BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
Despite last week’s tanker tragedy that claimed 12 lives in Lagos, the mega city is brimming with excitement in anticipation of today’s (Tuesday, July 3) arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Besides Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, it is doubtful if there is any Lagosian that is more elated than Afrobeat superstar, Femi-Kuti, son of the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who is billed to entertain the French President tonight at his Afrika Shrine situated in the Ikeja Business District.
Mr. Macron, who is no stranger to Nigeria, having once been his country’s Ambassador here, flies into Lagos, Tuesday evening, after the conclusion of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Apart from the show at Afrika Shrine, which will be hosted by Trace TV, the French President will, on Wednesday, open the new ultra-modern facility of Alliance Francaise in Ikoyi.
Femi assured Nigerians that he has done everything humanly possible to make Macron’s pilgrimage to the Shrine an unforgettable experience.
The Afrobeat superstar says he is not surprised at Macron’s choice of Afrika Shrine for entertainment.
“He was a diplomat here (in Nigeria),” he told journalists Monday. “Probably he had seen me perform somewhere.”
Assuring that Mr. Macron will have a swell time at the Shrine, Femi continued: “Everything has been done to make sure he arrives here (safely) and to make sure he has a great time. I don’t want to speculate but I think probably he loves the shrine; he loves what we are doing and he wants to come.”
Femi Kuti said though his organisation had provided maximum security for the august visitor, he trusted that Lagos State and the Federal Government had woven an impregnable web of security to guarantee Macron’s safety.
“If he comes to the Shrine, obviously he wants to watch me perform and I will perform,” he said. “But then, there will be other activities. The Shrine cannot handle the security. This is done with the state and the Federal Government. I cannot protect him. Only Nigeria can do that. I believe Nigeria has done everything to ensure his safety is guaranteed. My job is to make sure the Shrine does its part. He knows my father’s story and my story.”
The superstar described Macron as a lover of culture.
“The French President wants to be part of promoting African culture which the French always did before,” Femi said, “especially during my time in the ‘80s.with the French Cultural Centre, where they usually took bands to France on cultural exchange and all that. I think Mr. Macron wants to start the programme again, from next year.”
