The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • Honour for an ageless actress

    Honour for an ageless actress

    The Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) has held its 23rd Leader Without Title (LWT) leadership tribute colloquium in honour of renowned actress Mrs Taiwo Ajai-Lycett. It was held at the CVL building on Victoria Island, Lagos, last Tuesday, OLATUNDE ODEBIYI writes.

    Eminent actress Mrs  Taiwo Ajai-Lycett stood tall as she was honoured by the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) for her contributions to the growth of entertainment.

    Mrs Ajai-Lycett turned 70 on February 3; she was celebrated in line with CVL tradition last Tuesday. The theme was Music, Culture and National Image: New Ways of Projecting Power. CVL initiated the Leadership Tribute Colloquium to honour outstanding leaders who are over 70 for their special contributions in the sector where they worked.

    CVL founder and host, Prof Pat Utomi described the celebrator as a vibrant, brave, gracious, truly committed, passionate and a woman who believes that her world defines the world.

    He added that she is someone to be emulated adding that she is hard working and focused on delivering value.

    Mrs Joke Silva who is a renowned actress said the celebrator is one of those incredible, articulate and intellectual artistes. She described her as an amazing performer and a true entertainer that is dedicated and that she is proud of her.

    She stressed the need to keep engaging government on the needs of the industry adding that those in the industry should acquire more knowledge and ensure content in what they are doing.

    Mrs Ajai-Lycett said life has just started at 74 saying she feels elated and honoured to have the wonderful gathering. She noted that it is special to be honoured for what she has been doing for almost a life time.

    “This tells me that people appreciate what I have been doing; I can see that people have so much affection and they give me recognition. I think it is wonderful and I am on top of the world. I thank everybody for coming as you can see it is a full house in spite of the national crises. So many people turned out and I was surprised, I was stunned,” she added.

    She urged upcoming artistes in the entertainment industry to ensure hard work and continue to work on themselves all the time. “I wake up every day in the morning as an actor even at 74, I am still working. I have to do all my practices and I have to make sure that my acting skills are sharp, my body is flexible, my voice is clear and I have to work.

    “So it is constantly working on yourself so that your audience and the people you meet are always getting the best from you. It is important to respect the people you work for and give them the best that you can,” she said.

    She stressed that government must create an enabling environment for culture to arise and it must be educated in the arts and appreciate it. “They must have an understanding of what the art can do to help them govern this nation even better.

    She urged actors in the country to celebrate and be proud of themselves adding that ‘our own people can be as good as anyone in the world.’

    “All we need to do is to have a bit more confidence in ourselves and don’t think that anything we have from abroad is better than what we have here; our culture is number one in the world and am proud to tell you that.

    “There is a big gap between acting in my younger days and now because in that time we were well trained but now everybody thinks they can act and they don’t think you can learn to act, they think they have talent, yes you have to have talent but talent has to be polished.

    “Acting till today is easy for me because I have acted all my life and I improve on myself every year. I am working on myself and it is getting easier and clearer,” she said.

  • ‘Take your campaigns to relevant audience’

    ‘Take your campaigns to relevant audience’

    Scholars and theatre artists converged on Abuja to examine the impact of women-centred drama, theatre and performance on humanity during the 50th birthday celebration of Prof Mabel Evwierhoma, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports. 

    A don, Prof Sunday E. Ododo of the Theatre Arts Department, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, has urged womanist ideologists to up the gains of their literary contributions by taking their campaigns to the relevant audience.

    He said they should also share such gains among  Nigerians by opening new performance spaces that can attract large audience turnout.  Ododo noted that the ideologists should take the message to the rural dwellers and engage other relevant agencies in the advocacy.

    Ododo spoke on Nature and nurture: Women-Centred Drama, theatre and performance in Nigeria at the Mabel @ 50 Conference held in Abuja in honour of Prof Mabel Evwierhoma, who turned 50 years recently.

    Among those who attended the conference were Professors Olu Obafemi, Rasaki Ojo Bakare, Julie Okoh, Irene Salami-Agunloye, Tracie Utoh-Ezeajugh and Osita Ezenwanebe.

    Others were the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mrs Dayo Keshi;  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, and Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma.

    Highlights of the event included the presentation of Festschrift and the cutting of birthday cake.

    The Festschrift Gender Discourse in African Theatre in honour of Evwierhoma is a 38-chapter book edited by Ayakoroma and  Utoh Ajeajugh of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

    Speaking on the theme of the conference,  Ododo defined nature and nurture as twin words that are associated with the developmental process of human beings. He noted that while nature emphasises the innate and inherited qualities of the individual, nurture engages the human behaviour as determined by the environment and other acquired personal experiences.

    He noted that the Nigerian theatre has its evolutionary history that is located in innate culture and has grown, acquiring values of entertainment forms of other world cultures to sustain and reinvent itself.

    According to him, a plant with its distinct nature has enjoyed the nurturing of many hands, values, ideas, experimentations, traditions and the constantly changing socio-historical realities of human’s existence.

