The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • An artist’s memoirs and memories

    An artist’s memoirs and memories

    Moyo Ogundipe is a professor of Fine and Creative Arts at the Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State.  He is known for his love for myths in his works.  In his ongoing exhibition in Lagos, Ogundipe’s offerings are filled with what he described as mixture of poems and paintings.  In other words, the title of his exhibition Mythopoeia is a derivative from both poems and myths.  This is why he is fondly described as a painter of mythscapes; a mythmaker.

    About all these, he said himself, “Yes my recent works are based on mythology and poetry.  Mythology being an attempt by human beings to understand the world they live in.  In doing this, we create stories to justify our presence on this strange, mysterious and magical world.  Yes, we always try to create stories, to have rites of passage and to know the process of the reasons why we are here,” he said.

    In his works, Ogundipe who once lived in Denver, the United States of America tries to explore both worlds – Nigeria and USA.  His early exposure to the mystics of his Yoruba traditions, inform his deep excursion into the origin and nature of man.  This early history provides a useful frame for his current multimedia paintings – the focus of the exhibition.  Indeed, his return to Nigeria in 2008 led him to turn inwards, to look deeper into those elements of culture he might have taken for granted all along.

    He said: “I try to explore where we are coming from and where we are going to.  And the language of mythology is usually poetry.  Indeed, that is the language I have adopted in most of my works.  It was about 8 years ago that I had my last exhibition here in Nigeria.  Today, what I have noticed is that there have been changes, in my works – themes that I create, including the technique.  In my artistic statement, I made it known that after many years of experimentation, I think I have finally discovered how to define things and articulate my vision as an artist.  This shows my own voice as a creative person.”

    Based on this, however, it is clear that in such works like shrine of love, the artist is symbolic in his message.  It embodies tradition and human nature.  It is part of his search for the unending meaning and reason and rhythm of life.  He has three figures, with each showing the meaning of life in a distinctive way.

    In her artistic statement, the curator of the exhibition, Janine Sytsma makes it clear that Ogundipe is a mythmaker.  “Ogundipe arrived in the US and like most Diaspora looked back in time to view his past, his culture in order to look forward into the culture of Diaspora.  He did just that.  He returned to his ancestral roots for spiritual nourishment and in his works, he therefore represented Yoruba mythic imagery within new aesthetic and ideological contexts to form imaginative utopian mythscapes.”

    The symbolisms of his works espouse reason and contour.  They are so bold in articulation that some of them tend to dwarf the ideas embedded in the form.  Yet, as an artist, Ogundipe believes that his life in the rural place of Iwo, has helped to bring him back to reality.  “It is time to look at our rural folks.  Here, you see a woman with a child on her back, with her tummy protruding while there’s one in front as she walks down the street.  This is one of the typical rural scenes I am confronted with everyday of my life in Iwo.  So, in one of my works, a scene like that is recreated and re-presented.  It is part of this mystic lifestyle we are talking about,” he said.

    In fact, each work evokes its own distinct response, unearthing patterns of labyrinth embedded within.  It is the idea, one often finds in forms of rhapsody.  In his own statement, Kunle Filani, an art scholar and critic, describes Ogundipe as a descendent of great progenitor.  “Yes, his visual articulation is the summative of the meticulous intellectualization of artistic forms by the Yoruba artists over the ages.  The penchant for perfect rationalization of visual images seems ceaseless in the Yoruba creative regenerative continuum.  From the ancient classical Ife bronze and Terra-cotta sculptures, Owo art and even the hybrid of Benin, Tsoedo and Tada bronze to the more recent exquisite Ekiti/Igbomina wood carvings, there is a peculiar compact and sophisticated appropriation of forms that is unique in spite of the remarkable diversity of African art.”

    So, it is within this ambiance that the total concept of the ideas of form, technique and style in Ogundipe’s works revolve.  This concept of myths and poems are so clearly etched in his signatures.

  • Once again, it’s Infinite treasures

    Once again, it’s Infinite treasures

    With its debut exhibit which took place last year, Infinite Treasures II is about to commence again.  Starting yesterday at the Terra Kulture, Lagos, 13 artists in the persons of Kolade Oshinowo, Reuben Ugbine, Abiodun Olaku, Bunmi Babatunde, Sam Ovraiti, Edosa Oguigo, Duke Asidere, Alex Nwokolo, Olusegun Adejumo, Fidelis Eze Odogwu, Diseye Tantua, Mufu Onifade and Segun Aiyesan have come together to show class and prove to the larger society that their unique works are a force to reckon with.

    With five works by each artist, the idea is to set in place classical works in both painting and sculptures that will encourage other artists to always vie for the best.  Thus Infinite Treasures have to come to show that the artists involved are pragmatic people; people who have chosen to showcase the best of their works.  It is a way to prove that others can follow in their footsteps.

    During the press briefing to let the world know what the group had in stock for art lovers, artists and art patrons, Abiodun Olaku, said, “We selected our works from the best we had.  This group came together to prove that excellence is good in what we do.  This year, we have expanded our group to have other younger artists.  We had done distinctions one and two before.  We had equally done Infinite Treasures once.  Now it is time for us to do a perfect show that other artists would see and emulate.”

    Adding their own voices to what Olaku said, other members of the group – Duke Asidere, Sam Ovraiti and Alex Nwokolo commended the resilience of the Infinite treasures group and insisted that it is now time for serious and committed studio artists to be distinctive.  Ovraiti said, “it will be time for younger artists to key into what we do.  We lead by example.  We showcase first class woks and when we have to involve other artists who are ready to be part of us, we’ll not hesitate to include them”.  For him, therefore criticism of art works; criticisms that help to point the way forward are part of what encourage the artist to make amends.  “For me, the ones you do not see physically form part of the spiritual aspect of visuals.  When you work, your mind is embodied with a lot of issues.  It is what the eyes see that it can contemplate,” Ovraiti decided.

