Category: Arts & Life
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Kongi’s Harvest throws up more questions
As Professor Wole Soyinka marks his 81st birthday, series of events have been put in place to honour him. Among them is the staging of one of his most popular plays, Kongi’s Harvest. Edozie Udeze, who watched the play last weekend in Lagos, reports on the intrigues and ripples generated by the play on many issues troubling the land
Professor Wole Soyinka came alive last weekend in his total theatrical and literary epitome. The venue was Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos and the play was Kongi’s Harvest. As the play mounted the stage as part of series of programmes to mark Soyinka’s 81st birthday, what took hold of theatre buffs and thespians most was yet the burning issues raised in the play by Soyinka. Although the play is not one of his most staged plays in Nigeria or anywhere else, Kongi’s Harvest is his most recommended text in schools across the globe.
It contains series of the problems that plaque Nigeria as a country. Directed by Segun Adefila and performed by his troupe, The Crown Troupe of Africa, the intrigues of leadership in a society where autocratic and reactionary and progresive forces combine to torment the common man – all in an attempt to jostle for supremacy reared their ugly heads once more. Many thought the play was to go the usual Soyinka way, but Adefila deliberately chose to intersperse it with “mixed menu of dance, drama and music. This has helped me to serve a palatable play, served to showcase the numerous and conflicting problems bedeviling this society” Adefila averred.
Oba Danlola and Kongi were engaged in battle of wits. Who of the two would be in control of the soul of the society? While the images of corruption on both sides tried to militate against the progress of the system, most of their followers could not even understand the direction the two leaders tried to toe. What is Kongi up to? Is he really for the masses when he often throws his perceived opponents into prison? How can he liberate the people when his attitude, his leadership competence is in question? If the society, mostly his closest allies cannot vouch for him, cannot trust him for one moment, how can they then rely on him for liberation and for the harvest?
This was why Oba Danlola refused to give in to his series of entreaties and ignominious attitude towards him and the masses. Not that Danlola himself is a better leader who has the ear of his people. He too is despised by his subjects due to his own excesses as an Oba. However, in him and Kongi, we see the meeting of the new and the old order, where none is prepared to sue for peace. Their hold on what they believe in does not however help to make for peace, progress and development.
The opening scenes quickly drew attention to the volatile nature of the play. There were series of songs and displays, with the artistes adorned in white costumes. As they approached the stage it appeared they were up to some mischief. The drums played away to usher in these dancers who introduced the play and told the audience that the Kabiyesi was seated on his throne. Already the squabble between him and Kongi had begun. The palace dancers were only to make it more obvious.
This done, the stage was now set for their emissaries to go to and fro to address the audience on the series of intrigues involved in the matter. Then more furious drumming and singing followed, all of which encompassed the rottenness of the system. With the Oba addressing his people to disparage Kongi, the people held their breath because they knew that castigating Kongi was tantamount to death sentence.
At this point the following dialogue ensured between the representatives of the two leaders. Daodu, who stood in for the Oba fumed thus: “Yes, the excitement at it alone should appeal to him. Kabiyesi loves to act roles. Like Kingship. For him, Kingship is a role.” Then the secretary who represented Kongi retorted. “Now where did I hear that before? Seems I heard it… that’s right. Now that’s funny, isn’t it? One of the Aweri said exactly the same of Kongi. ‘A flair for gestures, he said.”
And finally it appeared Daodu would have his way when he boomed: “Ah, may be that’s why they hate each other’s gut.” But the secretary is not done yet. She then went to say: “Aha! Professional jealousy! Eh?…Intrigues, machinations and manipulations coil forcefully to snuff out life from love and progress. But good, they say, eventually triumphs or does it?”
Thus, the King and Kongi kept on with such arguments that the issue of the harvest, an important embodiment of the message in the drama was temporarily ignored. But the people ought to come together to celebrate the new yam festival. If this is done at the behest of Kongi, how good would it be to the people? Because his temperament was never certain, the issue of bringing the people together for that purpose then became somewhat a nightmare.
Here progress and tradition meet to torment the soul of the society. None even shifted an inch or made attempt to listen to see how to resolve the logjam. Then, Kongi losing his temper once more took Oba Danlola away. Having hounded him and his followers in prison, he began to agitate for total submission to his whims and caprices. Danlola who was released based on stiffer conditions, later went back to his old ways.
He refused to submit to the dictates of Kongi, branding him a brute and a dictator. He also deliberately insisted on more conducive conditions to call for the new year festival. In the end the points of digression were never resolved. Not even the presentation of the yam could appease Kongi whose harvest hinged on his belief in his aiye fraternity. Kongi even saw it beyond rhetorics, beyond the thematic thrust of the story itself. It is not only this story itself, the issue of the new order, the order of the reformed aweri fraternity. This was where he had so much hope, wanting to use it to replace the old order. But from the behaviour of both men, none seemed to be either for old or new order.
With rich costumes of different colours to suit the different scenes and the messages they conveyed, Adefila really brought the play nearer to the people. In his updating some certain scenes to sychronise with the scenes of the present day Nigeria, he truly succeeded as a well-tested director. The issues of Boko Haram, the bombing in many places in Nigeria, the problem of education and leadership quagmire in the society – all reared their ugly heads to draw the message nearer home.
There were prostitutes all over the place and then they were unable to settle down to a good life. Even if they did, where are the jobs or the incentives to keep them busy. This made the secretary to scream, “oh politicians! They are all the same. They only drop the umbrella and pick the broom.”
“We only hope the new change in the system would usher in a better Nigeria,” Adefila said in an interview. “Yes, Soyinka is the master of the language, and it was the language that we first of all mastered. After that, we went to the central message which is for the society to keep checking itself. It is about these two leaders struggling for superiority, based on ego. They are not doing it because they love the people. Soyinka is saying that we should question these people because they all come with the guise that they are for the people when in truth they are not.”
