The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • A play steeped in tradition

    A play steeped in tradition

    Omo Uwaifo in his latest play, One Kingdom, One Monarch, reinforces salient traditional elements in Benin history and culture. Excerpts during the play reading session by the National Troupe of Nigeria last week shows that community theatre is still an issue in the society as Edozie Udeze reports

    One Kingdom, One Monarch, a play written by Omo Uwaifo replicates part of Benin history and culture quite alright.  For those who did not have the opportunity of studying the history of Binis in its epitome around 1750, this play gives a little glimpse into that period.  It involves all the intrigues of culture, tradition, beliefs and the norms of the people.  Benin is a place where tradition is not just strong and highly revered, the Binis are known for their high regard for their leaders and chiefs.

    This is the story of Agboghidi, a traditional leader of his people whose son, Ogbe was stubborn enough not to heed the entreaties handed down to him by his father.  Agboghdi was an Enogie, a traditional leader somewhere on the fringes of Benin but had a son at his old age.  Before the boy, Ogbe, was born, the divinities and the deities had warned that he should not go far off into the forests for hunting.  Particularly, the forests of Igbaghon on the banks of the River was the most feared for him.  But Ogbe was a young man full of youthful exuberance, not easily given to the counsel of elders.  And so he set out to the Igbaghon river all alone, for hunting without the consent of either his mother or father.

    A fatal move it turned out to be.  There, the witches struck him deaf.  His near senselessness now became the basis for the story, for this drama which is replicated in One Kingdom, One Monarch.  It is a play that is rather rendered in prose form.  Apart from the story itself which agitates your mind as you read through it, its presentation in drama form is below standard practice.  The format and flow sound more of prose.  As you read through it, you’re rather gripped by the fictional story of a people steeped in deep tradition.  All the elements of stage movements, props, actions characteristics of a stage drama are not there.

    This, indeed, is one of the very many ironies of play reading.  It plays the whole episode in such a way as to show the direction a play can go.  From the excerpts, it showed an abstract which is, of course, the best that the director could make out of the scene where Ogbe was found dumb and confused.  The rigmarole in that scene goes to show perhaps that that scene may be the only action-packed portion of the play.  What is the real sense in telling a story without properly situating it to give all the dramatic effects, nuances and impressions necessary in a drama?  Drama is action packed in words, with movements that can equally bring out the beauty and the essence of the characters involved in the story.

    However, where a writer has chosen to present a play in a prose form with long sentences, where the scenes are too wordy without appropriate action, then there is a problem.  As a play, One Kingdom, One Monarch is too long.  It is usually very boring to have a long play that could have been summarized in less space with few characters.  When the dialogue is made to project issues that give no meaning to stage dramatisation, a lot of questions need to be asked.  And, of course, in the normal tradition of drama, proper answers have to be proffered so as to make the play assume its proper place as one.  The issue of the duplication of roles by many characters in the play calls for serious attention.

    It was also good that the National Troupe of Nigeria, organizers of the play reading chose the person of Odia Ofeimun to preside over the session.  His approach and style was novel.  However, the reading which began many hours behind schedule was not courageous enough to tell the playwright that the opening of the play is flat, bereft of the traditional ideals.

    When it was time for criticisms, almost everybody believed that it is purely a traditional Benin episode.  But where would the props and some other salient elements of a drama fit in when it goes on stage proper?

    It is a play in seven acts without part one.  Even though the actions began in earnest, there is part two, but there is no part one.  At least, it was not indicated. This is why it appears there is a collapse of ideas at the beginning and that the playwright suddenly recovered from his frenzy as soon as Ogbe also managed to regain his own senses as from part two.  There is a little dramatic sense in stating that perhaps Ogbe’s idiosy seeped into the ideas of the early part of the play.  But it all goes to depict the general belief that witchcraft has come to be part and parcel of many societies in these climes.

    The role of Obo (diviners) in the traditional setting of a people; how they were able to handle the Ogbe situation when consulted, all point to the fact that Benin traditional norms long known for their efficacies still hold sway.  There is total beauty in such a tradition so long as it does not inhibit people’s progress or limit their powers to be free from the mundane.  When Ogbe finally became the Enogie, myriads of potent traditional tendencies played themselves out so brazenly.  Moreover, it was clear he learnt the necessary lessons to be able to continue in the tradition of his predecessors.  As an Enogie, his enigmatic poise and composure were indices of a man at home with his people.  He understood his people wholesale.

    And so beyond tradition, the play has to be reviewed to make it a better issue on stage.  It has to be done because that is the central idea of play reading.  Even though Uwaifo is a trained engineer who has written a couple of other books, his sense of play writing has to be made to be in conformity with the acceptable norm.  “But let it not take long to get him to do that (page 66).  And so let this be the shortest possible escape route to make this a formidable play both in content and otherwise.  Let the songs which usually come in form of dirges be infused more into the play to stir the audience.  Let the drums play so often to bring out the sorrows of those aroused by the many oddities in the lives of the people.

    Born in 1932, Uwaifo is a prolific writer who even in retirement is waxing stronger as a writer.  He said he wrote the play to fulfill an age long desire to depict a part of his people’s history.  Ofeimun said it is a play that must be seen within the context of its history, while Martin Adaji of NTN described it as a play with deep traditional elements.

  • Bashorun preaches evolution through Waste

    Bashorun preaches evolution through Waste

    Evoking a sense of preserving the environment, lecturer and woodwork artist, Raqib Bashorun is currently on a quest to turn the fortunes of our degrading environment around with an exhibition aptly tagged Evolving through Waste. The artiste, touched by an indifference to wasteful lifestyles that Nigerians have come to be characterized with, says that he chose to embark on the journey to advance, through works produced, the gospel of cleansing all aspects of this cancerous attitude from our lives.

    “Believe it or not, we waste just about everything in this country; spiritual, material, manpower, lives, energy, time, mind, money and words – the list in inexhaustible,” the artiste says.

