Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Unknown to those seeking leisure outside the country, there are abundant tourist attractions in the Southeast that can meet their needs. Visiting such sites will enable tourists to have a feel of some of the most spectacular heritage sites in the region.There are natural wonders of awe-inspiring beauty. A trip by a team of tourism reporters, led by the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) Southeast Zone Vice President, Mrs Ngozi Ngoka, revealed some of the sites, CHINYERE ELIZABETH OKOROAFOR writes.

Enugu is a city that encourages exploration.

Once on ground at 9:45am and with a readily-available ABC cozy vehicle, the expedition began from Akanu Ibiam Airport. The coal city, which was home to Nigeria’s first coalminers in 1908 during the British rule, is often used as location for film production by directors of Nollywood.

The first part of call was the National Museum of Unity, Enugu, a fairly kept repository of Nigerian heterogeneous culture.  It opens on week days from 9:00am to 3pm. At the museum are three main galleries: First is unity gallery, which houses objects of arts illustrating some common concepts in the belief system of the various ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Second is the Igbo gallery, which houses objects of arts that give you an understanding of the Igbo world view in relation to architectural, religious, political, social and economic system of the Igbo people. The city presents the growth and development of Enugu arising from the discovery of coal.

Next site was’Milliken hill’.  FTAN state Coordinator, Mrs Chioma Obi, welcomed the reporters. As tour guide for the trip, she was asked: “What is fascinating about the hill?”

Her reply: “It is 100 meters above sea level and offering a beautiful standpoint for a panoramic view of Enugu metropolis. When a British man, popularly known as Engineer Milliken, discovered coal while being carried on the heads of two or more natives, it was on the top of the hill – which he constructed along the road surrounding the hill as well. It was from there that the development of Enugu State started.”

The first road into the city winds through the foot of the 4.8 km-long hill bounded by a deep gully. These hills are found at Ngwo, Enugu North LGA.

Our driver, Mr Goodnews, drove slowly with caution through the meandering roads. Underneath the hills are relics of coal mines and its beautiful tunnels. Beneath the Milken hills is the Iva Valley, named after a popular contractor who supplied labour for the mines. For those who love mountaineering, Milliken Hills are good for you.

 

Exploring colossal cave

 

Leaving Milliken Hill through streets and roads, Enugu is not as hilly and mountainous as Plateau State, you feel as though you are ascending and descending in many parts of the city. Further away out of the city, towards Onitsha road is Ihuezi community on the right.

Through a motorable solid red earth road, the entry into one of the southeast overwhelming ambiences begins with descending a wide sloppy path into a clean shallow flowing river. As our tour guide explained, the river served as purification water for maidens of Ihuezi community centuries ago.

Crossing the purification shallow river follows the routes of bush trail of about four meters, a grove of bamboo tress and other flora species. As you walk through, you are compelled to wonder where the hustling roar of waters is coming from until you see the ambience of mystery, supernatural and enchantment that surround the cave. It is necessary to take off your footwear to descend a slippery slope into shallow water leading to the two entrances of the cave.

Thousands of bats have also turned the cave into their abode and their sounds make you wonder of nature.

Following the second entrance, you would see a tunnel, but as you approach a little bit, it is dark. Our native guide began when we asked questions,”There are several tunnels branching out in different directions and often opening up into large chambers, which can be up to two or three meters high and 10 meters wide in some places,

“It is believed that Chukwu (God) was living inside the cave. If you are courageous enough to go deep in, there is a step that leads to the top, while on the steps; you will see sculptures art and even plates.

Also, the cave was a hiding place for the people of Ihuezi during the war,” he added with the claim that the length of the cave reached Nineth Mile area in Enugu, which they are yet to find the place it stopped.

“It is a place for those who are adventurous, but you must come with your torchlight as it is pitch dark as you go deeper into the cave.

