The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • YAA expands activities

    YAA expands activities

    With improved facilities and a better ambience, Young at Art (YAA), a children’s workshop which seeks to build future artists and sustain interest in the arts, has increased it number of activities. Formerly a summer event, Biodun Omolayo, Director of the Biodun Omolayo art gallery, conveners of the event says that the workshop now takes place all year round.

    “The programme now runs round the year not only because we now have a more conducive environment but because of the growing interest by both parents and children. Also, we now have more facilitators making it more convenient for us to run,” Omolayo said.

    On the journey so far, Omolayo says that in its own way, the Young at Art children’s workshop has boosted the interest of not just children but their parents in the creative industry. “That is why we decided to be flexible. Again, we have started publishing a magazine, Young at Art Express. We have done the second edition, we are on the third edition of the magazine now,” he added.

    Situated at the second floor of City Mall, Onikan, Omolayo says that the gallery can now host exhibitions. “The ambience is beautiful. Apart from hosting other artistes and having exhibitions, we also now have a large collection of sculptures, both contemporary and traditional. The quality of works and numbers too has really increased,” he adds.

    Only recently, he said, the gallery hosted an exhibition themed Removing The Veil featuring a group of artistes. “It was a very successful one. It had about 16 artists showcasing their works. We are planning for another one again very soon and other, the artist revealed.

  • Oje, Nigeria’s mystery market!

    Oje, Nigeria’s mystery market!

    Ibadan, reputed to be the largest city in West Africa, has lots of myths woven around it. Oje Market is one of the many markets in the city and has one of the biggest and richest cultural sections. Taiwo Abiodun visited the ancient market and reports.

    As you approach the market din of voices herald you into its wide open bosom, welcome to Oje Market in Ibadan, one of the country’s largest cultural markets. The leaves on the Akoko and Odan trees dance in the air as if in response to the deafening noise! Men, women, the old and the young haggle over price and quality of wares on sale.

    Children who should be in school hawk wares around the market. The market is a typical theatre, play your part and leave the state.

    Fighting, haggling, hot arguments, heated discussions, running around, hissing, cursing, and cheating – all take place in the market. While some walk, some others crawl or run past.

    The ancient Oje Market is rough and dirty. It is bordered around by old and dilapidated buildings with rusted iron roofing sheets. The market has many entrances and exits, giving a nod to the Yoruba proverb that many roads lead into and out of the market. One could go in through the dilapidated houses, sharp corners, rough roads, or even behind the houses. Some of the mud houses have become part of the market.

    A place for fabrics

    The market is home to assorted fabrics, both local and international. Displayed in shops are Yoruba traditional clothes like aso oke, sanyan , alaari, and ornamental beads of different makes and sizes, meant for both the lowly and high in status, and of course for those from the royal houses depending on their status in the society. This is what the market is popularly known for. Women and men are there to market their products. Not only this, one could find assorted herbs meant for different ailments and diseases.

    Not left out are different species of kola nuts. There are also a thousand and one kinds of clay pots meant for different things, from sacrifices to libation. It is reputed to be the most popular market not only in Ibadan but in West Africa at large!

    Attesting to the fame of the market, Chief Raufu Yesufu Delesolu, 70, who has just being upgraded from the status of Mogaji to the higher status of Gbonka of Ibadan, said “Foreigners do visit the market to buy traditional fabrics and ornamental beads. I remember that the whites used to come here for shopping before going back to their countries. There was a time when Oyo Town tried to emulate us by having Oje Market and people decided to be going there until the market fell and nobody goes there again. It died a natural death. In the end only few marketers and buyers patronised them, they later came back to Ibadan here. There is no other place to be compared with this Oje Market in Nigeria.”