    Following a private viewing which took place on Friday, May 16 from 6 to 9pm at the Omenka Gallery in Ikoyi, the show opened to the public yesterday, Saturday, May 17 at the same centre.

    Bashorun shows the stuff he is made of with the piece Black Gold. A 2013 work, the artiste uses aluminum, steel, wrought iron, plastic and wood as his medium while adorning it with glass to give it a glossy feel. While Nigeria is blessed with large deposits of crude, the land from which the unique resource emanates, sadly, is under debilitating environmental conditions.

    Again, because oil is very expensive, useful, and valuable in our world, and because the colour of oil is black, the term ‘Black Gold’, comes in as a convenient description. However, as gold withstands the test of fire, so must crude pass through refinement to come out as the most valued petrol, diesel or kerosene.

    Bashorun’s piece, which takes on different appearances to different personalities, appropriately describes this process. The artist seems to be saying that in the waste that hampers the development of the environment lay prospects of wealth. Black Gold calls on the residents of this earth to take the extra pain to rid their environs of dirt. However, he says, he doesn’t want to sound too predictable.

    “At take off, I was not thinking of the popular expressions such as ‘waste to wealth’ or trash to treasure,’ rather, I saw waste in an artistic sense – as an ‘art form,’ and I sourced for some, which readily or through modifications, I could connect with the other forms I created myself in wood to further my mission. My approach to employing these objects was one of exploration, experimentation, commitment and passion,” Bashorun says.

    As most of his contemporaries, Bashorun reconstructs pre-existing materials, reinterprets and ultimately repurposes them as recycled art. The creation of something positive from the inherent negativity of waste, and the reaction of surprise, the materials inevitably draw from the observer, are the key factors in Bashorun’s art.

  • I’m known as deviant artist

    I’m known as deviant artist

    A well-known deviant artist, painter and sculptor, Gerry Nnubia, has over the years refused to follow the normal convention to do most of his works. Today, he has experimented with a lot of mixed media, dwelling more on landscapes where he is most proficient. In this interview with Edozie Udeze he talks about the values of different colours and how they make an artist distinctive, distinguishable and lots more

    What area of the visual art did you specialise in?

    Well, I specialised in painting and I graduated from the Institute of Management Technology, (IMT), Enugu.  I also have passion for sculptures.  Once in a while, I do sculptures especially if I am commissioned to do so.  I also try my hands on installations.  And one other passion I have is that I also love teaching the art.  But these days I don’t have much time to do that, due to studio works; studio commitments.  In the time past, I used to go teach expatriate women who love the Art so much.

    That used to be every Saturday when I used to teach them how to draw and paint.  Indeed, painting is my measure; it is where I have the greatest love.  However, I often experiment with wood and other forms.

    Generally, what colours appeal to you most when you paint?

    For me, as far as painting is concerned colour is more appealing than form.  If you look at the schools of art we have in Nigeria today.  I mean the three major schools of art – Auchi Polytechnic, Yaba College of Technology and Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, they are all colour-oriented.  But then, they have a little edge, because apart from colours, they try their hands on other materials.  They do a lot of mixed media.

    The Auchi School of Art is also colour-oriented, even more colour-oriented than IMT School.  And having passed from IMT and then having done my Youth Service at Auchi Polytechnic, and teaching there briefly, it is a combination of both the mixed media and the colours.  And that has kept me apart from the rest in terms of the usage of colours.  In my style, I commit a lot as far as colour is concerned.  If you look at the array of my works, you find out that colours make much more meaning to me than other issues of the visual.

    But how do you combine the colours – do you really have to consider the subject matter when you do that…?

    Apparently, when it comes to landscape, for example, whether it is realistic landscape or abstract landscape, every colour has a language.  There are colours that are existent in the atmosphere at a particular time of the day.  Take for example, early in the morning before sunrise, you hardly see the warm orange or yellow rays in the sun, or in the atmosphere.  It is supple ultra-marine blues that you usually see.  In the afternoon, however, you see the yellow colour.  In the evening, you see the earth colours mixed up with blues and others.  Then you see the magentas when the sun is settled.

    So, as far as landscape is concerned, every time of the day has its own values in terms of colours.  There is the fore-ground; there is the atmosphere and that atmosphere has an ambiance of colour that appears in that particular time of the day.  So the application of each colour or colours should have relevance to the subject matter like you rightly noted.

    To you, what sense does it make when you are painting the same object with different colours in the morning and in the afternoon?

    It becomes very interesting really because that’s where the artist puts his skill.  For instance, if you are painting the waves of the sea at certain times of the day, when the waves rise, the reflection differs.  At a time it is yellow, then like late afternoon it can rise as blue or what you call sea-blue.  Sometimes, it depends on the level of light in the atmosphere because if you talk of colour, it is the property of light and so it is.

    It is indeed the extent of light in the atmosphere that determines the particular colour that is dominant in the atmosphere in a particular time and when you paint or visualise these issues, they indeed play prominent role in what you paint or how they come out.

    Over the years, what colours have dominated and shaped your works?

    Apparently, if you take a closer look at my works over the years, the colour purple always features.  This is so because for a lot of reasons very personal though… and again, I don’t like to use earth colours a lot, as those that are commonly found in the atmosphere because if I am painting a landscape, it now renders the landscape rather representative, instead of creative.  Purple is a colour you can hardly see in the atmosphere.  And when it comes to the technicalities of painting, there is the light, there is the dark, there is also the midtone.  So, I use purple a lot of times for my midtone.  But a lot of people are of the opinion that…  well those who paint a lot of naturalism, they use the earth brown for their midtones.  But I try to avoid that because I have a philosophy in the art that it runs parallel to reality.  Like a statement made by Aristotle that the importance of art is not a representative of that seen in reality but an interpretation of the innate aspect of that thing.

