Runsewe: He Saw and fought Lewdness Among Youths

By Frank Meke.

Otunba Segun Runsewe, has "Thomas" as a middle name. He is Nigeria's Chief cultural officer, and undoubtedly, has refined our cultural path. Unlike the biblical Thomas, who would not believe that his boss, Jesus Christ has risen,  Runsewe as a Thomas, is clearly focused on his mission to change the deep negative narratives to which has over the years engulfed and swallowed our people, particularly the young persons.

At the dawn of sad tales of the Dubai sex tango  of a teenage Nigerian pupil  in Dubai, the gush of the various battles of Runsewe against lewdness and lifestyles inimical to the growth of our young persons came scaling down the memory apps.

Runsewe fought cross over sex deviant Bobrisky from the mountains of cultural superiority. Bobrisky was the giant and Goliath of social deviants. He rode hard and exclusive on the social media and had an army among adults and young Nigerians as followers.

Born Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju, as Bobrisky  unabashed transgender influencer, is known, almost had everyone bewitched until Otunba Segun  Rensewe happened on the scene. Initially, many people thought Otunba Runsewe was a huge joke and would in no time, be made to surrender to the army of social media backers of Bobrisky.

Runsewe focal attention was to arrest the sociocultural decay in the society. Bobrisky is the messenger of this decay and to which the society has come to accept instead of pushing him off the ladder of his satanic fancy. How can Nigeria, a country with most complex, multi ethic and cultural diversity allow social deviants in the mold of Bobrisky define and pollute our rich culture, Runsewe had reasoned then.

As our cultural icon and prophet, Runsewe saw the drug addicts, sex perverts, armed robbers, drug dealers and all the many communities of this unbelievable transgender enablers fomenting great troubles for the sanity of our children and shouted as his life depended it.

Every night for weeks on end, Runsewe would call me to express his worries and anxieties about the fate of our youths in face the unchecked liberty of the likes Bobrisky who seemed unstoppable.

Even though as Nigeria cultural pathfinder and Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture, ( ncac),  Runsewe beyond this call is a highly disciplined Nigerian,  a pan Nigeria cum African crusader, and great lover of the very deep values of our culture, proudly Nigerian ready to clean up the dirty frontiers of our soiled cultural environment.

Before Bobrisky, Runsewe had enlisted the support of lords temporal, traditional rulers and organized women societies,  warning and begging for more concerted efforts to check the free fall of the demon of the flesh over  our children.

At every given opportunity, Runsewe will begin and end his speech about the consequences of the growing tide of foreign cultural influence on our young population. He would not dine nor shake hands with male entertainers with pierced ears and noses, shackled with golden ear rings and woven hair styles. He would deliberately turn down invitations to events where elements of anti  Nigeria cultural revivalists make hey even when such outings looked  sociocultural correct in context and content.

Runsewe was ready to pay the price in name calls and attacks on reputation. The battle with Bobrisky was detailed, robust and intent. Runsewe knew he must get Nigerians to join the crusade and with a hindsight, he knew a day as we witnessed at now viral video of sex romp of the little girl in Dubai, would sadly come. More yet unseen and undiscovered.

There are no doubt that Nigerian young persons are bedeviled by all kinds of strange culture. We are all troubled by the ravaging anti cultural messages encouraged unchecked and targeting young persons from known and unknown sources.

In political and entertainment circles, there are no checks and balances, no cultural message and where you see any, it's usually debased and unethical.

Now, we hear young persons jumping over  bridge heads in suicidal efforts, propelled by drugs and negative lifestyles. Runsewe saw it coming and went to town drumming, beating the gong to warn us to go back to our cultural values or be damned. When next you think to expose your child to cultural education, think home, think Nigeria and not Dubai. The clock sadly is thicking  and time has come to use our culture to arrest the fast breaking intent of foreign cultures and way of life to swallow and consume the future of our young persons and our nation. Time to go back to our culture has come and thank you Runsewe for standing up  when it mattered most.