The cave, which the community calls ‘Ihu-ogba’ , is derived from the local dialects ‘Ihu’ meaning face and ‘Ogba’ meaning cave, which literally means “the face of a cave”.  It is about three kilometers long and fast-flowing stream from rocks around the cave leads to Ogbagada waterfall, which serves as a clean drinking water for the community.

Ogbagada waterfall in Ihuezi community is one of the jaw-dropping treasures in Enugu. It cascades in crystal-clear shades of emerald and turquoise waters over dark small rocks. Some sections pool into not-so-deep flowing park. Its roar can be heard from two meters away, echoing off the sheer rock pieces that surround it.

Leaving Enugu to Owerri for the day was a stop at Udi for a plate of Abacha known as African salad with a pepper sauce chicken and a fresh-frothing sweet palm wine to wash it down.

For Ihuezi Cave to be fully utilised, the Enugu State government needs to provide adequate infrastructure, such as good accessible roads for tourists.

 

 Behold Ogbunike cave

Second day destination was Anambra State, home to Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area. First, a visit to Igwe of Ogbunike, Igwe Osita Umenyiora was amazing. Sculptural pieces made of wood and bronze as well as paintings adorn his throne hall. Like a courtroom, everyone stood up to hail ‘igwe’, when the he emerged from a room. Talking about the myth of the famous Ogbunike cave, Igwe Osita began while we were served kolanuts, garden eggs, and later snacks and drinks.

“According to our forefathers, a hunter called Ukwa discovered the cave during his hunting expeditions. In time past, our people used the cave for justice. If someone is accused of stealing or doing something abominable, the person is usually taken inside the cave to be abandoned there. If the person didn’t die, then he or she is not guilty.”

The monarch said visiting the cave is not for the faint-hearted. We drove to a tiled hilly road to see the cave. There are rules guiding its entrance. They include: no stealing, no wearing of shoes and women in their menstrual period are not to enter the cave. A walkway of 317 block steps through a bushy path brings one to the depth of one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites on tentative list.

At a large space serving as a reception point, we removed our shoes and sloped down in moist ground on a sweltering afternoon. We waded toward the entrance of the immense cave. There, we deliberated on going inside. Our tour guide, a stout-looking man encouraged us, assuring that it would help us to explore its inside. He said  many religious persons, including pastors and priests, go into cave to take sanctuary as they fast and commune with God.

We turned on our phones’ torchlight and bravely entered in a single file, darkness enveloped us with only the light of our phone light illuminated our path. After a few steps, we reached a standing point where our tour called ‘bat dinning’.

There are 10 tunnels at the main chamber leading to various directions. Within the tunnels are big chambers and others of varying lengths, some of which are inter- connected. A large colony of bats of various sizes lives in the cave.  There are streams and body of water at various places. A stream flows out from one of the tunnels into a rapid-flowing river (River Nkissa). We emerged at two different points, a large entrance and back in to come out at a high opening that requires strength to climb. Here, we proceeded to see the meeting point of the river and at the stream one could feel the warm water from the caves and the cold river water.

The tour guides have a great deal of knowledge about the caves, but there is no training on how to deal with tourists or adequate remuneration to motivate them to offer visitors a sterling experience.

The result is that they can be hostile and dismissive at times.

There is no doubt that the Ogbunike caves have major tourist potential, both for their history, novelty and the many mysteries that lie within its dark chambers. But, more must be done to accentuate its unrivalled beauty and incite visitors to enjoy them.

The maiden edition of the Affordable Art show will  hold between April 20 and 23 at the Initiative For Information, Arts and Culture Development in Nigeria, Leventis Building, Jericho, Ibadan, Oyo State. The three-day event will be open to the public.

According to the initiator of the project, Oyinda Adelumola, Affordable Art as an “idea came about because Ibadan was once the centre of art and culture and we want to put Ibadan back on the map for art, making it a focus and locus in addition to Lagos, which is densely concentrated. We seek to expand the market for art away from Lagos and bring more people to the art collecting fold”.