    As the works mount the stage at Terra Kulture, the foremost concern of the participating artists is how to bridge the gap between them and curators.  It is often noted that the friction that exists between these two affect the functionality of art business.  However it is advisable if  all the people concerned in the process of ensuring a successful exhibition close ranks for the sake of the sector.

    Olaku, nonetheless, extended his hand of gratitude to Mr. Kunle Tinubu, owner of Trojan Estates, Lagos, for his support and love for the arts and the artists.  “Yes Tinubu extended his grace of financial support to bring our objective to fruition in a most befitting manner expected of this cadre of artists.”

    Essentially, these works have helped to deepen the search for a more conducive creative environment.  This is why today’s outing is totally meant to espouse the frontiers of the visual art sub-sector of the economy.  So, it is time to give big kudos to these fundamentalist artists for their foresight, resilience and relentlessness.

  • ‘I’m in Nigeria to offer dance to my people’

    ‘I’m in Nigeria to offer dance to my people’

    Nigerian-born American dancer, Titilayo Majoyeogbe, who recently visited Nigeria for the first time speaks on the prospects of dance, plus her experience training youngsters and interacting with folks with Gboyega Alaka.

    Watching Titilayo Majoyeogbe, 24 year-old Nigerian-born American dancer role, jump, twist and turn, as she took her Nigerian students in their final dance session, at the CDW Studio, Eric Moore, Lagos, one question that popped up almost ceaselessly in the mind of this reporter, and perhaps every member of the little audience watching was “What flexibility?’

    Majoyeogbe could practically contort her petit, sharp body into any shape and maneuvre she wishes or which the music of the moment demands. Therefore the first question this reporter popped at her as soon as he had the opportunity was, “Do you have a diet regime?”

    To this, she however laughed and said, “I actually don’t have a diet pattern.” Almost unbelievably, she added that she eats a lot of junk foods, including sweets; but stays away from greasy oily foods like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chips and the likes. She encourages people to take a lot of water though, like she had seen her students do, with little snacks like sugar, because dancing can be rigorous and requires energy. “I don’t want anyone getting dehydrated or collapsing in the middle of practice,” she quipped.

    Titilayo’s bio-data on hatchfund.org, an online platform where artists post projects for funding read: “I love taking on new challenges and stepping outside of my box….  I have always had a passion working with the youth and getting involved with improving the community.” It was therefore not a surprise to learn from her that UNLEASH, the masterclass dance workshop, organised in collaboration with Ijodee Dance Centre, in which she had been taking the young aspiring dancers three times a week for one month in Lagos, was entirely her initiative and born out of her desire to reach out to her people in Nigeria.

    “For a very long time, I’d been trying very hard to come to Nigeria. I’m born by Nigerian parents; so that kind of automatically glued me to the Nigerian culture; and being a dancer, I just wanted to offer what I do for a living to my mother and fatherland.” She said.

    Luckily, she found Dayo Liadi, aka Ijo-dee online and UNLEASH happened.

    She remarked that it had been an extraordinary experience for her; just seeing how consistently the young people she’d had to train warmed up to her. “I’ve found everybody so welcoming. I’ve also learnt that one can have fun even with strangers. They wanted to learn more about dance abroad, and were also curious about what kind of movements I also wanted to learn.”

    This sharply contrasted with what the New York-based dancer, who had never been to Nigeria had been fed with, preparatory to her trip.  Amidst laughter, she said: “I got a lot of stories like ‘In Nigeria, you have to be careful who you talk to. You don’t just give anyone information about yourself.’ All sorts of voodoo and taboos and superstitions.”

    Deliberately, she said she never allowed information from the grapevine influence her overall attitude in any venture, hence she “came in with an open mind.”

    Nevertheless arriving in Lagos was a huge culture shock for Majoyeogbe, who said both his parents are from Lagos. (She was later to explain though that her dad hailed from Osun State.) “I came into the airport and there was no light. Wow! I was terrified. The environment was also different. A lot of pollution. I also saw a lot of people on the streets selling as many things as they can just to make sure they put food on the plate for their family. It gave the impression that it’s really hard here and the people have to be out there hustling.”

    Asked to comment on the prospects of dance, which in this writer’s opinion seems to be the last genre of art emerging, Majoyeogbe said dance indeed is still at its growing stage even in America and that it is always expanding. “I would say that there are many genres of dance combining together. We have the afro-contemporary, afro-modern, afro-Cuban; so dance is like always collaborating. It’s always multiple and very competitive.”

    When reminded that dance in Nigeria is yet to reach that level, where it can wholly sustain its professionals, Majoyeogbe said, “Even in America, it’s rare to have anybody, who is doing dance and making a living out of it alone. Not even if they have their own company. So mostly, you’d find people who are very big in dance, who have their own companies, who are dance directors, doing Broadway theatre and all of that, who still have other projects on the side. Some teach in the university; some are like I’m going to do residency; I’m going to have a company; I’m going to do community workshops…; we have to do as much as possible to earn a living. Even if you’re teaching dance in the university, you can’t live on that. It’s not enough.”

    Therefore, she agreed that dance is a profession driven more by passion.

    Reliving more memories of the past one month, Majoyeogbe, who is now back in the United States, said she was privileged to have the opportunity of performing twice at Wajo, a massive dance show held every last Thursday of the month at the Freedom Park, Lagos.  But beyond just performing, she gushed “It was just great for me to see culture on display live, as against on the computer or TV. Even in America, there are different dance companies representing West Africa, but to see it on stage live in Nigeria was a completely different ballgame.”

    Asked if she speaks the Yoruba language, which is like her mother-tongue, Majoyeogbe said, “Small small,” aping the Nigerian manner of expression.