    Located in the central Ibadan, Oje Market has been there for over a century. It is less than a kilometre to the Olubadan of Ibadan’s palace, the paramount ruler of the city. According to Delesolu, the market is over 100 years old, adding that, it is in fact, the oldest market selling Yoruba fabrics where traders come from all over Africa to patronise every 17th day

    History of the market

    According to the Gbonka of Ibadan, the market has been there since 1884 during the reign of Oba Oluyole. The name, Oje is derived from a town not far from Ijeru near Ilorin where many people were living in the 1800s. But when war broke out with the Fulani the inhabitants were scattered and from there they migrated to Ibadan. He continued: “In order to know where these people should stay, they consulted an oracle, which instructed their leader to put all their sacrificial materials in a mortar and continue going round Ibadan Town until he is tired. Thus, the leader obeyed the instruction and when he could no longer carry the heavy load of the mortar and its contents he stopped at Idi Ayunre. Later, they continued and got to a place where they cleared the bush and saw cowry’ shells, lead, and tubers of yam among other things. Shocked to have discovered (Oje) lead, it reminded them of their roots where they came from (Oje not far from Ijeru near Ilorin). They then named the place after their former place, and called it Oje Market. Today the people who later inhabited Oje Town near Ilorin observe Oje festival every year. The Oyo, Ilorin, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, Iwo, Offa- Ile and other Yoruba -speaking people later were coming down here to sell their hand-woven clothes. The market then became a meeting point for business transactions of native Yoruba clothings not only in Yoruba land but in Africa as a whole as traders come from Cotonou, Togo, Ghana, among others.”

    He said most people who claimed to be Ibadan indigenes are not from Ibadan, “ I can tell you authoritatively that 90per cent of those claiming to be Ibadan are from Oyo, Ilorin, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, Iwo, Offa- Ile and other neighbouring Yoruba- speaking towns. In fact, the first medical doctor in Ibadan, Dr Agbaje is not from Ibadan,” he said authoritatively.

    The Oje Market myth

    The rumour that some strange people are usually seen in Oje Market in the dead of the night, thus making many believe that they are either fairies or elves, was debunked by Delesolu. He described the story as untrue. He said that the market is very rich in terms of having fabric materials to sell, thus making the traders always busy as they come early and leave late in the night. “It is the only market that buyers and sellers come early to and leave very late in the night. They could be there as early as 4am and stay till 2am in the following morning as people from all walks of life thronged there to buy and sell.”

    It is a popular belief that strong and powerful people do go to the market to either do evil or go there for powerful protection via witchcraft or wizardry, but again, Delesolu denied this.

    Asked whether the story of seeing elves in the night in the market is true, the Delesolu of Oje denied the rumour saying, “it is a rumour that the dead do come there to partake in buying and selling. The fact is that some of these traders come as early as possible while some stay till the early morning. So seeing them would make people think they are seeing spirits! You will see drivers who would like to leave as early as possible to their various destinations while the same thing is applicable to these so called market women who will wake up as early as possible, as if they don’t sleep in their houses. It is a rumour that the dead wake up and join the marketers to sell and buy things here. I have never heard such in my life,” he responded.

    Eroding culture

    The Gbonka of Ibadan decried how our culture is being eroded. He said, “Ten years ago some Aladura members went to destroy the Igi Ayunre tree, but they were stung by the bees. The place is where we used to worship Esu, and this is where the Duronkika masquerade used to pay homage to the god before embarking on his festival. But the masquerade is still observed till date while the velvet clothes (aso aran) our forefathers exchanged for slaves from the colonialists and used by these masquerades are still there till today.

    Speaking on the usefulness of Akoko leaves he said, “the Akoko and odan trees have been there for over 150 years, the trees are money – spinning, in fact, we all met the trees there. The leaves are called Akoko leaves which are used for coronation on our chiefs. The leaves are very important and crucial in Yoruba land. In fact, it is what we use during an important period and time of coronation of any important personality.”

    Igbejo Delesolu

    Inside the market is a traditional court called Igbejo Delesolu , (Delesolu’s Court) where petty cases are settled, it manages the affairs of the market. At the entrance of the court are people going in for either consultation or settlement. It is a peace meeting place for marketers who are aggrieved. According to Alhaji Ganiyu Oladeji Ekaanoye Delesolu (a retiree from the Dental Department of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan), who is among the local judges settling disputes, he said “We settle disputes here and whatever decision we take here is final. We settle petty cases like fighting for spaces, petty thievery, rumour mongering and back biting among the market women who are fond of causing chaos and snatching their boyfriends or customers. But when a case is beyond us we would refer them to the police station. We don’t rush to the police station to report cases. Hardly will you see these market women going to the police station to report themselves except cases of robbery and some others difficult to settle. There is relative peace here. We know how to control and caution anyone of them and sincerely speaking’ we are doing well in settlement here.”

