At what point did you meet with Steve Rhodes
My first consciousness of Steve Rhodes was when I was an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan , and this was about 40 years ago.

When he came up with Steve Rhodes voices, I had a consciousness of his control on a performing stage. I did not move too close to him until I was appointed the director of arts and culture in Lagos State .

After my graduation from the University of Ibadan in 1971, I worked at Igbobi College, my alma mater. I left the place in 1972 for New Culture Studios of Demas Nwoko and I was there for 10 years, doing wonders.

Then in 1981, I got this appointment after Segun Olusola intimated me that the Lagos State Arts Council was looking for a director. I came here and sat for the interview. I was the best in the interview but the Governor then, L.K. Jakande was not a cultural man.

Beside he wanted a political appointment and did not make the appointment. He simply seconded someone there to head the place but at the end of three years when there was a coup, and they announced military governors, an old friend of mine, Gbolahan Mudashiru, an Air force Officer became the governor. He sent for me and asked what happened. I explained and he appointed me so I went there.

All the while I had thought that my appointment would end with Mudashiru. When he was removed, I thought my job has finished but he said no, I was properly appointed and so I remained there. I never thought I would work for government in my life.

So when I got back there, I met with Uncle Steve. I then saw him as part of the Lagos heritage that needed to be patronized and promoted as a person. So I moved close to him. Even before then, he and Bayo Oduneye invited me to a dinner where they welcome me to Lagos . They discussed what they want me to do in Lagos and I found out that our ideas were the same for the cultural growth of Lagos .

Later we had opportunities to work closely on the revival of the old Glover Hall. In 1984 when I became the director, Pa Orlando Martins was an adviser to the council. He was given the job to prop him for the rest of his life. But it seemed that nobody understood the value of the man, they just put him there and he could do anything he wanted in the council. But within the year I got there, we had a fantastic play which we took round Nigeria . I was happy that so many people responded to me.

And when Pa Orlando died in 1985, I thought the next person who could be given the position was Uncle Steve Rhodes and I pushed his name to the ministry. But they were not too keen.

And then there was another opportunity to form a board of trustee for the Glover Hall and I thought Uncle Steve should be there and I nominated him. That was majorly our connection.

He is a big Uncle to me. Gloria, his daughter and my wife are very close. They had been to school together. My children often end up in her house and her younger sisters are my friends. We remain close because we worked together at certain level of government.

Also, when I set up the ICAL, Institute of Centre for the Arts in Lagos in 1986, we had arts fair. We had a series of things to promote and we did great things together.

How will you access his contributions to Lagos and Nigeria as a whole?
The question you just asked was what led me in 1986, with ICAL, to erect a memorabilia exhibition of Steve Rhodes and Bobby Benson at Glover Hall. This is because the contributions of this people are better captured when they are alive. This was what we wanted to do for Orlando Martins when he was alive. An Orlando Martins Excellence Award in Film Making in 1988. But once I left the council, nothing happened. When we wanted to do this after his death, Hubert Ogunde stood up to say what we wanted to do now could have been done when he was alive.

Believe me, there is no way I can adequately recount his impact. The best thing is to amass the information and let people see for themselves. As far as I am concerned, I am lucky to be part of his life. He is a man who strives for excellence, a giant in all spheres. Before him there was Fela Sowande, another giant who did so much before he left Nigeria .

Nothing done on or for Uncle Steve is too much. I wish him enough years to take him to help build lives. I might not be a music expert but I know that when we mention the word impresario, that is who he is.

He arranges a show and everything is ok: the appearances, the way you come in and go out, the conception, the perception. Nobody can do that very often. You plan to do it.

He was always striving for perfection. When he was 70, he said he could say his mind on any matter. He could scold anybody; say his mind the way it is whether it is against a government or anybody there. I still remember he told me that at his stage, there is nothing that he could do for money that he could not do for free. There is no way he could do things just for money and that he could do the greatest thing without money. He has that conviction. These are what some of the young ones would not understand.