Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Last Saturday, Dr Kunle Adeyemi and Dr Eghorevba Sukanthy Visagapperumal held a joint exhibition of paintings, prints and mixed technique tagged: Knowledge Across Boundaries. It reinforced the creative value of natural synthesis ideology of the Zaria Rebel that championed the pioneering modern art movement in the late 50s. The exhibition opened at the Lekki outlet of Quintessence Gallery, Lagos and it featured 11 works by each artist. The works range from paintings in water colour, acrylic to paintocast, parapax on board, metal foil, copper foil, collage and mixed media.

In tandem with the exhibition’s title, the artists’ works while addressing issues of cultural heritage and its preservation brought to the fore the principle of natural synthesis of artists such as Prof Uche Okeke, Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya and others at the then Nigerian College of Arts and Science, now Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Mrs Egharevba, a Sri-Lankan who grew up in Benue State, described synthesis as a man’s way of life, noting that many things affect an artist’s life such as culture, experiential background, inter-group influences and so on.

In a bid to appreciate the two different communities she grew up, (Tamil of Sri-Lanka and the Tiv of Nigeria), she decided to explore the very root of their art, styles, pictorial elements, similarities and differences and the eventual synthesis of these in her research work.

According to her, many variables impact the output of her work as an artist, which include culture, experiential background and sometimes inter-group influence. “For many artists who have had to grow up or engage in other socio- economic activities in two or more disparate environments, the issue of synthesis comes glaringly to the fore. Sometimes, this synthesis is given rise to by the similarities that exist in art forms and pictorial elements that exist in the diverse cultures. This is the case with the Tamil of Sri-Lanka and the Tiv of Nigeria,” she said.

She stated that her research is guided by the concept of natural synthesis propounded by Prof Uche Okeke on which the Zarianists based their creative revolution. Synthesis as a creative tendency, she said, holds the thought that modern artists should absorb and adapt any good art technique or style from any part of the world in creation of art in Nigeria.

“The influences of both Tiv and Tamil cultures naturally, resulted in a creative synthesis of forms and pictorial elements. The emphasis of natural synthesis focuses on what is good and adorable in art from anywhere. It does not matter the source because according to the Zarianists, art has a universal language especially in terms of technique. Therefore, the studio paintings produced from this exhibition are neither Tamil nor Tiv but, contemporary art forms, motifs and idioms by a Sri-Lankan- Nigerian painter,” she added.

Little wonder Dr. (Mrs) Egharevba is featuring artworks that appropriate from the cultural milieu of Sri-Lanka and Benue (Nigeria). The works which are mainly on human figure and environment include The burden we bear, Where they are and where we are, Pangs of womanhood, Sugar spice and everything nice, Adolescence. Others are My own world, The way we are, Seasons of fertility and Woman on the move.

She captures the respective cultures showing in most of the paintings the romantic life of Sri-Lanka women and their colourful silky dress as presented in Adolescence and My own world. She also highlights the Tiv women’s socio-economic life, especially the important role they play in running a family in Tiv. The common bond between mother and child is also depicted in paintings like The burden we bear, in which women who tie children on their back also carry loads on their heads hawking to earn a living.  

For Adeyemi, a lecturer at the School of Art, Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, his collection is a mix that interrogates socio-political issues of today especially political leadership and economic challenges. Yet, in the execution of his works, he integrates the spectator, almost as a co-author, into his creative process, with the understanding that a painterly representation ultimately foreshadows a three-dimensional illusion on a two-dimensional surface. Interestingly, most of the 11 works being showcased at the joint exhibition reflect all these possibilities especially the theme and medium. In Razzmatazz of the kingmakers and It’s time to wind up, Adeyemi captures the need to embrace and accept the emerging change Nigerians are clamouring for as expressed at the last general elections. He indirectly reminds us of the unpopular sit-tight syndrome of African political leaders. Post oil boom- Reality stares us on the face is one timely mirror of the state of  the economy of Nigeria. He uses brown colour and scanty leaves as imageries to depict the economic hardship Nigerians must brace up to.

Political cross currents and Peace that greeted the telephone conversation are works that speak volume of the post elections fears and expectations, especially the prediction that Nigeria would cease to be a united country by 2015. Other works include Defiance to the boundaries, The persistence of a winner, and Female form.

However, each work is not created merely as object or thing, but also as organised and conquered space. He said: “It should be felt as a trapped mass, a low-layered building and a protrusion of this trapped energy. The cast reliefs and assemblages, in some cases, create a drama, elegance, humour; and in some send signals of nervousness, tranquility and graveness.

“My creative art and thought as a researcher, artist in recent years, particularly during my graduate programme at the Delta State University, Abraka witnessed freedom, innovativeness and experimentation as my visual perception and language begins to change philosophically. I choose to explore and communicate through some thematic works I called series. I found out that I cannot exhaust my ideas in a single sentence or in a few words that give full meaning or do justice to my theme. I therefore look at such subjects from multiple angles because it is difficult and too limitless for me to translate the varied moods and connotations on a lone canvas, paper and board.”

Adeyemi is very concerned on the need to revamp the studio practice cum culture through creative techniques, genre synthesis and hands-on-skills in order to improve studio practice in visual arts. This study, he said, facilitates innovations and explores synergy in studio practice within the ambience of critical visual thinking and synthesis in painting, printmaking, sculpture and construction. According to him, the resultant effect of this synergy is the creation of new complex and intricate creative possibilities- Paintograph and Paintocast- in studio art making.

 

Former Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (Lagos State Chapter), Mufu Onifade writes on the life and times of the Village Headmaster, late Femi Robinson, who died in Lagos last week. 

