The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • US govt awards National Museum 95,000 dollars grant

    US govt awards National Museum 95,000 dollars grant

    US Mission has said that it spent over $1.3 million in grants across Nigeria over the past decade in support of cultural preservation programmes. These grants have funded a wide range of projects, including restoration, documentation, conservation, capacity building, and exchange programs, according to US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Lee Satterfield.

    She spoke at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, last week during the launch of the $95,000 grant to the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grant programme. The grant, she said, will fund the Preserving Nigeria’s Heritage project, which will create a digital inventory of the Nigerian Commission for Museums and Monuments’ collections and establish museum and community education programmes.

    “Today, we’re thrilled to announce the take-off of the $95,000 grant to the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grant program. This grant will fund the “Preserving Nigeria’s Heritage” project, which will create a digital inventory of the Nigerian Commission for Museums and Monuments collections and establish museum and community education programmes.

    She noted that the launch of the project is to celebrate a significant partnership between the U.S. Department of State, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments. 

    Satterfield, who believed that culture policy is security policy, said this significance is why the United States has a proud history of supporting cultural preservation efforts around the world, including Nigeria.

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    “Through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, we have demonstrated our commitment by awarding over $1.3 million in grants across Nigeria over the past decade. These grants have funded a wide range of projects, including restoration, documentation, conservation, capacity building, and exchange programs.

    “I will give a couple of outstanding examples: In 2020, we awarded the U.S. non-profit organization CyArk a $125,000 grant to digitally survey and document the Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.  That effort created a digital record of the shrine to use in planning future projects and preservation initiatives, and at the same time provided training in digital tools and cultural heritage management for local museum professionals.

    “In 2022, we awarded a $114,000 grant to Yale University to support a wood conservation partnership between the National Museum in Lagos and Yale’s Art Gallery. This project serves as a great example of the collaborative spirit that fosters cultural exchange and strengthens the preservation of Nigerian heritage,” she added. 

     She said the Preserving Nigeria’s Heritage project will have a significant impact by improving access to Nigeria’s cultural treasures for a wider audience, both in Nigeria and internationally, enhancing the professional skills of museum staff through training and collaboration, and raising awareness about the importance of cultural preservation.

    She recalled that the US and Nigeria signed a cultural property agreement in January 2022 and that while the United States is committed to protecting cultural property all over the world, ‘our closest collaborations and working relationships are with our bilateral agreement partners.’

    “This is Nigeria’s first Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grant, and it demonstrates our commitment to working with Nigeria to protect, honor, and preserve its cultural heritage.  The United States remains a steadfast partner in Nigeria’s efforts to safeguard its rich cultural heritage. We are confident that this grant will contribute significantly to this ongoing mission,” she noted.  

    Acting Director General NCMM, Mr. Emmanuel Babatunde Adebiyi commended the US Mission for its continuous support in the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural properties that spread across the country. He said the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and by extension Nigeria is blessed by the supports received from the US Mission. “We have been having immense collaborations between Nigeria and US in the last two years particularly in culture sector,” he added. 

    Adebiyi disclosed that following an understanding reached between NCC and the US Homeland Security, the commission no longer need to go through tedious law suits or diplomatic rigmarole to retrieve stolen artefacts from US. “The uncommon financial largesse US being giving to Nigeria is appreciated,” he said.     

    Principal Curator, National Museum Lagos, Chizoba Joy Ephraim who recalled her four weeks residency at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, said it was an honor for her to obtain professional skills, learn, unlearn and relearn about museum practices.  She observed that the most interesting parts of her visits were the use of visuals which makes the galleries livelier. 

    “Every museum is unique in their mission and vision. The most interesting parts of my visits were the use of visuals which makes the galleries livelier. It will be appreciated if The Metropolitan Museum can add this to their package for us.

    “Interacting with collections in the galleries is very vital, when visitors communicate with an object or objects while in a gallery tour, it gives them the courage to come back again to finish the discussion they started with the collections.

    “In this regard, documentation of museum collections is said to be the heartbeat of museum, without documentation an object has no identity, therefore documentation add value and regard to museum collections,” she said.

    The US team led by Consular General Will Stevens, and Metropolitan Museum representative Savita Monie, took a few tour of the exhibition of artefacts restored during the collaboration between Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, the National Museum Lagos, National Commission for Museums and Monuments and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. The collaboration was aimed to equip conservators at the National Museum Lagos with advanced storage, documentation and treatment techniques to help Nigeria preserve its historic artefacts.

  • Soyinka @ 90: Nine poets honour Kongi

    Soyinka @ 90: Nine poets honour Kongi

    It was an evening of celebration of words, music and dance at this year’s World Poetry Day held at Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos last Thursday in honour of Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka. He will turn 90 in July. Tagged: Engaging the quintessential poet @ 90, nine poets drawn from Nigeria and three other countries critiqued poems by Soyinka amidst spectacolar poetry performances, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

    Nine renowned poets, six Nigerians and three from Kenya, United Arab Emirate (UAE) and United Kingdom celebrated the written words, culture and creativity as they took to the stage to honour the Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka who will turn 90 in July13. In their respective presentations/performances, they held conversations with Soyinka by critiquing or engaging their chosen poems of Soyinka, in their individual dictions and styles. All through the evening, the poets showcased a diverse range of poetic expressions and performances that captivated the audience. It was this year’s annual World Poetry Day organised for the fifth time by Providus Bank in association with the Culture Advocates Caucus. Venue was Grand Ballroom of Eko Hotel and suites, Victoria Island, Lagos last Thursday. 

    This year’s event, which was anchored by the duo of Jahman Anikulapo and Dafe Ivwurie was not all about spoken or written words as there were dancing and exhibition that showcased Soyinka’s photos from his childhood till date, tagged WS: A Life In Full.

    The poets that performed included Uche Uwadinachi, Salamatu Sule, Evelyn Osagie, Akeem Lasisi, Owoicho Oko, Ruth Mahogany, Malika Booker, Nathalie Handal, Ngwatilo Mawiyoo.

    Managing Director/CEO Providus Bank, Mr. Walter Akpani said every year since 2019, the bank have hosted the festival featuring both young and old poets to give poetic interpretations to different issues that affect our world. “We only missed 2020, when we cancelled just a day before the event, due to the lockdown imposed because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We have not missed a year since then. This year’s event is special for two reasons. The first is that this will be the fifth year of this celebration of Providus Bank’s support for literature via the World Poetry Day. The second reason is that this year, Prof. Wole Soyinka turns 90,” he said. 

    Setting the tone for the evening performances, Coordinator of the programme, Mr. Jahman Anikulapo explained that this year’s edition of the event was dedicated to celebrating Soyinka because ‘we have never had the opportunity to celebrate him.’ “So what the poets will do is to respond to some of the ideas already projected in Wole Soyinka’s poetry. They are not reciting his poems, and they are not doing tributes. If any of you should have tribute to Wole Soyinka, please remove it because he doesn’t even like that. You are responding to or critiquing Wole Soyinka’s poems. So, it is an engagement. That’s why the theme is World Poetry Day: Engaging the Quintessential Poet at 90, Anikulapo added.

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    The Nation’s Evelyn Osagie took the first shot with her dramatic poem entitled It is No Longer Leah, which is a response to Soyinka’s A humanist Ode to Chibok/Leah. Expectedly she held the audience spellbound with that performance, which was followed by Darkness at Dusk, a response to Soyinka’s poem, Darkness at Dawn. Earlier, putting her presentations in context, she said: “It’s an honour to be here today. Thank you Prof for being an inspiration to all of us. And for being the light we see in the tunnel. My apologies, for starting with this because this shows the poet as a seer. His piece “A Humanist Ode to Chibok/ Leah”, for me, is a timeless and timely piece. We all know what happened recently in Kuriga.