    For instance, if I am painting a landscape, I paint it, not interpreting it to represent it the way it is.  Instead I represent the time of the day when it is being done.  And every other colour apart from green, and brown are very wonderful for me to use to represent the landscape that I do.

    Has that over the years given you a distinctive signature?

    A lot of things have indeed given me distinctive signature.  Apart from colour, a lot of my colleagues have found out that I paint with dominant schemes.  Each of my pieces have dominant scheme and that has been my area of dominance.  That is one thing I am known for.  I am also known to be a deviant artist.  I do not follow the norm.  I don’t work in conformity with others.  In fact, I do everything to pull out of convention.  It shows in my choice of colours; it shows in my themes and in the style of my works.  It also shows in my rendition.

    I am also an experimentalist.  Although I have not tried my hands on sculptures in the recent past, because I have been busy with my paintings, I like wood.  Wood is traditional to us.  I like wooden sculptures and I also like slender athletic sculptures like the works of Bunmi Babatunde and Francis Uduh.  These two sculptors love the application and skillful slender athletic sculptures.  Then over there in the United States of America where I’ve been to a couple of times, I saw a lot of metal sculptures.  Theirs are predominantly stainless steel, aluminion works, a lot of them do come as abstract pieces.  There are many of such monuments and their finishing are marvelous and amazing.  They are not like the normal iron welding that we have here or in some other places.  A lot of times what you see in the United States of America, you can’t see where the metals are joined together or when they scuttle one another.  I find this very fascinating.

    Then what is your take on outdoor works in Nigeria?

    Our outdoor sculptures, because mostly, paintings are hardly outdoor and Nigerians don’t really commission works, apart from the Lagos State government led by Babatunde Fashola, that does that to beautify the streets of Lagos.  Even then, the state government has started to commission mosaic murals on public buildings and offices.  Otherwise, most outdoor works we have are sculptures and a lot of time, most of those works do not go to the professional artists.  They go to roadside artists who do not know what it takes to do a professional work.  They do not often know methods and materials, because that course you do in methods and materials in school is the distinguishing factor in the preparation of outdoor works.  This is why a lot of works do not stand the vagaries of weather because inferior materials were used to do them.  That is why if you go to Europe or America, in as much as their weather is not as harsh as our own, they still use materials appropriate to their environment to do their works.  There they have outdoor works that have lasted over a hundred years or more.  But here, hardly can you see a piece of art on the street or in front of a public building that can last up to twenty years.

    After sometime it starts to disengage because of the shabby way it is done.  Today, it is unfortunate that most schools do not take the issue of methods and materials very serious and so you see most of the young graduate who do not even understand the concept very well.

    You now see an artist using paper to do a piece of work that is supposed to last a 100 years.  It might look beautiful at that point in time, but the truth of the matter is that after 10 to 15 years, it begins to pill off.  The paper begins to disengage because it is not meant to stand this harsh weather.  So, we need to discourage such to give outdoor works the sort of perfection they need to survive for a long time.  Even some of the murals that are done here, sometimes all these  are not put into consideration.  Take a look around, some of them have pilled off already.

  • Of myth, power and satire

    Of myth, power and satire

    Title: Death & the King’s Grey Hair & Other Plays
    Author: Denja Abdullahi
    Publication: Kraft Books Limited
    Year of Publication: 2014
    No. of pages:108

    Death and the King’s Grey Hair and other Plays is a collection of three plays written by Denja Abdullahi , an award-winning poet, literary essayist, cultural enthusiast and technocrat. The Playwright has published many works to his credit, part of which includes: A Thousand Years of Thirst (2011), Abuja Nunyi (2008), the Talking Drum (2008) and his much celebrated narrative poetry, Mairogo: A Buffoon’s Poetic Journey Around Northern Nigeria (2001) and Themes Fall Apart but the Centre Hold (2009) a book co-edited with Joe Ushie on the 50 year Anniversary celebration of Achebe’s most acclaimed novel Things Fall Apart in (2008). Death and The King’s Grey Hair and Other plays is his current collection of plays.

    Death and the King’s Grey Hair  is not a historical play, but  a play based on an oral mythology attributed to the  Jukun people of middle belt region of Nigeria. The playwright explains to us in his preface that he does not bother himself to go into any search for the facts of the story but feels the need to weave bare myth into dramatic fiction. The play is centered on the king of the land of Shakaga, King Esutu who defies the tradition of his people that says the throne is for ‘’young kings and short reigns’’; as the kings in that land are normally given poison to drink and die to be reborn into a lion at the sprout of the first grey hair on their royal heads. Like it is with such typical tradition, all is not well with the people of shakaga at the beginning of the play. The attempt of the King to willfully defy tradition in search of absolute power and the people’s resistance to that form the conflict framework of the play.The play is noteworthy for its cultural setting.

    All three plays in the collection are experimental plays. Death and the King’s Grey Hair  shows to us the effect of the abuse of power and total disregard for tradition. The playwright explains to us that power is “power” no matter the period of time a leader rules. King Esutu of Shakaga and the man of the cave in the ancient period are not different from the modern man who can go to any length to remain on the throne.

     ‘’First Wiseman: we all know that it is a taboo for a king to show signs of aging in our land. Our land is a land of young kings and short reigns. But something tells me that Esutu has stayed longer on the throne than any other king we’ve had since Jigulu, our founding father’’ (Death & the king’s grey hair, pg 14)

    To unravel the mystery, is to be confronted by the tragedies as faced by Gabisi and the poison bearer.

    In the second play titled Truce with the Devil, Denja Abdullahi brings to the table his experiment with Marxist ideology as opposed to capitalism. Through this theatre of experiment, the playwright says it is nearly impossible to dethrone capitalism and enthrone Marxism. He uses real characters in fictional perspectives. Suleiman, a devotee and advocate of Marx and Engels is oppressed by his capitalist uncle, he gets expelled from Jarasite University as a result of his crusade for the proletarians. Like Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s I will Marry When I Want, the principle of collectivism cannot work as most people are oppressed by poverty and joblessness. Suleiman submits to capitalism because he cannot fend for his siblings and he explains to Dapo how he only needs to play the devil’s advocate to get what he wants.