    He, however, decried that though in theatre, ideas to create new worlds for humanity to learn from are cultivated but such worlds are often not nurtured to manifest their full potential for our gains.

    “When we nurture our world it would give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energised and expanding.

    “And there are times of fruition, when things come to an end. They have reached their climax and must be harvested before they begin to fade. And finally of course, there are times that are cold, and cutting and empty, times when the spring of new beginning seems like a distant dream.

    “Those rhythms in life are natural events. They weave into one another as day follows night, bringing, not messages of hope and despair, but messages of how things are. It is when we know how things are that we can take a stand to either live with them or change them,” he added.

    He hoped that participants would emerge with ideas on how best to push women-centred issues in the country. “As the conference opens, without pre-empting its outcome, it is, therefore, my hope and belief that the participants would come up with fresh strategies for addressing women-centred issues in Nigeria and how to get majority of Nigerians to key into feminist theatre advocacy.

    “I, especially, look forward to seeing how feminist theatre can help in the recovery of the Chibok girls and how the first senate president can emerge as predicted by Irene Salami-Agunloye,” he said.

    Ododo, who has known the celebrator since 1987, described Evwierhoma as an eloquent example of hard work, resilience, honesty, integrity, industry, capacity and resourcefulness, saying she is God-fearing and has genuine commitment to her calling.

    He continued: “In all these, she is unassuming, humble and humane. To a large extent, she lives by what she advocates and to that extent she is an inspiration to many people and a pride to womanhood.

    “This genderist is also a motherist; this quality manifests clearly in many social works she has been involved in and community services rendered. In our postgraduate class at the University of Ibadan, she was the youngest but assumed the motherist role for the class, feeding us occasionally from the kitchen of Princess Theodora Ewemade Tobrise (her mother).

    ”The reward of motherhood is not essentially in reaping from the proceeds of that effort directly but the satisfaction of contributing agents of change for a better humanity”.

    According to Ododo, the life of Evwierhoma should be the greatest inspiration for female emancipation and not necessarily her writings, noting that at 50, she has recorded modest but loud and engaging achievements as a Professor, author, cultural activist, Dean of Arts, Fellow of SONTA and moulder of character.

    ”She has a status that cannot be wished away; a presence that is compelling and commanding; an intellect that is admired and respectable; a heart that is compassionate and accommodating, a husband that is loving, caring and very supportive; children that are responsible and responsive; a home that is peaceful and inviting.

    ”All these attribute position Evwierhoma as a phenomenal success worthy of emulation. She sits comfortably on this high pedestal today out of due sacrifice, self-denial, hard work and determination to reach her goals; and not a product of any gender friendly/sensitive legislation in favour of women.

    ”If this is the kind of female militancy you preach, you have my support. This is how to earn the gender equity you advocate. “It is my submission, therefore, that no woman (and indeed no man) is subjugated or repressed but our self-imposed repression is the barrier that stands in our way to our lofty destinations. I say to our women, rise and take a stand like Evwierhoma and your story will never be the same again,” Ododo said.

    Earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Igali acknowledged that  Evwierhoma has achieved so much at 50, adding that the fact that so many people have came to celebrate her was an indication that God has used her to touch many lives.

    ”Today, this audience is presented with a proud mother, a proud wife, a proud sister and a scholar of no mean repute,” Igali said.

    Elated by the rain of encomiums,  Evwierhoma described the event as another opportunity to thank God for His mercies in her life.

    She said: “It is awesome because I see it as an opportunity to thank God for how He has led me in the academy and the enablement He has endowed me with, especially in the area of teaching, research and community service.”

     

  • Cleric advises youths on talent use

    Cleric advises youths on talent use

    Representative of The Living Word Family, David Babajide Nadi has emerged the overall winner of LAGOS SHIFT 2015 Ambassador organised by the National Youth Affairs of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). It was held at the Cricket Arena, the Tafawa Balawa Square, (TBS) Lagos.

    The event, which was tagged: Exceeding Expectation drew together thousands of youths and was held simultaneously in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja featuring comedy, dance expression and music. Nadi emerged winner after winning the music category and Precious Uban, an 11-year-old boy from the Mountain Top Secondary School won the round up prize. Dance Evangelists, a group comprising six members won the dance category. There were auditions held in seven centres around the country before selection of about 10 contestants for the final phase of the competition. Winners emerged from different categories of performance such as comedy, dance, public speaking and singing.

    The Special Adviser to General Overseer of RCCG on Personnel and Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola said that programme is aimed at harnessing the gift of today’s youth toward a brighter future.

    He noted that the anomaly in today’s world could be corrected by this generation that has enormous abilities, vigour, talents and skills which when utilise on godly principles would create a more just, equity and peaceful society.

    He blamed the increasing spate of insurgency as a result of long years of neglect, marginalisation and indifference to the well being and development of young people.  Odesola said that ‘records have shown that between the ages of 15-17 years old, boys are being used by members of the Boko Haram sect in the name of Alamagris to foment mayhem and terminate innocent souls because government and other stakeholders failed to catch them young’.

    He went further to appeal to the new ambassador to keep the light shining and represent the interest of Jesus Christ in all that they do.