    “That poem by Prof is still speaking to us. Last month was six years after Leah Sharibu was kidnapped, next month, 14th to be precise, it’s going to be 10 years the Chibok girls were kidnapped,” Evelyn said, while introducing her poem, “It is No Longer Leah”.

    Uwadinachi who put up spectacular show in Her Joy and Night, also thrilled the audience using  a female model in a blue skimpy dress to whom he ‘confessed’ his love on stage. Mawiyoo, a Kenyan poet recited Sweat Is Living For The Earth, Ujamaa, The Child Before A Mirror Of Strangers, The Kick and Goat Meat.

    For Sule she presented In The Small Hours and Procession Hanging Day 1, which is a response to Soyinka’s Procession One, Hanging Day. While Booker read her One In Labour, Anoint My Flesh, The Section- Future – An Anthem To Humanism, Mahogany recited My Mom and Eulogy To The Ugly Duckling, A Child Before A Mirror Of Strangers, Civilian and Soldier.

    Expectedly, Lasisi thrilled the audience with spectacular poetry performances done in both English and Yoruba in his In The Spirit Of Bringer Of Peace and The Savages Are Back In The Sacred Zone, which was written in response to Soyinka’s A Humanist Ode To Chibok/Leah. Handal recited Retrospective in response to Soyinka’s Selected Poems: 1965 -2022.

    His sterling performance was capped with an invitation to the celebrator Soyinka and wife to the stage for photo shoot. Soyinka though obliged him, noted that the organisers jumped the gun as his birthday, which comes up on July 13, is still some months away. Humorously, he wondered why the hurry to celebrate his 90th birthday, and asked if it was their birthday.

    “You jumped the gun. We still have a few more months to go. Why are you in such a hurry? Is it your birthday? Go and get a proper watch. So you know what the time is. Thank you. It’s been a very pleasant and touching evening. Happy birthday to all of you,” Soyinka said.

    The World Poetry Day (WPD) is celebrated every March 21 globally as declared by the UNESCO in 1999 to ‘promote the reading, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry throughout the world” and, to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional, and international poetry movements.’ Since 2020, the Providus Bank under its CSR initiative -Providus Bank Poetry Café- has hosted the celebration of the Day, curated by the Culture Advocates Caucus, CAC, Directed/produced by Jahman Anikulapo, under the supervision of the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.

    Officially titled, ProvidusBank World Poetry Day Café: An Evening with Wole Soyinka, the past editions have treated themes relating to the general human conditions, especially on ’ matters relating to preservation of the environment, education and mental empowerment of the youth, protection of the Girl-Child and respect for the female gender, among others.

    The 2024 edition coincides with the 90th birthday anniversary year of Soyinka, who is a ‘globally celebrated poet, dramatist, memoirist, essayist; pubic intellectual, and above all, a human and civil rights defender.

    The support that poetry is enjoying in the last five years from ProvidusBank is not only timely, but also instructive and healthy for the promotion of the creative industry. The event has thus joined other flagship arts events such as Art X, 234 Artfair, Ake Arts and Book Festival that are being backed by other banks as part of their corporate social responsibilities. Among guests that attended the event were Newton Jibunoh, Joke Silva, Koko Kalango, Bisi Olatilo, Taiwo Ajai Lycett, Kayode Aderinokun, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Prof. Manthia Diawara, Professor of Film Studies, New York University, Prof. Jean-Paul Colleyn, Institute des Artte, France, and Awam Amkpa, Professor of Cultural Aesthetics and Dean Faculty of Humanities, New York University, Abu Dhabi.   

  • How Nigeria can produce another Nobel winner, by author

    How Nigeria can produce another Nobel winner, by author

    A creative writer and author, Akin Akingbogun, has said Nigeria can produce another Nobel winner almost two decades after Prof. Wole Soyinka won the prestigious prize in literature.

    For that to happen, the limitations must be addressed, he said.

    The Obafemi Awolowo University Civil Engineering graduate is the author ‘Dreams from Yesterday’, published last year.

    It comes after his ‘Prisoner of Fate’ published in 2021 and a two-in-one thriller titled ‘Waste of Sin’ and ‘Blood in the Water’ (2022).

    Akingbogun said: “Whilst the Nobel Prize appears to have taken the centre stage as the most important award in the category for many decades, African writers of Nigerian decent have distinguished themselves in the prestigious Booker Prize (Ben Okri 1991) and Pulitzer Prize (Dele Olojede, 2005).

    “There are quite a lot of Nigerian writers and authors who have given a good account of their literary works and originality on the global stage.

    “However, to stand heads and shoulders above other writers on the globe, in our ever-dynamic world, we must tell stories that present a side to Africa and its people, yet invite a welcome curiosity about our culture and the impact of our changing world on the African society.”

    According to the author, one of the challenges faced by many writers in Nigeria is the lack of access to learning platforms to hone their skills.

    He said: “Writing isn’t just about putting a string of sentences together.

    “It is akin to a piece of artwork that must be carefully crafted to pass just the right sort of message and emotion to the readers.

    “It is also a reflection of the upbringing, cultural roots, value systems, and the literary journey of the writer.

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    “Writing is a powerful tool that must be applied with the precision of a marksman.

    “In addition, most young Nigerian writers struggle to get their works out into the literary world as publishing opportunities continue to dwindle just as the reading culture continues to suffocate under the weight of the lucrative visual social media contents.”

    Giving an insight into his new work, he said ‘Dreams from Yesterday’ is a compilation of 14 short stories, drawing attention to common societal issues ranging from teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, terrorism, depression, peer pressure, youthful exuberance, death and love.

    The stories, he said, are written from an unusual perspective to leave the reader asking questions about our norms, values, and things taken for granted.

    Akingbogun added about the work: “It is intended to get readers to view issues from the lens of those involved. The feedback has been positive.

    “In my opinion, it hit the right notes with the book reviewers leaving them with a lot of questions that they must find answers to, in seemingly obvious and very likely situations.”

    On whether creative writing is a rewarding venture, the author said: “I think this perception will depend on how successful the writer is. I consider each copy of my book a currency I trade with in return for a fair value.

    “Traditional bookstores allow the literary works far-reaching publicity just by sitting on the shelves, but a whole different market segment exists in one’s social, business, and literary networks.

    “Social media platforms offer yet another marketing opportunity just as Amazon KDP presents a global opportunity in foreign currencies.

    “If authors are willing to explore the options, writing can be quite rewarding financially.”

    On how young writers can succeed, Akingbogun said: “One of the biggest strengths of writing is consistency. The more often you write, the better you get. The more you explore new themes, the more creative you get.

    “Writing can be enjoyable as a passionate hobby. But it can be lucrative if applied for commercial purposes.

    “Young writers must define their niche and be consistent both in the frequency of writing and in the sort of message they intend to pass across

    “Due to the high amount of visual content on social media competing with traditional books or online readers, the attention span of readers has reduced drastically.

    “Long-length novels only appeal to a small section of regular readers, and the messages and learnings are often lost to a great number of readers.

    “Short story writing, while not new, is a dynamic approach to keeping readers engaged long enough for their attention span.

    “We need to find innovative ways to get readers to spend time reading without being invasive.

    “This would include using interactive storytelling, short videos with voiceovers and other similar approaches.”

  • Authors meet in Ilorin, chart new path

    Authors meet in Ilorin, chart new path

    Nigerian authors under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), met in Ilorin, Kwara State, when the national officers of the association and state chairmen and secretaries deliberated on some burning issues concerning ANA. Part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was to discuss revalidation of membership, review of the constitution and update on the Yusuf Ali literacy campaign by the states. The meeting was presided over by its president Dr. Dipo Akanbi. Edozie Udeze was there.