    Igbejo Delesolu has been in existence for over 130 years with the settlement of landed property. Illiterate but matured and wise were employed to act as judges to preside over cases.

    Mysterious crocodile

    Situated at the centre of the market is a pond housing a crocodile. The pond was designed by the Delesolu family. According to the Gbonka, the crocodile is a must wherever Oje Market is located. “It is a tradition that the crocodile must be kept here. I met it like that. The first one died in 1939 and my father who later became the Mogaji (head of the Delesolu family and the market) came to the throne in 1940, and between then and 1942 another crocodile was brought into the market. And it has been here since. We use to feed it with live chicken.“

    On the importance of the crocodile, he said with total conviction that the crocodile is highly medicinal. “Women looking for the fruits of the womb do come here. Some women who are looking for children are often advised to come and give hen or chicken to the crocodile and that they would have a child. Many have done this and are blessed with children. Some were here to give thanks to the crocodile. Not only this, those who are sick and their cases become hopeless in hospitals use to come here to seek healing! It is not funny, it is real!” he said.

    He continued “A chief matron whom I would not mention her name came here as advised by her spiritualist (Babalawo) to come and scoop its water. She came here and took some of the water the crocodile swam in and she used it to bath for healing , and for seeking for the fruit of the womb. It worked. She came here later to give thanks. Many traditional healing homes and traditional medicine men (Babalawo) used to come here to take away the eggs of the crocodile.”

    (High Chief ) Mrs Mode Omonigbehin who trades in ornamental beads of different makes said she has been in the trade for decades. “It has been long I have been here. I am making my money and God has been doing it. This is one of the largest markets here in West Africa where you can buy these types of beads. She described the market as the most valuable in the world.

    Iyaafin Jemilat Oyinlola has been selling kola-nuts for long in the market, according to her, she gets to the market by 8am and closes by 6pm, she said “both the white people and Nigerians come here to buy kola nuts from us, they are used for wedding ceremonies, gifts , birthdays among others.“

    Another respondent, Mrs Oyetunde Falaisi, who is a herb seller said she has been in the market for a very long time and would not like to go to another place to sell, “I have been selling this products for the past 20 years. I inherited the business from my grandmother.” And Alhaja Sikiratu Delesolu said she too has been coming to the market for over 30 years. She claims she has been in the business since 1974. “I am from the family of Delesolu and have been in this business for over three decades. I have trained my children from the proceeds and built houses to shelter myself. The Oje Market is a blessing for us and for Ibadan at large.”

    Another woman who sells herbs describes the place as a gift to human being, “This is the business I was born into. I have nothing to do. I am not an herbalist but herbs seller. I know the nitty gritty of cutting the herbs from the bush, I know the names they are called but at the same time I am not an herbalist. It is the job of the herbalist to tell us what the roots and herbs are meant for.”

    Oje Market is no doubt a market with its own peculiar oddities.

  • Herbs and ‘holy’ water babies

    Herbs and ‘holy’ water babies

    Despite recent stepped up campaigns against herbal homes, many expectant mothers prefer going there and to churches to deliver their babies. Taiwo Abiodun investigates

     

    Mrs. Sola Segun [not her real name] is based in Akure, Ondo State. She had been married for over 30years without a child. Two years ago at 56, her body chemistry changed. She complained of fever and dizziness; her legs got swollen and she began to exhibit symptoms akin to that of an expectant mother. She was advised to go to hospital for pregnancy test. She decided to. The result of the test turned positive: she was indeed pregnant!

    The doctor told her that at her advanced age, there was no way she could deliver the pregnancy unaided because age was no longer on her side. She was advised to get prepared for a Caesarean operation which would cost her some ransom. Her response to that was “I reject it in Jesus name.’’ Immediately, she stopped going to the hospital for pre-natal care and headed for an herbal and maternity home where she was periodically given a cocktail of herbs. In the ninth month, she was delivered of a baby girl. With her face beaming with joy she said, “I am hoping to have another one again and would not go to the hospital.’’