    He continued: “RCCG is quite doing a lot in that regard, to empower the youth who are talented in various professions. Various programmes are being mapped to make this happen”.

    National Youth Pastor of RCCG, Pastor Belemina Obunge said that the faith based initiative which is aimed at discovery and harnessing the talents of young people started in Lagos in 2012 and has spread to other parts of Nigeria and the world.

    He also said that the shift initiative has gone beyond Nigeria and has visited Dubai, Istanbul, Nairobi, South Africa, Ghana in the past 4 years.

    Obunge noted that the programme helps to expose youths to morally and ethically sound ways of living so they in turn can influence others as well as offering them opportunity to express themselves by showcasing their talents, gifts and creative abilities.

    He said ‘as Christian youth of this generation, our best is yet to come. We are trusting God to break more grounds, do more exploits, reach out more for the lord and be the best in all that we do’.

    Human Resource Management Consultant, OluJimi Tewe challenged the youths to leverage and explore their talents, skills and the ability in them for the betterment of the society. “You are the solution to your generation and until you understand that, you will realise that you cannot save your generation,” he said. He noted that the world is facing hard times as all the sectors of the nation’s economy is yearning for change, new ideas, concept and critical thinking, which can be done by a solution driven youths.

     

  • Head Start School wins Peak Art Challenge

    Head Start School wins Peak Art Challenge

    Head Start Private School, Ire-Akari, Isolo, Lagos has won the 2015 Peak Milk Vision Nigeria Art Challenge for schools. It beat nine others to win a cash prize of N250,000;  Deby Link Nursery and Primary School and Well Spring College got  N150,000 and N100,000 for coming second and third. The 62 schools which participated got N50,000 each as consolation prize, each of the 10 teachers that represented the top 10 schools got a Galaxy tab.

    The art competition,  held at the University of Lagos Sport Complex, was organised by Peak Milk to help pupils  create mind-blowing innovations from scraps, such as Peak cans, tins and sachets.

    Marketing Director, Friesland Campina WAMCO Mr Tarang Gupta  described the children as the future leaders, adding that more of Peak Milk would help them achieve their dreams.

    He said “Dream for your future, peak will also be there”.

    Head Start  won with an entry that captures a beautiful space station made out of Peak cans, tins and sachets.

    According to the art teacher of Head Start, Mr Solomon Amu, who represented the school, the choice of a space station was to look into the future of the country.  “We see Nigeria in years to come have a space station of its own since the developed world they have their own, we now thought of an idea, that we needed it, that we can go and see the galaxy of various planets, and they would like a station like this to be in Nigeria for them to go for vacation,” he said.

     He said it took his pupils three weeks to create the art work, noting that this is the first time the school is coming first  in an art competition in the state.

  • ‘Buhari’s victory is like I won the Grammy’

    ‘Buhari’s victory is like I won the Grammy’

    Ojetayo Oluwadamilare  a.k.a Ajakaye in the music world, hails from Oke-Igbo in Ondo State.A graduate of the College of Agriculture in Lafia, Nasarawa State, he is the brain behind ‘the Sai Buhari’theme song. In an interview with DAMISI OJO, the celebrated song writer and composer seeks compensation for his initiative from APC leaders and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He answers Ojetayo Oluwadamilare but his stage name is “Ajakaye,” which signifies the philosophy to use  his musical talent to globally win any war.Today,Ajakaye’s name is making waves as a politically-conscious Nigerian song writer, artiste and musician.

    How did you become a musician in spite of your career as an agriculturist?

    Like every other African child with various potential, and as a toddler then,I was told how I started responding to anything with sound and music orientation,and my parents also told me that the music craft is a talent that runs in the blood of every Oje(member of the masquerade society).This potential developed in me and continue to grow and overshadow all other potentials embedded in me.

    What prompted your linkage with the “Sai Buhari” theme song?

    That theme song is just my own way of thinking aloud and making my own artistic and critical contribution to positively impact on Nigeria.But as one of those Nigerian youths affected adversely by the mal-administration, mis-governance, ineptitude, corruption and political hostilities of the ruling PDP stakeholders in the past 16 years, I had  to do a clinical appraisal of the political situation and come up with that rendition.The Sai-Baba theme song was produced by the same Paul Runz and it was released on House-2 Entertainment Recording label. The man is today Nigerian’s oldest Hip Hop Artiste with stage name Dibio Dombolo.

    What other impact do you think “Sai Buhari” song has on the APC campaign?

    I can authoritatively tell you that in showbiz attainment and in the socio-political history of Nigeria,no political theme song has received such unprecedented admirers like the Sai Buhari song has. Even,the MKO Hope’93 theme song cannot match  it.The APC 2015 Presidential theme song officially released on-line in early November but became a hit and went viral immediately it was released on-line on Saturday, November 22,2014 by Naija loud speaker.com(NLS).This was preceded by another on-line review done on the www.abdusidiqu.com where the song was given serious review and attention as the writer predicted the viral effect the song will have in due course.The page has 36 tweets,50 Fb likes while it reached their 8,495 fb fans and 2,771 twitter followers simultaneously. Even,the selective and highly controversial Sahara Reporter.com could not overlook the creativity package, the ideological work,posted it and it also nearly shut down their site as the song received over 2003 likes and over 708 comments.

