By Toyin Falọla
In an early scene in one of Professor Akinwumi Iṣọla’s classic films, Ṣaworo Idẹ, we learn that a patriarch is dying. This patriarch is surrounded by a group of young men and women who urge him to speak to them before he yields his ghost. The old man obliges and begins to speak, and a young man amplifies his voice to the hearing of those who will carry out his instructions, and to the audience as well. The dying patriarch gives a specific instruction on the making of Ṣaworo Idẹ, a drum that will serve as the voice of the people and, subsequently, seal a pact forever with their rulers in the town of Jogbo.
The story is, of course, talking about democracy, and the mutual responsibility of both the leadership and followership to check, as well as balance each other. In the wake of Iṣọla’s recent passing, I find myself watching this film again…
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