later found. Kayode apparently had an accident as he made his way to Abuja with the cash, documents discovered on his brother had his phone details.

Of the experience, he said: “I was therefore shocked when some employers of the Lagos highway managers visited my home asking for my 56-year-old brother, whom I had publicly disowned as early as the 70s, and had obtained a police restraining order. I was surprised when I discovered that documents found on him still had my phone number as “BROTHER” forcing some possible blackmailers to claim that I had the corpse of a brother to claim.”

He announced an initiative called crime broadcast services company. A media company that will use Christianity to fight crime perpetrated by traditional beliefs through publications of books, audio tapes, documentaries, movies.

“Traditional beliefs have been adulterated by the theory of ensuring that we ‘Keep it in the Family’. I found that I had been endowed with the gift of telling stories and communicating. Little did I know that I will soon be endowed with the gift of not being told that I was responsible for telling what crime had been committed by my family, anyone in my family, any one in my society or any one in my nation.”

This is how Robinson spent his last days, committed to leaving a legacy of changing society for the better and fighting the scourge of corruption that has eaten deep into our national psyche. His final post before his passing reads:

PROTECTING MY FAMILY NAME:
How do you feel when it occurs to you that your father or mother had obtained his wealth by ‘Keeping the secret within the Family’? Welcome to CBS Nigeria. Let’s join hands to use our friends on Facebook to fight corruption. I have made up my mind to tell you my story.

Yes I come from a family that can be blackmailed easily in Nigeria. The Robinson family is well-known and respected in Nigeria. If you want to share our glory that you are a descendant of the Robinson’s from Abeokuta, also share our scandals. Our father’s were known to be Christians who remained with the faith and they maintained their traditional identity.

They were known to be strict. I have seen so many Facebook claiming to be a friend. I will like to maintain that anyone claiming to be a Robinson without a traditional Yoruba name is a fake. I am by the grace of God the surviving adult of the Robinson family tree and I am proud to protect that name from being tarnished. If you are in support of what I am hoping to achieve join me.