This show will feature works by various artists, established and new, including: Victor Ehikhamenor, Adewale Alimi, OgagaTuodeinye, Isaac Emokpae, Lateef Olajumoke, Bruce Prins, Joel Arueya, Lawrence Leo, Temidayo Beduru, Obi Chigozie, Anthonia Chinasa, Ato Arinze, Nathalie Djakou Kassi, Tega Akpokona and Peter Kiladejo.

There will also be a photography section as well as a market place.

Highlights of the show will include a talk on art as An alternative asset by Adedotun Sulaiman, renown art collector and patron, Spoken Word presentation by Dr.Tony Marinho, poet, medical practitioner and art activist, and music acoustic set by Brymo.

This year’s Igue Festival in Benin City, the Edo State capital, is to boosted with the hosting of a second-leg travelling art exhibition, workshop, performance art and presentation of art journal in the ancient city in December.

The project, which theme is: Benin iconography/semiotics: Uhunmwen whe Ehinmwen, will be organised by GreenHouse Art Empowerment Centre to celebrate and preserve Nigerian art history as well as revive the dying culture of tie and dye in Benin.

It is also to impart some aspects of Benin culture into the younger generation by catching them young.

According to the Project Director and exhibiting artist Princess Tessy Iyase-Odozi, the first leg of the exhibition will hold at the Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos between December 8 and 15, followed by the Benin City leg from December 18 to January 31, 2019, while the final leg holds at GreenHouse Art Empowerment Centre, Olambe in Ogun State, next February. The exhibits will include paintings and installations.

Iyase-Odozi said: “The project envisages the conceptualisation and display of a huge art installation with totems produced by me to re-enact tradition and celebrate the Igue Festival. The exhibition will serve to enhance the aesthetic and religious significance of Ebe Ewere used during the holy festival of the Benin people by highlighting the relevance and uses.

“Another importance aspect is the discovery of the sign of the Holy Cross of equal arms in some of the Benin plaques and works of art discovered during the Benin punitive expedition in 1897. The cross was so prominent and clearly shows the involvement of the late Oba Esigie, who was believed to belong to the Masters of the Circled Cross. The exhibits will highlight the relationship between Benin Court Art and spirituality. Also, the show will reveal and highlight the various hidden semiotics found on Benin sculptural works dated as far back as 14th century.”

The workshop will focus on how to translate the discovered semiotics found on Benin sculptural works to textile designs on fabrics using tie and dye. Participants at the workshop will be mainly women and girls in order to bridge gender disparity.

Already, calls for papers for the art journal have been made by the centre. Interested scholars are expected to write on subthemes, such as types and roles of semiotics/motifs in visual arts, influence of design motifs on Benin artworks, Tie and dye culture among the Benin: Inter-ethnic ties in visual art, ethical dilemma of women and gild child in visual art, the artist as a community leader and the aesthetics and religious significance of ceremonial leaves in Benin traditions (Ebe ewere), among others.

Members of the team that drive the project are award-winning and seasoned art  writer with The Nation, Mr. Ozolua Uhakheme as Art Consultant, artist and scholar Princess Iyase-Odozi, poet and award-winning writer, Evelyn Osagie and art lecturer at the University of Lagos, Bolaji Ogunwo as curators.

Princess Iyase-Odozi is an artist, author, collector and founder GreenHouse Art Empowerment Centre, pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Visual Art Education at the University of Lagos.

no fewer than 300 participants from across Europe will in June be part of the maiden intercontinental motor rally tagged Budapest-Lagos Challenge.

The rally, according to the initiator, Omotunde Komolafe, is aimed at drawing the attention of Europeans to the tourism potential in Nigeria as well as showcasing the country to the world of motor rally.

Komolafe, who spoke in Lagos, said Nigeria was blessed with people endowed with tourism potential waiting for development.