    Pressed further to say something in Yoruba, she said ‘Se daadaa lowa? (Meaning ‘Hope you’re doing well?)

    On whether she does not feel deprived that she does not speak her parents mother-tongue, she said: “The thing is, I understand it fluently because my parents communicate with it a great deal. But I cannot speak it.”

    Majoyeogbe, fondly called T or T-square or TMAJ (the last being the name of her dance company) by friends and fans also displayed amazing flexibility and ability to adapt to all kinds of music. A typical example was when a gentleman from the little audience on the final day of the dance training put her on the spot, requesting her to dance to totally unfamiliar tunes. At that point, Dayo Liadi slotted in a CD, which reeled out all sorts of indigenous Nigerian acts from the old to the contemporary, including Musiliu Aruna Ishola, King Sunny Ade and WizKid. But Majoyeogbe adapted well, slowing down when the beats so demanded and waggling her waist when necessary; drawing huge applause from the apprehensive audience that had thought she would flunk it.

    To this she simply said, “I love the challenge. Besides, once you’re a dancer, music is also in your heart. So you’re not just a dancer, but kind of like a musician in a way. Overall, I’d say it’s all about the rhythm; not even the music. So when you hear a rhythm, as a dancer, you just listen for a moment and then you do what your mind tells you.”

    Titilayo Majoyeogbe Started dancing around age eight and nine, but said she had limited access to it in the sense that she lacked financial support to attend workshops and pursue her dreams; until a lifeline came at a free open community dance workshop, where she was spotted by a lady who insisted that she took dance classes literally on her scholarship. ‘From then on, I took the opportunity and ran with it.” she said

    She has also trained William Forsythe Company and the university of Music and Performing Arts in Germany.

  • Ode to joy: Tribute to Sankara

    Ode to joy: Tribute to Sankara

    Former Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Chairman, National Conference 2014, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, pay tribute to unsung hero, Burkina Faso’s former military president, the late Captain Thomas Isidore Sankara. He was killed during a military coup in 1987.

    All creatures drink of joy

    At nature’s breast.

    Just and unjust

    Alike taste of her gift;

    She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,

    A tried friend to the end.

    [Even] the worm has been granted sensuality,

    And the cherub stands before God!

    Gladly, as His heavenly bodies fly

    On their courses through the heavens,

    Thus, brothers, you should run your race,

    As a hero going to conquest.

    (Friedrich Schiller, Ode to Joy, 3rd verse and chorus)

    This is odd. Quite oxymoronic.Ode to Joy as tribute to a fallen young hero? Should this not be appropriately titled: Lamentations?:

    “How the mighty have fallen in battle!

    ‘’ Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

    ‘’I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me.

    ‘’Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.

     ”How the mighty have fallen!

    ‘’The weapons of war haveperished!” (2 Samuel 1: 25-27)

    The ancient Greeks resolved this conundrum when Perseus answered boldly: ‘’Better to die in the flower of youth, on the chance of winning a noble name, than to live at ease like the sheep, and die unloved and unrenowned.’’ (Charles Kingsley: HEROES).

    My own people, the Yoruba, have a similar attitude when they say: “O san k’akunikekere, juk’ad’agba, k’ad’arugbok’ama riadiyeirana”(Better to die young and be celebrated than to die at a grand old age and lack recognition.) Remember Lt. Colonel Francis Fajuyi.

    Yes, Captain Thomas Sankara died at the age of 38 on October 15, 1987. And yet in a book called NATIONALISTE published in October 2012 by Livres Groupe, Sankara is included, along with Kwame Nkrumah and Patrice Lumunba while the names of Presidents For life and other pretenders are missing.

    President Sankara still occupies a special place in my heart for three reasons. Firstly, he was the ureka spark for the Technical Aid Corps scheme. Secondly, he was indirectly responsible for my first and only meeting with the irrespresible and unforgettable Fela. Yes, the same Fela. Thirdly, he occupies the high table in my own pantheon of African Heroes along such figures as Kings of Ancient Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhay, Patrice Lumumba, Amical Cabral, Kwame Nkrumah, Samora Marchel etc.

    But first the beginning. I had planned to spend my first Christmas as a Minister with my family. Around 2am on December 24, my phone rang and it was from our Ambassador in a neighbouring country alerting me that there were rumours that a boundary war had broken out between Mali and Burkina-Faso. There was nothing I could do at that hour as we did not have, at that time, a situation room in Dodan Barracks to call. I thought I would brief President Babangida in the morning. At 7am the following morning, the security phone rang and President Babangida was at the end of the line wanting to know what I was still doing in Nigeria when my Libyan counterpart was already shuttling between Mali and Burkina Faso. I replied that I had not secured permission to travel (a playful cheeky reply). By the end of the day, we were airborne for a five- day shuttle between Mali and Burkina-Faso. That would be the first time that I would meet Sankara. This is not the place for the full story of that mediation effort. But three take aways from that trip. The first was the professionalism of our airforce pilots. One day, we had done four or five roundtrips between both capitals and had planned to spend the night in Burkina Faso. But President Sankara made an offer which I had to convey to General MoussaTraore that very night and bring back a reply to Captain Sankara. By this time, it was past midnight. I turned to the airforce officers and asked if we had exceeded their daily flying hours. They replied “Sir, just tell us where you want to go and we’ll fly you in there and put you on the ground.” We flew into Mali, the airport lights were switched on, we drove to the Presidential Palace where the President was waiting in full General’s combat dress. I delivered the message. He stared at me for sometime and asked me for my views on the proposal. This was tricky because he could react to my interpretation rather than the message itself. But in discussion during the flight, my officers and I had thought of the possibility. So after a decent diplomatic hesitation to give the impression that I was thinking about it, I said I thought it was a win-win offer. He agreed but wanted an innocuous rephrasing of two sentences. He wanted a reply by 10am. I told him his airport was shut for the night. He replied: “No, it is waiting for you to fly out.” I asked for an extension to noon for a reply. He agreed. He walked our delegation to the door and as  he shook my hand, he bent over and whispered in English, with a heavily French accent “No Victor, No vanquished”. Both of us burst out in peals of laughter to the consternation of our officers (his and mine) who did not know what he had whispered in my ears.

