Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Beyond its beauty and grandeur, what some have tagged as the eighth architectural wonder of the world holds some of the most poignant monuments of Nigerian and African cultural heritage, PAUL ADE-ADELEYE writes.

The Natural History Museum in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife is seen as  the eighth architectural wonder of the world.It not only smacks of beauty, its bowel is inhabited by an assortment of natural and cultural heritage to follow.

Before it was finally moved to its new abode, the museum ran the gauntlet between abandonment and lack of adequate funds. In a recent address delivered by the director of the museum, he stated that: “Availability of space was the biggest problem facing the museum. This was solved by the intervention of the AG Leventis Foundation by completing the museum building that was abandoned for 34 years.”

A quick visit to the museum a fortnight ago as it held its 3rd John Agboola Odeyemi Annual lecture, however, proved that it was fulfilling the objectives for which it was founded.

A first striking feature of the museum, from which it derives its fame, is its premises.   The architectural construction orchestrates an illusion of a sculpting in high relief spread over a hundred metres. Its low hanging roofing bears great semblance to the inviting romanticistic appeal of a cottage in the woods, drawing visitors to explore the treasures within – not unlike the fairytale cottage made of candy.

As you enter, you would be treated to a behemoth effigy of a scholar with open arms garbed in the academic gown characteristic of the university whose campus hosts the museum.

The first section of the museum is a repository of the natural and mineral resources Nigeria is endowed with, and a testament to the research the museum conducts regularly. It calls one for sober reflection on where Nigeria got it so abysmally wrong that it has not been able to harness the wealth inherent in her.

Minister for Solid Minerals Dr Kayode Fayemi seems to have answered this question already, noting at the aforementioned lecture that Nigeria is afflicted with the curse of oil. He said: “When a nation discovers oil reserves in her territory, the sudden avalanche of petrodollars causes neglect of sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, thus leaving oil to dominate the economy.”

The next section in the museum offers geological insight of the Nigerian terrain. Ample labelled illustrations with soil samples to match populate this section and is reminiscent of the nature of research the museum is engaged in.

In addition, numerous coral samples are amassed in an adjacent section, even as multiple arachnid and insect samples occupy the opposite section. All of these are native to Nigeria and are labelled with diagrams and annotated accordingly.

Following these are sections displaying the molluscs, termites, art history, stone tools as well as bead stones. This explains why the university, in the 1990/91 academic session,decided to merge the department of archaeology with the Natural History Museum, thus expanding its scope to include archaeology and cultural anthropology.

Climbing up the stairs to the mammalian section of the museum, a tourist of faint heart may be tempted to dispose of his tour and dignity and flee to safety. This section houses stuffed lions, baboons, snakes, and other such creatures of the wild as they inhabit the Nigerian jungles. Their trompe-l’oeil mien is such that one would be forced to look repeatedly over the shoulder and ensure there is no animal creeping menacingly behind.

You would think that the niftily designed exterior provides all thewonder of the Natural History Museum in OAU, but with the museum, it is a classic case of beauty and brains. Its research and contribution to the documentation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage is not only commendable, it is a worthy cause to support.

Family, friends and well wishers gathered to celebrate  the late founder of  Vanni Security, Chief Victor Vanni at the Chief Victor Vanni 10th Memorial Service.

They extolled his virtues and zeal for safety. The security expert and founder of the first private security firm in Nigeria called Vanni Security, which spans three decades, was said to have been very conscious of safety in the course of his job.

They said he had a soft spot for humanity and the less-privileged, which made him to establish a non-governmental organisation to create jobs and give scholarship to those in need and succour for less-privileged widows around him for many years.

Born on February 25, 1942 in Iguebem, the present day Edo State, he was an Alumni of the  University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1954 and proceeded to England in 1960. He came back and got a job with Shell Nigeria and later National Bank of Nigeria. His vibrancy and intelligence drove him into security matters.

He was the first founding president of the Nigerian Safety Association, moving cash with security vehicles and the first Nigerian to import security vans during President Olusegun Obasanjo administration  in 1979. He was married to Mrs. Harritta Vanni and their marriage was blessed with eight children.

In this tribute, Prof Osa Egonwa writes on the leadership roles of the late Prof Uche Okeke and his contributions to knowledge and creativity.  

Any attempt to assess the impact of the NCAST Zaria artists class of 1961 must begin with the premise that it was a function of the leadership roles of two Okeke’s first Simon and second Uchefuna but more of the latter. Simon Obi-Ekezie Okeke sparked off the revolution but Uche Okeke sustained it not only by physical presence and concert of activities but by providing the philosophical principles and practice of what he christened natural synthesis.

