Author: The Nation

Book review

Title:               The Okeho Exodus:

Author:         Olutayo Irantiola

Reviewer:    Akeem Akinniyi

Publisher:     Peo Davies  Communications

Olutayo Irantiola’s The Okeho Exodus is a historical play set in 1916 but written in a modern-day language and filled with elements that will not alienate a reader in these present times. The play revisitS the descendants of Okeho who resettled among the hills along with 10 villages to stem the tide of invasion by the Dahomey and Fulanis. What follows are intrigues of betrayal, and bastardisation of culture by colonialists which eventually leads to the tragic end of not only the king but the loss of the town’s sovereignty to the colonial masters.

The theme of betrayal dominates the play and the only character who survived it is Oba Arilesire who built a harmonious home of settlers which sets the tone for successive kings before the turn of Onjo Olukitibi. The emergence of Captain Ross and his fellow conquerors in Okeho with their laws and subjugation of the people leads to distrust among the chiefs and set the plot to oust the king, Onjo Olukitibi. A wave of betrayal rises among the chiefs who think Onjo Olukitibi has sold them out to the colonialists referred to as ‘Ajele’ (a Yoruba word for usurpers). The internecine fighting grows beyond the borders of Okeho and extends to other towns as Balogun Olele seeks allies from far and within against the king. In the end, the king is captured and annihilated along with his family. Captain Ross avenges the death of the king, attacks, and arrests the unerring chiefs to bring law and order to Okeho, thereby establishing the sovereignty of the colonial masters.

The play deploys antithesis effectively to strike a balance in the events as well as the lives of the characters and the passing of the years. Oba Arilesire’s reign is filled with harmonious living and unity among the people. He would go on to die peacefully in his sleep. This is contrasting to the reign of Onjo Olukitibi whose reign ends in disarray with mistrust in the air and would later die agonisingly in the hands of his own people. Another is the replacement of invaders, at first, it is the Fulanis and Dahomeys whose aggression make the people of Okeho flee to the new place. Little had they settled down when the colonialists invaded their space and sadly, it will result in their return to the place they left earlier.

The challenges of colonialism to traditional laws and customs are symbolised by the emergence of Captain Ross whose influence and power conflicted with Onjo Olukitibi, thereby reducing his relevance before the people. His authority is challenged, and as Captain Ross’ influence grows, Olukitibi’s stature shrinks. The people of Okeho begin to see him as the puppet of the white man. An example is the statement of Oladunni (41) “The reign of Olukitibi is already disheartening. We have never experienced this in Okeho Ahoro, I have been watching with keen interest and I am getting to lose hope in his leadership abilities. People have been saying it that Olukitibi was not the right person to be crowned, he was imposed on us by the colonial masters. But will the kingmakers and the oracle lie?” 

The theme of betrayal echoes through the book and it is expressed in many ways. Jinjin represents the modern, inquisitive, and courageous woman who believes in equality. She also represents the Biblical Eve whose inquisitiveness led to the fall of man through her desire to partake in the Oro traditions. A Yoruba cult tradition that forbids the participation of women. She never hides her intent to break all patriarchal foundations (25):

Jinjin: My right to social equality, freedom of association and speech. I want to know more about Oro. If it was an entirely sacred thing, men should also stay out of the rituals.

To achieve her husband, Olojomo’s commitment to making her participate, she weaponises sex and the poor man submits to her guiles: “Yes, my mind is at rest now.  I am sure that I would soon partake of the ritual and we would break all the limitations that have been set by many generations” “ (63).  Olojomo would go on to get her involved in the ritual, a flaw that ridicules his legacy in the Oro cult leading to his disgrace from the group by fellow initiates who considered his actions a betrayal of trust.

Another female character of note is Oladunni who challenges the status quo of the submissive housewife who must accept everything that her husband dishes out to her. She broke patriarchal norms by talking back at her husband Oga Akooda (37) who in a state of excitement and drunkenness about the Oro festival insults her father which she replied accordingly and disrespectfully. The husband chases her with the intent to beat her and instead of being apologetic tries to give reasons for his uncouth behaviour. (38)

Oga Akioda: She has to swallow those words if not, there won’t be peace any longer in this house. She thought I was tipsy and cannot reason well.

Oladunni: I will go to the court of Ross. You will learn lessons. I cannot tolerate you any longer. You are a violent man. (He wants to chase her again but Akoda holds him).