    When we got to the airport, it was a perfect take off and a perfect landing at the other end. Close to 15 hours of going to and fro. What brilliant airforce guys. The best and the brightest.

    The second take away was hilarious. On one occasion, we got to the Burkina Faso airport for urgent take off only for us to be told that the airport was closed and the runway lights switched off. On further prodding, we were told that they were expecting an august visitor whose identity they would not reveal. But we were told that we could take off after the arrival of the anonymous august visitor. And so we waited in the V.I.P. lounge which is used for both arrival and departure of V.I.Ps. After a while, there was a flurry of activities and in marched in Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings, President of Ghana, in his customary flight suit. I knew him and of course he recognised me but there was no exchange of formalities. Then we were allowed to take off. The irony in all of that episode was that if I had been allowed to take off when I was ready, I would not have been any wiser about the visit of Rawlings.

    The third take away was my meeting with the Libyan Foreign Minister when I landed in Burkina Faso. He told me that he was under instruction to cooperate with me and that he wanted us to jointly sponsor the Nigerian proposal which was what we did.

    I bonded with President Sankara and I found him very simple, very direct and very appreciative of Nigerian leadership. Incidentally, President Houephuet-Boigny of Cote D’Ivoire shared the same view but wanted Nigeria to be more patient in its dealings with the Francophonie African countries. He was so certain that France would withdraw from Africa as she faced increasing financial burden at home. More about this but not here and not now.

    Sankara had a strategic vision of African unity that was devoid of egoism or parochialism. When IBB came in, in 1985, Nigeria was occupying the Chairmanship of Economic Comunity of West African States (ECOWAS). But the Francophone West African countries had practically lost interest in attending the ECOWAS summit. Therefore one of the objectives of the 1986 planned summit was to reenergise their interest. On the advice of President Eyadema of Togo, we headed for Cote D’ivoire to consult President Houephouet-Boigny. He promised to attend in the company of all the Francophone West African leaders. But he laid down one condition. By rotation, President  Sankara was due to be elected Chairman of ECOWAS at the 1986 summit. Houphouet-Boigny insisted that this would not be acceptable. Instead, he suggested that Nigeria should be prepared to accept a second term, and he would be prepared to sponsor such candidature. Under all circumstances, this was a diplomatic blow against Sankara. How would Sankara react? Would he decide to boycott the conference? Would his ally, President Rawlings, join in the boycott?

    I was dispatched to smoothen things out with Sankara. He not only accepted with grace, he led a 27-man delegation to the Summit. Grace under pressure: the definition of a great man.

    On another official visit to Burkina-Faso, President Sankara pulled me aside and made a simple request. Would Nigeria please build a primary school and staff it with English teachers because he believed that the future in Africa belonged to the English language and he wanted the Burkinabes to become bilingual. The cost of building the school was only N60,000. On returning home, I received approval for the aid. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to get President Babangida to approve in principle the concept of technical assistance instead of financial aid. Even though we gave financial assistance on this occasion, President Sankara would have had no objection to sending a Nigerian contractor to execute the project with cement and other materials sourced from Nigeria. There was no Nigerian contractor interested in the contract at that sum. But the seed of the Technical Aid Corps scheme has been planted in my mind and more importantly, in President Babangida’s mind. And we have Sankara to thank for that.

    The second debt I owe Sankara was my meeting with FelaAnikulapo-Kuti. When Fela was released in 1986, I sent my Personal Assistant (P.A.) to him at the Shrine, that I would come that night to congratulate him on his release. My P. A. came back and told me that Fela said I should not come because I would not like it (diplomatic language for “you won’t fit in”). Fela said he knew my role in securing his release and he would call on me later. I thought he had forgotten about this.

    Then one day, the unthinkable happened. Normally, the Ministry of External/Foreign Affairs is the royalty of the service. The Ministry is very quiet; officers carry themselves with regal postures and deliberate steps; and voices are never raised. Then one day, there was a positive commotion like the type one encounters in a sports stadium. There were cheers like rolling thunder. There was an uproar. Over the intercom, and with no attempt to hide the alarm in my voice, I asked my Secretary what was going on. She replied that Fela was coming to see me. I rushed to the corridor and there was Fela acknowledging the cheers like a gladiator with his two hands in the air. He was accompanied by the ever protective BekoRansome-Kuti. Not even my presence dampened the acclamation.

    Having welcomed him to my office, my Secretary came in to ask him what he would like to have. He looked round at the opulence of the office and waved her away. He said he was coming from IBB with a message that I should facilitate his trip to Burkina-Faso as he had accepted an invitation from Thomas Sankara to participate in a Cultural Festival. That was news to me and I had no idea what IBB wanted me to do. But you did not argue with Fela. I told him to give me a few days and he replied that the Festival was starting in three days time. With anybody else, I would have replied that it was not possible. With Fela, I did not dare. He got up to leave and signaled to Beko who pulled something from his bag. Fela turned to me and said “I understand you like Cuban cigars. Here is something for you”. It was the biggest cigar, wrapped of course, that I had ever seen. It was about the size of a small bottle of bottled water. I thank him and promised that I would do justice to it. I was going to walk him to the lift but he excused me. It would have cramped his style. Another roar greeted him and saw him on his way. Thanks to IBB, within twenty-four hours, we had met Fela’s requirements.