    With your successful outing,there is no doubt that APC leaders would have rewarded your robust initiative,let us know your gains.

    No compensation at all yet.The only thing the song has done for me is increasing my adrenalin in form of threats from the PDP supporters who at every opportunity tried to scare me,my family members and fans over the Sai-Buhari Theme song.The glory and fame that were expected to have been associated with that effort had also increased their envy.Let me state it here that the PDP supporters in the corporate world have been threatening me with fire and brimstone that if Gen.Muhammadu Buhari lost the election that would be the end of my musical career.So,you can see that the success recorded by Buhari/Osinbajo as President-elect and Vice-President elect is like I have won the prestigious Grammy and AMAA awards combined.

    Are you saying APC leaders are yet to recognise you for your musical exploits on the victory of Buhari?

    Yes,I can say it boldly that APC has not compensated me on Sai-Buhari Theme song.As you said,settling and acknowledgement are in relative terms.The only thing I am so happy about is that the song has continued to increase my physical and on-line rating as one of the best writers,a notable singer and performer in Nigeria. While I was toiling day and night to write and produce the song,some reactionary forces within the APC rank and file tried all they could to frustrate my efforts,but to God be the glory, it was a successful outing.

    What efforts have you made to seek relevance and get APC leaders to appreciate you?

    I have made frantic efforts to see the Ondo State Chairman of the APC,Isaac Kekemeke, who tried his best as a follow-up to the songs I composed for Mr Rotimi Akeredolu,during the 2012 governorship campaign under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN).I also met the articulate spokesman of the APC,Alhaji Lai Mohammed whose promises I am still awaiting.Alhaji Mohammed exchanged his e-mail contact with me when I contacted him on phone.He spoke like a father to me for over 10 minutes and gave assurances that I will be rewarded as soon as possible.I also contacted APC leaders like Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Hon Bola Ilori. I have no doubt that these men of integrity will look into my case.

    What do you actually want from the APC now?

    The joy of every artiste is to be paid gratification for his musical exploits.I want the APC leaders to allow me perform on stage for the President-elect,Gen Buhari during his inauguration in Abuja on May 29.They can do me this favour since I was not allowed to be on the national campaign tour of Buhari/Osinbajo when it lasted,though my songs were blasted by different Deejays on their gramophone nationwide.I believe I deserve the recognition and reward.

     

  • Honour for ex-journalist

    Honour for ex-journalist

    The  select audience members were  drawn mainly from the academia.  And they belong to the same genre of the art-theatre. The mood at the Main Auditorium of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State revealed the essence of the gathering – a celebration of service to humanity and marital bliss.

    It was a gathering in honour of the former Arts Editor, The Sun  and lecturer at the university, Mr Sola Balogun, who clocked 50. He was also celebrating 20 years of marital bliss.

    Expectedly, students of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts  performed Withered Seed, a play written by Sola Balogun, which uses the themes of love, tolerance in marriage, unity and peace to dramatise the current security challenges facing in the country, where the Boko Haram insurgents have used bombings to cause panic in northern Nigeria.

    But the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, described Balogun as a Nigerian whose commitment and determination to contribute to the development of Nigerian culture made him a successful culture journalist.

    He described Balogun as a versatile arts and culture journalist who rose through the ranks to become Arts Editor before moving over to academics.

    Ayakoroma said through his reportorial and editorial abilities, Balogun had contributed immensely to the Nigerian literary scene just as he did the culture sector.

    “I have known Sola Balogun (SB) for a very long time. He has this love towards arts and culture. I taught him in his second year in the Department of Theatre Arts, at the University of Ibadan. Then, as an arts and culture journalist in Nigeria, I followed up on his career. He is a good writer; he has determination to succeed in whatever he does; it reflects in his stories on arts and culture.

    “He is into advocacy and developmental journalism. I recall that when I was in charge of Bayelsa State Arts Council, we depended on Sola Balogun (and Patrick Nwagbo Obi), to see our news stories in various print media. With this, I can say without equivocation that, Balogun has contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian arts and culture sector. Furthermore, as an arts editor in The Sun Newspaper, he contributed invaluably to the growth of those who worked under him.”

    Continuing, he said: “Now that he is in academics, he is also doing very well. This is obvious in his play, “Withered Seed” that was staged as part of the birthday event. I want to congratulate the students for such a fine performance. You have celebrated the birthday, as far as I am concerned.”

    The event was attended by the Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Bakare Ojo Rasaki; Prof Bayo Oloyode, Pastor Chukwuemeka Eze, Dr. ‘Bifatife Olufemi Adeseye among others.

     

  • Rélè Gallery hosts Strip

    Lagos’ new art destination, the Rélè Gallery, has unveiled its fourth exhibition of modern and contemporary art entitled Strip.