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 wasn’t the best of days for the culture sector and its many buffs. Another member of the first generation of pathfinders of contemporary English-speaking theatre in Nigeria suddenly succumbed to curtain call. Chief Fredrick Femi Robinson, in the lifelessness of a massive elephant, slept like a mountain, never to rise up again. And the man died with his many dreams of entrenching a culture of community theatre in our neighbourhoods.

Femi Robinson became famous after appearing as the very first Village Headmaster in Nigeria’s longest running television drama series to date, ‘The Village Headmaster’ created by the cultural diplomat himself, Segun Olusola and parading the best actors, actresses, scriptwriters and various other professionals who were committed to the profession. It wasn’t the era of get-rich-quick kind of industry that we run today. It was the era of getting things done properly, professionally, perfectly and with a high sense of integrity and accountability. It wasn’t the era of man-know-man as has become our lot today. It was the era of getting the job because you were good on the job. So, Femi Robinson’s choice as Headmaster underscores his competences as an actor with a fine diction, audibility and impressive stage presence.

As a television personalityand  broadcaster, language and correct pronunciations with impeccable diction were all part of the training and the modus operandi to drive both the practice and the profession. Be it in broadcasting, television acting or film medium, Femi Robinson’s diction compared only with many of his professional colleagues whose competences defined the industry: Dejumo Lewis, Justus Esiri, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Layode, Funsho Adeolu and many others.

After calling it quits with television, not many people knew what Femi Robinson was into until Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999 when he strutted in the underground scenes as an active card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was so engrossed in party activities until, according to him, he got his fingers burnt. He found himself grappling with party ideologies that did not favour culture. In one of our numerous interactions, he opened up that Nigerian politicians were not interested in culture because it didn’t bring naira rain on their heads; neither were they willing to allow those who believed in the development of our culture to steer the wheel.  He knew better; after all he dined with them. As at 2006, he was home and dry; willing to pull out of PDP. He did.

Unlike many of his colleagues who have completely abandoned theatre for the obvious reason that it’s a thankless and less-rewarding profession, Femi Robinson came back very strongly sometime in 2007 with an ideology of rejuvenating our culture through theatre. He knew he did not have the kind of money required to achieve such a tall dream as an individual (he held the belief that only government could afford such huge resources), yet he was willing and ready to provide a platform for young and budding artistes to ply their trade in theatre. He re-established a theatre outfit called Mahogany Productions and began to generate plays with young theatre artists – many of them young theatre graduates and others, gifted but informally trained. They hit the road creating the kind of steam that rekindled live theatre at the time many were busy lamenting that live theatre was dead and buried in Nigeria.

In 2010, three groups were granted funds by the Lagos State Government to put up productions that were strong and remarkable enough to celebrate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary. While the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) joined forces with the Mainframe Film and Television Production as one group to stage Femi Osofisan’s ‘Yeepa! Solaarin Nbo!!’ as a commemorative live theatre production, Ikhane Akhigbe’s theatre outfit, Aboriginal Productions presented Oluronbi. Femi Robinson’s Mahogany Productions staged a folkloric theatre experiment titled: Aja-n’-ta nla, which many mispronounced as Ajantala. While NANTAP-Lagos/Mainframe employed core professionals to execute their project, Aboriginal productions depended on professional dancers and young actors, many of whom were drafted from the artists village at the National Theatre Annex. It was an opportunity for practitioners to celebrate with active performances.  Mahogany Productions’ team, however, comprised young and budding artistes. This was based on Femi Robinson’s ideology to groom budding talents as a way of reenergising the theatre subsector and creating a platform for budding artistes to begin a process of pure professional baptism. His belief was hinged on the fact that, when properly trained, they could also take over effectively at the appropriate time; although his approach was criticised by members of the industry who did not share that ideology. The disagreement, notwithstanding, it was a robust theatre festival totally funded by the Lagos State Government with special performances at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos and public/command performances at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Shortly after the successful celebration of Nigeria’s independence via theatre productions, Chief Femi Robinson did not go to sleep. He returned to his ideology of community theatre for cultural development. He was of the opinion that theatre must strive in every community. Performances must be witnessed from time to time in every community; and through this, our indigenous culture, which has been largely abandoned could be reawakened. He soon realised that the project was too massive for an individual to handle; so, he turned it into a people’s project. To get the project a-running, he organised an award ceremony where he created different categories of awards in recognition of different individuals who have consistently promoted our culture in various fields and ways. He did not ask for money from recipients. He only asked them to go on their various communities to begin the process of cultural dissemination and sensitisation that would change people’s perceptions and mentalities. Whether the recipients yielded to preaching the gospel of culture for which they received awards or not, is a different ball game.

Whatever happens now or later, Chief Femi Robinson will be fondly remembered for his cultural radicalism and for having contributed immensely to Nigerian theatre – nay cultural – development.

 

 

Prof May Ifeoma Nwoye believes in accounting for words just as in figures. This top-notch accountant and business management scholar is also an advocate – of non-violent solutions to environmental crises – and a writer. Besides, the one-time University of Benin (UNIBEN) bursar uses her creative works to advocate change for women and children. In this chat with Evelyn Osagie, she speaks on her advocacy work, writing and accounting.