When, therefore, he is daubed the philosopher king of the group, it is rightly so. The principles and practice of the new Nigeria art after the Britto Argentian one is what some call the Zarianist foundation.

His quantum of literature on the transactions of the group is so well taken beside none that art historians likened it to a mono-causal  evidence. The fact is that it might be so (mono-causal), but not by design, but by reason of him being distinguished from many of his mates who had little documentary interest in happenings around them.

Uche Okeke is a professor, not as a chosen title, complement or flattery as has become the vogue of late. He was a professor of Fine and Applied Arts, not as a fashionable accolade because his school mates were now addressed as such but by his chosen path. He is a Professor from hard work and genuine contribution to knowledge and research, teaching and community service in the Visual Arts. He has many contributions to be remembered for; is it his argument for the place of abstraction in African arts? Or the rationale for indigenous theory of art?

Art is not complete until it has a practical relevance in the affairs of its owners. His reasonings on art are many. This has a model in old and changing African art. Hence it was easy to see the limitation of the nomenclature department of Fine Arts, as was the case before his arrival at the scene. He therefore, chose the better option of Fine & Applied Arts. Being a lover of the German experimentalist Walter Gropuis of Bauhaus fame, he became the originator of the name Fine & Applied Arts by which very many visual arts departments in Nigeria Universities are known.

If by some freak of convention, first generation universities appointed Professors by names of known disciplines, e.g. Professor of religion or professor of history, Uche Okeke’s span of operation in the visual arts was wide enough to merit being appointed professor of Fine and Applied arts. It is rare to find many-sided or versatile artists of his type.

Artists Evaluation

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka Art department under the leadership of Dinka was first to argue for the use of creative works of arts for the assessment of artists in academics. The Yellow Book that is widely used today in a number of university’s Art departments stemmed from the Nsukka model. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues are still blind to the logic, truth and developmental potential in that practice. Art practice genuinely engaged is enquiry in another order of reality or operating environment different from the propositional mode of literary productivity of many other disciples. In studio art writing is not the central issue at that level of scholarship even though it cannot be excused as well.

Two Zaria Art Schools

When the Ibadan College was relocated to Zaria for apparently no artistic reason, but politics of Northsouth, there was another hidden agendum. It is that North was a tabular rasa unlike the south with many artistic traditions which would counter the foreign art which is being imposed like many other ideas such as indirect rule or new taxation system etc. The policy dishonesty of the colonial and postcolonial ambassadors is subtle for many to understand. Enwonwu had his “personal reservation,” which was swallowed by official exigency.

Zaria was thought and rightly so to provide a neutral environment for the propagation of Euro American art. It to a large extent succeeded in doing that (Yaba, Auchi\Ibadan poly, Uniben, Ife, Uniuyo). If not for the interventions of Uche-Okeke and some of his colleagues notably Demas Nwoko, Dr Bruce Onobrakpeya, Irein Solomon Wangboje and Jimo Akolo, Nigerian art today would have been the story of British art in Nigeria.

The college-trained artists of Nigeria are all products of the ‘Zaria colonial design’ for art in Nigeria. Artist of that ideological domain cannot see art beyond what the ‘other’ purposes for ‘them’ but for Uche Okeke and his mission at the University of Nigeria, the artistic mentality that works in El Anatsui, Obiora Udechukwu, Chike Aniakor, and the Nsukka in diaspora (not necessarily outside Nigeria, the relocation of NCAST from Ibadan to Zaria would have completely wiped out traces of Africanness in contemporary Nigerian art.

Foreign art practice undiluted since the appearance of Aina Onabolu (1882-1963) was part of British civilising mission just like the award of Slade school diploma at NCAST and later Ahmadu Bello. Nigeria modern art though earlier cited among the court artist of Benin in the 16th century and sustained unseen thereafter began with Uche – Okeke and his circle of kindred persuation at Zaria. Professor Ben Enwonwu began something at about 1947; however he didn’t have enough disciples to make his idea well known.

As a matter of fact, there are two Zarias, the one of Uche Okeke of the Zaria Art Society, another of Charles Argent that propagated foreign art in Nigeria, the mother of college – trained artists. This is why the “trek of artistic practice has many legs but little movement.” The art stream consists of artists who are visionary, conceptually in deep waters and those of shallow ideation; artists whose themes are mundane “Yellow Oshodi Buses” and those whose themes are universal even when physically local objects are used.

The exit from the physical art scene of Dinka Uche Okeke marks the end of a generation. However, one is consoled by the truth that he and his likes have built trustworthy trans-generational artistic bridges ahead of Africa’s deign time! Adieu pathfinder, mentor and leader! No du mma!