    Strip is an investigation of the human anatomy, according to the gallery. The exhibition was a termed collection of nude art by a vibrant group of artists – Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Reze Bonna, Ayoola, Ibe Ananaba, Isaac Emopkae, Logor and Toyosi Kekere-Ekun.

    The exhibition, which is in various exciting mediums, such as plexiglas and photography on aluminium, attempts to provoke keen engagement, deconstruct myths and truths of power, shame, freedom, beauty and the different shades of attendant feelings that accompany an encounter with a naked body.

    The art show, which sponsored by foremost champagne house, Laurent-Perrier Champagne, curated by art/culture writer, Ayodeji Rotinwa and broadcaster/culture savant, Wana Udobang.

    Guests in attendance enjoyed glasses of Laurent-Perrier’s impressive range of Champagne (the Brut, Demi-Sac and Rose) as they took in the art on display. The exhibition was a curatorial debut for both Rotinwa and Udobang; and was praised for its triumphant start by guests in attendance made up of Lagos’s collectors, art enthusiasts, captains of industry, the lifestyle industry and social media influencers.

    Strip will run till this Sunday at the gallery opened for four months ago and has continued to garner accolades for its accessible and edgy exhibitions.

  • Policing Nigeria

    Policing Nigeria

    My brief is to introduce you to this compendium of 21 well researched book by scholars and experts from a wide range of discipline- law, criminology, security, history, law enforcement, counseling and general administration. These experts have, in concise manner, presented in 21 chapters different issues that reflect as well as capture the title of the book: Policing and        Crime Preservation in Nigeria.

    Today in Nigeria, few issues are as topical as those dealing with crime preservation and control. In fact, never a time in the history of this country, have we had the present level of insecurity kidnapping, insurgency, ethnic conflicts and robberies, among many others. With these myriads of security challenges, we are compelled to find solutions with the sole aim of solving them.  Among these solutions, one can identify the need for effective and efficient policing. This, the book describes as the bedrock of productive law enforcement. This book is therefore a modest contribution by the authors towards this effort.

    On the basis of the foregoing, the authors have endeavoured to explore the subject by hinging the work on three critical assumptions:

    First, policing is a necessary and inevitable aspect of modest society. The second assumption rests on the question of whether it is possible to have a police service that is modern, proactive and impactful in law enforcement. On the last and final assumption, the book has attempted to make suggestions which the authors strongly believe will help policing and crime prevention. In dealing with these issues, seriatim, I choose to address them under the following relevant aspects.

    On the issue of inevitability of policing modern society, the authors have argued that no modern society can exist without an efficient policing system. Policing is seen as a sine qua non for peace and the authors discussed the need to redirect the role and structure of the police, in particular the Nigeria Police Force, along the lines of modern professional policing paradigm for more impactful law enforcement. In the word of the lead editor:

    Whichever way we look at it, policing is important but telling career, full of toils and thanklessness. People find it so easy to derogate the police. This has been so even from the earliest times. The extent of police derogation is often expressed in all manner of nicknames given them by members of the public across the world. While some refer to them as vultures, olopa, flatfoots, yansanda, Babylon, bastards and lawdogs, the more nasty persons call them dicks, titheads, khaki, men in black, bloodgang, old bills, blue locust and drones, etc. Most of these appellations express dislike. But can we, for one second, imagine what our society will be like without the police. Of course there would be monumental anarchy.

    There is no doubt that most of these appellations express dislike, but despite this, the million dollar question pops up: “can we, for one second, imagine what our society will be like without the police. Of course there would be monumental chaos”, stated Bassey the lead editor.

    To the second assumption: it is possible to have a police service that is modern, proactive and impactful in law enforcement. In addressing the issue of the kind of policing we need, the need to redirect the role and structure of the police as discussed, in particular the Nigeria Police Force, along the line of modern, proactive and technologically driven. It argues strongly that the police must imbibe the culture of accountability and transparency, and more importantly in the case of Nigeria with more than 250 ethnic groups, effective policing system must recognise and take into account our straddled ethnic mores and peculiarities. The community, the book insists, must be made to buy into it.

    On the last and final assumption: the book has attempted to make suggestions which are strongly believed will help improve policing and crime prevention. These suggestions include:

    i. The need to put enlightenment programmes in place to educate the people or populace about ethics underling policing principle and practice.

    ii.The need for NPF to improve its management style, equipment and funding packages.

    iii. The need to bolster the morale of personnel of the force through the introduction of life insurance covers for police personnel.

    iv. Need for enhanced income, operational incentives disability benefits and recruitment entitlement.

    v. To check the level of police performance, an independent statistical evaluation of the NPF in crime prevention through crime survey needs to be introduced. This survey will provide an objective change to judge the police/law enforcement performance and change public perspective.

    This work certainly evidence ingenuity, organisational ability and a simple to read approach. Aside from the language and style of writing which is quite lucid, I am impressed with the thematic approach the editors have adopted in the treatment or discussion of the issues in focus. Right from the first to the fifth chapters, attempts were made to give us an insight into the origin, development and theoretical basis of the subject matter. Indeed, the evolution of the police force in Nigeria as well as the emergence of new crimes have been elaborately dealt with in these chapters.