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Born at Onitsha in the mid-50s, May Ifeoma Nwoye is a professor of Business Administration at the IBB University, Niger State where she teaches Business Administration, Management and Entrepreneurship.
Prof Nwoye is a national resource person and business consultant with an impressive profile. She is a woman of many first. She rose to the peak of Academic and Non-Academic in the university to becoming the first woman PhD Bursar in Nigeria and the first woman PhD in Business Administration (UNIBEN). She is the first woman National Vice-President of the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA).
Prof Nwoye, a one-time Bursar of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), obtained the Masters in Business and Public Administration in Finance from South Eastern University, Washington DC, United States, in 1981. She is a fellow of Certified National Accountants (FCNA); board member of International Professional Women’s Network in the US and fellow of Nigerian Institute of Management.
She is also a novelist and international public speaker. Her passions are seen in her literary works that span two decades. Besides being former National Vice-President of the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA), she was winner of ANA/Chevron Prose Prize on Environment, worth $2,000. Her works have won and received various recognitions. In 2004, she was one of the nominees for the NLNG prize for Literature.
Since her first novel, Endless Search (1994), Prof Nwoye has brought forth an impressive collection of 11 novels and short stories. That includes Tides Of Life (1995), Mirage in Breaking the Silence (anthology of Female writers in Nigeria, 1996), Edible pet (1995, Short story International, New York), Blind Expectations (a collection of stories, 1997), Death By Installments (1999), A Child Of Destiny (2000), Fetters And Choices (2003) Ancient Tales From Africa: The Broken Promise (2009) Oil Cemetery (2013) Broken Melodies (international version of Fetters and Choices, 2014 ).
Her philanthropic deeds earned her a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Can you share with us your experience as a University of Benin (UNIBEN) bursar?

My experience as a bursar of UNIBEN, a first generation university, was both exciting and challenging. Women are always forced to prove their worth within the stringent boundaries of a male-dominated profession like accounting. So, the scheme of stereotype was already there, waiting for me as soon as I was appointed.  When dealing with thousands of people, management, staff, students, contractors, government bodies and others, you run into all kinds of people and characters. I encountered all kinds of situations: people would try to intimidate you, cajole you, and try to blackmail you or even confuse you with forged documents.  I’d share with you one of the many experiences I had.

One day, a paper, duly approved, was brought to my office during the rush to prepare for examination. I looked at the memo to purchase electric bulbs, about N596,000. The figure looked familiar to me but I could not pinpoint where the request came from but the memo was familiar. I told the person that brought it to go and come back in an hour, since it was urgent. They did not know that even papers of utmost urgency, I photocopy the front page at least before passing them out. When I checked, I did not go far to see what I was looking for.  It was a repeat of an old claim. I began to read the two claims word for word. The only difference was that in one, they used the word ‘Lighting of the classroom’ and in the other, ‘illumination of the classroom’. When I confronted the officer, he said that it is his ‘boys’.

Also, there was one elderly staff I found so funny. Whenever he needed money he was always frowning.  I sometimes had to greet him first, but as soon as the salary was paid days after, he’ll be greeting me four times in one breath and whistling at the same time.  It is in that same manner they want to tear me apart should they not have the money when they need it. Sometimes, I’ll feel the sting of being set back by some staff attempting to undermine my effort.

How did you manage the pressures of the job then?

I never dwelt on any of them.  I’d muster my assertiveness, shake off any negative feelings, learn what I need to carry on with a voice at the back of my head saying ‘you are on track, move on’. Occasionally, if I make a mistake, I may be hard on myself initially, but then I quickly shake it off and figure out how to get beyond the situation. I don’t let it undermine my confidence. In fact, sometimes, when my back is against the wall, my head full of pressure with demand for what was not available and the answer to give to pacify those in serious need of money, it was as if anything you say would be held against you. I’d then take an intellectual break to analyse the situation before acting.  Some stakeholders fail to realise that the Bursar does not have authority to give out money but can only implement what is approved. Even friends and close colleagues did not help matters. Sometimes, your friends would want you to change university regulations because they are your friends.  I’d often say ‘if you are actually my friend, brother or sister, you’d want me to succeed’.

Your relationship with people makes or mars your position, so in confronting these challenges, one must ensure a balance between the prospective users of the fund in your custody and being able to convince them on reasons they can’t always access it as they want.

What was the fuss towards the end of your tenure as UNIBEN Bursar about?

The fact is that those that are in charge want to use their power to intimidate me and cow me into doing things that are unprofessional, and I bluntly refused.  That was the bone of contention. Money is central to people’s life and the fear of not having it is a problem.

I worked in the Bursary Department for 20 years before becoming the Bursar, so I know the financial rules and regulations. A distinguishing mark of the accounting profession is acceptance of its responsibility to honour the public trust and I was determined and bluntly refused to compromise in the course of my duties as Bursar.

Whether in the private or public sector, all money in trust with you must be accounted for. I understand my job and held tenaciously to its principles and ethics.

For whatever it was, I kept my cool and held my head high because I did the right thing and God has been in charge.

What is an accountant and business management scholar doing in the world of creative writing?

As an accountant, I also account for the words I use. As a management scholar, I try to manage my time and my creative imagination. I am not very good at socialising the way many Nigerians see it – visiting and going to parties.  When I am not on official assignment I can be indoors for two days not seeing outside. You’d find me reading or writing. Reading or writing makes me very happy. It bothers me sometimes. It is a big problem for me because my friends are not happy about my bad habit of not visiting them, but gradually they come to accept me that way but not without complaining.

Compared to being an academic, how easy is it being a writer?

Nothing in life comes too easy. Every endeavour has its challenges. Writing is no different.  I started writing first in long hand, and then with a typewriter. After writing in long hand, you’d use the typewriter to do your corrections. But now, I work on a laptop, and try to write a few pages a day, and I re-write each chapter before going on to the next – treating it, I suppose, like a short story. I find that most of my better ideas come to me while I am out observing and interacting with people.