A playwright feels fulfilled when his output meets the obligation of theatre practice.

For Prof Saint Emmanuel Tsavnav Gbilekaa, who was away for eight years from the university to serve as Chief of Staff to former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, it was a home of sorts coming being in the theatre, watching the performance of one of his plays.

The play  Bishop Bassey  was performed by the 300 level students of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja, Open Air Theatre, Gwagwalada, on February 23. It was a Practical Class Workshop performance, which focused on unemployment – an issue that desires urgent attention by the political class.

Bassey, a university graduate, has been unemployed for about five years. He resorts to creating a job for himself through the use of the knowledge acquired from the university, being a Theatre Arts graduate.   He sets up a church along with his friend Dede, but as the church thrives, Bassey double-crosses Dede and decides to keep all the proceedings from the church offerings to himself and his wife.

He is, however, killed by assassins. The wife survives because she was not at home when the killers came. However, the playwright ends the play without giving us a clue as to what happened to the wife after the demise of the husband.

Did she continue with the church business or she closed it? Perhaps Prof Gbilekaa, like our foremost playwright and poet, Prof J. P. Clark Bekeredemo, may provide his audience with a triology.

Director of the play, Roseline Yacim, said: ”The choice of the play was informed by the simplicity in language and the contemporaneity of the theme.

“We decided on a very simple script but with relevant meaning to the audience. Bassey’s creative idea should be seen as an inspiration. We are not saying people should follow suit by establishing churches because of offering collection but I can tell you that these things are really happening. So, we decided to echo the playwright’s voice by turning the written text into a performance text.”

One can attest to the thrill the audience had with the one-hour production. From the beginning of the play to the end, the audience had a fun-filled evening with active participation. The rancorous laughter especially with the entrance of some of the actors like the Usher played by Natasha Daudu  due to her unique back view, costumed in a black tight fitting trouser and black jacket laced with a camisole on a pair of high-heeled shoes.

This gave her naturally endowed back view to the audience each time she goes to pick the offering basket. The main character, Bishop Bassey played by Anthony Lawrence also gave the audience the transformation they never expected.

From being an unemployed graduate wearing a pair of shorts and a faded tee-shirt in his first appearance, then in the following scene, transformed to a man of God in an immaculate white suit and white shoes preaching on a pulpit with so much energy as he gyrates from one part of the stage to another in the church scene.

The costuming of Sister Kehinde, which is a blue lace ‘buba’ and ‘iro’ with a blue ‘gele’,  played by  Kemi Babafemi, who is also of the Yoruba race, was another unique type-casting with the delivery of lines in the Yoruba accent.

The costume of the orchestra and choir was another beauty to behold. The orchestras dressed in white shirts and black trouser with a bow tie made out of the costume of the choir.

The songs used in the performance were creations of the students, though with familiar tunes. The creativity exhibited by these students gave one a promising future for the arts as these budding artists in the near future will be stars in their own right if they keep up with the spirit of what was showcased at the performance.

The ochestra also performed the same role as the chorus in Greek plays as passive observers, commenting and anticipating the action of the principal characters without intervention.

The lighting effect was quite unique. However, I was thrilled with the effect of using light to divide the stage, where we have the Managing Director with his Secretary in the same scene, but a demarcation showing two offices with the use of some lighting effect.    One would have expected a partitioning to show the two offices but the demarcation was clearly carried out by the lecturers in Lighting and Design, Dr. Adakole Oklobia and Mr. Segun Abodunrin.

One thing I noticed again was the ‘Red Carpet’ style mounted as the audience was being interviewed after the performance.     When I inquired further, I was told the Theatre Manager who also directed the play, said she is on a mission to engineer the audience to the Open Air Theatre, and to achieve this, the audience will need to air their views about each performance.

First, what they expect for the night. Secondly, what is their preference in terms of genres in theatre performances? All these the theatre manager would translate into action by improving on the performances.

This performance of Bishop Bassey at the Open Air Theatre was a remount and not a premiere, according to the playwright.

The playwright said: “Well, if you want me to answer that question, I will say half and half.  In the first instance, you write a play and a director picks it up, it either suits you or may not suit you because as a director, he or she gives you the stage version of your work.

“So, the director is the stage author of your work. For this play, she adds, she edits and all those kind of things. That is, you own the text script while the director gives you the performance script.

theatre, trying to identify with those who think they have been marginalized and how they can be awakened to project a certain consciousness, an ideology so they can confront their own social reality and conquer it.