“My country is endowed with tourism potentialities which are still virgin, in the raw form and waiting to be enhanced, developed and patronised. Going by my over 32 years in Europe, I found out that majority of the people here do not have copious knowledge about the tourism goodies in Nigeria. Hence, our resolution this year is to create an intercontinental event to draw the attention of the world to the good side of my country,” he said.

Komolafe explained that the rally did not only involve various countries and races, but  also continents. He noted that it was one of the best strategies of branding a country and making it visible in the world.

“The caravan of hope will kick- off in Budapest in Hungary passing through the Sahara Desert, Morocco, Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso,  Benin Republic and climaxing in Lekki, Lagos in June.

‘’We are going to be about 200 drivers and it will be a sight to behold. I know the numerous challenges we are going to have but all that have been taken care of since I came into the country. We are expecting people from Nigeria to join us as we journey from Budapest to Nigeria. We are going to raise the flag of Nigeria high and talk about Nigeria’s tourism potentialities in everywhere and every opportunity, which offered itself throughout our route,” he added.

Komolafe said the rally would be a yearly event and would partner the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in identifying tourism sites that could fit into its itinerary.

According to him, the project connects Diaspora and non-Nigerians to Nigeria and it is also a way of putting Nigerians on the rally sport and also rally tourism because a lot of money can be made from this as the government is talking about diversifying from petroleum into tourism.

‘’So, I think this is one of the best ways that we can bring in people to see our beautiful country.

“We will come to Lekki to host the welcome party. We have some partners in Lekki like the Shoprite and the Novas Mall. It is more than just a rally, it’s an investment because most of these drivers are company owners in Europe and when they come, they are looking for places of opportunity and for them Nigeria is fantastic. Again, Lagos is good for business,” he said.

 

Proprietor Maranatha Hotel, Owerri, Dr. Etofolam Osuji, a retired accountant, has said the Imo State government has been charging  hoteliers in Owerri, the state capital outrageous taxes, saying inconsistent taxes are not good for business.

Osuji, who spoke during a visit by tourism reporters facilitated by  Southeast Zone Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) Vice President, Ngozi Ngoka, urged the state government to partner hoteliers in the state to grow tourism business.

“The government should remove taskforce from us as we pay our taxes. The levies they place on hoteliers are too much. But these monies should come in a structured manner. I want a situation where we will partner government in developing the state in such a way that everyone will benefit. I want a situation where unemployed youths are fully engaged. We need to partner government to make sure that we drive the vision for them.

“The charges are arbitrary. Due to the high taxation, you are not able to break even” he added.

As a stakeholder to the growth of southeast tourism, Osuji believed that Imo State will be ranked number one best leisure place in Nigeria if government gives hoteliers a listening ear.

“In the area of tourism, if the parameters are well set it means that this state will be ranked number one as the best in leisure destination in Nigeria. It implies that every year you evaluate yourself to find out if you are achieving what you set out to achieve.

“If the answer is that you are not achieving it, you find the challenge within that structure, work on those challenges and bring in stakeholders in the sector who will help to change things. The more staff you recruit the better you address the unemployment opportunities. I personally want to partner government.” he added.

According to Managing Director Villa Garden Hotel, Owerri Mr. Emmanuel Nwachukwu tax system in Imo State is on the high side and arbitrarily allocated.

“We have tried to partner government through the hoteliers’ association so that they can harmonise this tax to favour us because there is high cost of maintenance. There is need to put in place the necessary infrastructure so that we can promote tourism in the state.  It has been very difficult and unable to break even. Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has not been helpful and we spend so much in the purchase of diesel. So, we wonder why they should be tasking us high,” he queried. He continued: ‘Therefore the state government should harmonize this tax and bring it to the barest minimum and a result it will attract a lot of people who are willing to invest in the state. Government has not responded positively. We have been trying to have meeting with them. But, it has not been forthcoming. They tell us that they are conducting the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in order to generate revenue.”