The court of Ross is the court of the whiteman which allows room for divorce. This can be seen as a breakaway from the cultural norm of family and community elders settling marital conflicts. It reflects a subjugation of traditional authority. Some of the little cracks that bit by bit collapses the wall of traditions and customs.

The playwright makes use of songs to communicate and express the mood. The language though direct is, sometimes, riddled with too much Yoruba aided by code-mixing and translations that somehow belabours the point. Some scenes appear intrusive as we have during the choice of kingship. Above all, the playwright achieves his aim of telling an ancient story to a modern audience by reflecting on the effects of colonialism and its attendant evils of erosion of cultures and abuse of power.

By Famoriyo ‘Dare Ebenezer

According to Yoruba mythology, Olokun was the Orisha (deity or spirit) of the waters of the earth and the depths of the ocean where the light never shone. Although most people believe that Olokun was a male deity, Olokun was venerated as male, female or androgynous. Therefore, Olokun’s gender usually depends on the religion in which the Orisha is worshipped.

According to the myths, Olokun was said to be the father of Aje, the Orisha (Deity) of wealth and the bottom of the ocean. Olokun is revered as the ruler of all bodies of water and for the authority over other water deities. Olokun is highly praised for the ability to give great wealth, health and prosperity to their followers.

In Yoruba religion, Olokun, in the form of a female, was said to be the wife of the great Emperor Oduduwa. She was often angry and jealous of her husband’s many other wives and it is said that, she created the Atlantic Ocean in a fit of rage.

In some accounts, Olokun was said to be the husband or lover of Yemoja, the great mother goddess of the ocean and they had several children together. However, some sources state that Olokun had no lovers, wives or children and lived alone in his palace under the sea.

Olokun was a powerful orisha who was highly respected and feared since he had the power to destroy anything he wanted by unleashing the depths of the ocean. Crossing him could mean the destruction of the world so no deity or human dared to do it. Although he was a very aggressive and powerful orisha, he was also very wise and considered the authority of all the other water orishas in Yoruba mythology. He also controlled all the bodies of water, big or small, since it was his domain.

Olokun is an important orisha in Yoruba religion, but he only played a minor role in the religion of the Afro-Brazilians. The people worshipped Olokun and made altars in their homes in honour of the orisha. It is said that fishermen would pray to him daily, asking for a safe journey at sea and they worshipped him faithfully for fear of incurring his anger.

Even today, Olokun is venerated in regions such as Lagos.

 Known as the owner of great waters, Olokun symbolises the most unfathomable depths of the ocean and the seas. Olokun is often associated with Yemoja (Yemonja), the Mother of Fishes, and together they represent the abundance, fertility, wealth, healing, and source of life and its mysteries. Olokun worshippers are found in Nigeria among the Edo and the Yoruba, as well as in the Republic of Benin. In Nigeria, Olokun worship is found mainly along the southern regions of the Nigerian and West African areas directly adjacent to the coastlines, Benin Republics, etc. In the Candomblé religion of Brazil, Olokun is venerated as the mother of Yemoja and the owner of the sea. 

Ori Olokun refers to the head that was dug up in the late 19th century in the Olokun Grove in Ile-Ife, Osun State and used in annual rites to honour Olokun. 

Ori Olokun monument was discovered in the early 20th century by German explorer Leo Frobenius. Frobenius could not imagine that such works were of African origin and came up with the theory that this great art was evidence of the lost Atlantis of the Greeks. He further declared that the Yoruba deity, Olokun, was the same god as the Greek Poseidon. The monument was further identified as a modern sand casting of a brass, which comprises copper and zinc.

Ori Olokun is a Bronze artefact, but is also found in other art forms like Terracota (Baked Clay) and wooden forms.

The name, Olokun, attached to this head refers to the fact that it was dug up in the late 19th century in the Olokun Grove and used in annual rites to honour Olokun.

An Ife priest, Chief Faloba Fagbenro, described Olokun as the goddess of the sea and patron of bead making, which makes glass bead work an important industry in Ile-Ife.

He recalled that the head of Olokun (Ori Olokun) remained in the hands of the family responsible for the Olokun cult until Ooni of ile-ife brought it to the palace for safekeeping in 1934.