    Suleiman: ‘’No, you got it wrong. I was seduced by reality after all those student days of sloganeering.

    My friend let me tell you, I have stopped living on Marxist books. Marxism is dead, Communism is crumbled.’’(Pg 77)

    Fringe benefits ,the third play, is written through the eyes of the playwright as a participant- observer. In this play, Denja Abdullahi explains the social realities of life in tertiary institutions and the society at large and the benefits that accompany the job we do. Imagine if we have to go to library  where books are  non-existent ,to do a research  or  where the only way out is to buy handouts or take our lecturer’s order?  Imagine if the only better option for us is to go beyond the shores for a greener pasture due to the economic situation of the country.

    The plots of the plays are unique as the playwrightsucceeds in crafting out the conflicts and providing good resolutions with good characterisation and dialogue that blends with the period and situation of the time. I like the poetic rendition of the character of Gabisi the poet and guardian of words:                     

    ‘’I am Gabisi, the poet of the ancients. Those who do not respect what is old should await the sting of my tongue. Whenever you see brave grey-haired men bent with many moons of wisdom, look for Gabisi, Gabisi is the messenger of tradition, the poet of the ancients.’’                                                                                                  Pg13.

    The first play is in movements and broken in to seven movements while the second play is in Act and the third in scene. Pretty much different from the usual Act and Scene style of play writing.

    I will suggest this book be recommended for Tertiary institutions , secondary schools and also for the theater. It is a classical collection of plays filled with great humor.

  • Making the nation work

    Making the nation work

    Title: Building the Nigerian Dream-thoughts on creating a new Nigeria
    Author: Meksley Nwagboh
    Publisher: Inspire Tv, Lagos
    Year of Publication: 2013
    No of pages: 216
    Reviewer: Edozie Udeze

    Building the Nigerian dream has always been said by many meaningful Nigerians to be a collective responsibility.  It is a responsibility that calls for total commitment and serious planning that will inadvertently lead to a greater tomorrow where the indices of growth would rise from where it is today to a reasonable level to ensure that the future of the country is guaranteed.  And when this is guaranteed, more jobs are created, the education system is improved upon while the health and the energy sectors are propped up to meet the required standard befitting the nation.

    In his well-thought out book, properly articulated to stimulate the minds of Nigerians to work seriously towards improving the system and regaining lost hopes, Meksley Nwagboh, posits that no one can fix Nigeria, but Nigerians themselves.  The whole attitude of inept leadership, foolish followership and idiotic attitude towards nationalism have to end if we have to get it right.  This is why he sub-titles the book, thoughts on creating a New Nigeria, so that the people themselves need to rise up to serve as the proper instruments for nation building.

    While this purpose is being pursued, it is desirable for people to challenge the potentials within them. You cannot always discover who you are until you begin to challenge yourself – thinking  a way to make new discoveries, working profusely to achieve what others may be afraid to try them hands on.  In essence the beauty of life, the whole centrally of what propels you on, is your ability to go beyond what others can do to achieve the ordinary.  You need to task your brain.

    For instance, Henry Ford, who discovered the Ford automobile in America was a roadside mechanic who at a stage felt he needed to push on.  He tasked himself to manufacture the cheapest car in America called Ford.  Today, that remains America’s greatest pride and it is still considered one of the strongest automobiles in the world.  “So, locked inside every seed is a forest, locked inside every boy is a man, yet locked inside every girl is a woman and then locked inside every problem is a solution.”

    Nwagboh maintains that a successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.  In other words, life itself is full of problems and there is always a paying job for anyone who makes himself available to solve those problems.  On page 19, the author notes that for there to be concerted efforts towards attaining a greater dream, a paradigm shift is necessary.  And beyond this paradigm shift is the responsibility towards the right cause of action.  To him, “responsibility is the price for greatness…  How then do you respond when you see a challenge or problem?  In many situations world over, change agents see challenge from a far and run towards it.  In other words, respond to it.  However, change inhibitors see challenges from a far and neglect them…”

    In Nigeria today, too many people talk the talk but do not like to walk the talk.  A lot of people have to dwell in the glorious history of Nigeria and no one wants to think of how to make today and tomorrow better than yesterday.  One man’s vision can therefore make a world of difference to make Nigeria much better today.  It may not be a collective responsibility or action.

    You can dream a bigger dream that can unleash a lot of changes that can equally create jobs for millions of people, encourage local manufacturing of products and so on.  So, venture out of your cocoon; discover those innate potentials that only you as a person can muster the courage to release from inside of you.

    On page 44, titled the audacity of purpose, Nwagboh postulates that “one thing about purpose is that it never gives up on you.  It does not matter what you are doing right now or how much you are making.  You will never be fulfilled until you do what you were designed to do.”  Stretched further, “try to develop success from failure.  Discouragements and failures are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”  The more daring and creative you are, the more purposeful you become in life.  The issue of developing or inventing new ideas is not for lazy people.  That is why we need to set the goals and be ready to move on Nigeria, as a nation, needs all that.

    For people who have ready made ideas on how to move on in life, life itself is routinely.  And a routine life does not make for a meaningful progress where one can dare the status quo to achieve the ultimate in life.  Therefore, you have to note that purpose is what you were born to do.  You are on this planet because of your purpose.  This is why everyone you see is very important.  In it all, you are the way you are and not like someone else because of the purpose you were meant to fulfill.

