Peter Obe
Olufemi Obe, the eldest son of ace photojournalist, Peter Obe, in this interview with WAHEED BAKARE, speaks about his dad’s last moment, his passion for photojournalism and why he was not an ordinary photographer
What can you say about your background
My name is Olufemi Obe, the eldest son
of Peter Obe. I was born about 53 years ago, I schooled at Our Lady of
Apostles for my primary school, Christ School, Ado Ekiti, for my
secondary school and then I had a stint at Igbogbi College for my Higher
School Certificate for about six months before I gained admission into
the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where I studied
Geology. I later did my youth service. Thereafter, I went for
postgraduate studies in education at the University of Lagos. Later, I
had another one in marketing.
How many children did Peter Obe leave behind?
We are five. Like I said, I am the
eldest; my younger brother, Dolapo; the only girl among us is Folake,
who is now Mrs. Olawuyi; Gbenga Obe, who is based in Germany and the
last born, Afolabi, is a medical doctor.
How did you receive the news of your father’s death ?
It was a shock because up till Saturday
night we were still talking. He went to sleep around 3am. The only thing
he had was sore throat which he had for about two weeks before his
death and my brother was treating him. Infact, it had reduced because he
had been taking drugs and he was getting better.
Did you have premonition that he was going to die?
Not at all. He was still talking till
3am on Sunday. By the time we came around on that Sunday, he had died in
his sleep. In fact, my when my younger brother who was treating him
came, he thought he was still sleeping not knowing that he had died in
his sleep.
What was his favourite food?
Pounded yam was his best meal. We are from Igbara Oke in Ondo State. Pounded yam with bush meat was his favourite meal.
How many times a day did he eat it?
In Ondo, we can eat it three times a day
but for him, at least three times a week. One thing about him was that
he always pounded his yam himself. Up to the age of 65, he was still
pounding for himself and even for us. He loved it and saw it as a form
of exercise. He might also feel that someone else won’t pound it to his
satisfaction.
What kind of music did he listen to when he was alive?
He was not a social man. Maybe country music once in a while but he liked listening to news. He watched British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network a lot.
Which was his greatest challenge as a photojournalist?
The civil war. He was taking pictures at
the point of death. He was at the war front. When you look at his
memos, you would see that his pictures were not ones that an ordinary
photographer could take. He was there throughout the period of the war.
He was there for 30 months.
While he was at the war front, what were your feelings back home?
We were young, as the eldest, I was just
about seven years old. We knew he travelled because our mum told us
that our dad travelled but we didn’t know he was going to the war front.
Your mum didn’t show any sign of panic throughout the period?
Of course she did, but she tried to hide
it from us. She wasn’t really happy, it was later she told us because
she didn’t want us to know. She couldn’t sleep and was always worried
but we were getting information from the defence headquarters in Lagos
that all was well and he was sending messages regularly.
When he returned, did he tell you that he was scared?
He was never afraid, he loved the job.
He loved difficult jobs and that was why they called him ‘Mr.
Exclusive.’ He loved taking pictures when other were running back, he
was never afraid. Apart from the civil war, when there was a riot or
houses were burning he was always there. When Cocoa House was burning in
Ibadan, we heard about it around 10pm when we were about going to bed.
But he said he had to go to Ibadan that night. My younger brother,
Dolapo, my father and I went to Ibadan that night. We got to Ibadan, he
took the pictures and we returned to Lagos around 2am. He went straight
to the studio and by 3am the pictures were in Daily Times and by 6am, the pictures were in the papers.
How did you feel travelling with him that night?
We were just having fun, it was not a
war front we were just going to take a picture of a burning edifice so
we saw it as just going to Ibadan to have fun.
Did your mum not protest that he should not travel that night?
It was his job, even if she said no, he
would still go because he loved it and my mum knows the kind of person
she had. So, she wouldn’t do it.
When he left Daily Times, what other things did he do?
He wasn’t interested in any other thing except photography. When he left Daily Times,
he set up Peter Obe Photo Agency. He continued with photography, that
time, his activities did not reduce for so many years. Many of his
pictures were taken after he left Daily Times. People came to his
studios to ask for pictures. We had two studios. One of them was a
master studio. Former heads of state, governors came to take pictures
and sometimes he went to them. Whenever there was a problem, he would be
there to take pictures. When Fela’s house got burnt, he did his job.
There was tear gas everywhere but he was not deterred.
When did he stop taking pictures?
About five years ago.
Why did he stop?
Maybe due to old age. By that time, his power had reduced.
How many of his children know how to take pictures?
Only one, Dolapo. All his children are
graduates. So, photography was just a hobby not a profession. But Dolapo
knows how to take pictures.
Did he run the studio till he died?
No, he did not. We closed it about five years ago.
When he set up his studio, did other photojournalists come for inspiration or consultation?
Yes, but I was rarely involved because
most of us went to boarding schools. There were some photographers
working with him. He had dispatch riders. He himself rode a motorcycle
because of the gridlock in Lagos. So, when there was an emergency, he
would ride the motorcycle. He also had a small car with just two seats
and he could go anywhere with it.
It is obvious he didn’t influence the choice of his children’s career
He did not; he left us to study what we wanted.
What methods did he use to discipline?
If you offended him, he would shout at
you. But at times, he caned us. As we were growing older, all he did was
to scold and if you apologised after he scolded you, you can rest
assured that everything would be over after 30 minutes.
What will you miss most about him?
He was very loving. He loved his
children and there is no way you won’t miss that kind of man. He allowed
us to study what we wanted and he counselled us a lot. Up till this
year, we discussed about events of the civil war.
What do you want him to be remembered for?
I want him to be remembered for his
professionalism in photography. It shows that when you are doing
something, do it well and people will know you for it. He was 100 per
cent photography. If you put your total effort in something, it would
yield dividends. He lived for photography.
What was his level of education?
He went to secondary school but he did not finish. He later came to Lagos and studied photography immediately.
How did you know if he was angry?
You would see it on his face. When we
were young he would shout at us but as we grew up he would just stare at
us when he was angry. So, there was no way you would know he was angry.
Do you think we can still have the same passion your father had in photojournalism?
We can, if the orientation is that
whatever you do, put all your time and effort into it. The problem is
that most people try to do A and B at the same time. He didn’t do any
other thing except photography. In anything you do put all your effort
into it.
Describe your dad in one word
Thorough. He was a very thorough man.
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