According to Adefila, what is in it when we have a change? Do we really get a concerted change, so to say? “Now look at Nigeria. Have we got a government that has really done better than the one before it? We hope that this one will give us that hope we have been looking for. But in decoding this play very well, you have to first of all, understand the person of Soyinka. Every of his statement means a lot not only in explaining the play but also in passing the message across to the audience. This is what I have been able to do.”
And he did very well. With the abstract movements on stage, with plenty of dance-dramas, and heavy and meditative percussions of the drums, all typical of the Crown Troupe phenomenon, the play came alive with plenty of appeal to the audience. The set designs were simply done with the constant illumination of the stage lights to bring out the aesthetics of Kongi’s Harvest. A metaphor for Nigeria, the play is meant to tour parts of Nigeria to re-register its import thoroughly.
Some of the cast included Segun Adefila, Art Adegun, Onitiri Aishat, Toyin Buraimoh, Joy Akrah and many others.
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Love and sacrifice define children theatre
It was captivating and interesting to see nursery and primary school pupils perform a play based on the life of legendary female warrior, Moremi Ajasoro. The play opened with war, many were killed and many were captured as slaves by invaders of Ile Ife.
The play dates back in ancient Ile Ife kingdom when the people of Ile Ife were constantly under attack. This led the king, Oranmiyan, and his elders to consult the oracle who told them that the solution to their problem was a woman. When Moremi heard this, she consulted a god of a nearby river, Esinmirin, and offered herself as a woman who would save her people. During the next raid, Moremi let them to capture her and took her as prisoner to the land of the Igbos where she got married to the ruler. Moremi later escaped and returned to her first husband after learning the secrets of the Igbo people. Her discovering helped her people have victory over the Igbo people.
The stage was properly set in a traditional design, setting the atmosphere for the audience to travel back in time and relive the sacrifices made by Moremi to free her people from invaders. The audience was mesmerised and there was a loud laugher in the hall when young Oranmiyan, played by Isaac Yinka-Dunsin, sang 2Face’s African Queen for young Moremi, played by Tomiwa Apena. The tragedy of love and sacrifice of Moremi was performed by the pupil of Beautiful Beginning School, Magodo, Lagos, during their Annual Awards and Graduation Ceremony at MUSON Centre, Lagos.
Costumes used were mostly traditional attire of the Yoruba people. The play was directed by Tony Biyi Boyede of Theatre Centrik and he did a good job by selecting about one hundred and fifty casts who delivered. Tune Kelani who was present to see the play commended the school for their effort. Lead character Moremi was played by Anjola, Tomiwa and Iteoluwa. Oranmiyan was played by Isaac Yinka and Sigmound Onachie-Modi.
“The art of storytelling through theatre dates back to time immemorial, with music, dance, stage comedies and tragedies. The theatrical production of Moremi Ajasoro strongly portrays the cultural and historical context of the Yoruba people, of Ile Ife, though here we only seek wisdom of strength and will that drive one to the success land of victory, not the tribal aesthetic, also the lesson of culture, said the school director,” Mrs Bukola Ogunleye, who also participated in the play, said..
The school also presented awards to Tune Kelani, and Bolanle Austen-Peters who was present to receive the award, as well as Omowunmi Dada who was represented by Judith Dada.
The pupils presented beautiful poetic award citation to these unique individuals. “I noticed some talents here today; there are exceptional talent in the girl and the boy that represented Oronmiyan and Moremi, they stood out. But the unfortunate reality is that we start everything very late in Nigeria, if children are trained from this early stage in life, it builds confidence in them,” said Austen-Peters. “Acting is something we should encourage in our children, and Nigeria should also encourage this as part of our curriculum,” she concluded.
There were also other activities such as Benin royal dance, bata dance, and ballet dance, and award presentation to the teachers, students and parents.
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Nigerian artist wins grand-prize in US
United States based Nigerian artist, Mr. Lanre Buraimoh, has won Choice Grand Prize Award at the Citywide African American Artists Exhibition at Texas Southern University Museum.
His artwork the ‘The Kiss’ won the grand prize with a full scholarship for one studio art class at the Glassell School of Art, Houston and a prize money of $500 prize.
The exhibition was organized by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas.
Buraimoh who expressed happiness over the award said he was the only Nigerian artist that won an award at the event. According to him, “about hundred people, both African American and African Artists in the Diaspora participated in the event. I feel very excited about the award. It makes me want to go back to the Studio immediately.”
He described the award as a wakeup call for him. “This feat is the best I have ever had in the history of my exhibition. I have come second and in this but this it first and grand prize. So I am very pleased and encouraged. This is the fifth award all together, “he said.
Though not sure of when he would be organizing an exhibition in Nigeria, he is currently planning big for an exhibition with would include his father. “This exhibition will Feature both me and my dad and it will Highlights the similarities and differences.”
Nigerian artists in the US are their best to promote Nigerian culture and African culture at its best.
He gave kudos to the Nigerian artist in the US, saying Nigerian artists style of work are unique.
Lanre is currently looking forward to big show in Nigeria, after a long time exhibition in London, American and Canada.
Jason Moodie who was one the organizers of the exhibition on behalf of Museum of Fine Arts Houston, presented the award to Buraimoh.
The exhibition is open to all artists of the African Diaspora in the greater Houston area. Presented by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in collaboration with the Museum’s patron group Five-A (the African American Art Advisory Association) and the University Museum at Texas Southern University, the Citywide African American Artists Exhibition offers artists the opportunity to show their work to a broader public, and to the collecting community.
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ANA to develop its land in Abuja
The whole essence of the monthly meeting cum reading session of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos State Chapter is to discover budding writers and equally encourage them to do more to fit into the creative muse. But more than that however, writers also use the same opportunity to announce and bring their new works to the notice of the general house.
Last weekend at the University of Lagos where the session was held, not only that, as usual, new poets were welcome into the fold, Denja Abdullahi, the National Vice President of the association graced the session. Abdullahi who wants to contest for the presidency of ANA come November this year when election will be held, was in Lagos to intimate his colleagues and ANA Lagos with his laudable programmes and dreams for the association if elected the president.