    The book is divided into parts to define the roles people and individuals need to play to make the society habitable and successful.  The author’s total concept is to encourage more Nigerians to look inward; to think of what they can do for their nation to make it work.  The role of the book is to point ways through which the dream of a greater Nigeria can be achieved.  This is so because like Abraham Lincoln of America once said to his people, “it is rather for us to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that how these honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we hereby highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new breath of freedom, and that a government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

    So, now, stop waiting for things to get better and start making things better.  Think about it, most of the greatest revolutions in the world were not started by government but ordinary people just like you and I.  so, this is the time when you should follow your heart’s desires.  Others may indeed make fun of you when you decide to follow your heart’s desires, follow it all the same.

    Baring a few typographical and editing errors, this is a book good enough for people who desire change for Nigeria to move ahead.  It is instructive, it is positive and topical in a society where gloom and apathy have almost enveloped the people.

  • ‘My life and River Nun’

    ‘My life and River Nun’

    At 93, he walks around unaided. His sight and senses are still sharp. At a conversation and book signing session in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Pa Gabriel Okara relived his life as a poet and writer, and what motivated him to write The Call of River Nun and The Voice, among others. Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports.

    For over 90 minutes, two literary giants Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka and Prof J.P Clark sat side by side listening  to a friend and author of The Call of River Nun, Pa Gabriel Okara.

    Shortly before the conversation, the two renowned writers  has been chatting. Also in the audience were renowned historian and Prof Emeritus A J Alagoa and Prof Chidi Maduka of the University  of Port Harcourt, among others. After sometime, guests were asked to rise and welcome the celebrator, Pa Gabriel Okara, who clocked 93  that day.

    The gathering, Meet The Author (which also featured conversation/book signing and cake cutting),was held penultimate Thursday at the Royal Banquet Hall of the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. It was to honour Okara on his birthday. It also formed part of the activities marking Port Harcourt as the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organsation (UNESCO) World Book Capital 2014.

    But for the eulogies from Prof Maduka, Okara’s 93rd birthday would have gone without a word from the older generation of writers. The duo of Soyinka and Clark declined to talk when requested by the compere, Anote Ajeluonuo, of The Guardian to comment on Okara.

    With nostalgia, the Ijaw-born poet spoke of his growing up, his works and why he wrote The Voice, a book that promotes the Ijaw cultural heritage and others.  Organisers of the Port Harcourt Book Capital celebration dedicated the evening to celebrating the life and works of Okara, who is still exceptionally active with sound memories at 93.

    Telling his childhood story almost in a poetic manner, he said: “I grew up with the water, fishes and trees. I attended Government College, Umuahia where I was introduced to literature. We were compelled to read one book per week and to make presentations to teachers afterward. From there, I developed the passion for writing. I was in the Gambia for sometimes. I also did printing press in Lagos. I was in the civil war and also had opportunities to go for all manners of training within and across the world. I won many awards in the civil service including that of Rivers State and national honour of OON from the Federal Government. I am happy to take part in the celebration of my 93rd year on the planet earth. I am grateful to God for good health and for strength even to climb up the high step of this podium. I appreciate all my friends.”

    Like how much did he make from his first published work? Okara said: “One thing I will like to make clear though it may appear strange to non-creative writers is that I wasn’t taking money when I started writing. I created passion for writing, especially with the conflict in the society. There was a time that the British Council invited me for a poetry programme. I was so happy when it was broadcast. Later,  I was asked to sign for the money for the service. I was shocked and I asked, ‘which money?’ I was happy for the joy of being heard. It was 10 pounds then. That was a big money then. All I wanted was a forum to express my feelings. I was driven by the muses. That was writing then. I was also happy with the Commonwealth Prize when it came at last. I was paid N500,000 as a joint winner. The joy was in the acceptance of what is written by the generation of loving people of Nigeria.”

    What then was the concept behind the writing of this sage? “The concept of my writing is feeling, sensitiveness to situation, peculiar thought which others may not have. To me, what keeps me in writing is the desire to express the scene around me. I am driven not by fame or money but by sheer desire and pleasure for writing. Sometimes I write on what makes me angry as well especially in my poetry.”

    He also explained what motivated him to write his popular poetry collection, The Call of River Nun. “I was in Enugu when I wrote the book. The concept of the poem came to me when I climbed to the top of the hill and watched the insects, the soldier ants, in group, carrying their loads. I began to wonder on such a territory and such preservative manouvres these insects were demonstrating. Also, I thought about my childhood; how different was the atmosphere in the Creek compared with my new abode at Enugu? I began to think about my life journey in the River Nun. I remembered my early childhood. The Call of River Nun may be described as a poem of remembrances, desire to live freely without any fear, without any enemy. I remembered all that happened in the decade that you might have achieved,” he said.

  • Setting the stage for Soyinka’s 80th birthday

    Setting the stage for Soyinka’s 80th birthday

    Eighty life portraits of Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka dotted the Hall of Fame of the Cultural Centre in Kuto, Abeokuta Ogun State capital. It was the opening of a special exhibition tagged Living Legends, to flag off the celebration of Soyinka’s 80th birthday. It was organised by the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE). Governor Ibikunle Amosun led government functionaries including Secretary to the State Government Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa and Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Mrs Yewande Amusan to the event.

    Amosun extolled  Soyinka’s virtues noting that the Nobel laureate as an iconic indigene of the state is role model. He praised the organisers of the event for their efforts.

    Mrs Amusan said the government would participate in Soyinka’s birthday activities, including the exhibition.

    Her words: “We will be there to support whenever our support is required because our support is not limited to the exhibition.”

    The rocky city of Abeokuta, the capital of Soyinka’s home state, Ogun, which is fast becoming a tourist destination, particularly, for those who seek to escape from the unavoidable “madness” of Lagos, the activities lined up for Soyinka at 80 bring additional values.

    Amosun hopes to maximise the long celebration and expected high volume of human traffic to showcase the city’s culture and tourism. Mrs Amusan said this much when she listed the city’s tourism focus such as the adire (tie and dye) textile designs festival as well as the Olumo Rock.