“Rather, they begin to oppress you. They all turn around you. In other words, they are like leeches, they are like parasites, they parasite on you. They think they are the ones that made you what you are and so they suck you.

“I have no regrets whatsoever though if you are not careful you come back with nothing, just like I have come back with nothing. Yes, let me also say that even though I was in constant contact with my colleagues, I missed them in terms of scholastic disputations and ideological debates.

“You know the university community is an interesting one. They know a lot and yet know nothing or very little about the outside world, buried in their libraries and laboratories in pursuit of parochial knowledge in the name of research”.

It was a marriage of arts and sciences as the Natural History Museum at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), in collaboration with Martins Aworinlewo Odeyemi Museum of Antiquity and Contemporary African Art, held its Third Chief John Agboola Odeyemi Annual Lecture. Paul Ade-Adeleye reports.

DESPITE its abundant mineral resources, Nigeria has not utilised half of the endowment because of the discovery of oil, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dr Kayode Fayemi has said, compared with some other African states. Nigeria has abandoned its mineral resources for oil, he said at the Third John Agboola Odeyemi annual lecture at Ile-Ife, Osun State, last Friday.

He said: “Nigeria’s resource portfolio has over 44 known mineral assets. We have reason to believe that the available data of our reserves understate what our country has been blessed with by providence in many instances. Today, based on current data, Nigeria’s solid minerals sector only makes up about 0.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is much smaller than its true potential as most of our mining assets have yet to be exploited.”

He observed that ‘the curse of oil’ is responsible for this negligence, and he diagnosed Nigeria as suffering from the ‘Dutch Disease’. He said: “Oil wealth has made us lazy and unimaginative. Our fixation has blinded us to the immense scale of riches we have in this sector and their potential to power a new age of economic growth. In the field of development studies, Nigeria is one of the archetypal poster children for what has been called the Dutch disease or resource curse.’’

The lecture, which had as its theme Harnessing our natural and cultural heritage for national Development provided a platform for rumination on the state of the nation and sought to provide answers.

In his address, the Director, Natural History Museum, Dr B. A. Ogunfolakan referred to the natural resources available to Nigerians as part of the cultural heritage of Nigeria. He said: “The present situation in our country calls for sober reflection. Our dependency on crude oil led us to the situation we find ourselves; there must be a way forward. It is on this premise that this year’s edition and theme was chosen.”

Calling on well-meaning individuals to donate and contribute to the development of the museum, he said: “I hope the sense of urgency we need to associate with our rapidly deteriorating natural environment and culture heritage will be brought to bear. We should ask ourselves at the end of the day that; ‘what can I do to help preserve Nigeria’s botanical, zoological and cultural monuments?’ For a start, you can support the Natural History Museum in achieving her mission.”

Present at the event were such dignitaries as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Eniitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Ogunsua of Modakeke Dr. Francis Olatunji Adedoyin; Prof Babajide Alo; Alhaji Ahmed Mantee; Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Prof Ademola Ajayi, representing the Vice Chancellor of OAU; several Chiefs of Ife and members of the academia.

Oba Ogunwusi, who was present in a paternal capacity, admonished against reliance on imported goods that can easily be substituted for homemade products, which will have meritorious effects on both the culture and economy of the country. He said: “We shouldn’t deceive ourselves in the society; all is not well. We have lost morals and our natural heritage. Limestone has been on the ground for many years, yet we used to import cement. I worked on the site in Kogi State, the abundance of limestone there is in excess of kilometres, just beneath the ground; butt everyone wants to live the fast way. Every single thing I wear is made in Nigeria – from my crown which was made in Ile-Ife, to my beads, which were made in Benin, and my shoes, which were made in Lagos.”

He also spoke on the importance of morals claiming that none of the fingers of the hand is equal to another one in size. However, if any one finger is missing, it will hamper the efficient functionality of such a hand. Therefore, regardless of anyone’s position in the society, such a person is important and as such should not be downtrodden. He concluded that this can only be possible if we re-embrace the morals our forebears left us.

Meanwhile, the lecture also served as a felicitous marker of the 77th birthday of its eponym, Chief Odeyemi. While his citation was being read out, it was interjected with bits of his family praise song (oriki). His contribution to the cause of culture is immense and bedazzling.

His philanthropic activities and dedication to the preservation and promotion of culture, not excluding his building and donating a museum of antiquities to the institute of cultural studies, OAU, as well as his donation of a field vehicle to the Museum of Natural History led to his being awarded severally. He was honoured as a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2005, given a State Distinguished Merit Award for Philanthropy and Community Development in 2007, and had a town named after him in 2012 by the Ooni of Ife.