But before he took the floor, Brenda Nwafor, Nwachukwu Olusegun and Linda Davies, all took turns to read their poems to the people. Nwafor, a graduate of Mass Communication from Delta State University, Abraka, read her work titled The Journey. She used her lines to lament the agonizing social situation in Nigeria. Even though her poem situates some certain problems as they pertain to the younger ones in the society, she still feels that poetry is one sure way to let out the steam in one’s soul. She says: ‘I count with my finger.’
‘I paddled through glittering deep, my orbit was yet on the bait, the sun dealt with me, the rain showing no mercy… Drawbacks nibbed in the bud, ahead I moved on, to the end I get, only to begin another journey.” Her lines resonated deep into the foyers of the hall to show the dwindling fortunes of the society.
And soon after Davies took over with her work titled ‘I Pray.’ Even in times of despair, the soul is bound to seek the face of the creator of the universe.
She began thus: ‘I pray in times of despair to see beyond the day, to have come upon me the need to kneel and pray… But most of these I pray that in times of need and listening ear, may I never have cause to turn a soul away! Criticised for lack of cohesion in her work, Davies agreed that she is still new in the game and promised to go back to the drawing board. It is not only a question of writing few lines in the name of poetry, but writers should endeavour to follow the common rules to make poetry worth its own while. Poetry has a norm and even if that norm is difficult as it may appear, that gives it its distinctive beauty and acceptance.
When it was time for Abdullahi to address the gathering, his attention was first drawn to the lingering issues militating against the growth of ANA. “It is all about service and I am here to show my commitment and proven dedication to ANA after serving the association in different capacities for close to twenty years.
“I joined ANA in early 1990s and became involved in its operations as a literary and cultural activist,” he began. Thereafter, he began to build foundations and formidable orientations to cement his hold on the association. And so in 1998, when he joined the public service in Abuja, Abdullahi quickly ensured that Abuja ANA was made to stand out. Having been elected an ex-officio member in 2001, Abdullahi began henceforth his meteoric rise to stardom in ANA.
Today he is not only the Vice President, he has equally given his all to ensure the steady progress of ANA. “Therefore we will reposition ANA to take its rightful position as one of the best associations in Nigeria. It is the intellectual think-tank of the nation and we will ensure it is brought to the front burner henceforth. But above all, it is for us to develop, nurture and encourage and then promote the overall interest of writers in Nigeria, for this is the primary goal of the association.”
His attention also went to the plot of land allotted to ANA in Abuja which he promised to develop to generate revenue for the association. “It is such a massive expense of land. It is for us to develop it for the good of ANA. Indeed, that project will become one of the first issues that my tenure will tackle so that the problem of leaving the place fallow will be laid to rest finally” Abdullahi decided.
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Tips for choosing life partners
It was a sober time for men and women in attendance recently, as carefully chosen panellists discussed the challenges and secrets of choosing the right partners for marriage at the recent Awesome Treasure Foundation summit held in Lagos. Nneka Nwaneri reports
Both men and women want partners who will make them better. It takes a real man to berth a real woman and vice versa. That is why there are vital signs young ladies have been urged to look out for when single ladies are searching for their partners.
There are indeed, real men in the society, but only a few of them can still be found these days, said convener of Awesome Treasures Foundation, Mrs Jumoke Adenowo, who was among the panellist at the July Summit of the Foundation, which held at the Shell Hall of the Muson Centre last Sunday.
It was at the 3rd leg of the Summit tagged: ‘Marriage where are the real men,’ which had over 1,200 people from all walks of life in attendance.
One of the highlights of the event was an interesting, educative and interactive session with prominent, influential and distinguished individuals in the society, who have impacted lives in various ways and had a lot to say about who a real man is and what signs young ladies need to watch out for when choosing a partner.
The panellists were: Managing Principal, Financial Institutions Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Olukorede Adenowo; CEO of Verse 29 Ltd Mr. Akpo Kentebe; Mr. Jimi Tewe, CEO of Inspiro Consulting, assisted by Aderonke Adebanjo, an On Air Personality at Smooth FM 98.1
It was noted that society plays a role in creating a platter for a real man. Ladies were also blamed for being the cause of many fake men parading themselves due to their excessive demands. Successful women were also warned not to rub success in the faces of men who chase after them, because to be a couple is to be a team where none should feel intimidated by the other person.
According to Mrs Adenowo, a real man is one who has a vital connection with God. She said: “Real men also attract real women. A real woman is one who can maintain a real man till the end. Real women bring blessings and are not just in their homes to fill spaces but to fulfil the biblical injunctions of obtaining favour from God, to the man financially and spiritually.
“A real woman covers the man’s shame and can make a real man out of the raw material she sees in him. The real man is the foundation upon whom the woman rests.”
Mr Adenowo reiterated that ‘a real man must be a man who leads, takes decisions and takes responsibilities for those decisions. He is one who respects his wife and consults her duly before taking any decision.’ He went further to say that a real man is one who does not rely on physical looks as a determinant factor in choosing a wife and he never gets intimidated by his wife’s success.
Dr. Dokun Adedeji, the Founder of Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry, an NGO, revealed that in about nine private universities, he has worked with, eight out of every ten students use drugs, including young girls.
Dr. Adedeji named other substance abuses and further advised that real men and women should pay more attention to their children. He called on the real men and women to join hands with the association in curbing the menace.
The next Lagos summit will hold on November 22.
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OLANREWAJU ADEPOJU ‘I didn’t receive bribe from Abacha’
Controversial Yoruba Ewi exponent and activist, Olanrewaju Adepoju shares stories of his rise to recognition, his days as a broadcaster at the defunct Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, tussle with the military and a somewhat disadvantaged childhood. He spoke with Taiwo Abiodun.