    The following week, I related the whole episode to Professor OlikoyeRansome-Kuti, Fela’s eldest brother, who was the then Minister of Health. He said in a very raised alarm “Bolaji, I hope you have not smoked that thing.” I said “actually no. But I smoke cigars”. Prof. said “Bolaji, that is not a cigar. It is marijuana”. I almost fainted at the irony that here we were in the Council of Ministers chambers where also the Armed Forces Ruling Council met and we were talking about marijuana. On top of it, the offending item was still on my table in the office. My God, heresy in the House of the prophet!

    The final debt I owe him was reawakening my faith that Africa will continue to always have a hero, no matter how many traitors abound. I will do injustice by attempting a deconstruction of what Thomas Sankara stood for. Let his own words do justice to him:

    “You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future. It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future.”

    Thomas Sankara

    “The revolution and women’s liberation go together. We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or out of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the revolution to triumph. Women hold up the other half of the sky.”

    “Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence. I hear the roar of women’s silence. I sense the rumble of their storm and feel the fury of their revolt.”

    “Che Guevara taught us we could dare to have confidence in ourselves; confidence in our abilities. He instilled in us the conviction that struggle is our only recourse. He, was a citizen of th free world that together we are in the process of building. That is why we say that Che Guevara is also African and Burkinabe.”

    “While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.”

    Thomas Sankara

    “I want people to remember me as someone whose life has been helpful to humanity.”

    “It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future.”

    Thomas Sankara

    “It’s really a pity that there are observers who view political events like comic strips. There has to be a Zorro, there has to be a star. No, the problem of Upper Volta is more serious than that. It was a grave mistake to have looked for a man, a star, at all costs, to the point of creating one, that is, to the point of attributing the ownership of the event to captain Sankara, who must have been the brains, etc.”

    “If you take a walk around Ouagadougou and make a list of the mansions you see, you will note that they belong to just a minority. How many of you who have been assigned to Ouagadougou from the farthest corners of the country have had to move every night because you’ve been thrown out of the house you have rented? To those who have acquired houses and land through corruption we say: start to tremble. If you have stolen, tremble, because we will come after you”

    His Grave October 2 2016

    When he was assassinated on October 15, 1987, I prepared a very emotional tribute which President Babangida vetoed. When I offered to sign it over my personal name, he still vetoed it with the words “You have no personal name. You are Nigerian External Affairs Minister”. It is 29 years later and the tribute is 29 years late.

     

    • Prof Akinyemi was Minister of External Affairs, 1985 to 1987 and Deputy Chairman, 2014 National Conference.

                                                   

  • Firms and forex

    Firms and forex

    •CBN has to ensure judicious use of their allocations 

    The reported claim by the Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods Limited, Chief Eric Umeofia, that about 1,500 employees of the $150m Lagos plant would lose their jobs if the company closes, following the lack of foreign exchange, invited our sympathy. Indeed, the worries expressed by the placard-carrying workers further heightened our concern. But a claim by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), that the company recently received about N2 billion worth of foreign exchange leaves us bewildered as to what could have happened to the humongous forex, which the company received.

    The reason by Erisco, for threatening to close shop, is not far from what other companies that are supposedly indigenous manufacturers also complain about. In the words of the CEO: “We cannot get forex to buy machinery. We run our big factory with forex sourced from the parallel market at the exchange rate of N450/dollar. The companies that get forex at the official exchange rate are those that import items included in the list of items not valid for forex”. He went on:   “We cannot continue this business because we are running at a loss while importers continue to flood our markets with banned tomato paste and prevent our products from selling.”

    So, much as we sympathise with Erisco and other companies in similar situation, we dare say that if the companies source their raw materials locally as they ought to, then the foreign exchange they get would be used to import only spare parts and new machinery. Indeed, many people earnestly thought that Erisco is fully indigenous, and were hoping that it will greatly impact on the local economy, through technology transfer, and also help reduce the pressure on our scarce foreign exchange.

    Even while we are not discountenancing the enormous investment by the company, or others in similar challenge, we guess that the solution to the scarcity of forex actually lies in backward integration, instead of moving the factory offshore, as threatened. As the CEO ought to know, the enormous market potentials which Nigeria has in abundance, cannot be compared to any other country in the sub-region.

    While urging the company to stay, we also expect that the Central Bank and the primary sellers of our scarce foreign exchange would keep a watchful eye on the use of forex sold by them. While the dealers and the supervisor must ensure that those given forex as manufacturers don’t divert them, it must also ensure that only those allowed by the current regime to get forex get it. The claim by the CEO that traders in banned items get forex at official rate while his company buys from the parallel market needs to be examined.

    Part of the challenge of having divergent forex exchange rate, between the official and the parallel, is the temptation by beneficiaries of official forex, to resort to round-tripping, instead of using the forex for the purpose for which it was gotten. This temptation is always so strong, that unless the regulator has a far superior capacity to monitor, and a strong deterrent measure, the temptation to start dealing in forex, instead of in goods and services, further compounds the pressure on the officially available forex.

    So, while wishing Erisco a rebound in business, to save the jobs of its numerous workers, and the investment by the investors, we urge it to look inward, in sourcing its paste, if it has not been doing so. We guess that the middle belt of our country, has all the potentials to produce all the raw materials to produce enough tomato paste for the west-African sub-region.

  • Art, humanities experts seek solution to poverty

    Scholars of the Arts and Humanities have gathered at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, to examine poverty, which has been troubling African countries. Their studies point to the humanities as an area from which a solution can spring up, PAUL ADE-ADELEYE reports. 

    Scholars of the humanities gathered recently at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife to examine the issue of poverty, towards proferring solutions.

    The event held at the Faculty of Arts Conference with the theme: Humanities and the discourse of poverty in developing countries.