I find it quite helpful to keep notes about, list imageries, ideas, overheard bits of real-life dialogues and anything else that seems like it might come in handy in some future story or novel. Later, when I am beginning a new part, I go through the idea manuscript and pull out those bits and pieces from the past that seem like they might fit.  That way, I get started on a comfortable note.

At what point did you decide to go into creative writing?

I see the world as a theatre where everyone is trying to outperform the other. I see life filled with contradictions. And at some point it looked good to document some of these events. In fact, I think I felt the urge to write fiction since I first learned to put words together into sentences. I have always been intrigued by the notion of fiction-writing as telling ‘imagination’ that has the ring of truth — recounting episodes that never actually happened in a way that makes the reader believe that they did — and, ideally, conveying some greater ‘reality’ in the process.  It is both exciting and challenging, but one that I seem to be very much at home with. But I started with the novel Endless Search (Kraft Books Ltd., Ibadan, 1994) and by 2013, I had published 11 novels and short story collections, including Mirage in Breaking the Silence (anthology of women writers in Nigeria, 1996).

The lead characters in your works are either women or children. What is it about women and children?

I am very concerned about the societal treatment of women, especially those dwelling in the inner villages with no voice in the decision affecting their life.

The original image of power and gender roles in popular culture had always reflected significant masculine control, with the manipulation of the female gender a component of its objective. Women are brought up to be seen not heard, they have tried to live up to this expectation until things fell apart and they became breadwinners in many homes. Women are the most vulnerable group in the society.  Even when you talk about poverty, women are the poorest of the poor. In fact, poverty is a female gender in the sense that, the poorest man has a woman who depends on him.

Are you an advocate of women’s rights?

I am not exactly a freak of women rights. I want women to be empowered and most importantly, I want them to empower themselves. Women should aspire for top positions by acquiring the right knowledge and skills. I want women to be appointed into top positions based on merit.  Getting the job done perfectly is more important than who does it. So I believe women should be given equal opportunities as men in every areas of human endeavour.

But issue of destiny of the girl child and young girls is a cause for serious concern. I am worried about these practices of women trafficking. It is a cankerworm in our society. Another dimension to this is what I call trafficking of female graduates which is what banks can be said to be guilty of doing.

This is interesting – the phrase ‘trafficking of female graduates’ is new! Tell us more.

Imagine a female graduate whose monthly earning as a youth corps member is N20,000 being employed by a bank and given a target of N300million, an amount she has never seen in her life! They ask them to go from office to office looking for money so that their banks will grow. I see this as a form of trafficking. Whether a girl is sent to Italy or works in a bank where she must get money by every means at her disposal, both are trafficking because it is making her do what she could not have ordinarily done. A lot of them have come to my office to market their respective banks even the male as well but I see the ladies being more vulnerable to abuse in the process. Sometimes they cry profusely and beg that they will be sacked if they don’t get the money. They would even suggest you bring in money and withdraw it at the end of an accounting period just to lay hands on something. In the end the bank will report over bloated figures, but I tell them it is unethical and I will never do such. For me it is trafficking and has to be checked because the girl child deserves a better treatment. When you train a girl, you train a nation. So for any society to move forward, women should not be neglected or underestimated.

Your book, Oil Cemetery won the 2014 ANA/Chevron Prize for Environmental writing. Have you also become an advocate for the environment?

Writers carry the world inside of them. As a creative missionary, one must invariably carry diverse messages while across applying one’s chosen technique.I am concerned about very many issues that affect human dignity within the environment, like lack of water, oil flaring, child trafficking, refuse dumping, hunger, poverty etc. Yes, I am an advocate if that what it is called.

What fresh angle is your book bringing into the campaign for the environment?

Let me state here that my environmental advocacy here has to do with non-violent solution to environmental crises. There are the silent majority in the Niger Delta, especially helpless women whose voice will never be heard because their cries cannot be projected above the slumps in their immediate environment.  Since their cries are swallowed in the dump, help should be sent to meet them wherever they are trapped.  They need help.

 What was it in your upbringing that inspired the woman you became?

The woman I have become has to do with my upbringing. My parent’s stance and life’s view seriously influenced my upbringing. My father believed so much in education so all his children (male and female) went to school. He was the first to teach me lessons on accounting saying ‘If you are given money to keep, keep it exactly the way it is handed over to you’.  My mother seemed to have a diary of dos and don’ts of a woman.

I was born at Onitsha to Chief Fidelis and Mrs Virginia Agulue of Umunya, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State. I had my primary education at the Holy Rosary Primary School, Onitsha and secondary education at Maria Regina Girls High School, Nnewi. My tertiary aspirations took me to George Washington University.  It was not easy leaving home as a teenager and adjusting to an entirely new environment and culture. What kept me through those years was my upbringing. But my experience in the US is subject of another day’s discussion.

 

Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije, son of the late Senator Uche Chukwumerije,  recalls some fond memories and intimate moments with his father who he described as the ‘best father in the whole world’. 

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Fewer pictures paint a more vivid picture of my dad than this one – ‘Comrade’ in his study room with his head bowed to work, surrounded by a legion of books.  As I look at this picture, images forcefully float upstream of my memory’s endless database. I see myself again as I stand in front of his study room, back home after a long day of training or from a competition in some faraway land.

I knock gently on the door, and stay still as I wait a few moments to hear a bass-voice boom “Yes???” from the other side. Sometimes, the wait could last as long as five minutes, and one knew at that instant that there were a flurry of thoughts being furiously scribbled down on notes of paper behind the brown mahogany door.