Ngoka said appropriate and a just tax system would reduce over-head for hotel owners and make accommodation cheaper. She said such tax system will bring in more tourists to the state. “Hotel tax in Imo is not coordinated. How can the operators plan over-head in such a situation? If you plan that your room will be ten thousand naira and all taxes come up and at the end of the day you are losing money, it doesn’t make sense.

So, Imo state government needs to harness whatever tax that it wants to charge. They should stop arbitrary taxation. They should try and coordinate whatever it is they are doing,” she added.

On the need for a tourism board in the state, she said: “In my view, every state should have a state tourism board with proper regulated taxes so that the operators will know what they are in for earlier for adequate planning. The state should try to make business environment conducive just like the federal government is trying to do.”

 The age-long cultural affinity between Nigeria and Ghana was further strengthened at this year’s World Theatre Day with the presentation of The Marriage of Anansewa by the National Drama Company, a subsidiary of the National Theatre of Ghana, at the Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos, last Wednesday. The presentation was part of the 70th anniversary celebration of the Day, put together by the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) and supported by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

Apart from transforming from a play to a musical, The Marriage of Anansewa written by the late Mrs. Efua Theodora Sutherland still retains its trappings as a humorous and satirical performance.

The two-hour presentation is laced with Ghanaian folk theatre and western theatre trends. The journey of the lead character Ananse to marry off his daughter, Anansewa, to four chiefs to change his impoverished life to a wealthy and comfortable one, formed the thrust of the musical last Wednesday at The Muson Centre Lagos.

Though it combines all the features of Ghanaian folk theatre and western theatre trends, the musical highlights many aspects of Ghanaian traditional marriage, especially the importance of custom, which emphasises the fact that until the head-drink is placed by a suitor for his bride-to-be, he has no claim over her. That was the joker underlining Ananse’s scheming all through the performance.

Set in a contemporary Ghanaian society, the musical reflected Ghana as both materialistic and ostentatious. It is based on Anansegoro, a kind of Ghanaian folk-theatre, derived from the story-telling tradition, with Ananse (the spider) as the hero/villain, who is always scheming his way out of trouble.

The musical shows how hardships compel Emmanuel Ato Ghartey (Ananse) to resort to cunning ways to exploit and select a suitable suitor for his daughter Mabel Yaa Ocloo (Anansewa). All the manipulations started early in the musical when Ananse forced Anansewa to learn type writing at a Secretariat School as well as prepare her on how to pretend to be a dead lady.

Interestingly, triumph of love, which is the main theme of the musical was never lost to the ulterior motive of Ananse to overcome poverty. From the onset, Ananse negotiated the possibility of each of the chiefs marrying his daughter in the first place, though he wants to become wealthy. Little wonder at the end, he considers the intention of each chief who had wanted to marry his daughter. Ananse ensures that her daughter is given to the chief who loves her most.

For Anansewa, she agrees to be part of her father’s plan because she wants to marry Chief-Who-Is-Chief. Her love for him was confirmed by her consent to feign death in order to win the chief. Love triumphs at the end of the play.

Again, this was demonstrated when Ananse pretends to be in a trance and pours libation of head drink sent by Chief-Who-Is-Chief and calls on his ancestors to ‘resurrect’ his daughter. It was all part of his spider scheming out of trouble. ‘’If it is your desire and it is ours that Chief-Who-Is-Chief should marry Anansewa see to it that she returns to life.’’

Shortly after, Anansewa stirs, wakes up from bed and claims that she “could hear Chief-Who-Is-Chief” calling her.

Literarily, the musical reveals Ananse’s capacity to use his intellect to overcome life’s difficulties, and thus attain a higher social status without necessarily hurting anybody but out-wits the chiefs. on a global scale, Sutherland’s work can be said to symbolise Ghana after her independence as well as an allegorical representation of Ghana’s policy of non-alignment in her relations to other nations following her independence on March 6, 1957.