    Mrs. Segun is a level 14 officer in the Ministry of Education, and a headmistress in one of the primary schools in Akure.

    Asked why she shunned the hospital to deliver her baby, she said “I am afraid of surgery and I am not sure what would happen after.” She said she is at home with herbs than subject herself to a doctor’s scalpel.

    Madam Stella James [not her real name] is a devoted Christian. She married late and at 45 she conceived but was advised not to go to the hospital or else she would be opened up for caesarean operation. She did not need much persuasion to shun the hospital because according to her, “When I was looking for the fruit of the womb I visited several hospitals many times but got no positive result until I came to this Christ Apostolic Church where God answered my prayer. It is holy water and anointing oil that I used. I was told that my problem was more spiritual and that was why I delivered my baby here too and God has been kind to me. I don’t care what people would say, this is where I had my two children and I have not gone to the hospital since.”

    The stories of Mrs James and Segun are typical of many today. Many expectant mothers prefer to visit herbal maternity homes or churches to have their babies irrespective of the hygienic condition of the environment.

    A visit to some of the labour rooms in these churches and herbal homes show how indecent and unhygienic they are for newly born babies.

    Growing patronage of herbal homes

    At Aanuolapo Trado Medical Centre and Maternity Home, Abule – Iroko, Ogun State, which is run by ‘Dr’ Rasaq Ibrahim, the scent of herbs wafted through the air. Placed on wooden shelves are bottles and plastic jars filled with both liquid and powdery substances and concoctions. Local clay pots were on fire steaming, cooking some of the herbs. Pointing at each bottle on the shelve in his consulting room, Ibrahim explained the functions of each ‘drug’ to the curious reporter.

    Pointing to one of the containers he said, “This one is blood tonic, the other one is for pain relief while the next to this one is an antidote for body itching. We use all these for expectant mothers and it also depends on their complaints, He was beaming with satisfaction and confidence.

    Inside the consultation room is a bed where he examines his clients , “In fact, I can read and interpret the result or what the scan says, ’’ he said and to authenticate his words he brought out a scan result of one of the patients, glanced at it and said “This scan is normal, the baby’s head is upside down, all these are important when a baby is about seven months old in the mother’s belly,” he lectured the reporter.

    Aanuolapo Trado Medical Centre, which he heads, is a traditional maternity and healing home where the sick and expectant mothers attend and are delivered of their babies. According to him, “I will listen to their complaints and if there is need to give them herbs I will and if it is powdery concoctions [agunmu] I will also do so. I don’t give injection at all.” As is the practise in orthodox hospitals, before any client is attended to he/she must purchase a card. He boasts, “I started doing this job over 25 years ago and since then I have no cause to regret because my clients deliver with ease and without any problem.’’

    He added, “We don’t operate on pregnant women. When the baby is not in normal position we know the herbs or powdery herbal substance to give the mother for the baby to make it turn to the right way but if it is the orthodox (doctors) they will quickly bring out their scalpel and open up the patient. We have different types for example, if it is to swallow, or liquid form or again local soap for bathing depending on the condition of the client.’’

    He claimed that he is a trained herbal medicine practitioner, “I have my licence to practise. The Lagos State government used to train us and we attend workshops, seminars and other related courses in order to upgrade ourselves. I am a certified trado-medical practitioner. ’’

    He, however, admitted that there could be complicated cases of which he would not hesitate to refer such a client from his herbal homes to orthodox medical doctor or hospitals. “But the fact is that we use traditional way to deliver babies but if we observe that the case is far from being ordinary and we cannot handle, we would then refer them to the hospitals.” He said the work is symbiotic as some orthodox doctors do refer some complicated cases to them because as he called it “to guard their loins against principalities.’’

    He argued that it is not only the poor that need his services because “the rich ones also patronise herbal homes very well irrespective of their financial or social status. In fact, those who cannot come in the day would come at night in their big cars!’’