    Setting the tone for the conference, Dean, Faculty of Arts, OAU, Prof Gbemisola Adeoti, noted that the conference was in fulfilment of the faculty’s position as a centre of knowledge production towards a better humanity.

    He said: “The annual conference over the years has remained an avenue for scholarly reflections on pertinent issues affecting our existence as Africans in the modern world through intellectual lenses provided by our various humanistic disciplines, from performing and literary arts to language, history, religion and philosophy.”

    Poverty, he continued, had not only interested scholars in the humanities, but has also occupied a prominent position in many government policies and programmes from independence till date.  He recommended investigation into the wealth of opportunity and the diverse and passionate ways in which poverty could be eliminated through music scholarship.

    Provost, OAU PostGraduate School, Prof Charles Akanbi, representing the Acting Vice Chancellor, spoke on the timeliness of the discourse, saying that poverty had come under international scrutiny. He noted that Nigeria and other countries are experiencing recession, and that the conference should offer an intellectual approach to mitigating  poverty.

    Stressing the importance of the humanities to combatting poverty, Prof Adebayo Ekanola, the Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, said to understand poverty, the country must take a step forward and  re-examine the educational system.

    He said it was a shame that  Nigeria was travelling in reverse, and that many people were dying not because of poverty, but because of structural violence.

    Meanwhile, Dr Atinuke Olayade of the Department of Music, Delta State University, presented her study on poverty through music, noting that music and poverty co-exist in Africa.

    She said African literature has blossomed through the works of Profs Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and others. Its more rhythmic counterpart, music, has struggled to secure proper placement in the society.

    She said: “Many students feel that subjects that are not listed with proper status are inferior to those that are adequately scheduled on the timetable.” She further revealed that her research found that the activities of grassroots traditional artistes and music scholars are yet to be acknowledged by the Nigerian society because music education in Nigeria has not reflected the music business opportunities.

    Deconstructing poverty as a concept and a scourge was Professor Rufus Akinyele of the department of History and strategic studies in University of Lagos, who described the problem of poverty as “one of the problematics that development economists generally classify as age-long issues because they have proved very difficult to resolve.”

    He said: “History can contribute to the discourse in two major ways.  First, through the branch of the discipline called subaltern History.  This is the branch of history that is concerned with the study of the poor, the low class or the voiceless in the society.  As of now, scholars in this area seem to concentrate mainly on the urban poor. At another level, economic historians can study the process by which some countries have moved from less developed countries to advanced countries and the lesson we can learn from this.”

    He also noted that the search for a solution to any problem, poverty included, usually starts from a correct diagnosis of the problem, adding that in the search for these solutions, the Humanities should take a respectable lead.

  • Art Fair holds Nov 4 to 6

    Art Fair holds Nov 4 to 6

    Discussions by top-flight artists and collectors on how to restrategise in a multi-billion naira economy as well as art business will form a major segment of a new art fair, ARYT X Lagos, which holds between November 4 and 6 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The collectors’ series (panel of discussants), according to the fair curator Bisi Silva, would also examine why women are in the forefront of promoting creative industry, the rise of women entrepreneurs and women artists who are pushing the boundaries in the sector.

    “Panel discussions featuring Africa’s biggest art collectors speaking on themes relevant to the art of collecting and the significance of art as an asset class. This session will open with a champagne brunch for 75 VIP collectors,” she said.

    Founder/Director ART X Lagos Tokini Peterside assured that pupils in arts schools in Lagos would be reached to mobilise their interest in the fair.

    “We expect to see hundreds of youths at the fair, especially on November 6, which is dedicated to musical show for the youth,” she said.

    She continued: “I am encouraged by the interest and support we have received so far from all partners. This affirms our decision to go ahead with the project. As Nigeria and its neighbouring countries seek to diversify and expand their economies, our investment in the creative industry via Art X Lagos, offers a vital platform for growth and increased visibility, to artists and galleries.”

    The fair, designed to widen the country’s connection to the contemporary art scene in Africa and in the world, would also feature talks, exhibitions of painting, photography, sculpture, video art, performance art mixed media graffiti and sound art by no fewer than 65 African artists, the organisers said.

    It would attract no fewer than 14 Africa’s most prestigious galleries, exhibiting the  best contemporary artists. They include South Africa’s William Kentridge, Zimbabwe’s Kudszanai Chiurai, Ghna’s Jeremiah Quarshie, Cameroon’s Barthelemy Togou, Mali’s Amadou Sanogo and Nigeria’s Sokari Douglas Camp, Rubi Onyiyechi Amanze, Alimi Adewale, George Osodi, Victor Ehikamenor and Lakin Ogunbanwo.

    Eight galleries from Nigeria are expected to participate in the fair while six curated exhibitions of photography and illustration would feature artists, such as Malick Sidibé and Ogunbanwo.

    Among the galleries are Stevenson Gallery (South Africa), Barthelemy Toguo (Cameroon), Goodman Gallery (South Africa), William Kentridge (South Africa), Misheck Masamvu (Zimbabwe), Sam Nhlengethwa (South Africa), Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze (Nigeria), Ghada Amer (Egypt), Kudzanai Chiurai (Zimbabwe), Gallery 1957 (Ghana) and Jeremiah Quarshie (Ghana).

    Nnotable speakers, such as Prof El Anatsui, Prof Bruce Onabrakpeya and Mark Coetzee, Director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, are being expected.

    There would be live art, sound and performance installations at the event, featuring some of the country’s brightest emerging art stars, and a special collaboration project with the music industry, featuring musicians, such as Vector, Simi, Ikon and Poe. This is to make the fair attractive for a broader audience.