I opened the door, and without fail, almost always came face-to-face with this familiar scene – Daddy hunched over his table, writing furiously on whatever he was working on, with mountains of files and papers on all sides of his table, and walls of books all around him. His bald head seemingly reflected the white fluorescent light of his study room as he would remain fixated on the work before him.

“Yes” he would growl again as he lifted up his eyes to see who had dared break his hollowed thoughts, the irritation in his voice unmistakably clear from having his work interrupted. His eyes would soften, and his writing hands, which still firmly held the pen poised on the paper, would relax as he saw it was one of his children. He would stay silent, and allow his eyes repeat his question, waiting patiently for me to state my case. At this moment, I knew he was trying to hold together his train of thought, while at the same time attempting to wrap up our discussion as quickly as possible so he could get back to his work.

“Daddy Mo, I know you are very busy, but I need to talk to you about something. Can you please spare me five minutes?” I would gently ask.

At that moment, there a mild inner struggle as he battled to choose between retaining his current thoughts or dispersing them temporarily in order to wholly focus on those I was about to introduce. More often than not, the latter choice won, and I watched as he let go and settled for ‘family first’, ‘work second’.

“Alright then, Go on!” His deep voice will resonate in resigned anticipation. “I am very busy, but if it would take just five minutes as you say, it is ok. So what is it?” he would grumble under his breath, reconciled to his fate of playing his fatherly role.

I would then use the next 15 minutes to pour out all my worries, issues, requests, demands or opinions to his poor ears, but he would patiently hear me out, never breaking my flow for even a second. As I talked and he intently listened, one was never uncertain that Daddy had heard every single word that had been spoken.

At times, he would lean back on the broad black swiveling chair, throw back his head and close his eyes, as he stroked his beard while listening. At other times, if it was a very serious subject matter that needed further reflection, he would take off his glasses and use one of its hands to scratch his bald head as he kept listening, as if that very act was carefully parting the million thoughts running through his ever occupied head.

Finally, I will be done, grateful that I had not been cut short 10 minutes ago. He would stay in his reflective position for a few seconds before opening his eyes to look at me. At that moment, I knew he had dissected all I had said, made careful analysis of the information. I had just given him, and was pondering the most effective way to deliver his response to me.

He would begin by summarising all I said to him in 30 seconds, noting the major points.

No matter what the talk was about – a request, an opinion or an advice – his response was always clinical, analytical and precise. If I had follow-up questions or opinions on the matter, he would again listen patiently before engaging in a brisk discussion until we had arrived at a logical conclusion. Ifit was something he needed to act on, he would promptly write it down in his notepad which was always by his side. It never took longer than 24 hours for him to act on it, and this he did for everything he inscribed into that notepad with his red pen.

DaddyMo!

I walked into his study after he passed on, and it just hit me that I would never speak with this brilliant mind again. I will never be able to tap into that vast knowledge, and experience, that bottomless pit of patience, love and support again. It was in this same study room that I had gleaned so much advice, strength, will-power and vision that formed a vital part of the man I am now.

He would say to me, “You need to read about great men and be inspired by their stories, and learn from their mistakes,” waving his hands at all the books around him, and glancing around as he gave this advice, as if to drive home the point that one should not waste too much time on frivolities when one has all these resources within reach at one’s beck and call.

He would say to me, “Go do your PHD and be the best student. You must always strive to be in the first position.”

He would say to me; “Win the World Championships. Win the Olympics. You can if you put your heart and mind to it. But to win it, you must train very hard, morning and night and at no time must you lose sight of the goal, or be distracted by side-attractions. Quoting the bible, he would remind me that, often only one wins the race, but one must run in such a way as to win the prize, subjecting one’s body and mind to the set task”

He would say to me, “You must always finish what you start and never give up,no matter how long it takes and the challenges you meet along the way”

He would say to me, “Be disciplined and astute. Remain humble and meek, hardworking and committed, loyal and diligent, and God will elevate you from the lowly back seat to the high table at the very front.”

He would say to me, “Be very careful about women; they could help you attain great heights, but could also be the end of you, and help you plunge from those lofty heights much faster than you had reached there.” He would look mildly embarrassed and avoid my eyes as he broached this topic with me, more at ease with topics in his comfort zone like politics, economics, religion and sports.

He would say to me, “Hard work never kills. There is no shortcut to success.”

He would say to me, “Your mates are struggling and working very hard. You must not depend on Daddy Mo or on what he has, but work even harder than your peers, so they would not rule over you tomorrow.”

He would say to me, “You have many talents and abilities, but you need to be more patient Chika. You are at times very impatient and at other times a bit too over-confident for your own good.”

He would say to me, “Anytime your things are all over your room, it is only a reflection of your state of mind. At times like this, you need to do a lot more self-reflection drills and keep the focus.”

He would say to me, “Never procrastinate. There is no better time to do it than now. Time waits for no one, and though it seems to stand still, it runs faster than you can ever imagine. One minute, you are doing guy-man all over the place and fussing over your looks; then you will wake up one day and find out that you are an old man whom life has left behind. You will also discover that those your classmates who were at your level at some point are now far far far ahead of you.” His lips would be hard-pressed together as the words squeezed through, burrows will form on his forehead, he would dust both hands off each other, and then one of his hands will be thrust into the air like a plane taking off to better illustrate how far ahead your peers would be.

