1.0Mathematical 7https://mathematical7.com/m7rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="3eIcOE6TdJ"><a href="https://mathematical7.com/m7/rashidi-yekini-speaks-from-beyond/">Rashidi Yekini Speaks from Beyond</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://mathematical7.com/m7/rashidi-yekini-speaks-from-beyond/embed/#?secret=3eIcOE6TdJ" width="600" height="338" title="“Rashidi Yekini Speaks from Beyond” — Mathematical 7" data-secret="3eIcOE6TdJ" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://mathematical7.com/m7/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> https://mathematical7.com/m7/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Rashid_Yekini_2.jpg191164I had an unusual conversation with Rashidi Yekini last Wednesday in my office in Yaba, Lagos. Of course, everyone knows that the greatest goal scorer in the history of Nigerian football rests in peace with his Creator. So, the circumstances of our conversation were as strange as they were fascinating. Thinking back now I can see very clearly the conspiracy of the elements to make the meeting take place; that the circumstances of the conversation were not accidental; and that the events leading to them could only have been a well scripted divine arrangement. Last Wednesday I was ‘dragged’ into my dilapidated audio/visual studios in Yaba. The place was littered with obsolete and broken-down video machines and cassettes in various stages of decay and in every conceivable old format – Umatic, Betacam, Hi-8, VHS, DVs, and CDs.Kunle Oladeinde, my cameraman, partner and friend had brought an old retired engineer he met recently but had known from the past and had lost contact with for many years, to the office to have a look at the ‘dead’ machines and equipment the engineer had assured him he could bring back to life. Kunle and I had spent the better part of the last 7 or more years searching the world, without much success via the internet, for spare parts, or even old machines we could scavenge and use their working parts to fix ours as a last-ditch effort to save and digitize my mountain of archival materials, my life’s work in pictures, that were slowly but steadily wasting away in my library with every passing day! Some years ago, we found very temporary respite when we located the only two working High-band, PAL machines in the world in the garage of a retired engineer in Pakistan. We bought them and brought them to our Lagos studios. One machine never worked. The other one only worked for a few weeks and broke down. Since then I have lived in a limbo of helplessness, not knowing what to do with my treasure trove of archival materials chronicling the history of Nigeria and Nigerians in various sectors, but mostly sports, through almost two decades, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s! I have been on a forced sabbatical for almost two decades since then mostly out of frustration unable to keep pace with changing technology in equipment, facilities and personnel! Despite not doing much since then that line of work has remained my greatest passion! Last week, my stay in ‘purgatory’ ended.