In his library are books on various fields and LPs, cassettes and VHS of different artistes across ages. You also cannot miss the plaques of awards and certificates, hung all over his walls, relics of his exploits as Nigeria’s foremost Ewi (Yoruba poetic) exponent of the 70s, 80s and 90s. You also notice the Qur’an and various Arabic books, indicative of his faith, and several Yoruba books and novels scattered all over. For a moment, you almost want to believe you are in the presence of a thoroughbred academic. For the older folks who have known him through his prime days when he was a torn in the flesh of erring governments and institutions, there is also the temptation not to recognise him, as his once shinny dark hair have all gone grey. His slow calculative thread, as he ushered this reporter into his living room, also betrays a man, whose sight might gradually be yielding to the pressures of age; but he nevertheless still talks tough, and pretty much retains his radicalism. Welcome to the world of Olarenwaju Adepoju.
For a man always interested in happenings in his environment, Olanrewaju Adepoju wasted no time in declaring that Nigeria is on its way to Eldorado, with President Buhari now in the saddle of leadership.
Still waxing stronger
Adepoju debunked the assumption that he has been quiet of late, saying “I am in circulation; shortly before the last presidential election, I released an album titled ‘Buhari Ti De’. As he said this, he gave out copies to this reporter, declaring in between that “unless you listen to it, you may not understand the message.”
Views on present day Nigeria
“Before now, it was very much disturbing, but now we have every reason to be thankful to God, as we now have the right man at the helms of affairs. God so good, we also have a Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who is capable of putting things right. Unfortunately, the Jonathan administration made things worse. I think his transformational agenda was a deceitful propaganda, as it did not give us any positive result. Rather they succeeded in ruining the economy, showing unconcerned attitude to the security situation in Nigeria, to the extent that the Boko Haram killer group almost seized power from them, and taking corruption to the highest level ever. The situation during the Jonathan administration gave me a lot of concerns; and that is why never stopped shouting to high heavens in my Ewi metaphysical poetry that things must be done properly. It is unfortunate that the June 12 Presidential Election was annulled by the Babangida administration; and don’t forget that this is also a country, where we have killed some of our best leaders, talking about Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, General Murtala Murhammed, and again Chief MKO Abiola, after winning an election adjudged to be the best so far in the country.
Travails in the hands of the military
Reminded that he was a thorn in the flesh of the military, the social critic said “Even as a powerless citizen in my days in broadcasting, I never tolerated any bad leadership. During the military era, especially during the Babangida era, I waxed some records, which did not go down well with them. In fact, it got to a stage when I was arrested and prosecuted over an album I released. I was in detention for a while before being arraigned before High Court in Ibadan, where they made a lot of unfounded allegations, but fortunately, I was discharged and acquitted on the basis of the fact that they couldn’t prove their allegations. I was invited to Lagos by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammadu Gambo, and I told him what I meant in the album.
On another occasion, I released another Ewi hit and the then Commissioner of Police invited me for questioning. But one of his colleagues of nearly the same rank, who happened to be my friend, came in and asked: ‘Why did you bring my friend here?’ Anyway, I told him that the album had nothing to do with the government and they eventually let me go. I had so many nasty experiences like that in the course of performing my profession as an ewi poet.
On the Abacha regime
Known for his boldness and courage to comment on controversial issues of the time, many had wondered why he did not say much about the despotic General Sani Abacha regime. Some even insinuated that he must have collected bribes to keep quiet, but screaming at the top of his voice, Adepoju said “I was never bribed! I am above that. I don’t need bribe to survive, and nobody can gag me.”
He however confessed to slowing down a little when it became apparent that Abacha would go to any length to silence his adversaries. “Abacha was a terrible officer; we knew he killed so many Nigerians and I was not prepared to die just like that. “
On why he defends the masses
“I was born in this society, I grew up in this society and have lived among indigenous people, but the abnormality of the Nigerian situation makes me unhappy. I was once a proof-reader in a newspaper organization called “People’s Star Press Limited, founded by the late Ladoke Akintola. I also played other parts in that newspaper organisation which shaped me until I became a broadcaster in the late 60s, 70s. So in my broadcasting days, I introduced a programme called ‘Ijinji Akewi,’ which was always broadcast at 6:15am. There I used to comment on happenings in the country, which did not go down well with my bosses at WNTV and WNBS; but because of my poetic effusions, I became the darling of every Yoruba listener and my talent began to show. It even got to a stage when the corporation itself (WNTV and WNBS) wanted to be publishing my works with the copyright. It was this copyright issue that led to my sudden disappearance from the television. At a point I was producing ‘Gbele Gbo’ and ‘Tiwa nti wa,’ Yoruba programmes, I was also manning the continuity as announcer; and it got to a stage when I had to complain that I was singularly overloaded.”
Adepoju said the problem spiralled and it got to a stage he was given an ultimatum to submit the scripts of his past Ewi broadcast on radio and television or face the consequence. He said things got to a climax and he handed in his resignation.
“I just paid in one month salary in lieu of notice and handed them my letter of resignation. Suddenly they became uncomfortable. They made every effort to make me change my decision, but I refused. You’ll get more details in my biography, which I am compiling. Before that time, I had formed the Akewi Theatre Company and we extended entertainment to all parts of the country.”
His breakthrough album
After waxing so many albums, Adepoju finds it hard to singularly pick his best, but he managed to mention a few that he believed brought him fame. “The one after the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed; it was a bilingual record waxed in Yoruba and Hausa. My most popular album, ‘Obafemi Awolowo’ was released in 1979. It was accepted everywhere and it brought me to limelight. Thereafter I followed with several other records that also received widespread acceptance everywhere in Nigeria and even by Nigerians in the Diaspora. After the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, I waxed another record ‘Iku Obafemi Awolowo’; the flip side was ‘Nibo La Nlo?’ That particular record infuriated the military junta and they arrested me. They also prosecuted me on that occasion before I was set free by the court.”
On his seeming invincibility
Asked to explain how he managed to escape goin g to jail despite all the persecutions he suffered, Adepoju, who is a staunch Muslim said “I am a strong believer in God, I normally pray and seek protection from God, Almighty. I don’t believe in juju.”