‘’Anansewa is Ghana, Ananse is the leader (specifically the late Kwame Nkrumah) while the chiefs represent the international community. The fact that he deceives the chiefs, extorts money and gifts from them while at the same time, does not antagonise them, shows that it is legal to get aid from other nations by holding out promises of trade alliances but not making the commitments until the donor nation’s motives have been tested and known,’’ according to a report.

Unlike most plays, the prop men in the musical were not on back stage. Also, the two giant size spider webs were on stage throughout the performance. They represent the traits and cunning ways Ananse schemes his way out of trouble. For the costumes, the quality is of average and they share similarity in colours of dress (black) with Nigerians when they are mourning a loved one.

The Ghana delegation, which consisted of about 25 casts and crew members, was led by Executive Director National Theatre of Ghana, Amy AppiahFrimpong.

NANTAP President, Mr. Israel Eboh said as thespians, they recognise their roles as guiding light in the society and communities particularly in the face of many challenges confronting the nation.

He noted that as every day passes, ‘’we are becoming an endangered profession. The lack of a defined policy and support from both government and the corporate world continues to strangulate and take away the life giving air that we need to express ourselves.’’

“As artistes, we must be bold to know that our calling is noble, and that our business will not survive on the patronage of government or institutions built on tokenism, but on our won doggedness to continue to operate even in the most unpredictable environment wherein we have found ourselves.

“We are the ones who must define the theatre dreams. We alone must define the stage that help realise our aspirations… Our theatre must speak up against recession, it must denounce blood-letting and killings across Nigeria, it must demand from government assurances that every Nigerian will be safe wherever they find themselves. Theatre is a global business without barriers. With our art we must break down all the barriers that restrict us and make practice difficult. For our celebration to be complete, we must cultivate partnerships built on trust and mutual benefits both locally and on the global stage,” he said.

NANTAP Lagos chapter Chairman, Mr. Adeniran Makinde expressed worries over the state of human and physical infrastructure for the thriving of theatre art practice, asking what policies are enacted by the Lagos state legislators to aid the welfare of artistes in order to plan his or her life based on income from job done. “What curriculum and training facilities are there to ensure thorough education of the profession is ensured except for all dilapidated and half measured provision of lecture rooms and halls to a noisome gathering in university environment?” he asked.

Greg Odutayo, who represented President International Theatre Institute (Nigeria), Prof Emmanuel Dandaura urged thespians to provide the shining light and binoculars for the political class to navigate the nation out of the looming catastrophe and social malaise. “We must hold government accountable to the people through our creative works. We must collectively and as individuals stand up to be counted on the side of the people,” he said.

Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture Director, Mrs Saidat Otulana, who represented Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, congratulated the art community on the extent it has used its creativity to transform its world. She also urged the practitioners to be more objective in all their dispensations.

Earlier, Prof Femi Osofisan’s Fires Burn and Die Hard was presented by the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture Troupe as one  prelude to the main show, which started some minutes to 8pm.

Osofisan’s play is a satire set in typical Yoruba culture and it portrays the battle of the sexes as displayed by Mr. Kayus Alakin and his wife Mrs. Temilola Alakin, the treasurer of the Market Women Association.

In the play, Alhaja Olowoseun, president, Market Women Association, to cover up the contraband goods that she had in her shop, set the shop ablaze to avoid arrest, but alas, the fire spread beyond her control and the whole market was burnt down.

Also, the night witnessed the presentation of two awards by NANTAP to an individual and a corporate body in recognition of their contributions to performing art.

They were MUSON Centre and Mrs Zara Ejoor, who was described as a symbolic representative of that generation of thespians almost forgotten.

Present at the performance were Dr. Tunji Sotimirin, Jahman Anikulapo, Norbert Young and wife, Gloria, Sola Onayiga, UcheNwokedi, Charles Ukpong, among others.