    The next thematic approach is that which deals with uses of internal security concerns. In chaptersseven to nine, the entire fields of militancy, amnesty and peace in the Niger Delta as well as general issues of internal insurgency and national security have been handled with such panache and competence by the various contributors. Interestingly, specific attention is also paid to matters of policing internal conflicts.

    Another issue that has adequately been dealt with by the contributors is policing within the socio-economic relationship/human rights. –Chapters 10-17 cover issues of Peace, Youth, Spousal Violence against Women in Nigeria, Economic and Financial Crimes and Asset Tracing.

    Finally, there is the international dimension of policing that is treated under the topic ‘The police and peace-keeping operation’ by Dr. Okom in chapter 18 of the book. The last three chapters of the book, to wit: chapter 19, 20 and 21 deal with such key issues, Socio-situational Crime Prevention, Crime Information Management and Police and the Reintegration of Offenders in Society.

    Need I say more? The articles in this work are scholarly, characterised by intellectual depth and mind-stirring analysis and evocative arguments. Therefore, buying this book or keeping a copy will give you more than your money’s worth. The prints are good and readable. It is also in soft and hard cover. However, It is my considered view, indeed my suggestion, that the editors should make available to the reading public an e-version of this book. Furthermore, it is my hope and wish that at the next lunch of the revised edition of this book, the issue of state police should come up for discussion.

    I am honoured to recommend this book to you for your general reading and intellectual growth. For the lovers of Nigeria, this book is a must read.

  • Hellish Vortexes of life’s battles

    Hellish Vortexes of life’s battles

    When the sun fails to shine and there is drought at the same time, then it becomes obvious that one could die of thirst while never witnessing the warmth of the elements. This expression aptly describes the repeated challenges which resulted in deciding fates between moving forward or giving it all up.

    Michael Afenfia has put before his readers rhetoric that in this wise would attract countless answers; but how could one put to realistic use all of what the author has allowed his characters unravel when the hope that hitherto shimmers suddenly gets beclouded by the palpitations of gloom.

    Bubaraye Dabowei is the typical example of breaking free from the distasteful shackle of broken homes which is often synonymous with failure. His attitude makes him basks in existential advantages by believing in the scientific application of positivity of practice. This deals with bracing the odds of his parents’ separation and leveraging the gift that the heavens complemented him with on his journey to earth; he, dexterous in the round leather game rose to fame and fortune  first with Coach Belema McKay in Sharks of Port Harcourt and later at Tottenham Hotspur in England where he blossomed under the tutelage of Bryant Stewart. His is the typical story of grass to the lush meadow as regards success in England, becoming the cynosure of the passionate North London supporters and the darling football followers back home in Nigeria.

    The story of life’s delightful privileges may be told in half but then from the southern part of Africa comes Nikiwe Dlomo, a South African raised in London, whose meeting with Bubaraye Dabowei at first held the promise of a relationship that would survive until one could say no more; but whilst the star footballer thought he was done with the pains and misery that his late mother went through with his father,  he in fact sweetly walked into a whirlpool of the sort, with his eyes open but the mechanism of his perceptive abilities evidently dysfunctional.

    Conflict levels are always varied but when the duel being described is at the level of man against man, but attaining a god-man dimension then it calls for worry. A home divided against itself would fall no matter how long it is patched or padded. Such is the unravelling of the truth in the test of a couple’s character. Sweet was the song for the star footballer and his wife, the former Miss South Africa until her husband suffered a terrible injury. On a day that was meant to be the highlight of his career, having scored a great goal for his club against a Fredric Wood bridge handled Manchester United side. Bubaraye jumped into the crowd of cheery supporters only to wake to a dislocated hip and a definite end to a long-pursued dream. Hell was not let loose but the weighty impact of hades came crashing on the shoulders of the Dabowei’s leading to misery, secrets and mysteries of the human kind.

    Nikiwe could not forever basks in the euphoria of a successful husband and now that football was a no-no, her career MUST be a yes-yes, afterall she was the toast of the modelling circle and can still hold her own to a great extent. A mother of an adorable son –Sylvester – and manager of a home that cannot and should not fail, Nikiwe came up with ways of being useful to herself and her family. So she thought at first until her husband wanted none of a wife that would waltz tirelessly before cameras, while jeopardizing the sacredness of their home to some money spinning unrealities on reality shows.

    The desperation that comes with wanting a career so bad plunges Nikiwe into an adulterous affair with Nareej Praat, who is a subtle predator on willing preys. The colossal disappointment arising from not having her desires resulted in her frustrated resolve and return to Nigeria with her husband – Bubaraye.

    The psychological battle of the human mind has been given a commendable searchlight here. When one meets a brick wall having done everything one could, the quality of resilience could weaken while other distasteful options could be explored and dent to the psyche become several-pronged. Nikiwe battles the end to her husband’s career, struggles with her getting back on the career path, the unpredictable future and the loss of a once energetic and loving husband. On the other hand, Bubaraye is in fisticuffs with depression and all other negative emotions arising from an irreversible end to his career.