Why he parted with Ologundudu
Asked to speak on his apprentice whom he trained and later parted with him, Adepoju said “The case of Ologundudu is quite different from other Poets whom I know .When we formed Egbe Akewi Yoruba (The Association of Yoruba Poets) of which I am Life President, Ologundudu was a member at that time. We have his photograph in our membership form. At a time he ceased coming to the meetings of the group, and it took us some time to know that he was the one calling himself Kunle Ologundudu, whereas his real name is Femi Orifunmilade. My opinion is that somebody who decided to hide his identity, all because of money cannot be a friend or associate of mine, because Ewi trade calls for bravery, sincerity and strong belief in God. But he lacked all those qualities. He only came to pollute the Ewi market through abusive songs, abusive poems; and all those things are not tolerable to any Ewi poet who wants to succeed.”
Regrets his tribal marks
Beneath the septuagenarian’s bushy white hair are thick tribal marks that would otherwise have been very conspicuous. In his younger days, they quite marked him out, but he now swears that he would never put them on a child’s face. His children, for one, do not have them. “I think it is barbaric.” He said of them. “I’m sorry to say it, but it is barbaric to put tribal marks on children. Imagine cutting innocent children’s faces in agony! It is even better here a little, when you see a Hausa and Fulani with marks, the whole cheeks are inflicted with wounds, and it takes some time to heal. So I don’t see it as a good part of our culture at all. Besides, there is a verse in the Koran which says you should not change the creation of God. As a matter of fact, I am waiting for a situation that will compel the FG to ban it everywhere in the country.”
He is however happy that his marks didn’t really spoil his face.
Background
Born in the 1940s, the man, Olanrewaju Adepoju, who says he’ll soon be 80, claims he never had formal education. “I was born in a village called Oke pupa; there was Okedudu, which is no more in existence. The founder of Okedudu was a very, very black, while the founder of Okepupa was light in complexion. It is located in Akuffo area of Iddo Local Government, Ibadan. I was born into the family of late Pa Gbadamosi Olajide Adepoju. It was a purely agrarian family, and I grew up learning the names of various creation of God like plants, trees, animals, rivers, mountains and so on. Yoruba language was the sole mode of communication.”
Self-tutored
“One thing that may sound incredible about my life is that I never went to school; I did not even go to kindergarten school,” he declared. “But if you are endowed with a particular knowledge, nobody can take it away from you. The method of learning was very interesting for me. My cousins used to come and spend their holidays in our village, and usually while they were talking, they would suddenly switch to English language, and it pained me a lot that I did not understand the language. So I started saving money realised from firewood sales. One of my cousins Muyideen Oyedele (now deceased) started teaching me; he was my junior, so you can imagine how old I was when I started learning. I had already passed school age when I started learning Yoruba alphabets and it took me one week or two to finish the entire contents and start learning to read and write effectively in Yoruba Language. It was when I moved to Ibadan that I started learning English. I have never experienced any classroom education in my life; it got a stage when I became frequent at the University of Ibadan Campus, because I had friends there, who were undergraduates, and people thought I was a student there, whereas and I was not. Even as I am talking to you now, I have no certificate from any institution.”
Happiest moment
“My happiest moment was when I visited Saudi Arabia and beheld the Holy Mosque in Khaba. I wept at its beauty and the architectural wonders; same with when I saw the Holy Prophet’s mosque in Medina.
Another moment was when I first visited London and found myself in moving plane. That was in 1985. Another was when my first child was born, and so many others.”
His Ewi inspirations
“I get my poetic inspirations from my father, my grandfather and other knowledgeable members of my family. They used lots of deep words and proverbs to describe so many situations and I somehow saw my family as a great school, where I was first taught use of language.”
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Nigerians in Diaspora can transform the nation
Ganiyu Ademola Dada is a Nigerian-American in the Diaspora, an International Trade Specialist and President/Chief Executive Officer, Kofa International, Chicago, USA. He is also former Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora in the Americas and former President of Continental Africa Chambers, USA. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he talks about how Nigerian businesses can compete favourably with multinationals in the country, why the economy is dwindling, as well as helping to facilitate low cost interest finances for the private and public sector.
WHAT is the focus of your organisation?
The main mission of Kofa is to develop African economy, Nigeria inclusive with US funds and technology, so that our economy can grow like that of the USA. USA has been creating about 225,000 jobs monthly in the last six years and Nigeria can adopt and customise these programmes to create at least 250,000 to 300,000 jobs monthly. In the last six years, it has generated over 12 million quality jobs and for that to happen in Nigeria, there must be single digit interest rate capital for Nigerians. This capital is the blood of business without which, whatever people are talking about remain only as ideas. But the right capital with low interest loan with long tenure is what the economy needs. What Kofa is doing all over Africa but more importantly in Nigeria, is to create as many creditworthy Nigerian companies that can have capacity to leverage and borrow more money from abroad. And more importantly to do business in the Western way, whereby they would be creditworthy and be able to attract capital to expand the economy of Nigeria and create jobs for the youths.
What are you focusing on at the moment?
We are to deliver a multipurpose dredge from DSC LLC to Japaul Maritime, Oil & Gas Plc, the only Maritime company in the Nigerian stock exchange. We have been supporting the company since 2004, by facilitating low cost single digit loan interest rate for the company from US for it to buy equipment in order to be able to compete with multinationals in Oil & Gas industry using EXIM Bank program.
So we have at the moment given Japaul multimillion-dollar equipment, which they are clearing and amongst which is one of the best dredges in Nigeria, if not in West Africa as a whole.
Do you support other companies apart from Japaul?
Yes. We had worked with many companies in Nigeria in different industries like Wattcon in manufacturing in Kaduna, ABG in Telecom in Abuja, Ibile Holdings Ltd, wholly owned by Lagos State in Lagos and many other companies in the dredging industry like Azikel Group in Bayelsa and Land Dredging Ltd in Lagos to grow too. All these companies are using DSC Dredges too. And because they are using DSC technology for dredging, they are growing too.
Do you also assist small scale businesses?