    “We must, for his sake, put in place all that he stands for,” the place of creativity in the uplifting of a people,” emphasised the governor.

    The works on display consist of pieces done in 2008 by 12 renowned contemporary Nigerian artists in various media. The works will also be viewed in other states in the course of the 80-day event, which will end on July 12.

    Other activities for the birthday celebration include symposium, theatre performances, essay competition and workshops. The theme for programme is: Education: Path to freedom and the future.

    Former Chairman, Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State Chapter, Olu Ajayi, who was the curator of the exhibition, said it was coincidental that the life portraits of the icon were being exhibited to celebrate Soyinka at 80.

    “In Nigerian history you rarely find legends being documented in art forms, apart from people being commissioned to paint portraits, artists have not engaged people of substance who have contributed to the socio-economic-political life in this country, to have these individuals in the body of work of art. That was what inspired the painting of Living Legends.

    “As a living legends’ promoter and as part of cultural exchange, this exhibition is an aspect of it. The painting of Prof Soyinka has gone beyond portrait but in form of body of art. The choice of Wole Soyinka as the living legend is due to his consistency for years,” Ajayi said.

    “The youth as future of tomorrow were not left out of this event. The opening ceremony also witnessed a life drawing session by students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. “We are going to have students who will be taken through a workshop in the areas of drawing and framings to make them understand the different styles of artists that partook in the exhibition,” Ajayi added.

    WSICE Project Executive Producer Teju Kareem of Zmirage said the project was in three major parts – the essay competition, which is to mentor the youth; the advocacy, to put identify what we think is right for humanity and art and culture which we will exhibit through stage play, music, drama and exhibition.

    Kareem  noted that the organisation aims to use the platform as a tool to dismantle the fear that exists among people because of lack of understanding of each other’s culture, religion, commerce  and social life.

    “We believe very strongly that once the fear is eliminated, through understanding of each other’s culture, the world will experience the peace and unity that we all crave for. That is the trust of International Cultural Exchange, however, we see Wole Soyinka as an icon, who stands for all these virtue…we therefore approached him to lend us his date of birth as our calendar for the event. We chose to identify our goals of international cultural exchange, which is in consonance with Soyinka’s virtue, his humanity, his activism, and his social and cultural being. We see all these as impetus for farther development and cooperation among us. Hence we celebrate Wole Soyinka,” Kareem stated.

    The producer of the project, Lillian Amah-Aluko said: “The discourse we are stating up now is these young ones, who are going to capture a moment in time of their world, they are not going to be painting Soyinka, they are going to be painting the world as they see it, using the living legend project is to draw an analogy for them to see.

    “Teju Kareem and Prof Segun Ojewuyi of Global New Heaven started the programme to use the platform of literature, arts and culture to uphold the dignity of man and to achieve global diplomacy because there are so much violence in the world …man against man, and we feel that with education, with knowledge of one another we will come to accept, love and understand one another. And we will be able to live in peace. These individuals are using art, theatre and literature to achieve these phenomena due to their knowledge in these areas,” Amah-Aluko said.

    Terra Kulture was represented at the opening of the show by Mrs Ronke Akinyele to support the project as well as encourage the students who will be participating in the workshop.

    “Terra Kulture is here to show our appreciation and show our gratitude for another person taking up the platform to do something like this, bringing visual art to the limelight. So far so good the exhibition is nice and I have seen a lot of works by artists I know such as Abiodun Olaku, Ben Osaghae,” Akinyele added.

    The Wole Soyinka International Culture Exchange was founded five years ago by Teju Kareem and Prof Segun Ojewuyi who are the Co-Executive producers of the project is to promote education, art and culture through literature, visual art and theatre.

  • X-raying a literary amazon

    X-raying a literary amazon

    The pain and horror of the killing of some University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students referred to as ‘Aluu Four’ were brought home when the literati and scholars gathered in Lagos to celebrate a literature doyenne, Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, at the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)Vintage Wine and Flesh Blends, reports Evelyn Osagie.

    They came protesting. Teenagers- boys and girls. They raised their voices and placards to protest the 2012 carnage that took place in Aluu, a Rivers State community.

    “It was a day dream died/Faith withered in the furnace of unbelief… Adieu, oh hapless victims of Aluu…” they chanted.

    It was no protest rally but the performance of the poem Season of Carnage from the collection Dancing Masks written by seasoned writer Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo.

    There were mixed emotions as the kids, from four secondary schools, took turns to give theatrical interpretation of the poem on stage. Their reaction was not far-fetched. It was weeks after several bombings and killings in the northern part of the country.

    Emotions were high.While fueling audience’s emotion, the diverse interpretations and costumes added spice to the poem’s preoccupation. The poetic lines, which the poet said was borne out of the hideousness of the act, and the theatrics not only re-enacted the scenes, but also called for firm action against such inhuman acts.

    The Lagos City College’s performance, which was the most expressive of the four schools that included National College, Gbagada; Ikosi Senior High School and Gretech Educational Foundation, clinched the first place position.

    The teen-actors with budding passion for literature, were the “Fresh Blends” while the poet was the “Vintage Wine”, explained the Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Branch, Mrs Femi Onileagbon.

    She was one woman wearing many hats. She is a prolific writer, with over 50 publications, including 14 books and numerous journal articles. She is one of Lantern books award-winning authors, who has won diverse literary prizes such as the NLNG Prize for Literature Prize and ANA prizes for Prose Fiction and Women Writing; and has judged several others.

    Her achievements are not limited to the literary front alone. She is an English Language professor and was the head of department of English at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) where the event was held. In the home-front, Adimora-Ezeigbo is also a success as wife, mother and grandmother. She was there with her hubby Prof Christain Ezeigbo, their children and granddaughter, bright Chinemenma. And on the traditional front, she is a chief with thetitle Ugonwanyi Edemede Ndi Igbo.