He would say to me, “sometimes it seems to me that you pursue too many causes at the same time, thereby dissipating energy in too many directions. This reduces your overall effectiveness as well as efficiency in reaching major milestones of the individual causes. It is better to focus on your energy on one thing, but you must first prioritize to decide what that cause is.”

He will say to me, “Be a good listener and keep developing a keen sense of perception of everyone around you, every one you meet or whatever situation you encounter. Remember not to form hasty opinions or make quick decisions, as it is unwise to judge a book by its cover. Be patient, listen a lot, watch a lot, and talk a little until you get a complete understanding of the content and context of the person or situation. Only and only then should you make your decision, after you have pieced together as complete a picture as is possible.”

He would say to me, “Chika, when you decide to do something with all your heart,no one does it better. But when it is not in your heart, oh my goodness!” he would exclaim exasperated, and I would see his frustration as he remembered those moments when I was laid-back and non-committal to things that were to have been done. “You need to be more consistent” he would further admonish. He would say to me, “If I knew God in my younger days as I do now, I would perhaps have become President of this country.” With even more seriousness than his usual serious self, he would strongly urge me yet again, “take your fellowship with God very seriously. It is the master key that will unlock the hidden secrets of this world for you.”

He  would say to me, “The greatest protection or security that a man could have in this world is his relationship with God. You must never seize to pray and be on your knees.”

He would say to me, “Failure is an orphan,and success has many friends” [a popular adage], “but never be afraid of being alone, especially when you fight for a cause you believe in.”

He  would say to me, “You cannot hijack a plane if you are not in it. So despite the state of the system, the only way to try and change it is if you are within and part of the system. Do not shy away from that responsibility”

He would say to me, “Do not help people because you want anything back. Let it be between you and your God”.

He  would say to me, “You need to eat more vegetables, “especially when he was passing by the parlour and I was munching sticks of suya, or eating a meal without any veggies. “A healthy lifestyle now will keep the doctors and huge medical bills away later in life. O well!,you can force a horse to the stream, but you cannot force it to drink,” hewould conclude with a sigh, apparently noting the passive look on my face as I gleefully stormed through my ‘unhealthy’ delicacies.

He would say to me, “Bloody hell! I can afford to go and buy the biggest cars and houses, party all night long and make ‘ha-ha’all over the place, as I do big man all over town. But what then happens to all the school fees I have to pay for, the electricity and house bills that need to be attended to, the projects to be invested in? What happens to the hundreds of people dependent on me being responsible from day-to-day so that I would help create opportunities for them? What happens to the tomorrow, which as our people say, is pregnant, if today I make a one-time piecemeal of the seed corn to be planted? You need to sacrifice your today for tomorrow! Or do you think that if I had squandered all I made yesterday, you would have had this roof over your head today? You have to always live responsibly today with a keen eye on the uncertainties of tomorrow,” he would warn.

He would say to me, “my own dad was a big and rich man of his own during those days, but I did not depend on one kobo of his money or influence to make it in those days. I wanted to go out there and carve out my own niche.” He will then challenge me to, “go and make your own destiny, which surely lies in your hands.”

He would say to me, “I was so driven to succeed in those days that I would stay back in school to study during the holidays, while my mates were  holidaying and partying. I would burn so many candles all through the night just because I could not bear the thought of coming 2nd position in class, or not being relevant in my generation later in life. He would then repeat one of his favourite Henry Wadesworth Longfellow quotes – “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.” This one he repeated to me all my life.

He would say to me, “There is a difference between loneliness and aloneness. Aloneness is the preserve of the successful man”. You must work hard and work hard and work hard, and not a soul could possibly ever know the sheer amount of hard work, effort and sweat you have put in, they would only see the benefits.

He would say to me, “there are two main kinds of conventional power – politicaland economic. Most times, you need one or the other, or a combination of theboth to make a difference in society that you so desire to do.”

He would say to me, “Know your roots. You need to know where you come from, asnothing builds your self-confidence more than knowing your roots and genealogy.”

He would say to me, after I had asked him how financial stability and prosperity could be attained, “You know I am not a capitalist. Perhaps this is a question for your brother Chaka who is becoming quite a good business hand,” he would add,effectively deflecting the question. “But I can tell you this. There are two kinds of people – the first are those who have the ability, passion, and knowledge to do business and make money; the other kind are those  who have ‘causes’ that they believe in and want to use their lifetime to fight for, but need finances to pursue these ‘causes’. I belong to these second group of people. I do not know how to make money, so I just give my savings to those who know how to make money so they make money for me while I focus on the ‘causes’ I believe in.You should first carefully think to which of these two groups you belong to.”

He would say to me, “You must cut your coat according to your size. Do not spend more than you earn, but rather spend less so that what you save during rainy  times can sustain you when the drought comes”

He would say to me, “a good name is better than riches”. Then using an open palm, he would repeatedly beat his chest and, with a deep sense of pride, declare”Go and ask anywhere about Uche Chukwumerije; I have never taken a kobo of anybody’s money.”

He would say to me, “One day you will come back home and find out that I am gone;there will be no Daddy Mo waiting for you, and then everything I have told you will come back to you”

 

Through all these, I would listen and nod, appreciating his philosophies but never really allowing it replay in my head because Daddy was always there to play it over and over again. The sheer potency of his presence, energy and aura was such that it was impossible to imagine him not around for at least one more decade. Now, he is gone, and I hear him more clearly than ever. Counsel ingrained into me over my thirty-one odd years on earth, and hidden somewhere in my sub-conscious, seemed to have broken their chains from the innermost depth of my soul and emptied all its loaded content into my conscious being. Now I understand and appreciate even more all he had said to me, his words turning into bright lamp posts placing themselves one after the other on the dark, long and slippery pathways ahead of me.