We are not only for big companies. Japaul was not big when we started with it. But we are proud to be part of its success because it is into many things. Critically, we are trying to help small, medium, and large companies to be creditworthy, so they can be considered first before any other for low cost finance; and through them direct foreign investment will enter the country. Every day, money is looking for where to go in the United States and the Western world as a whole, but these monies can only go to those that are creditworthy and those who have been doing things in the way of the Western world and direct foreign investment {DFI}will come through them.
Today, we have 60,000 US companies operating in China; we don’t have many with the exception with the few US oil and gas companies in Nigeria. You cannot count a thousand US companies in Nigeria. That is why our economy is not growing because everything we do is cash-based, whereas the rest of the world is doing business on credit. One other problem is that our interest rate here is above 25%. For the last 15 years of Kofa using Exim Bank in Nigeria, we have never done anything more than single digit interest rate and it has longer tenure in the sense that it has 5-15 years tenure to pay back; and that is what real business needs to grow and not the trading aspect that the Nigerian banks are doing whereby they give you two years to pay and charge you 25%-30%interest rate.
So what Kofa is doing is taking one company at a time and using EXIM Bank program and other ECA programs to develop credit worthy Nigerian companies.
EXIM is the Export/Import Bank of United States and Kofa provides Ancillary Services to the Bank’s Programs by working collaboratively with US Consulates and Embassies in every African country.
Why must our business owners go all the way to the USA to borrow funds?
There are so many reasons they may have to go to the USA to borrow money. Number one is the cost of capital in Nigeria is so expensive. Two, for whatever reason, we unfortunately do not manage our economy very well because of so much leakages, which has brought so much austerity and lack of sufficient foreign reserve for us. So, serious business owners must have access to offshore loans. For example, an American company coming to do business in Nigeria is getting his loan say for single digit interest rate – 5%, 7% interest rates and so on, while a Nigerian counterpart will get his own for 20% to 25% interest rates.
So what does it entails for a company to benefit from this program?
It entails financial discipline and literacy. EXIM Bank has made possible for US companies to facilitate finance for Africans, which Kofa is one of them, meaning that we market EXIM Bank programs to foreign buyers all over the world. Kofa just chooses to concentrate on Africa. What Kofa does is to identify the leading companies in each industry in United States and Kofa puts money behind them to supply creditworthy African government and private companies in Africa. And you grow them to the extent that they are continuously credit worthy. In Nigeria people do business on cash and carry basis and on the personality involved and therefore there is no succession program, whereas in the Western world, when a company has established a creditworthy business, when the leadership changes, the credit capacity still continues and increases progressively. So when anybody has an international company profile and an international credit profile, you can borrow from anywhere in the world. That is the fundamental requirements even though there are others.
So any company, organization or individuals coming for the first time must have a Nigerian bank to guarantee them until they develop their creditworthiness abroad. Once they are credit worthy, they would remove the guarantor and then they would be lending money directly to them like Coscharis and Japaul is enjoying today. We want to develop over 10,000 Nigerian companies that will be creditworthy, so that direct foreign investment can come through them from abroad into the country and then our private sector economy can expand.
What are some of the challenges encountered?
Well, there are lots of challenges. Credit culture is alien to Africans and Nigeria inclusive. People don’t want to incur debt. In the Western world, if you are not creditworthy, you cannot survive. But here in Africa we do not know the value of creditworthiness. So as a result, it is difficult to find many Nigerian companies that are creditworthy. And when you find those that are ready to develop their creditworthiness, Nigerian banks make it difficult for them, because they do not give them the necessary support to succeed because they do not want them to get away from them, which is shortsightedness.
What would be your advice to Nigerians, the government and business owners?
Nigerians abroad and those at home must work to together. Nigerians abroad have access to a lot of things they could bring into the country. Unfortunately, our politicians here are part of the problems of Nigeria because they put their salaries and emolument beyond any other country in the world, when a lot of people are suffering out there. The politicians are not supposed to be competing with the business owners in Nigeria. You find that the same people that are supposed to create laws and conducive environment for businesses are the ones competing with business owners in Nigeria, thereby getting all the businesses and all the money. The politicians are struggling with business owners even when nobody in the world gets the kind of money they vote for themselves; but the worst thing is that when they get these businesses/contracts, they would not execute them. So how can they create laws to control themselves? That is why Kofa is focusing on the private sector, giving them capital to expand their businesses.
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Kaduna beggars and a governor’s stick
Abdulgafar Alabelewe, takes a look at the Kaduna government’s ban on street begging, which has pitched the beggars against the affable governor
It was a shocker of sort recently, when news emerged that Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai had banned hawking and street begging in the state till further notice.
The announcement came on the heels of a series of bomb blasts, that climaxed with bombing penultimate Tuesday at Sabon-gari Local Government Area of the state that left 25 people dead and several others injured. The decision according to the special assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, is to enhance security. The statement further said that anyone caught flouting the ban will be arrested, pending when the ban will be relaxed. The statement further urged the citizens to report all suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies.
Naturally, the ban has generated a lot of controversy, with the beggars taking to the streets and threatening to sue the state governor for defamation of character, for labelling them terrorists. Last Sunday at the Kaduna State Council Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the beggars also dared the governor, saying they would remain on the streets, until the government gets them gainful employment.
In a swift reaction, the governor has however insisted that there is no going back on the decision, saying that the government does not see begging as a profession and as such would not permit it. He said “We had to take an unprecedented decision to ban beggars in Kaduna State because of the security threat that some of the beggars and hawkers pose to the rest of the populace.”
He finished off by saying that “Begging is not a profession; begging is humiliation. We don’t believe in it. (And) There is no going back on the ban on street begging.”
As a palliative, the governor has also said that the beggars will be trained in various skills to empower them and make them useful to self and society.
However, old habits die hard and it seems the beggars, especially those who have not known any other occupation, cannot fathom what now seems to them like a bleak future, hence the stalemate persisted.
Many have however argued that the governor, by that singular action, has done the unthinkable, especially as begging seems to have become an integral part of the society. They have taken time to make there cases, most times citing the Islamic tenet that holds the care for the poor sacrosanct. Not to forget, they also cite the pervasive problem of unemployment, rocking the nation.