    In Lagos, Kemesese may have the privilege of a stable family, but the instabilities arising from a father who is too authoritarian creates chasm. Reverend Onari D’aziba and his wife, Maria D,aziba are clergy fellows who had their hopes dashed when their son chose football rather than the path of the chosen by his parents on a full time scale. The fact that he got a girl got pregnant when he could hardly feed himself meant he had crossed the momentary Rubicon of reconciliation with his parents.

    When kettle calls pot black, it is expected that the former is free of charcoal but Reverend D’Aziba may have a bigger mole in need of cleansing. He covered every track of his son’s misdemeanour, while warning all present to keep their mouths shut on the and away from members of his congregation. The didactic impact of this juncture is that humans are fallible and true to whom they are as just human beings. Kemesese leaves home, his pregnant girlfriend was packaged away to the Gambia while the waters appeared calm, but only for that temporary moment that truth could be kept under wraps.

    Michael Afenfia in this work explores the permanence of vicissitudes in human life and the challenges of managing these brick walls when it rears its head.  The error of repeated chasms in human relationships could well be described as a function of our many indiscretions couple with the hand of a superior force that prompts the several questions which may not be answered about the divergent convolutions in which human beings are found.

    Kemesese as a prodigal son later returns home to his parents, while Bubaraye is forced home with his family to Nigeria as well having been injured while playing in London. Time and chance bring both of them together and fortune smiles equally, affording its share of benevolence on the mentor Bubaraye and his mentee Sese, the latter having joined forces with the Lagoon Liners Football Club of Lagos.

     

     

  • ‘Our theatre should brainwash the world’

    ‘Our theatre should brainwash the world’

    Edmond Enaibe became almost a household name when he acted the role of Teacher Chike in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) soap titled After the Storm. This was in the 1990s and today he has risen to be one of the best directors, producers and actors in the theatre sector in Nigeria. In this chat with Edozie Udeze, Enaibe harps on the need for Nigerian artistes to use the vehicle of plays, films, dramas and scripts to project Nigeria well and rule the world of entertainment in the mold of Hollywood and more. Excerpts…

    Edmond Enaibe has certainly come a long way in the theatre firmament of Nigeria.  He is one of the most noticeable thespians and theatre arts practitioners in the theatre sector in the last twenty-five years or so.  A graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Osun State,  Enaibe is one of the best brains trained by the first generation of Nigerian theatre arts professors and academics.

    Today, he has grown to become a producer, a director and an ambassador of theatre of some sort.  He was the Teacher Chike in one of the best and most outstanding television soaps shown on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the 90s.  “Yes, I must agree with you that my role as Teacher Chike was the break I needed to break into the theatre scene in Nigeria.  It was the first to put me in the proper limelight in my career.  But it was not my first role as an actor and as a theatre practitioner.  At Ife, I did Madam Tinubu, a play that fashioned out an outstanding model for theatre itself.  The play took place at the main bowl of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos in the 1980s,” he said.

    Enaibe who is a stickler for thorough professionalism believes that once you are a theatre artiste, you can be the best you can in whatever circumstances you find yourself.  That was why even as a youth corper in Kwara State, he was confident enough to produce some stage dramas that beat the imagination of not only his employers but other youth corpers.  “Oh, I was able to do that based on the rigorous training we received in Ife.  One of those plays was a programme for the NTA, Ilorin.  Yet one of them was a play written by Jimmy Atte and directed by Yusuf.  This was in the early 1980s and it was such a warm feeling doing those things as a young man rearing to go” he said.

    As a young man trying to define his life, Enaibe at a point became a secondary school teacher.  This was in Ilorin where he taught for four years, before finding his way back to Lagos.  “When I came back to Lagos, I was employed as the Art Editor of the defunct Republic Newspaper.  I was there for a couple of years before I went in to become the Organizing Secretary of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)”

    After those years of experiments and experiences in the different fields other than acting, Enaibe decided to retrace his steps.  “At this time,” he said, his face wearing smiles of joy and fulfillment, “I decided to concentrate on my job as an actor.  Yes, talking about the Nigeria of the 60s and 70s, there was an evolution.  In those days there was one singular outlet to show programmes on TV. That was the NTA.  So, that, as it were, limited people’s choices of programmes or even where to produce more for viewers.  It was focused on the propaganda of trying to educate and entertain Nigerians.  Yet that was not even enough.  Years after our graduation, that was the situation and we were limited in terms of avenues to showcase our artistic values.”

    He admitted that the NTA had various programmes that were targeted at the people; programmes that really educated the people.  To him most of the issues raised by the NTA addressed most of the topical socio-political issues of those years.  “It was during this period that After the Storm in which I played the role of Teacher Chike came on.  It came after The Village Headmaster which was a thriller and which also held Nigerian TV viewers spellbound for years.  After that was Cock Crow at Dawn, then The Adio Family and so on.  Those were defining programmes on TV.  But today there is a proliferation of TV stations.  There are multiple programmes that have also taken viewership away from the central stations.”