    With a large portfolio of accomplishments that serves as inspiration for the young and for her contributions to the advancement of the course of Literature, Onileagbon said,Adimora-Ezeigbo earned a spotlight at the Second Vintage Wine and Fresh Blends. The event was organised in conjunction with Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, who donated books and prizes to the schools.

    According to the ANA Lagos Chair, the programme aims at creating a mentorship environment for new and budding writers. “It invites the best of established literary figures, publishers and political figures (Vintage Wine), whose experiences and life paths have the weight to influence positively the creative development of new, young or aspiring writers (Fresh Blends) with the aim to nurture them. This edition we chose to celebrate Prof Adimora-Ezeigbo and work with Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited that has published and promoted scholarship for 45 years.”

    Impressed by the efforts of the teen-actors, Adimora-Ezeigbo, who started literary voyage early as a member of Debating and Dramatic Society where she wrote her first play, encouraged the children to keep at their passion, saying she started many years ago like them. She advised parents and schools to encourage the budding talents in their wards, saying: “Encourage your children to imbibe the culture of reading and writing early. Schools should identify talents in their wards and begin to nurture them”.

    To her quiet mien are her vocal and activist sides that came alive during the interactive session with the reporter and a representative of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, Ms Busayo Sawyerr (Editor-in-Charge). To Ms Sawyerr’s observation of low quality of manuscripts being a reason behind fall in the number of works by budding writers published Literamed, the author advised to them not to lose faith but to engage the services of book editors.

    Adimora-Ezeigbo “the advocate” kicked against destructive criticism that seeks to damage the writer, observing that “sometimes critics can damage writers”.  She opined that Nigeria has an abundance of destructive criticisms that are highly subjective. “I would wish we have more of the constructive criticism. Some so-called critics would begin to attack the writer instead of the book. Critics should look at the good and bad things about a book,”she said.

    Her novels promote African culture and cultural tolerance; the school of feminism that accommodates men. In a world that is often said to be ruled by men, the author canvassed for negotiation and cooperation between the sexes, while throwing her weight behind what she calls “Snail-sense feminism”.  She said: “The Snail-sense feminism is based on the Igbo cultural belief that advocates that men and women should negotiate and work together. The snail negotiates and dialogues with its environment and other objects around it. I think that is what African women are and should be doing.

    “Some described it as an accommodative stand. Feminism is culture-based and is constrained by our social and cultural beliefs. In Africa, we believe we have to work with the men to move the society forward. If you watch women who are successful, it is not through aggression but through negotiation. You have to work together with the men. If you notice the home that is successful, it is where the man and woman work together.”

    Her novels often promote women empowerment with female lead characters with strong personalities, who wield influence and cause positive change.

    Coming from a background of strong and independent women, she hammered on the importance of women empowerment, saying it is the inspiration behind her advocacy.

    No doubt, African cultures are patriarchy and women are often at the disadvantage, however, Adimora-Ezeigbo said,the continent still prides itself of men who support and believes in the progress of their wives and daughters.

    “My husband is that kind of man. When we are talking about the best woman activist, encouraging women, he is Number One. Right from home, all the women in my family were strong, independent women, who are empowered. I grew up in a background of strong women. My two grandmothers were strong, independent women, who believe in the empowering of women. We were encouraged to be strong and independent. My parents empowered me and that is what I believe and encourage. And I am blessed to have a husband that also believes and encourages it,” she said.

    And how does it feel have a wife with such a lofty portfolio, Prof Christian Ezeigbo was asked. Hear him: “If you are lucky to have somebody who is successful, the least you can do is to encourage that person  to the utmost because your joy and that person’s joy will multiply.”

  • Writers tackle touchy National issues

    Let against the background of the ongoing National Conference, it was more than a coincidence that the last edition of the Guest Writer Session, of the Abuja Writers’ Forum (AWF), took on touchy national issues.

    Zainab Sule got proceedings going with one of her new singles,  Fire Down Below. It was a good teaser to set the mood for an encounter with fun and excitement and it was evident her performance was enthralling as the audience sat transfixed, gazes locked at her like the future depended on their picking out every word of her lines and guitar strumming.  A situation that would repeat itself when she came back in between the writers to run through a couple of her songs.

    The sobering highpoint of the evening came when multiple award-winning journalist, read from his book, Home Away From Home. He described the book in a recent interview as “my offering to making Nigeria a great nation as some of the ones I have visited.” Though the book is solely about the history of the Ogbomoso people in Jos, the scope turns out to be far beyond that. It actually tells the sorry story of the collapse of the inter-ethnic harmony that existed among Nigerians who had lived together in peace for so many years. The book chronicles the arrival of Ogbomoso people in Jos, their settlement there over the centuries, the peace, love and unity they enjoyed as they lived, did business and mingled with the indigenes other settler-tribes.

    However, tribal and religious differences suddenly crept into the picture and turned erstwhile friends, neighbours and brothers into sworn enemies. He recalled that in his days as a little child in Jos, his family, a Christian family bonded so well with their Muslim neighbours that they’d sometimes follow them to the mosque and the friends would also follow them to church. Oyegbile decried that such a scenario is impossible in the city today, with the incessant religious and tribal fights that have erupted over the years, claiming thousands of lives and reducing the city into a theatre of violence.

    According to him, his father got to Jos before the amalgamation in 1914 that gave birth to Nigeria. At the time he left Ogbomoso, the father, he said, was too young to pay tax. He settled in Jos, worked there for decades and paid his taxes to the Plateau State government. By the time he returned to Ogbomoso, he was too old to pay any taxes. In spite of his father’s loyalty and long sojourn in Plateau State,  however, Oyegbile said if he needed a scholarship, he’d have to go and apply for it in Oyo State! This, he said, often makes him wonder if indeed we are ready to live as one nation.