The terra-cotta head of Olokun has been replicated in strategic places of the world, including Latin America and Europe. The image always brings back to memory the civilisation in the areas of art and technology that took place in Nigeria and Africa before the British invasion.

Even though Olokun is believed to be a female and also a male, at the same time, among different worshippers and tribes around the world, most of the features of typical Olokun Heads are very similar, except for the fact that some of the faces are feminine, smiling and without the holes which represent the pores for beard growth or shaven male beard. 

Scarifications: Facial scarification or facial marks are common on all Olokun heads. This symbolises the Yoruba traditional body and facial ornament like tribal marks. The Scarifications on Olokun heads are usually straight and diagonal marks from the tip of the head, down from both cheeks, nose and down to the chin. They are beautifully crafted and ornamented.

Crown: A typical Olokun crown has a crown-like covering on the head. Although, there is no historical backing, to support any information about Olokun being a king, but some of the historical accounts suggest Olokun as being a queen (as a female) and a king (male) of the ocean. 

Tiny Holes: Some Olokun heads have tiny holes along both cheeks, upper parts of the lips, neck and the jaws areas, to represent beards in men.

Holes under the eyes: It is has been noticed that some Olokun heads have wide holes under the two eyes, though this is not a common feature of a typical Olokun head, but must be observed and noted. Researchers believe, this may have been as a result of making Olokun Heads in form masks to cover the face, in some cultures and worship in some parts of the world. There is no proof yet, if Olokun masks are worn during Olokun worships or festivals.

Olokun is still a reverred and respected deity in Yoruba land and some other parts and festivals are still celebrated by Olokun worshippers till date, in Ile-Ife and many parts of the world.

•Famoriyo ‘Dare Ebenezer is

Principal Museum Education Officer

National Museum, Lagos

For bead artist Adewale Mufutau Balogun, art is beyond passion. It is an avenue to redefine ‘disability’. He is celebrated for his prowess in using glass/sand beads to create outstanding live sized portraits, especially of influential personalities. In this interview with EVELYN OSAGIE, he speaks of his voyage into the arts and his fight to rise above the crutches.

My voyage into the arts

Art is an inborn thing. I have been an artist since my childhood but I became a full time studio artist in 2009. I started drawing at the age of three as said by my parents. I remember using my sisters’ makeup kit (lipstick, cortex, eye pencil and so on) to paint. And I was beaten for it but that didn’t deter me. And the very next day, I would go back to it again. My first portrait was in pencil which I did when I was seven years old and it was my Mom’s picture.

But I initially wanted to be a medical doctor. In fact, I remember drawing the hospital I was going to build. However, I ended up studying Fine Arts at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH). I am happy that God directed my path to becoming an artist and not a medical doctor because if I were a doctor, I might have started using needles to draw on people’s bodies (Laughs).

My first entitled pencil work was “Refugees”. It was later featured in my first group exhibition with Extremely Talented Artist (ETA), titled: “She’s Nigeria” in 2010, organised by Vanessa Nzediegwu.

Well-known British-Nigerian artist, the late David Herbert Dale, a blessed memory, who I regard as a father, is my mentor. He paid my school fees when I was in YABATECH and also gave me every support to be a successful artist. He was so kind to me. He even asked me to come and live with him. I stayed with him for many years and picked up the interest of using glass beads as an art medium because using beads this way was Dale’s idea and thanks to her only child and daughter Patience Dale for making the environment conducive by taking me as blood brother.

 My background

Born in Bariga, Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos, my mother was my first motivational speaker and mentor. She’s always telling me to believe in myself. Many times other children thought of humiliating me by abusing me because of my leg but it meant nothing to me because I had heard 1001 times from my mother and my siblings that I am the world’s greatest. I believe I am customised not deformed (Laughs). My parents never treated me as one with a disability, they gave me and my brothers equal tasks. All these made me believe in myself and drove me aim high.

 This should be a message to  parents of children with disability. They need to be loved and encouraged. To be physically challenged does not mean our destiny is deformed.

I was not born as physically challenged. It was caused by a wrong injection which led to me losing my legs when I was two years old. But for the efforts of my parents, I would have remained crippled. Thank God today; I can walk with one leg. That was why I initially wanted to be a doctor. But  I always like to compete with able bodies: I find myself playing ball and even wrestling with them.