    Not only that, there are many programmes today competing on the airspace in Nigeria, variety of such programmes have indeed become the spice of nature.  As an artiste, Enaibe feels that this epochal phenomenon is good for the sector.  It has not only created more avenues for artistes, there is more room for them to display their talents thereby making more money.  “Today, we have over forty television stations compared to when we had just one station with a network.  There are some programmes that are well-produced today, that can also be didactic.  We have good dramas, oh yes, but they do not directly address the issues of the country.  There are good drama presentations, fine acting though, with fine technical productions, but they do not address our immediate reality.  That is why you do not have the kind of impact the programmes like After the storm and Teacher Chike had on the psyche of the people in the past.”

    With the proliferation of TV stations, so to say, it also provided avenues for what Enaibe described as time for tom, dick and harry to begin to produce whatever pleases them.  “And they can muster money to go and pay for airtime, anything goes as programme.  And that is the direct result of what we have today.  But how do we now solve the problem?  It is very simple.  All we need to do is set standards.  Two, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should be able to give us what and what cannot go on on TV.  All over the world standards are set, you have A, B, C and so on productions.  Now what quality of production should go on on our networks?  This has to be addressed so that we have what is good for the society,” he stressed.

    On the other hand, NBC should equally find a way to control most of the international programmes that have invaded Nigerian airspace.  “There has to be due process in terms of regulation.  But because we have deregulated, we have therefore compromised standard.  Although, TV is meant to entertain, it is meant to galvanise people into development.  The state of Nollywood today was possible because we saw the frustration we had then and tapped into it to give us stories based in our situation and problem.  They addressed mis-governance, economic kwashiorkor, social quagmire and all the ills that we had in the society.  So, people saw a way of not wanting to go out again.  They would sit at home to watch films and through them they saw Nigerian problems and other issues troubling the people.”

    In the years past, it was possible for thespians to go out to cinemas to watch films and dramas.  “Oh yes, we could go to Rainbow in Mushin and still come back without an incident or security problem.  You could go to Pen Cinema, Agege or gigs at Fela’s shrine or at Copacobana and other places.  All these have come to affect stage plays today due to the advent of home videos.  Yet stage is where you have true theatre; it is where you have real live theatre and feel the pulse of drama.  Theatre is not complete without live and stage plays.  And we need to make sure live theatre is brought back to the fore,” he decided.

    All these proliferations can however be turned into positive development for Nigeria.  From within, the people can be mobilized and educated to use the positive fallouts of the home video to better the society.  “Let me give you a good example,” Enaibe remonstrated.  “The greatest myth of America today as a super world power was the sole creation of Hollywood.  You see, as a kid reading comics, I read Tarzan and I foolishly in my childish thinking believed that some Africans lived on trees.  I thought there was a jungle in Africa where people jumped from tree to tree.  That is the power of the media and that is what Nollywood has to do to help the Nigerian image a great deal.”

    In more ways than one therefore the proliferation can be used to our advantage.  Both for the export of culture and for the conviction of people around that Nigeria has something to say to the world, the numerous Nigerian films should begin now to tackle these issues.  “Both television and drama series should also address these issues.  It is not ordinary that Nigerian movies are seen world-wide.  Not ordinary that Nigerian culture is being assimilated world-wide.  Only in Zambia of recent one man was contesting in an election and he said he was an Igwe.  The people asked him the meaning of Igwe, and he said it is used to address big and rich people.  This was in Zambia.  Tell me, is this not cultural assimilation?  This can be used into re-orientating our country, our people into something much bigger and better.  From there we can move on.  All these zenophobic things in South Africa will be a thing of the past, by the time we sit down and believe in ourselves.  This can also help to move our country forward.”

    Enaibe and most of his generation of artistes, are often of the opinion that for any drama or play to be relevant, it has to address one problem or the other in the society.  “This is why we do not believe in doing art for art sake.  We do not believe that you should do a play and just do it for the sake of it.  Even Shakespeare addressed issues of his time, even he being the greatest artiste and playwright of all times.  In Hamlet, in Macbeth and such wonderful plays, he addressed deep human psychological issues about the human mind.”

    “Now the likes of Wole Soyinka and Femi Osofisan came with plays that harp on Nigerian problems.  What we are saying is that our writers have always written to address societal problems.  And this is what theatre is all about.  Osofisan uses the epic theatre dimension to mirror Nigerian problems.  Even the younger ones like Segun Adefila have been on the prowl.

    “Today most other writers that should be writing for the stage, also write for the screen which is even good for a healthy theatre development.  Adefila’s plays do not only open the truth on our faces, but slap it on your face so that you can go home thinking about it.  So, the social issues he and others address are ever alive on stage.  Yet, there are others who have not been writing the best for the society.”

    Over all, Enaibe’s roles in the TV satire, face-to-face and his role in the Baba Blue Vicks advertisement have put him on a sound footing among his peers and colleagues.  These roles have made him a known face wherever he goes.  Even within his neighbourhood in Ikorodu, Lagos, everybody knows him.  “Oh, I have come to accept that name Baba Blue.  There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said.