The religious angle
All the religious doctrines in Nigeria and across the globe, stressed the need for rendering assistance to the less-privileged and disabled, as in most cases, they are not architects of their misfortunes. In most cases they are victims of circumstances, or perhaps destiny.
Giving alms to destitute, from history, is therefore a phenomenon where well-to-do citizens and philanthropists share with the less-privileged and destitute, part of their wealth in the form of cash, food items and clothing.
Even the two major scriptures, the Holy Quran and the Bible teach their faithful to always remember the poor. Zakat, as a pillar of Islam, is phenomenal in this regard, in that it distributes the excess wealth of the rich to the poor and destitute in the society.
The Bible, the holy book of the Christians, is no exception as it reminds adherents of Christianity to give out of their wealth to the poor, because it is believed that, he who gives to the poor gives to God.
Within the human realm, helping the needy or giving of alms, received international attention boosting, when the United Nations passed a charter, calling on government and people to give assistance to refugees and destitute, especially, victims of the World War II, who suffered body and emotional injuries during the war.
In Kaduna State, like every other part of Northern Nigeria, giving alms to the needy has for long become part of the society. The kind gesture has however given birth to a bad phenomenon, begging, which has overtime become an embarrassment to the society. Along the major roads, worship places and of recent, houses of the rich, beggars are seen loitering and waiting for the next benevolent giver.
It is especially a common sight along major roads like Ahmadu Bello Way, Ali Akilu Road, Waff Road and Independence Way in the state. Some of the beggars, especially the blind and the cripple, could be seen, being led around by able young men. Literally, it has become a way of life, a profession or vocation.
The development has therefore become a nuisance to the society.
Previous efforts to rehabilitate spurned
After the unfortunate Sharia crisis that engulfed Kaduna State in the year 2000, the state government made moves to settle the beggars at a permanent site. Whilst the idea was still in the pipeline, a philanthropist established the first beggars’ colony in the heart of Kaduna metropolis.
The colony comprised apartments, conveniences and kitchen. The development moved the state government to key into the arrangement. Soon after that, the colony was engulfed by fire. The wife of the then Governor, now serving Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Hajia Asmau Makarfi, came to the rescue by rehabilitating the burnt structures.
Other philanthropists, such as Senator Sani Saleh, added another structure to the existing ones, in an effort to keep the beggars off the streets. For some time, positive result was achieved, as many beggars moved into the colony. However, things started going downward, as some of the beggars started moving out of the house, and back to their former spots on the streets, citing different excuses for their action. One of such excuses was that the colony was being used as quarantine to keep them away from the society.
The beggars make their cases
Some of the beggars who spoke to Sunday Nation in Kaduna said, by keeping them in the colony, the usual alms they get from the streets have been cut-off, as very few people follow them to their new home to assist them. Others accused the state government of dumping them in the home and turning its back against them.
According to an old beggar who spoke to our correspondent at her usual begging spot, behind the Kano Road Mosque, “We are physically challenged and there is a limit to which we can go to cater for ourselves and our families. The government that brought us to the colony have forsaken us. They only come to the house when they want to score cheap political points.”
The beggar, who identified herself as Maryam, lamented that, “We are left with no option than to come back to the street and seek for a means of livelihood.”
“If you go to Kano Road, the large number of people you see begging there are elderly people and the same thing applies to other spots within the metropolis. So, if the government is really serious, they should provide home for the elderly people as is being done in advanced countries.” She said.
Another beggar, Ibrahim Usman said he, like many other beggars on the streets were pushed into the begging business by the ill treatment meted out to them by the society.
In his words, “I feel bad that I have to beg people to give me peanuts before I can eat, but I have observed that the same society that sees us as nuisance is the same that pushed us into it. Good, we are disables but, our disabilities do not naturally reduce us to common beggars, but when you strive to do something different, the same society discriminates against you.
“I am speaking from experience. Some years back, I tried to make meaning out of my life, but the society pushed me back. I decided to use my wheelchair as an advantage, I went to the market to get goods and I started selling at hold-up like my able colleagues, but with time, I discovered that people don’t even like to patronise me because of the stigma. I was still managing it, until one day when a motorist dressed me down in the public just because I struggled with other people to get his patronage. Since that day, I decided to go back to begging, because the risk is limited compared to struggling to sell amidst able-bodied men.
“This experience is not peculiar to me alone. Some of our people were trained in various vocations, but patronage has been one serious issue they’ve had to contend with. For example, there is a welding workshop in Kinkinau, the workshop is solely manned by disable people, they do beautiful fabrications, but people don’t buy.” He explained.
Speaking on the predicament of the beggars, their leader, Abdullahi Samaila told Sunday Nation that they had to keep begging to keep body and soul together, since previous governments had abandoned them.
According to him, “In this our home for example, we have been facing series of challenges, and government’s assistance comes only once in a while. When we have cases of sick people in Kaduna in the middle of the night or one is of our wives wants to deliver, we always run into confusion, because there is no vehicle to take them to the hospital.
“Aside that, even on the streets where our people beg for alms, there are lot of challenges. So, if there is a reasonable alternative to begging, all of us will quit.” He said.
Meanwhile, the beggars, some of whom have fled the state, have expressed regrets for voting Malam Nasir el-Rufai in the just concluded election, wondering why he has to pay them back with this ban.
Government intention, noble
As a corollary to the beggars’ outcry, Governor El Rufai has appealed to the people to see reason with the ban and cooperate with the government for the safety of citizens of the state…Our government will never unleash pains on beggars and hawkers in the state. The government’s decision was not aimed or targeted at the vulnerable group but to protect citizens.”
“This government is a responsible government and conscious of its constitutional role to protect citizens and ensure law and order for common good. The state government will not fold its arms and allow citizens to be killed via terror acts and break down of law and order, hence the decision.”
He argued that the overriding need to secure the lives and property of the over eight million Kaduna State resident is superior to that of a few who think they have a right to beg.