 My trajectory with glass beads painting

Our individual’s style is the signature that differentiates one artist’s work from the other. I picked the idea from Dale and was able to bring out my own style. He was the one doing bead art at the time.  It’s like using the same medium in different forms. My style is realistic beaded art. My first beaded works are entitled “Safari” and “The Aquatic” both dated 2009. But I started using glass beads to structure portraits in the year 2011.

The first largest beaded portrait I did was my first commissioned beaded work by former Deputy Comptroller of Customs in 2011. The size was 4.5 ft by 6 ft and I did it for #1.8m. After that I started making large size portraits.

My desire was to create something that is not common. What gives me excitement is being able to achieve anything I see with beads. I like to take a realistic approach to art, especially glass beads art. I could produce the glass bead of any object.

The amount of time used in producing the beaded portrait depends on the complexity of the subject or picture or inspiration and availability of the needed colours of the bead, etc.

The challenge encountered

Glass beads painting are a unique medium but very difficult to control compared with paint and some other mediums. And I like the challenge. If there is any mistake in the work, it would be very obvious and easily criticised; unlike other kinds of painting where a mistake can be called a style.

And I like using glass beads for its durability because glass beads retain their original colour, not minding the age, at times painting or other mediums can change colour,  fade or lose value with time but not glass beads. It is only fire that can destroy bead art, not even water because it is water proof like glass and glass bead work doesn’t break or drop beads  when it falls.

Indeed, it is very challenging, not just because of the materials needed, but the pain of sitting and arranging them one-by-one after first creating the template. And it is capital intensive. At times, one may go hungry because you want to buy some packs of beads. It’s not been easy but I’m encouraged by the excitement of making the impossible possible and being able to exhibit God-given talent. What drives me to be persistent is the amazing result.

Just like the amount of time used to produce a work, the cost of production can’t be also predicted because the cost of materials is not stable in the market. Again, the size of the work determines the cost of production and the complexity of the picture or reference to be done for example – the picture with plain textile or fabric cannot be the same price with the one that wears patterned textile like aso oke, ankara, lace etc.

Another challenging fact is the environment we’ve found ourselves in. It doesn’t encourage creativity. There is no support for artists. For instance, a work worth over N1 million, may be priced less than N200, 000. It’s disheartening.

But I like to look at the bright side of life, even though my work is underpriced; I sell it to them because my hope is to make their homes an extension of my gallery (Laughs). Our works as artists represent us wherever they may be found, as long as our names are on them. And maybe someday, someone who will pay double what this other person paid will see the work in their living room and ask to know who made it.

 My most memorable moments

I have several memorable moments, but I still have not gotten over my job of the Ooni of Ife’s portrait. I just love him as a person. I’d followed him closely right from the time they were still trying to decide who will be Ooni. I was happy when he was the one that was chosen.

So, I decided to make a portrait of him using beads. He was so impressed when he saw it and invited me in the palace.

My patrons

That my works are across the globe is to God be the glory. Some are in the United States, Canada and Germany. Most of the influential people’s works were either self-commissioned or by other people.  For example, United States President Joe Biden was commissioned by an officer in the United States of America Navy; the work for Mike Adenuga was commissioned by First Bank Plc;  and former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s portrait was commissioned by a group of friends. Also, I did some portraits to appreciate some people for their good deeds in the society or state to immortalise them, like those of the Ooni of Ife, former Ondo State governor Olusegun Mimiko; former Oyo State Governor the late Abiola Ajimobi. I have also finished a live sized one on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I am happy he has been re-elected. I congratulate him and hope to shake his hands someday, especially now that he has been re-elected.

My choice of creating portraits of influential people  

Nigeria needs model leadership. I know we are not there yet but we will get there. Let us celebrate oneness in this period of trials and appreciate; those who have worked those are touching lives. I like challenges and I never fear any; everyone has right to his or her opinion but my believe is that, it always good to recongnise the good works our leaders are doing and also celebrate their success in our own little way; not that we should be clamouring for their mistakes only forgetting that they are also human being, that is moved by words or deed of encouragement.

My nuggets of wisdom to aspiring artists

For the aspiring artists, let passion for the arts drive you and money will definitely come. For my colleagues, artist or not, there is nothing called disability. If you can’t see you should be able to hear, if you can’t talk you should be able to walk as far as you can, once you have ability, work on how to make use of the available ability. You have no reason to pity yourself or allow anyone to pity you.  Never feel inferior, believe in yourself.