     

  • Good leadership is panacea to recession

    Good leadership is panacea to recession

    How did a country so rich in resources – human and minerals – descend into the depths of recession and unemployment? How did the ‘giant of Africa’slip to the background in the affairs of nations? Revd Sam Adeyemi, founder, Daystar Christian Centre, at his Leadership Academy, answered these questions, Paul Ade-Adeleye reports.

    For 14 years, the Daystar Leadership Academy has consistently provided leadership training to many Nigerians, especially its members.

    Revd Sam Adeyemi, Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, is certain that some of the people who have passed through the academy will eventually become leaders who will make a difference in the country.

    Speaking at ninth edition of the Excellence in Leadership Conference, he said: “We want to present models before the younger generation. The conference has been growing in leaps and bounds over the years since we started. People come even from outside Nigeria to attend this conference. This year, our theme is: Maximising your influence.”

    He noted that there is a problem of leadership in Nigeria, saying the country did not need to experience recession. Explaining, he said the problem with leadership in Africa is that it is tied to position.

    “The marks of true leaders are sacrifice and service. But we have a structure of leadership in our part of the world where being a leader makes you superior to the people you are leading and most of the resources are used to sustain the leader. So, our objective in the conference of this year, is to let each person realise we are not as helpless or as powerless as you think we are. We all have capacity to influence and I want to teach people how to do it because some of us have tried it.”

    The senior pastor added that while many of the oil-producing countries were experiencing recession, Nigeria is particularly in the thick of it because the ruling class got cheap money and refused to empower Nigeria, and what Nigerians need to understand is that the three arms of government will not work to empower the masses to create wealth.

    “Our purpose has always been to raise role models in the society and people who will be examples. So, we started various platforms for doing this. But, practically, everything we do in our church is about growing people. It’s about helping people to find their purpose. This is why weset up a leadership school in 2002,” he said of the purpose for establishing the centre.

    He stressed that there was no short-term fix to the recession, noting: “There is no short-term solution to it. It is long-term. It is the laws of demand and supply here. We simply are not earning enough foreign exchange, and we are not producing well enough to sell to the world.”

    He explained that while the sale of the country’s assets is not a bad idea and is, in fact,  logical, the problem with it is that “all of us know that if they sell those assets, nothing will come to Nigeria.” The result, he said, is predictable, adding that the people need to go for the jugular of the structure.

    He identified a deficiency of leadership programmes in the country as the cause of poor leadership in the country, adding that Africa has a reputation of turning out the worst examples of leaders in the world.

    “We help people to break free from self-centeredness so that they will focus on people’s needs, and then we help people to discover how they have been equipped by God with gifts and talents to meet people’s needs. We encourage the acquisition ofskillsand education as well as development of the mind. We tell ourselves that our services are merely leadership conferences,” he said.

    He said Africa has acquired quite a reputation for producing some of the worst quality of leaders in the world. To provide a solution so that Nigerians would not remain helpless, he said we needed a generation of leaders that have conscience.

    Empowering people at the conference, which will run from November 2 to 4, will be Bill Hybels, Pastor of Willow Creek Church in Chicago, United States, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Africa’s richest woman, Kenyan Pastor and businessman, Julian Kyula, TV host, Mo Abudu, Pastor AguIrukwu of the Board of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the United Kingdom, renowned economist Bimbo Olashore, CEO of Lead Capital Plc and Chude Jideonwo, CEO of Red Media. Each session will be streamed on the Internet free.

    He urged people to look beyond their noses and not be inhibited by their circumstances. There are opportunities in the recession, he explained. All it takes is for each individual to identify what other people need, and if such a person could provide for that need, it would be a step towards reversing the recession.

    He stressed that wisdom should be watchword in expenditures during the recession as  people need to readjust their priorities.

     

  • Onobrakpeya: Ode to the master

    Onobrakpeya: Ode to the master

    Hogan Lovells, a global law firm, and the Lagos Court of Arbitration have celebrated one of Africa’s most-respected artists, Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya. They hosted a group exhibition titled: Onobrakpeya and the Harmattan Workshop at the Lagos Court of Arbitration, Lekki. The exhibition featured over 300 artworks created at the yearly Harmattan workshop organised by Onobrakpeya at Agbarha-Otor in Delta State. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports. 

    IT started 23 days ago and it will hold for four months. The first three floors of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) building in Lekki will host no fewer than 300 artworks by Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya and 124 Nigerian and international artists who participated in the yearly Harmattan workshop which began in 1998. The event,which started on September 16, will end on December 16.

    The exhibition, titled: Onobrakpeya and The Harmattan Workshop, is the first to be hosted by the LCA. It is also the first time a global law firm is partnering a Nigerian court to promote contemporary indigenous art. Aside the size of the collections, the exhibition is being sponsored by two notable corporate bodies committed to the promotion of intellectualism and cultural values in Africa.

    The Onobrakpeya workshop was conceived in 1988, when the famous artist began an informal training for his colleagues.

    A giant metal sculpture Forest of keys stands close to the entrance of the LCA building, literarily welcoming guests. Also on the ground for visitors to savour are artworks in The road to Agbarha-Otor series. The works by 124 artists capture the various scenes, emotional and physical landscapes of the serene Agbarha-Otor community in diverse media, ranging from painting to sculpture, print and mixed.

    At close range, The road to Agbarha-Otor gives viewers the panoramic view of the vegetation of the Niger Delta community, its flat landscape, thick mangrove and rain forest and the human activities that include farming and fishing. But the styles of presentation of the works vary from one artist to another: stylised, realistic, impressionistic, expressionistic and abstract, among others.

    A walk to the other three floors gives the visitor a holistic view of the collection, including works by Onobrakpeya on the first floor; Our Culture Our Wealth, which shows sculptures and video screening of objects on the second floor as well as Friendship & connectivity/experimentation and self discovery on the third floor.