“As painful as it could be or misrepresented, the decision was taken in the best interest of our citizens and government appreciates support from all sections of the state regarding the reality of our security situation,” the governor said.
The beggars however remained adamant. They issued the governor a three-day ultimatum to rescind its decision or risk been victims of their spell.
AND THE BEGGARS SURRENDER
But barely 48 hours after their protest, the beggars have caved in. They accepted the government’s decision to give up begging, provided it fulfils its promises.
They agreed to sheath their sword following the Governor’s visit to the Kano Road beggars’ colony and Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre on Tuesday.
El-Rufai who addressed a mammoth crowd of the disabled beggars said the government had concluded arrangement to rehabilitate and train them on various skills.
He maintained that, the interest of a group who think they have the right to beg for alms cannot override the security of over eight million people living in the state.
The Governor who earlier visited the state-owned rehabilitation centre in Kakuri area of the state said, the centre which has the capacity to house and train 500 physically challenged, will soon be rehabilitated and used for training of the beggars affected by the recent ban.
He however clarified that no beggar will be repatriated on the ground that they are not indigenes of Kaduna State, adding that anyone resident in Kaduna will be given equal opportunity under his administration.
“There is no going back on the ban on street begging, but we are not going to repatriate anybody. The problem is here and we will solve it here.” He said.
He promised the beggars at the Kano Road Beggars Colony to acquire a land close to the colony to build a training centre for them.
Meanwhile, the head of the beggars, Abdullahi Samaila while responding to the governor commended him for visiting them and promised to cooperate with him.
He said it was not that they derive pleasure in begging for alms, and pledged that they will all get off the streets once the governor fulfils his promises.
With this recent truce and agreement between the Kaduna State government and the beggars, it is left to be seen if Kaduna streets will now be free from the menace of street beggars?
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‘Dad pushed me into vulcanising,’ says female vulcaniser
Chinedu Ihueze profiles Fehintola Kuyoru, a one in a million female vulcanizer holding sway in a profession utterly dominated by men.
You simply cannot miss Fehintola Kuyoru as she plies her trade in Itamaga area of Ikorodu. That’s perhaps because she is the only lady vulcanizer in the vicinity, and because she does it with so much dedication, commitment and not to forget, dexterity. That also explains why she gets due patronage, maybe more than some of her male counterparts, if you like.
Standing about four feet tall, fair-skin Kuyoru is 40 years old, and she has spent the better part of her life doing the job, which she says her father propelled her into, albeit without any regrets now.
“Initially, this job was never part of my agenda or plan for the future,” she said, “but when I finished school and my father (now of blessed memory) called me to ask what handwork I would like to learn and I told him hairdressing, he simply became annoyed and vehemently opposed it. He wondered why we ladies in Nigerian could not reason beyond the commonplace profession society seemed to have dictated to us. His reason was based on his experience when he travelled to Jerusalem, where he saw ladies engaging in occupations that seemed to have become the exclusive preserve of the men in this part of the world. He said he saw ladies who were vulcanizers, drivers and mechanics; who were not just doing it in the crude manner in which we operate here, but with high standard machines and computerised equipment. He therefore wanted me to follow in the steps of those white ladies and insisted that I should go and learn vulcanizing.”
“That of course did not go down well with me, but after much persuasion, and persistence on his part, I finally yielded.”
Besides, Kuyoru recalls that she had little option, as failure to yield to her late father’s wishes or instructions by any of his children always got him furious. Besides, she said her old man had studied her well enough to know that she was strong and tough enough for the job. “He knew I was strong-willed and that I could do virtually anything an able-bodied man could do. He therefore knew I would survive and succeed in the business despite all odds. He said he saw something in me that was rare among ladies and even some men.”
Kuyoru says she has been in the business for 26 years, having graduated from a three-year apprenticeship in 1989. Her boss was one Mr Kola, a professional vulcanizer, then stationed at Bariga area of Lagos. She recalls that for some reasons, she was happy with the prospect of learning a job generally believed to be men’s job, such that after three months, she had become engrossed in the basics and fundamentals of the job and could independently carry out major tasks in her boss’s absence. This she says made her to become his favourite apprentice.
“I still remember vividly a certain day around the Muslim “Ileya” festival, when I made close to two thousand naira for my boss. I am talking about far back into the 80s, when N2000 was really huge money. My boss had travelled at the time, and I developed the courage to make some money for him in his absence. That trend continued until I had my freedom, which was graced by family, lots of friends and well-wishers. I got my freedom on the 4th of June, 1989, but I was all the more overjoyed because many had thought the feat was impossible for a lady like me.
“Since then, I have been in this business and have had no regrets whatsoever. During the period of my apprenticeship, I was not yet married and I made sure I finished as a qualified vulcaniser before getting married.”
Continuing, Kuyoru said “I started my business at Bariga before moving to Ikorodu. To be candid, vulcanizing business is a very lucrative one even though people fail to recognize or admit this. As at the time of my apprenticeship, one could claim that it was not very lucrative, but in this age of technological advancement, the rate at which money comes in has sky-rocketed enormously. It is a business that sustains a family; so as a vulcanizer, you are capable of taking care of your family and training your children to any level, unless of course if you are the lazy or stingy type.”
The mother of five therefore says she is proud of the job and is not ashamed to say it is a business that has made her and her family to prosper. “To be precise, this business has helped me to train all my children to tertiary level and beyond. It is also our main source of livelihood.
Not to forget, the job and her proficiency at it has also earned her great recognition even amongst her male counterpart, who ordinarily would not have imagined a woman holding sway in their macho profession, as their association unanimously elected her, Assistant Senior Warden Officer in the entire Lagos State Vulcanizers’ Association.
Feyintola Kuyoru is an indigene of Oke-Ijemo, Abeokuta, Ogun State and a Muslim.
included, ‘Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening’; ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, it is inspiring others to move beyond it’; ‘Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished’; and ‘There are a few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph, if you have the iron will and the necessary skill’; among others.