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has kept the flag flying ever since 1981 when it was formed. And in the efforts to keep the association afloat, authors have also kept hope alive, striving thereby to ensure that the society is not bereft of ideas, varied ideas solidified in the amount of books being written and produced daily. But above all these, the Kwara State chapter of ANA, always, almost all the time, seems to be the beautiful bride.

    Last weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the association had its annual state chairmen and secretaries meeting. Presided over by its president, Dr. Dipo Akanbi, the meeting is usually held as an AGM in preparation towards the October/November national convention of ANA which now holds at the national headquarters at Mpape, Abuja. At the meeting, chairmen and secretaries and the national officers present were in high spirits as issues that confront Nigerian writers were deliberated upon. Parts of what preoccupied their time mostly were the review of the constitution, revalidation of membership updates and data base, review of the Mamman Vatsa headquarters of ANA and a visit to Yusuf Ali (SAN), one of the pillars of ANA.

    More than ever before, peace, decorum, friendliness and an atmosphere of loveliness reigned while the deliberations held. The president in his opening remarks admitted somewhat that it was his first time in the saddle and therefore begged to be pardoned if he did not totally handle the proceedings correctly. Besides that however, he welcomed members warmly. It was not easy to have about 16 state chapters in attendance with a few tendering excuses on why they could not make it to Ilorin.

    Given the high level of disenchantment in the land, with poverty and insecurity tormenting the people, it was still commendable to see how enthusiastic authors felt about moving the association to the next level. In his capacity as leader of the house, Akanbi enthused: “We thank God for journey mercies. This is my first time of presiding over the AGM. Please accept me and the way I handle the affairs. However, I feel highly honoured to have such large number of states in attendance in spite of the state of the nation. It gladdens my heart to see you all. The economy is dying no doubt, but I hope it will not continue so that we will have our annual convention in Abuja this year”.

    He went on; “I hope also that the dichotomy and discord in our midst will continue to fizzle away so that ANA will continue to be one, to be together, to attain greater heights. In the next two years or so, we would have become stronger and more united and formidable as more states have indicated their willingness to rejoin the national body. Therefore anywhere and in any way you can make suggestions on how to move on as an entity, let us know. As this is the eleventh Annual General Meeting (AGM) being hosted by the Kwara State chapter, it shows how committed we all are towards ANA”, he said.

    Some of the states in attendance included Benue, Nasarawa, Delta, Ondo, Niger, Osun. Others were Bayelsa, Abia, Kogi, Imo, Oyo, Kwara, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom. Bornu State and some others sent in apologies, hinging their inability to attend on some unforeseen logistics. But in all, some states were able to justify the literary activities they had put in place to keep the name of ANA ever aglow. Most of the activities were based on the allocation given to them by the national body to organise the Yusuf Ali literacy programmes. The money usually comes from the donations made to the association by Yusuf Ali (SAN). Ali is one of the most visible and consistent backers of ANA, ensuring that literacy is spread far afield.

    President Akanbi also reminded the gathering about the tenets that make one a thorough and true member of ANA. “As we gather here today, top on the agenda is to ensure that we highlight those ingredients that qualify one to be regarded as member of ANA. It is not enough to be an author, but you must be a creative writer, published and verified as a member. In the beginning, ANA was specifically for those who wrote prose, drama, poetry…but of recent we were meant to accommodate some others. However, the first responsibility we owe ourselves is to ask for the quality of the writers we admit from these other categories. What kinds of books are we trying to accommodate? This is where we urgently need revalidation of membership from time to time. In this case also, we need the total update and database of members”, he said.

    It is hoped that when the exercise is over, an authentic membership will be sent online to all the people concerned. The essence of this is to allow the national and state secretariats to be abreast of those qualified to be regarded as members of ANA. It helps also to put fake people in check. It helps to guarantee financial and committed attitude towards the well-being of ANA. In all these, a mandate was given to the national secretariat and the state chapters to key into this for a more effective national association of Nigerian writers.

    Part of the constitution review was to ensure that there is clear clarification between full membership and associate membership. According to the national legal adviser, Mike Assoh, even though under-aged authors can be allowed to participate in ANA affairs, they cannot be called registered members. They can only be regarded as full members when they have come of age. It was agreed that for you to vote and be voted for, your name must be on the database as a full member of ANA both in name and in your financial commitment to the association. The legal adviser hinted on some other salient rights and privileges of being an ANA member in and out of season.

    The constitution review session of the meeting took lots of time, but it was agreed that before long all the grey areas would have been sorted out to streamline the beauty of being an ANA member. ANA general secretary Dame Joan Oji was in the right frame of mind, gregarious and ever boisterously so, insisting that time had come to ensure that only upgraded members are regarded as authentic members. Contributions came from states that were eager to see ANA resolve this logjam and then move on in earnest. Most of the lawyers in the house used the opportunity to deliberate on the need for people to comply with the strict conditions for membership henceforth.

    Reports from states

    Every year state chapters are given some amount of money to promote Yusuf Ali literacy campaign. The money is meant to primarily capture, target and energize the younger ones. Over the years, some states had used this offer to justify the whole essence of confidence reposed in them. Indeed, there are some topical states widely known to have used this token judiciously. In those states, one could see the level of awareness, campaign and eagerness of secondary school students to key into ANA to upgrade their reading prowess.

    From Benue came the report that public reading programmes were organized for schools. The chairperson of ANA in the state made it clear that they also trained some English teachers within the purview of ANA programmes. In doing some of these programmes they were able to partner with some NGOs. And it was good one of the themes where the state government was involved was anchored on peace-peace in the state, peace for all and sundry. All said, ANA equally donated books to some schools and libraries in the state.

    From Nasarawa came also some heartwarming reports. The state held series of creative activities and workshops to sensitise the public on the essence of education. They all were centered on the promotion of reading and poetry and prose. One of the programmes held in Lafia, the state capital attracted awards and prizes on drama, prose, etc. and it encouraged the people to be attuned to ANA programmes.

    The story from Kogi was hope rising. A book a week programme was instituted and executed as always. The chairman stated that the campaign has been consolidated in Kogi. Even when the government is stubborn and difficult to reach, the state ANA was able nonetheless to reach out to some schools where the programmes were held. They also appear on radio programmes as often as possible to talk about the laudable activities of the association in the state and beyond. Delta State has had to partner Asaba Reading club to be able to facilitate some of its programmes.  The chairman reiterated the readiness of ANA in the state to organise regular readings. One of those readings which was highly commended had in attendance Dr. G.G. Dara, a former commissioner in the state. Dara is a journalist, a celebrated literary icon. In fact, one of the readings was held in Abraka the university town.

    In Rivers, they are rallying to publish academic journals. As at today, this has been accomplished and so the state ANA is up and doing. They still engage in regular readings where active members prove their mettle. As for Akwa Ibom State, the issue of the 2019 debacle in Enugu destabilised the chapter. But the new leadership has gone to work. At least last year they organised a reading and writing completion for schools. The competition will later award prizes because those who promised to provide that are yet to redeem their pledge. The state also put in place an anthology.

    Oyo, no doubt, has one of the most vibrant state chapters. Their periodic programmes remain sacrosanct. They have taken literacy awareness programmes even to the College of Education, Oyo. In those shows, prizes were given to winners. In Imo the state ANA has been able to produce an anthology of poems. Imo is also one of the visible state chapters. This was why they were able to share 200 books to different schools in the state. Edo is one place where they executed the Yusuf Ali literacy awareness. This happened in June last year. The theme of the programme in the state was catch them young.

    And from Abia came the report that book clubs were used to reach out to schools. The organisers also made the pupils to write poems for a journal produced by ANA. Abia went on ahead to donate books to schools, this is in addition to organizing radio talks to sensitise the public on the tenets of the association and more.