    At Mama Meta Traditional Clinic and Maternity Home, Iyana – Ipaja, wooden framed certificates decorate the wall evidencing the job the woman is doing. Pregnant women were being attended to by the MD (‘medical director’) of the clinic, Chief (Mrs.) Temilade Fayemi, who is the chief consultant. According to her, there seems to be high number of expectant mothers patronising herbal healing homes and this is due, according to her, to the efficacy of traditional medicine. She said, “I have spent 38 years on this job and I have never encountered any problem. I inherited the practice from my late father who practised as a midwife then while I also underwent training both from the Lagos State government and the World Health Organisation. In fact, I cannot count the number of patients I attend to in a week. Nigerians now appreciate and believe in the power of traditional healing homes unlike before when the case was the opposite.”

    Asked whether she delivered her own children in herbal homes, she declared, “I had my first set of triplets in the hospital while I had the rest four in my herbal home,. In fact, my apprentices acted as my midwives when I had all my children in this my clinic.’’

    Among those who delivered in Mama Meta’s clinic is Madam Elasoro Rebecca. According to her, “My father in-law was a practitioner too. All his children were delivered here.” For Mrs Alade Oluwasola [in her 40s], when she married she had delay in having children until she got to Mama Meta’s clinic. Her story about orthodox medicine is the same, that she took many drugs without any result until she turned to herbal treatment.

    For Madam Oluwasogo Agbesuyi [aka Mama Ibeji], she had her five children in the herbal home and boasted that she prefers it to any other. But for Jamiu Olawale and his wife, Moriamo who live in Abule-Iroko, Sango in Ogun State, they confessed that they patronise herbal homes because of lack of money. According to Jamiu, “We are very poor and have nobody to assist or support us so we have no choice than to go to herbal homes for medical care. You can see that I am partially blind and my wife is blind too.” Their two children were delivered in traditional herbal homes.

    ….And to churches with holy water

    Churches and spiritual homes are not left out,. For instance, the Christ Apostolic Church [CAC] believe in what they call ‘miracle water’. At Christ Apostolic Church, Ibudo Iyanu, Abule-Egba headquarters is where Evangelist [Mrs] Celena Bose Agbaje practises as a midwife to the church.

    According to the pastor in charge, Israel Afolabi, “God is performing wonders here through our midwives, ask Madam Agbaje”, he said with total conviction and full satisfaction.

    Corroborating Israel’s words, Agbaje who has spent 15years practising as a midwife in God’s Vineyard said she is spending her sixth year in Ibudo Iyanu. To convince the reporter she took him round the labour rooms where there are several rows of beds. She said, to become a midwife is not just anyhow but by calling. “It is like a pastor’s calling. When you are called you have to go to Faith Home in Ede in Osun State where you undergo spiritual training for two years and would then be qualified as a midwife, while there you are taught spiritual and medical training on how to handle cases of childbirth.’’

    According to Agbaje , “Many expectant mothers prefer going to churches to deliver their babies because of spiritual warfare the world is facing. Many are pregnant for three to five years. Some after delivery would give birth to monsters and it is through the powerful prayer here that we are able to deliver them. While evil forces reign in some women’s lives. A woman once delivered an imp. After delivery it was a still birth and she left it somewhere where she was organising to bury it but suddenly it transformed into an imp holding a mat while according to her , her head began to swell until the imp disappeared. This type of war can only be faced with spiritual warfare. If such a person had gone to the hospital she would have died!”

    According to her, the CAC believes in their powerful spiritual water called miracle water [Omi Iyanu]. The well from which the water is drawn is located by the labour rooms. She pointed at the well and declared with strong warning: “A woman must not go near the water or take from it, only men are allowed to fetch it for us. You can see kegs of water here these were brought by members and non- members of the church. We don’t go to hospital here for we believe fervently in prayers and God has been doing it for us. Last year we delivered about 93 babies. If a baby dies we pray and it will come back to life. We also use anointing oil by asking the pregnant woman to use it on her private part.”

    Asked what happens if it gets to a point where an operation is needed, she responded, “We hardly experience such here. But in a case where a woman bleeds excessively we would quickly refer her to the hospital but this is very rare! We use prayer and holy water to do whatever we are doing here. There was a time the government sent spies or detectives here to know whether we are using medical treatment but when they discovered that we did not they left us alone. There is nothing God cannot do. Those who come here are sure they will meet God here. We use faith to do anything here ’’.

    Evangelist Agbaje explained that they don’t discountenance orthodox medicine but advise their patients to go to the hospital and do scan, “If the baby is in traverse we will pray for the mother and the baby will come to the normal position. It is miracle and that is why people prefer coming to churches. When the doctor request for caesarean operation we would turn it down and pray while they would be given holy water to drink and that is all , the baby would be delivered . It is happening here.’’

    He, however, expressed displeasure at the manner churches are being treated, saying “if a woman accidentally dies in the church the police usually arrest as if we are at fault but if it happened in the hospital and from doctor’s mistake, it is buried !” He considered this unfair.

    At the Mountain of God Miracle Apata Igbala ,[ Cherubim and Seraphim] Guinness , Ikeja, a pregnant woman sleeping on a mat was pointed at as a woman who conducted the reporter round the premises said, “If you come here on Sunday you will see miracles. We deliver babies here. Our headquarter at Agege has a hospital but we believe more in miracles. What we do is legitimate and it is God who assists us. We deliver babies here and it is through the work of God.’’

    In the church compound are signs showing “Ward A’’, “Ward B’’, “Doctor’s Ward’’ etc.

    The common thread running through all the places visited show that most of these so-called herbal homes and faith clinics are dirty, while they have poor management which often result to the deaths of many of their patients as they are handled by half-baked medical practitioners.

    Investigations revealed that some of these churches and trado medical centres employ auxiliary nurses. Layi Owolabi, a medical doctor with over 30 years of working experience, agreed that there is an increase in the number of pregnant mothers turning to herbal and spiritual homes.

    He linked this to “poverty in the land as these people cannot afford to pay both the government and private hospitals fees.” Owolabi blamed the surge to herbal and spiritual homes on the fact that the two are allowed unrestricted access to the media to advertise their products while orthodox practitioners are barred from doing same.

    According to Owolabi, “I am not saying there is no miracle but our people are so gullible that when a patient is advised not to eat at certain time it is then that you will see these so-called chronic believers bringing in anointing oil from their pastors and forced it into the patient’s throat thus ignoring the doctor’s instructions. They are hoodwinked by men with sugar -coated tongues. There should be law guiding all these and it is very unfortunate that the government itself is not helping matter. To deliver a baby in the hospital you have to pay through your nose while to perform caesarean operation one needs money. And most of these clients cannot afford it so they go for the cheaper one at the risks of their lives. The state and federal government should practise the National Health Insurance Scheme[NHIS], and make medical bill affordable to all. Without this, our people will be dying in the hands of these so-called trado medical doctors and churches who cheat the gullible ones among us.’’

     

    WHO on traditional medicine 

     

    Traditional medicine (TM) refers to the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. Traditional medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices which vary from country to country and region to region. In some countries, it is referred to as “alternative” or “complementary” medicine (CAM).

    Traditional medicine has been used for thousands of years with great contributions made by practitioners to human health, particularly as primary health care providers at the community level. TM/CAM has maintained its popularity worldwide. Since the 1990s its use has surged in many developed and developing countries.

     

  • An evening with Jude Dibia

    An evening with Jude Dibia

    Some moments remain indelible in the mind. And one of such moments for members of The Weavers, a creative writing club at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), was last Friday, when they met with Jude Dibia.

    The event was a literary interactive session which features as a monthly programme of the club. The session is a platform on which members of the club interact with established writers.

    Part of the schedule of the evening was readings by the guest writer, and Jude Dibia read from his novels, Unbridled and Blackbird. Before the reading, the guest briefly shared his background, and how he came into writing, with his rapt audience.

    Thereafter, Dibia fielded questions from the young writers in a rather engaging atmosphere. He stressed the need to first of all be a humanist, in order to be successful as a writer. He explained that a writer must be able to empathise with others whose experiences he may not even share. This came as a response to how he is always able to create characters that are totally different from him.