    At the preview recently were the Hogan Lovells Africa team, including their Head of Africa office, Andrew Skipper; the President of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, Yemi Candide-Johnson; Onobrakpeya and the curator of the exhibition, Sandra Obiago.

    On the firm’s interest in Nigerian art, Skipper who is also a director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, said: “Hogan Lovells has great respect for Africa and the art of Africa. We support African culture for its uniqueness, beauty, and transformational quality. Professor Bruce is an inspiring artist and teacher whose works we are in awe of, and who is changing the lives of the disempowered people across Nigeria who he trains.”

    He noted that Nigeria is one of the key markets the global law firm operates in, and that when you understand the culture of people it is easier to do business with them.

    Skipper reiterated Hogan Lovells’ commitment to investing in Nigeria despite the economic challenges. “Hogan Lovells has a global view. We look at things in the long term and we know that Africa will be strong, so it is critical for us to be here. Nigeria is a country where you simply cannot Not be in, and we are here for the long term,” he reassured.

    Lagos Court of Arbitration President Yemi Candide-Johnson expressed the court’s willingness to continue supporting art and culture in Nigeria, noting that the court had opened its doors to art lovers to showcase art works, and challenging other corporate bodies to do same.

    Commending Hogan Lovells’sponsorship of the initiative, he said: “Sponsorships like this shouldn’t be a one-time initiative. It is important to find sponsors who are in it for the long term and Hogan Lovells is filling a huge vacuum in this regard by lending their support to this initiative.”

    Candide-Johnson said works of art were a product of rigorous intellectual reasoning, which helps a people identify their root, project the future and showcase their cultural diversity. He said LCA would encourage and invest in any intellectual endeavour capable of promoting sound minds and intellectual advancement, a category works of art falls into.

    He said LCA staged the exhibition to show the world that Africa has a rich culture and is blessed with many great intellectuals that are able to project what Africa stands for through world-class works of art.

    On the link between arts and arbitration, Candide-Johnson said both involve deep thinking and systematic building of variables to arrive at end results that promote harmony in the society. 

    Onobrakpeya described the Harmattan workshop as an alternative source of art education, saying that the artists have the freedom to express themselves without being bogged down by academic settings or expectations, and are actually able to develop themselves. “People in the rural areas also get access to learning that they would not normally have, and we are discovering people who are able to use their art to tell stories,” he said.

    The three-month exhibition is the fourth outing by the workshop. To Onobrakpeya, this year’s show is of very high standard, adding that there were some works that are not exhibited as a result of logistics. “Time to prepare for the exhibition was relatively short. So, we couldn’t present all the works. I look forward to more of this quality show and our corporate bodies should take the initiative in joining in the promotion of Nigerian art,’’ he said

    Curator of the exhibition Mrs Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago said instead of complaining of space constraints, she decided to look outside the box to present art in multipurpose buildings in Lagos, such as LCA building. She noted that such window of opportunity is what the Wheat Baker Hotel and Radisson Blue Hotel in Lagos are offering the art.

    She however recalled the challenges she went through to hold he exhibition, saying it took her almost two years of seeking sponsorship and ideal venues. “For two years, I have been looking for sponsors and ideal venues. Hogan Lovells is an example of a great sponsor of African culture. We started the dialogue about this partnership last year. In fact, I need to show art to a new community that is leading in the nation’s economy in the area of law. Interestingly, some of the works on display have not been shown anywhere,” she said.

    Obiago described the curating of the exhibition as a tough assignment, especially the selection of works that made the final collection on display.

    She disclosed that the exhibition is one of the most complex shows considering the works and size of collection, funding and supporting as well as finding ideal venues.

    The preview session also featured several discussions on the potential importance of art to the economy as an alternative source of income, as well as the need for more corporate entities to invest in art and culture by supporting informal education centres and developing art in Nigeria.

    To ensure that the threevmonths are effectively maximised in luring larger and diverse audience to the exhibition, four tour guides are on ground to take viewers round the exhibition. This, she said, was expected to lure other corporate bodies to follow suit in opening up to art shows.

  • Soslimm signs two new acts

    Soslimm signs two new acts

    UNITED Kingdom-based entertainment marketer and promoter Soslimm Entertainment has signed on young artistes Lewes Goon Boi and Beejay Smallz, for a two-year recording deal.

    Speaking at the signing in Lagos last week, the firm’s  Chief Executive Mr. Olumide Fadayo said the acts are talents that should be marketed and promoted.

    He noted that he listened to the acts’songs and was satisfied with their quality, wondering why they had not been discovered. “We have a lot to offer the entertainment industry. We are not going to be just a record label owner versus artistes, but a family,” he said.

    Fadayo said the recording firm would be attending to issues of accommodation and mobility that would enhance their productivity. According to him, the two-year contract would cover digital sales, recording, marketing, merchandise, performances, endorsement among others, adding that the two musicians are by law, representatives of the company.  He disclosed that the sharing ratio of their earnings during the period would be 60-40 to company and act.

    “Soslimm was established in London in 2009 to promote African music and culture. It has keen interest in hardworking youths and ready to turn the face of entertainment industry,” he added.

    Soslimm Manager Mr. Omonije Samuel Ayomide said the ceremony was a happy moment for the family, saying he would do his best to perform his obligation as manager as well as make the new acts under the label A1.

    Goon Boi (real name Adeleye Wewe), son of former Ondo State Culture and Tourism Commissioner Chief Tola Wewe, disclosed that he would soon do a collaboration with another act.

    He said instrumentals were his source of inspiration. Boi, a student of Performance and Film Art at the Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, has two releases to his credit – Bmyne (2011) and Player (2016). “If I were not into music, I would have been into Fine Art,” he said.

    For Smallz, meeting Soslimm was a big opportunity from which much was being expected.