    Other states that tendered reports included Bayelsa, Osun, Niger and Ondo. For Ondo State, the years had been rewarding. According to the chairman, banners and posters bearing ANA had been mounted in different corners to announce the association. It is a model way to do campaigns and this has helped to make the name ANA known to many people. The state engages in radio talks from time to time where they project the association. In one of its latest reading contest, 26 schools were involved. Also done is an anthology with government support.

    So generally, ANA is waxing stronger in states as some states now wish to return back to the national fold. The meeting ended with an official visit to Yusuf Ali (SAN) in his office in Ilorin. Artists, particularly authors were also advised to explore the opportunities in the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Creative Economy on how their works can be published. Some of the parastatals and agencies of the ministry have been mandated by edicts and decrees establishing them to publish books in different categories. Also authors were advised to encourage Boldscholar to allow chapters create their own respective accounts and then feed them with their chapter data. The meeting ended on a very friendly note as chapters agreed to go back home and work more.

  • Reverie – I want to go to formerly

    Reverie – I want to go to formerly

    By R.A Yusuf

    I’m a frustrated soul

    Mired in the turbulence of the present;

    Contemplating a nebulous future.

    Not knowing where to turn.

    The past had held great promise;

    Or so it appeared.

    Everything was pristine,

    Life was good;

    Or so it appeared.

    With little resources so much was mine

    For the asking;

    I travelled across the world; in style!

    Gorged on what I fancied;

    Guzzled whatever was on offer.

    Life was so good,

    Or so it appeared.

    After shopping at Macy’s,

    Dinner in New York;

    Breakfast in London.

    Shopping at Harrods and Selfridges.

    Late lunch in Africa.

    Oh, life was good

    Or so it appeared.

    Finally back home;

    Africa my home.

    Across three continents in 24 hours!

    Life was so, so good;

    Pristine!

    Or so it appeared.

    Oh, the Past, glorious Past –

    Once upon a good time

    Some call it FORMERLY,

    But FORMERLY, where art Thou?

    I am always reminded of you,

    Glorious Past, our Formerly.

    Once upon a good time!

    I get to the market this morning,

    And I’m reminded of you, Formerly;

    Again and again.

    And I lament to the seller,

    “But why?”

    “Oga, why what?”

    “I mean, everything is so expensive;

    It wasn’t like this Formerly,

    In the past.”

    Sharp, saucy, piquant and jolting

    The riposte:

    “Oga, why, you too dey complain nah,

     Abeg, dis na early morning o, abeg.

    Make u go your Formerly o

    Go buy am cheap, cheap nah.”

    Away she walks from her stall.

    I’m left stranded in the present.

    Transfixed, bemused.

    Is it no longer a buyers market?

    With so much  money,

    Little purchasing power.

    Humble pie.

    “Madam, come now.”

    Frowning, grumbling, mumbling

    Madam trudges back

    Taking her time; really taking her time;

    I wait. I wait.

    Reality check.

    Thought it was a buyers market,

    No.

    Obviously, not when you are from Fornerly.

    This is NOW, the PRESENT

    My allusion to formerly must have drained her of all energy.

    This pathetic man

    I wait.

    She stops to talk to another seller.

    I must be the subject of their conversation.

    And I wait

    They both look in my direction –

    The man from Formerly;

    Amusement written all over them.

    Meanwhile, where is Formerly?

    Formerly…

    Where everything was pristine

    Each was the other’s keeper and helper; Everyone was a brother and a sister;

    You had no need to spend huge amounts

    On so little…

    Life was good.

    But not anymore.

    “Yes, Oga Formerly.!”

    I was jolted out of my reverie.

    “You no dey go Formerly again?”

    Oh, yes!

    Woe is me! Lost my capacity for offence.

    This saucy stall owner.

    It is still the present.

    “Yes madam, how much is everything?”

    I pay for my purchases;

    Yes, through the nose;

    No “thank you” from the seller.

    Reality of the Present

    Take it or leave it.

    How did we come to this pass?

    We need the Past

    Its lessons

    To understand our Present.

    And our Present

    Its challenges

    To navigate our Future.

    For now I’m still here;

    Seeking, and searching for a one way ride to Formerly.”

    Who will take me THERE?

    • Yusuf, a retired top broadcaster with NTA, now lives in Ilorin, Kwara State.

  • My environment inspires me to write – Uzomah

    My environment inspires me to write – Uzomah

    Chukwudifu Uzomah is a lecturer at Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. He is an author of many books and a committed member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). Presently, he is the chairman of ANA, Abia State chapter. Over the years he has used his writings to effect great changes in his immediate society. In this interview with Edozie Udeze, he clarifies so many things about writing both text books and fictions. He says: “My environment inspires me to write and much more”.

    What inspires you to write?

    Several things can inspire me to write, but the environment I find myself in can stir up the writing instinct and generate a natural inclination for writing, especially, if what the environment throws up, impacts on me greatly, either positively or negatively.

    My adventure in writing was spontaneous. It was in the poetry genre. It was in my year one at the university I had gone to the hostel common room to read with friends for the forth coming first semester exams. Shortly after we settled down to read two of them dozed off. Every attempt to wake them up later proved abortive. When one of them woke up eventually, he gave a narrative of his strenuous activities the previous day, that had hampered his desire to read all through the night. I had no prior intention to write anything, nor any predilection for creative writing at that moment. But after listening to him I instinctively wrote. “The Rigour Major”. Before I knew it, I had a poetic replication of his narrative. The lines cascaded unaided, freely. It was a work of inspiration. It was natural.

    I think that is what John Keats referred to as poetry coming naturally as leaves to a tree”. It comes unbidden like an impulse. At himes, I may like an idea and try to work on it. But it may not be that easy. I may leave the work and return to it later. I may perspire to accomplish it. Here, it is more of perspiration than inspiration.

    Sometimes I have the nudge or craving to write and win literary prizes both at home and abroad. The booker has always been on my mind, but it requires a lot of grit and immense hardwork to achieve that. This is daunting in a place where writing is not usually the main source of sustenance. Above all, the desire to be heard and accepted and rewarded if need be has been a major drive for my writing.

    What stage in your life did you realize you would be a writer?

    Pretty early when I was introduced to the African writers’ series at the secondary school level. Among the names listed in the series was the name of Flora Nwapa, a member of my mother’s age grade; Ugo Jolly”, I would always ask my mother whether she had seen her in person, what kind of person she was? Unfortunately when I was ready with my first collection of poems and had arranged to visit her at Festac Town where she was billed to visit by November of the year of her death, I heard of her death. And that aborted the visit and the dream.

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    Other attempts to get the work published by established publishers, hit the brick wall. So Flora Nwapa from Childhood has been a great motivation for the journey into writing.

    What book triggered the muse?

    It would be difficult to say precisely which book actually triggered the muse, for I had read forty books from the African writers series at the point of gaining admission into the university.

    My literature teacher at the secondary school had boasted of reading thirty books in the series before he entered the university. There and then, I vowed to beat the record and I achieved it before I entered the university. Though Ken Follet’s “Pillars of the Earth had been an un-put down-able for me, I draw inspiration from reading voraciously.

    When you read a book what are the salient things you look out for?

    The writers choice of words and the ability of the writer to make the words echo in my psyche through. Its syntactic arrangements goad me on in any book I read. I may ask myself, are there memorable lines or quotable quotes. Then the story line, Is it compelling? Aside that, the use of suspense for me is key to enjoying a prose work. And that is where ken Follet excels.

    In what genre of literature do you express yourself most?

