On Lagos’ mythical ‘three wise men’

Developed cities of the world have arrays of majestic monuments, stunning sculptures and artistic statues, each having a story to tell. The Expansion by Paige Bradley, New York, USA, the Monument of an Anonymous Passerby, Wroclaw, Poland, Salmon Sculpture, Portland, Oregon, USA, People of the River By Chong Fah Cheong, Singapore, Mustangs By Robert Glen, Las Colinas, Texas, USA and many others are among iconic monumental effigies across the world.

In Lagos, Nigeria, the molded image of the three wise men designed to depict the state’s cultural heritage and to usher in visitors and tourists into the ever accommodating Centre of Excellence, is, no doubt, an outstanding work of art. The statues which stand on a pedestal and more than twelve feet high are replicas of the traditional Lagos White Cap chiefs.

The statue of the ‘Three Wise Men’ sculpturally designed and originally located strategically towards the Ojodu-Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has become a major signature for the State.  In short, the image has, over the years, been accepted as the face of Lagos.

As it is with such famous piece of art, many have interpretations have been given to explain what the image of the ‘Three Wise Men’ represents. To some, the sculptures symbolize a note of warning to first time visitor in Lagos (popularly referred to in local parlance  as ‘JJC- Johnny Just Come’) to put on his/her thinking cap, be smart and alert and eschew sluggishness. According to a popular folklore, each of the three wise men has different messages for everyone coming into the Lagos metropolis.

The message is encoded and esoterically demonstrated by the wise men sculpture with the placing of the right hand on the left saying: ‘Don’t be dummy’, ‘Don’t be a sluggard’ and ‘Don’t be goofy in Lagos’
It is popularly re-echoes in the Yoruba parlance as: “O gbodo ridin”, “O gbodo suegbe” , “O gbodo ya mugun l’Eko”. The import of this interpretation is that Lagos is depicted as a place for the smart, the strong and the rugged.  Lagos does not condone nonsense. It neither welcomes sluggishness nor entertains laziness. Others see ‘The Three Wise men’ as deities that protect Lagos and punish anyone working against the prosperity of the city and as such they must be revered and worshipped.  

It must, however, be stressed that the whole idea of the statue was conceived in 1991 during the administration of Governor Raji Rasaki, who engaged the service of a renowned Sculptor, Dr. Bodun Sodeinde for the erection of a beautiful and monumental statue that will welcome visitors to Lagos State. Dr. Sodeinde upon due consultation on the traditional ways of greetings far back in Lagos, decided to reflect same with an image portraying royalty salutation mainly popular among Lagos elders and royalties as represented by what is now known as the ‘Three Wise Men’.

The images fascinate and create impressions in the minds of visitors into the State by captivating the attention of these visitors who look with keen interest pondering on the messages which the posture of the engraved images signifies. According to Dr. Sodeinde, the image of the ‘Three Wise Men’ has been relocated thrice from its original position at Ojodu-Berger end of Lagos Ibadan Expressway to Magodo area  before its final relocation to its the present site at Olowopopo Drive, opposite Michael Otedola Estate.

The Sculpture has also suffered severe damages over the years and has been renovated up to three times. In 2012, it was set ablaze by supposed anti-fuel subsidy remover protesters. Also, the image was once burnt by people who alleged that it was responsible for recurring fatal accidents along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.  The myth about accident could be regarded as the height of fallacy because road accidents occur across the country and the world, for various empirical reasons other than harmless objects. The truth is that the statues that depict the spirit of Lagos, its courtesies, royalty and astuteness should be preserved by all as a heritage that also complements the aesthetics of the Lagos stories.

What must be stressed is that the image of the ‘Three Wise Men’ is just an artistic impression of the rich culture of Lagos State. Being a government that is keen on leveraging on the rich cultural heritage of the State to promote tourism to create a unique economy, Akinwunmi Ambode administration in Lagos State has heralded the commencement of several activities slated for the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Lagos State with the unveiling of the ‘Three Wise Men’ across different locations of the State sharing gifts to Lagosians.

Lagosians were shocked at the sudden and physical appearance of the ‘Three Wise Men’ moving across the streets of Lagos. The simulated imagery presented in a made-believe manner was perfectly dramatized to depict the 3 wise men. A resident of the State who could not hide the shock  and the pageantry procession of the three wise men comically said “ohhhh the three wise men have finally decided to relocate to the Lagos metropolis after being beaten by the sun for so many years” … laughs!!! That’s the spirit of Lagos, ‘Eko for Show”

In all, for creating this ubiquitous ‘Three Wise Men’ sculpture, the Septuagenarian who was also the pioneer Director of Lagos State University, LASU, Museum, Dr. Sodeinde should be given adequate recognition for this great innovation. This would encourage creative artists and others who have interest in arts not to relent on their efforts. As our country grapples with diverse socio-economic challenges, everything must be done to encourage all creative ventures that could result into wealth creation.

Ayo Afuwape

 Afuwape is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos