The Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, on Saturday hosted the music icon, Sir Victor Uwaifo, to a dinner to mark the music star’s 80th birthday anniversary, where Uwaifo said music makes him high. Igbinedion on his part used the occasion to admonish Nigerians not to destroy, but to build people.
The Esama, who hosted the dinner in his expansive Benin home, said he was out of the country when Uwaifo, a professor of Visual Arts, turned 80 but considered it worthy to celebrate him, Uwaifo, being a “great man”.
“You are a great man, one of the greatest human beings in life. To clock 80 years, you must have a good mind,” he said.
Chief Igbinedion, who went nostalgic, recalling his childhood era with the “Joromi” maestro in Benin City said, “I was selling kerosine while Uwaifo was selling kola-nuts.”
Responding to the encomiums of the Benin palace chief, Professor Uwaifo, who teaches Visual Arts at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) said: “Tonight, Chief Igbinedion has surprised me. This is the man who rose from grass to grace, who conquered poverty.
”Any person who wants to know must be given the opportunity to know and keep knowing. If you go through the crucible of life then you will know the value of life, you must add principles.”
Professor Uwaifo, who disclosed that he had never smoked nor taken drugs in his life, stressed that “Music makes me high. I have never smoked in my life, I don’t drink. It’s now that I started taking wine. Music makes me high, I don’t take drugs.
“I will advise if you are doing any of these things stop, it is not too late. Guide your children from taking drugs and avoid imitating people.”
Chief Igbinedion later presented a 75-inch plasma television and other gifts to Professor Uwaifo and his wife as mementoes for his 80th birthday.
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