    Well, I write across the three genres of literature and I express myself freely in all the genres. But in terms of prolificity, I would say drama, for the sole reason that I have five books of drama, but only one prose work. “No hiding place” and one collection of poems, “Songs of a Caged Bird”.

    Of all the books you have read, which character touched you most and how and why?

    I would say that it is Macbeth in the Shakespearean drama text of the same title:

    Macbeth exudes the typical human nature. At first he appears innocent with a conscience that can be pricked at any point of divergence from the moral compass. But his interaction with the witches and the influence of his wife upon him, impacted so heavily on him to the point that his conscience no longer guides him. It becomes seared and hardened rather the deception of the witches becomes his new guiding principle, together with the warped advice from the wife. These “influencers” are very much at work. They are potent in our societies today. Too many veiled witches in operation, today both at home and at the religious front. Macbeth touched me most because he was a victim of a warped association a negative influence. His tragedy is the product of the nefarious activities of the power he believes in and the companion he chooses to trust. The how is in his vaulting ambition that is prevalent in our society today. Primitive acquisitive tendency is rife in our society. Murder under different or many guises is the order of the day in virtually every field of endeavour and now the sane man is the victim of the innumerable atrocities carried out by people steeped in blood, that going back has become as difficult as moving forward, so they resolve to continue in their impunity. The bandits in their different garbs, causing mayhem and tearing the entire fabrics of our collective society. 

    Who is your favourite author and why?

    Ken Follet is my favourite author.

    No matter the volume of his work, he has a way of carrying the reader along until he reaches a convincing conclusion. He doesn’t jump into conclusion just to bring the work to an end. He tells delightful stories with authentic story line; spiced with elements of humour in his narrative, every line rings true and engenders good reading.

    Okay if you meet your favourite author what will be the first question?

    How he manages to achieve so much success in the entire gamut of his writing?

    Are you a re-reader going back to a book you have read before?

    Yes! But not for all books that I read. There are some that I can read over and over again, some because of the humour injected into them; and others that I may want to memorise certain poignant lines in the work.

    What genre of literature do your students enjoy most and why?

    From experience the genre most of my students enjoy is the drama genre. They see and identify some characters in a drama piece in the individuals they encounter in their daily life. They can assume characters and enact the play in the class room. That makes for easy comprehensibility and assimilation of both the plot and theme. They even assign names to their mates from the drama texts that they have read. Poems are a bit recondite for the students. You have to strive to inject life into them in order to make the student enjoy them. For prose most would prefer you just give out notes rather than discuss it fully in the class. But they are at home with drama any day, so long you make them participate in the reading and allow them take turns in the process.

    What impact does literature have on your students?

    Hmmm! Well, it is not the kind of impact that the punch of a heavy weight boxer would have on a weaker opponent. Since literature is a quotidian reality that depicts a common identifiable place, everyday life, activities that are known and knowable, it must have impact on the readers whether they are students or non students.

    If literature does not make anything happen, to individuals that are exposed to it, Plato wouldn’t make a case for poets to be banned from his republic. It is because of the efficiency of literature that Plato advocated a ban, so that it would not corrupt the ‘ephebe’ minds in his republic.

    The truth is that no matter how fanciful and imaginative a literary work maybe, it must capture the grace and beauty of the nuances of our social life. It must mirror those blotches, speckles, splodges and pimples that are part of our existence. There lies the impact of literature, not just on students but on humanity. The impact may be subtle. But it is consistent and poignant. Quietly planting its influence on our psyche, especially the young minds, the students.

    Would you like to be a writer over and over again. How and why?

    Yes! The how is by being more determined and focused in the pursuit of creative excellence. By giving the totality of your attention to it at the nascent stage, and not seeing it (writing) as a hobby, or making it play the second fiddle to your profession.

    This is important because books in whatever genre they appear, allow you to create your own personal space and allow others come in to accept that very space before passing their judgment. Books introduce you to people you may never get to meet or see in your life time. But they see you and recognize you. Some even adore and idolize you. You form a strong presence in the minds of people beyond your own limited geographical space. You enter houses that you may never envisioned and become part of the inhabitants through your books. It is magical, especially when you have made a name in writing. You become an icon of some sort. That is part of the why of writing. Fame embraces you as your ideas become a kind of sign post or a beacon for your innumerable adherents.

    Has authorship improved your rating in the world

    Within my limited space, yes. But for me writing is a continuous striving for global relevance. My ambition is for my works to gain global relevance and become a brand. Some of themes in my work touch on global issues.

    The gist of my prose work: “No hiding place” is that east or west, north or south, home is the best. Part of the activities in the novel took place in Roma and Chieti Scalo. Chieti as it is known is a small town that is close to Pescara, a city that is by the Adriatic sea.

    The advantage of being at home is that you have a measurable latitude of freedom a free rein of some sort. At home, when you shout the loudest, there are at least some that maybe willing to help echo your voice especially in this era of social media where journalism has been unbundled, and everyone with a good handset is both a publisher, a reporter and a broadcaster.

    When you are outside the country, you are at the mercy of the “law” and at the whims of the custodians and interpreters of such laws.

    How do you arrange your libraries at home and in the office?

    It is a very difficult thing. I try to arrange my books according to subject areas and the literature books according to their genre. But at times after usage it appears as the room and the office have never been arranged. Any one that comes inbetween the period of usage and the next re-arrangement may think that they are neverarranged at all.

  • Skills acquisition with Adire

    Skills acquisition with Adire

    Amid the rising unemployment rate, the Ekiti State Governor’s wife, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, through her pet project, Widows and Orphans Hope, has unveiled a local fabric hub called Adire Ekiti to train unemployed youths in the art of making tie and dye. RASAQ IBRAHIM reports.

    Since it was founded in 2023, the Widow and Orphans Hope Project (WAOH) has become a socio-economic change agent that provides thousands of poor people in Ekiti State with the necessary skills to enhance their self-reliance.

    The project, a pet initiative of the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji has impacted the lives of widows, market women, artisans, expectant mothers, the physically challenged, orphans, the elderly and unemployed youths by providing lifelines for them.

    The programme, which was put in place to complement policies and initiatives of the Governor Oyebanji-led government in tackling unemployment and alleviating poverty, has been a continuous exercise.

    Apart from the provision of material and financial empowerment, Mrs Oyebanji also supports women and artisans with the necessary equipment and work tools needed for them to thrive in their chosen vocations.

    Latest in the series of the empowerment programmes was the unveiling of a local fabric training hub called Adire Ekiti Hub which is aimed at giving unemployed youth economic empowerment and creating a vibrant local fabric market.

    The initiative  driven by the “learn to earn philosophy” was  aimed at taking many thousands of unemployed youths-male and female-including young widows from the unemployment pool by equipping them with requisite skills and knowledge in the production of indigo tie and dyed clothes so that they will become  self-reliance.

    Identifying economic empowerment as a key driver of poverty alleviation and job creation, Dr. Oyebanji, in partnership with the Nike Art Foundation, is training male and female youths in the art of Adire making.

    About 200 beneficiaries drawn from Ekiti Central Senatorial District participated in the intensive training that lasted one week. Additionally, two batches of 200 participants each drawn from Ekiti North and Ekiti South senatorial districts are also to commence training the following week. This brings the number of the beneficiaries to 600.

    The first batch of beneficiaries would be trainers who would train more trainees in Adire production.

    On March 4 2024, the day of the launch was a historic day in Ekiti as all roads led to the Adire Ekiti Hub, located along the Ado-Iworoko Highway, with guests coming from far and near to join the natives who had thronged the venue to witness another economic empowerment tool.

    The Centre which has the main building and workshop was unveiled by the wife of the Ooni of Ife and renowned fashion entrepreneur, Olori Aderonke Ogunwusi to the admiration of those in attendance.

    The trainees, who have been enthusiastic in learning tie and dye, have been showcasing their products, a demonstration of how fast they have learnt the art.  They were taken through various stages of learning the crafts by facilitators led by Mr Ologe.

    During the launch of the Hub, Mrs Oyebanji said the Adire Ekiti would benefit the state in the areas of provision of sustainable livelihoods, promotion of entrepreneurship, creation of economic opportunities as well as preservation of cultural heritage.

    The governor’s wife said she envisioned “a community of skilled artisans, vibrant entrepreneurs and a thriving Adire industry that contribute to the growth and prosperity of Ekiti State.”

    Dr. Oyebanji said the opening of the Adire Ekiti Hub marked the beginning of a new chapter for the people of the state which holds the promise of long-term benefits for the beneficiaries, local economy and building a brighter future for the coming generations.

    She said: “The Adire Ekiti Hub represents a platform for creativity, skill development and collaboration. It is a symbol of our commitment to nurturing talent, fostering innovation and building a brighter future for the people of Ekiti State.

    “Through this initiative, we envision a community of skilled artisans, vibrant entrepreneurs and a thriving Adire industry that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of our state.”

    Continuing, she said: “There will be a meeting on how we will start them up so that they can put what they learnt into practice.” The promise gladdened the hearts of the trainees.

    Governor Oyebanji, who was excited about the initiative said the skills acquisition programme would, in no small measure, complement his administration’s efforts to provide opportunity for unemployed youths as well as women to become self-reliant and financially stable.

    The governor enjoined the participants to make judicious use of the opportunity offered them so as to become employers of labour.

    He stressed that “provision of palliatives cannot solve Nigeria’s problems; urging Nigerians to learn relevant skill to break the yoke of poverty and attain financial independence.

    He added that his administration, through various life-changing programmes and interventions is determined not only to reduce poverty but also to provide a window of opportunity for idle and vulnerable residents of the state to be empowered and make a better living for themselves.

    Oyebanji pledged that his administration would support the beneficiaries by giving them opportunities to access soft loans and market.

    He said: “The government cannot give everybody employment; it is good to be educated; your education will prepare you to do better in whatever area of life you find yourselves. So, don’t see this as a share of the national cake. The challenges we have with programmes such as this will be put behind you to ensure that you overcome them.

    “We came on the mantra of continuity and shared prosperity and it was not an accident. I am confident that prosperity is possible in Ekiti State and it can be shared to everybody. But good things don’t come cheap, what is packing in Ekiti is platform and access to opportunities.

    “Those are the things that have kept us down; we have no platform, nobody to promote us. We are educated but we are poor. When people are educated, they shouldn’t be poor; education should be a licence to prosperity.

    “What we are doing today is providing access and opportunities and those are the two things you need to succeed. So, when you have those two things, the sky is your limit.

    “We are going to hand-hold you, to train you and not to leave you alone because that is the problem of many government interventions. We are going to monitor you to the level that you will become independent and become employers of labour. If we do 200 per senatorial district, that is 600 (across the state) and you can now know the multiplier effects.

    “There will be a time when all of you will not be able to meet up with the demands (for your product). That is what I want to see. By the time we are doing one year anniversary of this project, we will call you back to tell your success stories.”

    Senator Ojudu, who praised the governor and his wife for their commitment to empowering the citizens, emphasised that “the wealth of the nation lies in the skills of its people.”

    He further  said his appointment by the governor as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees Olowe of Ise Foundation which also has Mrs Okundaye as member contributed to the establishment of the Adire Ekiti Hub.

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    Senator Ojudu added that it was during the dinner held in honour of the Board that Mrs Okundaye offered to train Ekiti youths and women in the art of tie and dye (Adire) which he followed up with the donation of the facility to serve as the operational base of the Adire Ekiti Hub.

    He said: “Everyone who is trained here should regard it as a good opportunity for personal development; having a skill and making use of it as an incredible path to escape poverty. Empowering a woman is the easiest way to train her children, to make a great contribution to societal development. I urge you all to make the best use of what you will learn because you cannot tell how far you will go.”

    The wife of the Ooni, Olori Ogunwusi said Adire Ekiti is a platform for capacity development, skills acquisition, job and wealth creation in addition to being a major part of the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people.

    Olori Ogunwusi, who described herself as one of the gatekeepers of Adire and other African fabrics said Adire commands respect in the global market with patronage from virtually all parts of the world.

    She said: “Adire is a major part of the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people. It can be used as an instrument of job creation, wealth creation, capacity development and skills acquisition. I commend Mrs Oyebanji for the Adire Ekiti initiative and I am ready to lend my support and expertise.”

    The Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Nike Art Foundation, Chief Nike Okundaye described Adire Ekiti as “the next big thing that will happen in creative economy,” stressing her readiness to ensure that the hub grows in prominence and a springboard for empowerment in local craft.

    Mrs Okundaye, who was represented by Mrs Nneka Moses of Goge Africa, urged the stakeholders to support Mr Oyebanji, whom she described as a “visionary governor” and his wife, Dr Oyebanji in rewriting a new chapter in the Ekiti story for the world to see.”

    While appreciating Governor Oyebanji for bringing her on board, Mrs Okundaye pledged full support of her Foundation in ensuring that the beneficiaries get the best of training in preparation for their foray into the market.

    She added: “I urge the beneficiaries of this Adire Ekiti scheme to know that they are being given an opportunity many don’t have. When some people receive grants, they take it as a national cake.

    “Don’t take this as a national cake; this is a legacy project. I thank the governor’s wife for putting this together.

    “We will collaborate with the governor and his wife to make this project an outstanding one. Thank you for bringing us on board. Ekiti State is Nigeria’s best kept secret.”

    One of the beneficiaries of the scheme, Mrs Motunrayo Aborisade commended the wife of the governor for the initiative which she described as “very laudable and timely.”

    She said the programme had afforded her an opportunity to learn a skill through which she will make more money to support her husband and family.

    She promised to utilise the opportunity for self-development by setting up a personal business. She said she deliberately chose to participate in the programme not just because it was free, but because it will make her create wealth and jobs.

    “I and other beneficiaries are grateful to the governor’s wife for the opportunity which the programme provided for us. Being part of the programme has broadened my horizon on the nitty-gritty of Adire production,” she said.

  • ‘Restructure Nigeria to curb corruption’

    ‘Restructure Nigeria to curb corruption’

    The gathering at the recent launch of Dr. Onu John Onwe’s book Anatomy of Crime of Corruption in Nigeria (Constitutional Framework as the Tap-root), held at the McGetterick’s Catholic Pastoral Centre in Abakaliki, wasn’t a huge one. But, what it lacked in size, it gained in quality of dignitaries and issues talked about. There were, among other dignitaries, a sitting governor (represented), two ex-governors, a former deputy governor of the state and two traditional rulers in attendance. And the core issues raised were not only topical but also of national interest, Assistant Editor Arts OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports

    As Federal Government begins moves to implement the 12-year-old Stephen Oronsaye Report to cut the cost of governance, President Bola Tinubu has been urged to also consider the 2014 Constitutional Amendment Report in order to stem injustice and structural imbalance.

    The call came from former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, who urged Tinubu to look at the recommendations of the constitutional amendment conference in order to end that aspect of corruption.

    Egwu who spoke at the recent launch of a book, Anatomy of Crime of Corruption in Nigeria (Constitutional Framework as the Tap-root) authored by Dr. Onu John Onwe in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, said Britain instituted the prevailing corruption in Nigeria, sustained by autocratic constitutional framework. He noted that the only solution to the problem of corruption in Nigeria is the abolishment of the present constitution and enthronement of a new one agreed to by the people.