    Jude Dibia, who has published three successful novels, quelled a notion raised by a student-writer, that only rich writers who have the means get published. “What I know for sure is that good writing gets published,” Dibia said.

    He further urged the young writers to be wary of rushing to get published. He said that there’s always the tendency to be impatient to get one’s work out, but that shouldn’t be the priority. “Make sure you believe in the story you want to tell first of all.”

    At the end of the session, members of the club could not contain their joy. Atie Oritsemolebi, a 300L student of English said, beaming with satisfactory joy: “it is actually one of my wishes for this year to meet the writer whose characters always keep haunting me even long after I have dropped his novel, Jude Dibia.” Another student, Ogu Kelechukwu who is in 200L, Mass Communications, said that it was a session that he wouldn’t have traded for anything.

    Present at the event were the Head of the Department of English, UNILAG, Dr. Adeyemi Daramola, Professor Karen-King Aribisala, Dr. Patrick Oloko, and Dr. Augustine Nwagbara, all lecturers at the same department.

  • My novels tackle criminal and cultural matters – Orubebe

    My novels tackle criminal and cultural matters – Orubebe

    Ghandi Ebikeme Orubebe, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) is a prolific writer and a novelist. His two latest novels – Deserts and Missing Daughters, do not only dwell on the myriad of issues troubling the society, Orubebe also carefully combines criminal, social, and cultural issues to point the way forward. It is obvious that with his background as a sociologist, Orubebe’s penchant for corrective measures in his works cannot be faulted. He spoke to Edozie Udeze in his office in Osogbo, Osun State, on his writings, how his wife influences him and more

     

     

    There is no doubt that prose writing is one of the most tedious things to do in life. For a society where there are already too many distractions, it is even much more difficult for one to sit down and write. But for Ghandi Ebikeme Orubebe, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, (AIG), creative writing has indeed become more than a hobby. To him, it is now a way of life; something that must be done not only to help the society move forward, but to also point out some ills that bedevil the entire citizenry.

    Why I write

    With his two latest novels – Deserts and Missing Daughters, he has proved that books can equally be used to fight crime and remould people’s attitude towards one another. Reacting to the reason why he even chose this part to greatness, Orubebe enthused: “In the Police Force, apart from the idea of running after criminals, when you are posted to a staff college as part of your official responsibility, you are duty-bound to teach the children well. But again over there, you have plenty of time to read books on your own. So, while I was there discharging my duty, I had time to read and write. Any book that caught my fancy I read in order to learn a lot more about the society,” he said.

    Beyond this rare opportunity to acquire more knowledge not only for himself, Orubebe also nursed the urge to render unconditional help to humanity. He said, “Yes, right from the beginning, I had always been in love with novels; in fact all sorts of books. And so, at a point, I felt it was time for me to put down my own ideas for people to read and learn from. And in producing most of my works, I carefully look at the various issues of crime, cultures and the like.”

    And because he has decided to make writing a serious affair in his life, Orubebe deliberately retires into his study at mid-night when members of his household have all gone to sleep. “Yes, it is more conducive to write when you cannot be disturbed. This is why I write very well at night. Most of the time, I would be alone in the ambiance of my study. And for me to complete a story, it can take me one or two months. Usually, it depends on the nature of the story and how much time I devote to it. Before I do that, I would first of all gather the ideas together in my brain. After that, the story idea then begins to flow,” he explained.

    Dealing with issues

    In Missing Daughters, the AIG rummaged into the depth of the male/female syndrome in Nigeria. To him, it is a theme that needed to be revisited and treat well for people to learn from. “Ha, you know in Nigeria, people tend to attach too much importance to male issues. I don’t know why it is so, probably due to male chauvinism. It seems if one doesn’t have a male issue, he is doomed for life. But everything really depends on what your kid can be in life; whether female or male. For me, however, both are good and should be seen so.”

    He went on: “But because it is a societal issue that was why I gave it this attention so that people would be able to see how to handle it. No, it is not that I have a personal experience or encountered people with such problems. It was just a spur of the moment, coupled with what obtains in practically in all parts of the Nigerian society. The point also is that as a sociologist, I was trained to primarily feel concerned about societal problems. It is my duty too to correct the ills of the society in whatever way I can.”