I see him everywhere – in the music he listened to in his last days; in the faces of my beloved brothers  [Che, Dike,Chaka, Uche, Kelechi], sister [Azuka] and mother [Princess Nwoyibo]; in the peculiar smell of his perfume pervading his entire bedroom; in the vast swathes of white French suits that lined his wardrobe; in the competition venue where he often cut an animated figure in the crowd at that distance, and bridged the seeming gap with his distinct voice hurtling through space to urge me on without ceasing; in the multitude of his handwritten notes left behind; in dredged-up memories of his blunt and stern voice as he drove his house staff, work staff, family, friends, colleagues, opponents to work as hard as he did; in the dozen orphaned children that were the first to pay a condolence visit just hours after he passed away; in the tens of hundreds of people that sent me messages on what he had done for them at one point or the other; in the wrinkly tormented faces of the widows [he periodically assists] who came to pay their respects at the family house.

When his brother [Authur] passed on last year in 2014, one of the things Daddy said to Uncle Arthur’s sons [my cousins] – Bosah and Chuka – were, “You are now men. This is life – it goes on – but you must now carry and shoulder all the responsibilities, and do it with such clarity of purpose, strength of will and personified dignity that would make your father proud whenever he is”. At the time, as he spoke these words, my insides shivered because I knew these very words would wrap itself around me one day. Now it has!

DaddyMo! Dike-Ogu! Isi karaka!

I asked you for fish, but you gave me a fishing-net. I asked you to walk a mile with me because I was afraid, but you held my hand and walked with me to my destination. I asked that you be my father, whenever I needed you, but you went one step ahead and became my friend. When I was in pain, just looking at you brought comfort because you made my pain yours, and you did everything to make it go away.

This ache and tightness that has gripped my heart slowing down its rhythmic beat; this pain and discomfort that ravages through my chest leaving it eerily empty; this heaviness and tiredness that has wrapped itself around my legs causing it to be strangely numb; this banging and fuzziness that has made a home in my head refusing to go away; these salty miserable tears that gushes from eyes hindering my vision; who will take it away now? Where is Daddy Mo? Where can I find him?

 

I went to the hospital, where he lay a lot these past couple of months, hoping that perchance, I would catch a glimpse of him. But he was not there. I came home looking out in cars passing by, just in case, I had missed him along the way. But he was not to be found. I got home, went through the front door, up the stairs to look for him in his study room, where he must surely be. Yet again, he was not there. I looked in the bedroom, straining my eyes to peek into the blue fluorescent-lit chambers hoping that he possibly still lay on his bed,tired after all those hours of writing in his study room. Behold, he was not there. Aha! He must be at the back of the house. He had asked me to train hard for the World Championships, even though I told him I might not be ready. Thus I went hastily to the garden at the back of the house, where he often sat and watched me in his last days as I trained hard on the basketball court. Perhaps, I would find him there, but sadly he was not there also. Alas! I could not find him anywhere. A ma ka mmiri si were baa n’opiugboguru?

 

So I just sat on the front porch, staring blankly at the Prado Jeep I had carried him into just a few days ago en route to the hospital days before he passed on.My heart asked again where I could find Daddy Mo, but my head told my heart to allow reality embrace its excruciating anguish. Thus I closed my eyes and let the memories play – recollections of childhood, of teenage years, or adulthood;at each stage, the boy in me smiled back at a father who had always been there for him every step of the way. I felt the tears squeeze freely out the corners of my eyes, as reality beckoned my heart to embrace her.

 

“N’eziokwu, oge adighi eche mmadu. Anyammiri juru na anya m, kama m ga-ekele Jehova; n’ihi na ? di nma. N’ihi na rue mb?e ebighi-ebi kaebere-Ya di. Anamahu Gi n’anya nke-uku, Jehova, bú ikem. Gi, Jehova, kam’nebuliri nkpuru-obim. Cheta obi-ebere-Gi nile, Jehova, ha na ebere-Gi nile;M’geji obim nile kele Jehova; M’gag?zi Jehova na mb?e nile: Mb?e nile kaotuto-Ya gadi n’?num. Jehova ka nkpuru-obim geji nyaisi: Ndi di ume-ala n’obi ganu ya, we ?uria ??u. Sonum me kaJehova di uku, Ka ayi buli kwa aha-Ya elu n’otù. M’gak? kwa akuk? oké ?lu-Gi nile. M’ga?uri ??u, obim gat?kwam ut?, nime Gi: M’gabùku aha-Gi abù ?ma, Gi Onye kachasi ihe nile elu.” O ga di mma.

 

DaddyMo! Comrade! Dike-Ogu! Isi karaka! Olu Ndigbo! My Father! My Friend! My Mentor! My Inspiration! My Fan! My Patron! My Pillar! My Teacher! My Conscience! My Hero! My Counsellor! My Compass!

 

“O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory”

 

OnyeIsi’m, la n’udo.

 

It is well!

 

 

Chief Banjo Fasuyi was among the first art students to graduate  from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. At his one-day solo art exhibition, he spoke on how he would have been among the famous Zaria Rebels if he was aware of their plan. Udemma Chukwuma reports.

In the 1950s, there was a group of studentsfrom the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, nowAhmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. In the group were Demas Nwoko, Bruce Onobrakpeya,Yusuf Grillo, Uche Okeke and others who were members of the Zaria Art Society, later   known as the Zaria Rebels because of their rejection of the new art introduced by the institution.