    “I want to urge Mr. President, Tinubu, as he is looking into the Oronsaye Report, he should also go back and look at the recommendations of the constitutional amendment conference. This country must be restructured so as to end that aspect of corruption,” he added. 

    He described the two-volume book as not only about corruption in terms of naira and kobo, but also about cheating one out of one’s right, nepotism and the structural imbalance imposed on Nigeria by Britain, which are all corruption.

    “If you know how this country is structured by the British colonists, you will discover that it is structured to favour some people against some people. And that is the issue Dr. Onwe’s book addresses,” he added.

    According to him, complaints about marginalization, inequitable allocation of revenue based on number of LGAs, which are skewed in favour of northern states, and the assertion that some people from one part of the country will never be president, all have their roots in the way the country was corruptively structured.

    He identified census as a good example of structural imbalance imposed on Nigeria, saying ‘sometimes we cry wolf, and there is nothing we can do about it because structurally, it has been designed that your true number or population will never be ascertained.’

    “So, this book is very important. I want to encourage us to read it. It addresses the fundamentals, the main reason why we are where we are today. I was a member of the constitutional amendment conference. We came up with resolutions that will change this country. What is holding them from implementing it? It is because some people want the structural imbalance that has been in existence to remain like that,” he stressed.

    Ebonyi State Governor, RT. Hon. Francis Nwifuru said it is disheartening that despite all that have been written and spoken about corruption, there is little or no change. Secretary to State Government, Prof. Grace Umezurike, who represented Governor Nwifuru said: “One thing that worries me about corruption is the blame game. The masses blame the government, the government blames the masses. So, who then is responsible and who will stop it? I believe in the slogan, ‘Change begins with you.’ Change begins with us. Everybody is culpable, one way or the other.’

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    Also speaking at the public presentation of the book held at McGetterick’s Catholic Pastoral Centre, Abakaliki, former governor of Ebonyi State Chief Martin Elechi observed that the topic of the book is a food for thought because Nigeria is so ‘badly shaken by our various concepts of corruption. So, it becomes necessary to read a book like this.’ The presentation was anchored by Mrs. Nwanyimma Priscilla Ofoma of the Information Unit, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi state. 

    Reviewer of the book, Dr. Onyekachi Eni said there has never been any gathering in Ebonyi state that brought together all the former and present governors of the state, noting that the author has achieved that feat with his book launch. 

    The former Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Dr. John Otu, who chaired the event, described the book as important and timely, saying corruption is more in the breach than in action. “Unless the anti-corruption is institutionalised, and monitisation of politics is curbed, the crime of corruption in Nigeria will continue,” he added. 

    He said that the best form of leadership is leadership by example as corruption is not only at the low hierarchy, but everywhere, even at the home level.

    “If we therefore don’t deal with corruption based on leadership by example, corruption will continue. Why are cases of corruption escalating instead of declining? Also there is corruption in the church by those who use God’s words to ‘milk’ the people,” he said. 

    Among guests that attended the event were Bishop Lawson Elom, Elder Agom Eze, His Royal Highness Ezeogo (Major) Mgbabu Onwe, Chief Okorie Sunday, Mrs. Nnenna Onuoha who represented His Lordship, Hon Moses Elvis Anegu Ngene, Chief Judge of Ebonyi State,  former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi state and Vice Chancellor, Ebonyi State University, Prof Chigozie Ogbu and Prof Nwankwo.

  •  Balogun, Popoola take Off Confines to Q Gallery

     Balogun, Popoola take Off Confines to Q Gallery

    The Apapa Community in Lagos will celebrate the Easter season with a special offering from two contemporary Nigerian artists. It will also be a veritable platform for Apapa residents to join the big league of art collectors and connoisseurs hitherto monopolised by those on Lagos Island, Lekki and Ikoyi areas of the state. 

    Symbolically, Apapa residents are going beyond the norms or confines of the time to partake in savouring the rich collection of artworks.  

    Interestingly, the two exhibiting artists, Dr. Adeola Balogun and Nurudeen Popoola, were once under one roof as teacher and student. Today, both artists who are products of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos have not only grown in stature, but have also nurtured their reputations as seasoned sculptor and painter respectively.

    The joint exhibition, tagged Off Confines is expected to feature a rich bouquet of paintings, mixed media and sculptures that reflect their individual creative trajectories. It will open on March 24 till April 13, at Q Gallery Contemporary Art House 3, Ashabi Adedire Close, Opposite Apapa Boat Club, Apapa Lagos.  It will run for three weeks. Each artist will feature 15 works.  

    Balogun, who held his 13th solo exhibition titled Transmogrification in 2022, will showcase his capacity in transforming mundane materials that have seemingly lost their primary purpose into objects of remarkable aesthetic contemplation, imbued with multilayered meanings. His exploration of up-cycling of e-wastes (electronic panels) gives new life to fond objects. These are engaged through their characteristic of being integral components in technology, either in two or three dimensions. Balogun applies electronic wastes as a universal metaphor to interrogate the notion of technology and transformation, which underlines the increasing role of information technology in today’s life. For him, the show affords him the opportunity to show some of his new works, not the usual metal or waste tyre sculptures.

    On the spirit of the exhibition theme, Balogun said: “For me, I constantly inspire my mentees, and I enjoin them not to restrict their practice to a single source-all materials in the environment should reflect in their works. Now, in Information Technology world, there are lots to pick from for their practice. I have explored used tyres in the past.  

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    In 2022, his solo show titled Transmogrification, was inspired by IT space in which he reflected goldmine and landmine divide inherent in cyber space. Currently Balogun extracts motifs that symbolize tracks on electronic panels for use on sculptures and paintings. The IT space, he said, has impacted the life of mankind.  His collection for display includes 10 sculptures and five drawings among them are Landmines and goldmines (mixed media), Rhythm of the moments (series) (steel), Myriads of perspective (mixed media), Bullish, and Rhythm of the moment (mixed media).

    For Popoola, most of his works are inspired by Africa and its people. But though young, he is not a rookie in Lagos exhibition circuit having participated in many major art shows such as Lasgidi Arts and  Cultural Festival 2012, Passing on the torch, (Didi Museum) 2014, Lagos art and fashion exhibition 2015, and the 5th Lasgidi cultural art exhibition 2015. He won the best painting/mixed media award in 2018 Life In My City Arts Festival (LIMCAF). 

    His collection addresses issues of modernity in Africanism using paintings that are a blend of impressionism and pop art. He interrogates the mentality of many Africans desire to be like the West at the expense of their roots. “The essence of my works is to draw attention to that hunger by many to be like the West. And it is to tell Africans that in the quest to be like the West, we must not forget our roots,” he said. Some of the paintings are in series such as Kings and Queens. Popoola uses simple motifs and colours to address social issues like security.

    Q Gallery Contemporary Art Manager, Oke Gabriel said the gallery was opened in 2021 to promote art as well as provide Apapa residents the window of opportunities to experience art activities. 

  • Odyssey of a man of many parts

    Odyssey of a man of many parts

    The book comprising of 278 pages and segmented into 15 chapters is dedicated by the lead author to God Almighty and specifically to both parents i.e Late Alhaji Atanda Balogun and Alhaja Ramota Balogun (Nee Akinboro) together with the Late wife, Monsurat Mosunmola Ipesa-Balogun. Whilst the dedication to parents is predicated on their inspiring sacrifices, the dedication to late wife is resultant of her dotting love.

    The book is a compendium of the odyssey of our own Hon. Afeez Ipesa-Balogun through birth, infancy, early school age, high school and tertiary institutions. Mostly centred on dreams and its accomplishments, it also chronicled the young man’s forays into political landscape up till this day of diamond jubilee celebration. The narrative is not devoid of his travails along the journey of life.