    He did not only paint a picture of the grim situation, he also proffered solutions to the strained relations between Nigeria’s ethnic and religious groups. He advised that citizens be educated on the gains of peaceful co-existence; recommended the prosecution of criminals who are caught in the act of sectional aggression and the development of the right political will by our leaders, towards mending the broken relations among the various divides of the Nigerian people.

    The audience had earlier savoured poems from Iruesiri Samson Kukogho’s debut collection What Can Words Do? Samson said of the title of his collection, that he derived it from the importance that words play in our daily lives as humans. “I have seen words start and also end wars; words have broken marriages and mended broken hearts,” he said. The question of what words can do, he said, is to bring to the consciousness of the reader, the importance of the words we speak and is one that everyone should ask themselves often so as to guard their choice of words when they speak to others as they have the potential to hurt and heal, give life and also kill.

    From the themes Samson explores in the poems in his collection, it is obvious that he is  motivated by true-life experiences and is also driven to add his voice to issues of social justice and the general enhancement of society. His voice rails against rape, violence against women and social disorders. His passion for the family institution is also clearly depicted. “Society is being torn apart because families are collapsing,” he lamented. The poet emphasized that the more we lose the family, the more we lose our society and called for a show of concern by all citizens and especially

  • Teaching them how to fish

    Teaching them how to fish

    Senate Minority Whip Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon has empowered some youths to set up their own businesses. His gesture, says Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Chief Henry Ajomale, is a reminder of the nation’s empowerment crisis. Assistant Editor DADA ALADELOKUN reports.

    The event started on a convivial note. But, suddenly,  there was silence. The speaker’s voice quaked, as listeners nodded their heads. Chief Henry Ajomale, Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, held the microphone, analysing  what remains a pain in the hearts of many Nigerians.

    He struggled to contain his emotions as he bemoaned the fate of the 19 job seekers who died last month  during the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

    The Blue-Roof, popular events rendezvous on the sprawling LTV premises in Alausa, Ikeja, was filled. It was a moment for “the lucky ones” – numbering about 800 – who were being empowered with multi-million-naira equipment. The posture was a follow-up to their two-week training in various vocations, to teach them “how to fish.”

    The event was sponsored by Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon  the Minority Whip of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, representing Lagos West District. He was supported by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports.

    Exuding excitement, the youth donned branded T-shirts. With hearty praise-songs for their benefactor, they filled the roomy hall to capacity as early as 9 am, looking into the future with an air of assurance. At some locations in the hall was a spectacle: Loads of the expensive equipment that were later given to them with take-off grants.

    Before Ajomale spoke, Solomon had told the gathering why he took the bold step to rescue the beneficiaries from the brink of despondency with the training that ended on February 25.

    “With the various skills acquired by the youth, they need not continue to worry their heads over the white-collar jobs that are not there. Besides the equipment, we are also giving them some stipends in bank drafts to help them start off without ado,” Solomon said, urging them to be serious in their vocations.

    Sobriety gripped the gathering when he lamented the terror of joblessness in the country, especially among able-bodied youths. An unpleasant noise swept through the crowd in response to Solomon’s outburst on the ill-fated “NIS 19.” Sighs of agony and frustration shook the gathering. After a one-minute silence demanded by the senator for the repose of the late job seekers’ souls, he sought more commitment from the government and other stakeholders in the fight against unemployment, which he warned, was becoming a major threat to lives and property in the land.

    Everyone rose in earth-shaking ovation for the lawmaker. APC chieftain Cardinal James Odunmbaku (Baba Eto); Mr Wale Raji, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola; Mrs Risikat Akiyode, who stood in for Fashola’s deputy, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; another APC leader, Bashorun Tajudeen Jaiyesimi; officials of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, among other dignitaries, were not left out.

    Ajomale was effusive in Solomon’s praise for his thoughtful generosity, especially towards the beneficiaries. Urging them to make good use of the gesture, the politician said: “If you teach a person how to fish rather than giving him fish, you are eradicating poverty in his life. This is what our senator is doing and the Federal Government must imbibe it.”

    Fashola had kind words for the senator, saying of the empowerment: “This is a timely intervention in view of the rate of unemployment in the country today.” Orelope-Adefulire also lauded Solomon’s passion for the development of youths and women, adding: “This is a gesture that will complement government’s poverty-reduction efforts and socio-economic rebirth. This will certainly reduce crime rate.”

    The Coordinator, New Renewal Group (NRG), an influential political body in APC, Mr Abiodun Musa, stormed the LTV premises with one of his group’s branded vehicles – loaded with various souvenirs. “This man (Solomon) is not only an asset to his district; he has proved a treasure to our party by exemplifying what it stands for – compassion for the less-privileged. Giving is his life; it is one virtue that all of us, including you, must imbibe,” he told a group of some beneficiaries.

    Pleasant surprise was bold on the faces of the youth when Solomon and the dignitaries stepped out to present the equipment, certificates and the grants to them. On their lips was the tacit exclamation: “So, this can be true!”

    Mojeed Afiz, who learned barbing, got kits to start off; Abayomi Agbelega and Olamide Faniran smiled home with bench grinders; Jude Okoro, dish installation equipment, Halimat Adeleke, shoe-making machine, among others.

    A graduate of Sociology from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ibrahim Adisa, could not contain his joy. He was trained in barbing after his futile effort at securing a white-collar job. “I’m from Alimosho. Youths are the leaders of tomorrow but our government has not proved it to us. I believe posterity will remember the senator for this gesture. I know that soon, I will become an employer of labour,” he said.

    Rashidat Adigun, a graduate of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), was trained in Make-up and Gele. She was happy that the senator fed them during the training and then gave N1,000 each daily for fare. praying for the lawmaker, she said: “I had looked for an opportunity to learn the vocation in many places, but they kept demanding about N100,000 from me, which I couldn’t afford. I thank God that GOS has done it for free.”

    Indeed, it was an outing that was generally adjudged a model in the concerted efforts to bail the nation out of the woods by building the economic base of the citizenry.