Ahead of the rebels was ChiefBanjoFasuyi who said he would have joined the group if he was aware of their plan. On what lead the students to rebel, he said: “The Zaria Rebels came after my set. The idea of art rebels was a controversial issue. One, they were still in second year or third year at the university, they were dissatisfied with the institution and they reacted by saying they were rebels.

“Painting is not a Nigerian art but sculptor is a Nigerian and African art. We were introduced to paint with brushes for the first time when we got to Zaria. They thought us how to use them and that was why the rebellious people said they were through with the materials of the white man. What do you expect the white man coming from his country to teach you? They thought us the materials, the methods of art and then asked us to go and create our own art out of it.  That is what  Onobrakpeya did, which is why he is great. I acknowledge this.”

He said: “These rebels have not produced something different from what others are doing. The only one outstanding among the rest of the rebels is   Onobrakpeya, who has originated his average institution to make original works. What the rest are doing is what we are doing; there is no difference in what they are doing. Many of them went outside the county to study art and came back, I know about it.

“My set was the first set of students from the university and coincidentally, because of the incident  that happened; only six of us passed out.  I did some paintings, I was the only one in painting, two sculptor and three designers. And since I left the college, I did some paintings. My work with the Federal Government did not give me time to paint.

Fasuyi spent most of his time working with the Federal Ministry of Education and he was also an Art Adviser who took over from late Prof Ben Enwonwu. He went back to his studio after he retired from public office. “When I retired instead of resting I started running my schools. But now I am full time studio artist. I am not running any school or working for the Federal Government,” he added.

At 80, the artist is not close to dropping his  brushes. Eighty fascinating pieces which dates spanned over 55 years since the artist graduated from ABU were on display recently at Tafas Gallery, at the Resource Place in Ikeja, Lagos, in honour of his 80th birthday.

Unfortunately, the works were not for sale because “I don’t need to go round for exhibitions. I want to leave them as legacy for the next generation. Each work I do carry some relevance to history, politics, environment and people so that the coming generation will learn what was there before them. It’s a wealthy programme,” he said.

However, he revealed that he intended to sell the works in an auction later in the year  and  the money will be donated to charity. “I was in charge of the Federal Government colleges in my last six years with the Federal Ministry of Education, and when I see the students of the federal government colleges, I feel so bad, so I decided to sell all these works and give it to them and students who are displaced.

“There is going to be a charity exhibition in few months  and I intend to sale all the works as auction, use the money to help students from the Federal Government’s colleges who are displaced. I want somebody who can buy them together so that I can use the money to help these students.”

To him an old artist can actually reach  peaks with the combination of experience and profound desire to do more.

“You don’t grow old out of creativity.  I am still going to paint after this exhibition and I want the young one to know age is not a challenge to creativity,” he said.

This was noticeable during the show as some of the works signed few days before the exhibition.

Art to him is just like “your clothes. My creation depends on my mood and the materials available or time available. I work according to my mood. I do realism, idealism, symbolism, surrealism, abstract, very freely. I don’t cage myself , I am free in all.”

He described his works as “cultural because I am trying to interpret to the nation what I feel and feeling is part of culture. I want to preserve our culture for the next generation; they should know few things about me.” “His works focus mainly on circumcision, child labour, and early marriage.

“I am appealing to young artists to make their works relevant to the Nigerian institution.  Let them put some arts and culture for people to understand rather than doing abstractions which will not record anything happing now or in the past.

I feel fulfilled about life, I feel fulfilled as an artist, which is why I am making art as a major event of my 80th birthday, I am proud to be an artist and I will continue to paint.”

 

commemoration

Journalists, media administrators and advocates in Lagos gathered to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day 2015.

With the theme: Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, & Media Safety in the Digital Age, they called for a safer environment for journalism to thrive.

They gave the charge at an event commemorating the day, which was organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, in collaboration with Media Awareness and Information For All Network (MAIN) and the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Urging stakeholders to allow journalism to thrive, UNIC Lagos Director, Mr Ronald Kayanja, said the activities marking the day were meant to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom and assess the state of press freedom worldwide. He added that governments were also being reminded of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom.

He said: “Journalism could only thrive when stakeholders, including government, civil society and media practitioners redouble efforts to enhance safety of journalists.”

He presented the joint message of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director-General, Irina Bokova and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, at the event.

UNIC Lagos Director noted that human rights must be respected for peace to be lasting and development to be sustainable, adding that “everyone must be free to seek, receive and impart knowledge and information on all media, online and offline”.

Kayanja added: “Quality journalism enables citizens to make informed decisions about their society’s development. It also works to expose injustice, corruption, and the abuse of power.”

On his impression of the 2015 theme, MAIN Chairman Prof Lai Oso observed that there is a growing influence of commercialisation and concentration of media enterprise ownership. This, he said, impacts upon the independence and quality of journalism on all platforms.

Citing the way some media organisations reported political activities during the just-concluded general elections in the country, he said “media ownership and control remain one of the challenges of independent journalism in Nigeria”.

The Chairman, Centre of Excellence, UNILAG Department of Mass Communication, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, spoke on press freedom and safety of journalists. He urged stakeholders to renew efforts to end impunity and safeguard safety of journalists, saying: “Freedom of expression and press freedom are components of good governance and sustainable development”.

Other speakers included The Nation Online Editor, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin who made a presentation on Independent Journalism in the Digital Age; the Acting Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Dr Abigail Ogwezzy (Gender, Media and the Beijing Declaration); Dr Olunifesi Suraj of LASU School of Communication (Towards better digital safety for journalists and their sources) and Dr Fassy Yusuf (FOI Implementation and Challenges).