    Basically, the author has two major dreams which he virtually accomplished. One, he dreamt of being an aeronautical engineer but ended up as an aircraft maintenance engineer. I can recollect his aphorism: if you want to get to the top of a tree, aim at the moon, you may find yourself on top of the tree, at the least. There were obstacles along the line but they were substantially surmounted.

    Secondly, the author dreamt of being a Speaker but that move was thwarted at the Lagos State House of Assembly. However, he had achieved the ambition at another level earlier at the Ogun State Polytechnic, where he served as the Speaker of the Students Representative Council. In the spirit of resilience, and doggedness, it is not over until it is over, hence, speakership of the House of Representatives is still attainable by Afeez.

    In Chapter One – “A Baby comes to Life”, the author chronicles his early life from conception, birth, through to infancy. The chapter reveals the author’s humble parental background and the meaning of his surnames. Of importance in this chapter is the transmutation of baby “Afisu” in 1964 to Afeez in 1998.

    Chapter Two titled “Afeez Heads for School” delves on the author’s early educational life and the passion for western education by his virtually illiterate parents. He entered primary school when an applicant must stretch hand over his head to touch his ear. From Mushin Town Council Primary School to Holy Saviour’s College Isolo, Lagos State. This chapter significantly disclosed the bravery of young Afeez who confronted a much dreaded senior that later became friendly to him. The chapter also revealed that young Afeez was a member of Boys Scout of Nigeria and also managed to make the reserve bench of the school’s football team. In the Chapter, we also discovered that Afeez was not perturbed by his lack-lustre performance at the WASCE as he went on to retake his papers at the Abeokuta Institute of Continuing Education Centre where he eventually came out in flying colours.

    The Third Chapter titled “Propelled by Dreams” evaluates the importance of dreams. It unearthed the author’s incursion into politics even at the polytechnic level. It also revealed how Afeez got himself into Electrical/Electronics Engineering course due to non-availability of Aeronautical Engineering course in Nigerian higher institutions.

    This Chapter is also of significance because it reveals an instance when Afeez was nominated in Abstentia for a political post by a friend, Biodun Orekoya which eventually charted Afeez’s path into elementary politics. The Fourth Chapter is basically on the emergence of Afeez as the Speaker of the Students’ Representative Council at the Polytechnic.

    Chapter Five is titled “The Power of Dreams” It revealed the series of efforts made by Afeez to achieve his dream which were frustrated by the federal government policy on forex for students. The chapter also delved on how Afeez eventually settled for his PLAN B at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Zaria. We saw how his membership of Rotaract Club in Zaria exposed him to philanthropic and welfaristic dispositions early in life. This also featured in his membership of Gentlemen’s Club, for socialization and relaxations, which turned out to be a profit making venture.

    In Chapter Six, titled “Closer to the Dream: An Aircraft Engineer” the author highlights his engagement with the Concorde Airlines as an aircraft maintenance engineer. The chapter also revealed the overseas’ training opportunities and the conception of the dream for the State House of Assembly. Afeez joined S.D.P (Social Democratic Party).

    Chapter Seven is titled “Foray into Politics” It is an analysis of Afeez’s preparation for the House of Assembly race. His consultations with Pas Olabintan and Banjoko for their endorsements also panned out here.

    In Chapter Eight titled “The Race for Lagos State House of Assembly” We saw how volatile developments emerged during the race for the state house of assembly, especially at the primary level. We also discovered how schism can destroy structures and initiatives to cause disunity between party members, based on factionalization between the Agbalajobi and the Sarumi groups (Prime-rose).

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    We also saw in the chapter how Chief Ademolu Banjoko became a game changer for Afeez. The emergence of Sir Michael Otedola who had 4 NRC representatives in the house as against S.D.P’s 26 members, as the governor of Lagos State is also historically indelible in our memories.

    Chapter Nine, titled “The Elections” has to do with the election into the House of Assembly, the structure of the house i.e 19, 7 & 4. The chapter also revealed the processes leading to the election of Engineer Kinyomi as the Speaker and how Afeez contested against him and lost.

    In Chapter Ten titled “In the Exalted House” i.e, the Hallowed Chamber, the activities and intrigues of the race for speakership of the House of Assembly came to the fore with Afeez losing to Engineer Kinyomi. We also saw processes especially the motion for the construction of drainage from Shogunle to Airforce base. There were also oppositions from Afeez to several infractions made on the floor of the house, especially the constitution of the Standing Committees. Significantly, Afeez kicked against the move by the F.G to amend Decree 50 of 1991, which seeks to give powers to the Governor to appoint Commissioners unilaterally.

    Chapter Eleven of the book is titled “New Alliances”. Of significance is Afeez alliance with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was endorsed as the Lagos West Senatorial district candidate through the newly formed Justice Group which followed the dissolution of Prime-rose circle. Afeez also formed alliance with Opeyemi Bamidele (now Senate leader) who was just fresh from the Nigerian Law School then. Afeez supported and emboldened Opeyemi to contest for House of Representatives Primary. Opeyemi lost the election but Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu was impressed about Opeyemi’s performance despite the loss and with Afeez backing, Asiwaju requested that Opeyemi should follow him to Abuja for further political fine-tuning.

    Another alliance formed by Afeez was with Chief M.K.O Abiola and Prince Eludoyin.These alliances festered into formidable political structures in the later years.

    In Chapter Twelve titled “Forced into Exile”, Afeez’s going to the exile became inevitable upon the annulment of the result of 1993 general election where M.K.O Abiola emerged as the President. We saw how General Sanni Abacha became despotic and crippled political structures. Afeez, Opeyemi, Ahmed Tinubu and a host of other democrats fled the country to fight for the release of Abiola’s mandate.

    There emerged the birth of NADECO. Tinubu eventually emerged the Governor of Lagos State in 1999 and the democrats started returning home. The chapter further revealed how Opeyemi Bamidele and Akeem Apatira were able to make Tinubu’s cabinet and they prepared the ground for Afeez to return. He eventually returned in 2001.

    In Chapter Thirteen titled “Mr Chairman Sir,” We saw an expose of the chairmanship tenure of Afeez both during his first term and his second term, culminating to 7 years altogether. Interestingly, while his first term (2004-2008) was under Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu’s governorship, his second term (2008-2011) was under Mr Raji Fashola. His achievements were chronicled and these spanned through school renovations like St John Catholic School and Afeez-Ipesa Primary School, Beko Public Library, donation of patrol vehicle to the Neighbourhood Watch, Construction of Isopakodowo plank market, Road constructions/repairs, bursary grants to outstanding students and donation of numerous motorcycles through the poverty alleviation scheme. There were basically two travails of Afeez during his chairmanship. First was his mother’s storey building which was engulfed by fire during the campaign for his second term and the second was his detention for seven days at Panti SCID during the electioneering period of Governor Raji Fashola. There is actually no paean without pain.

    Chapter Fourteen which is reputed to be the shortest in this book is titled “Contending with the Sharks of Oshodi,” In the two page chapter, Afeez revealed how the factionalization of the O.P.C militia resulted in loss of several lives and property at a time. This took place during his Chairmanship and he had to deploy means of striking a truce between the contending factions. There were several other security threats to peace and tranquility of the citizens in the environ.

    Chapter Fifteen titled “A Bridge Builder”, is a declaration that with the enormous and vast experience gained so far by Afeez, he is better placed to do better justice to governance when the opportunity unfolds itself soon. The chapter is also a sort of admonition for good conduct, probity, accountability and altruism in governance and public service generally for the betterment of the general populace.

    book review

    Title:             AFEEZ IPESA-BALOGUN:                                               MR SPEAKER … exploration of                                    the archives

    Author:       Afeez Ipesa-Balogun

    Reviewer:  Ohis A. Ojeifo

    Publisher:  Pezolar Nigeria Limited