    As a born again Christian, Orubebe feels it is his moral responsibility to reach out to a lot of people through his works. “Oh, as a born again Christian,” he said, smiling reflectively, “you cannot shy away from being on the part of positivism. When you join these issues together, you have a burning urge to ensure that you do things that help to correct the wrongs in the society.”

    While at both the Federal Government Colleges, Bomadi and Ughelli, Delta State, at different times, the instincts to be a writer began to develop. Being a bookworm, young Orubebe promptly enrolled in the debating and literary societies of the schools to further sharpen his brain. “It was then I began to notice that one day I’d write my own books. This was years back. There, at Government College Ughelli while I was doing my Higher School Certificate, I took time to read a lot. Then the books of Professor Wole Soyinka appealed to me a lot. Even though I love African writers generally, Soyinka influenced me most. I love the way he increases one’s vocabulary and makes his works hard.”

    Familiar problems

    And because of this deep-rooted influence, Orubebe’s works concentrate essentially on basic familiar issues. He said: “Of course, some of the problems tackled in my books can be resolved depending on how you see them. It is just like the Police Force. It is usually said that a society gets the type of police force it deserves. That is exactly what these books should do to the people. If you are talking to a group of people and they are adamant, they don’t want to change and they can never change, no matter how you do it.

    “But if the people want to change, little touches here and there can help them to change. You see the example of Jeremiah in the Bible. There came a time when Jeremiah was sent to the people of Israel. But they told him point blank that he was wasting his time. Yet a few of them later turned around for good. That’s what these books can do to the psyche of the Nigerian people. Even though I have written other books, these two are topical and address issues of the moment.”

    In the main, Orubebe admitted that he uses his books to tackle crime. Although he doesn’t dwell wholesale on criminal issues, he sees his works as basically corrective. “I don’t deal with only crime. The society has more problems. The cultural issues we have are indeed inimical to societal growth and progress. Take for instance the issue of Osu-caste system in Igboland. Those things are not of God and we need to expunge them from the society. It is not good for man to find himself in those kinds of encumbrances. By the time you handle issues like that the society will be better for all of us,” he further posited.

    Patience’s angle

    In whatever crime issues he is involved in combating, the AIG sees plenty of stories in them. But in the first place, he made it clear that his wife, Patience, has the greatest influence on him. “Oh, yes, most of my stories were told me by my wife. Each time she told a story I’d make notes. It was her stories that first inspired me to write. After she’d told the story, I’d amplify them to make them into fictions.”

    Nonetheless, his books cannot be totally classified as fiction. “I don’t do fiction for the sake of fiction,” he said. “All I do is to use the story told by my wife to create real life scenarios; scenarios that are prevalent in our society. And with this, people can easily draw a lot of lessons therefrom. You see, if you believe in hard work, the end result is that you’ll make it in life. You don’t need to circumvent hard work because that is the bedrock of success. You really need hard work to get to your destination.”

    God’s touch

    Everything we have, comes from God. He created me to worship Him and I have chosen to worship Him for the rest of my life. For me, there is no escape route from that. That I have been able to come this far, is due to the grace and love of God, the creator of mankind and He has been guiding my senses in whatever I lay my hands on.

    “Indeed I am not serving God to please people or to impress anyone. Even if people say oh, how can a police officer be a born again, that is their business. All I know is that I love God and He has been good to me. We have such people in the Bible; even tax collectors. But once God has chosen you to be His own, there is no one to change it.”

    Orubebe who studied Sociology at the University of Lagos, also has a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan. It was after his first degree that he joined the Nigerian Police Force. Today he has over eight books to his credit even though only two – Deserts and Missing Daughters are ready for launch. “Yes, I hope to do the public presentation of the two books on 8th of next month at Asaba, Delta State. This is so because the two books appeal to the fabric of the nation presently,” he explained.

     

  • A book of honour and squalor

    Every good thing seems to be learnt with some conscious effort. Where, however, determined bid is not made to learn, evil sprouts instead. How total ignorance overwhelmed them! By distancing the rod from their daughter, an instrument of correction that purifies, they equally denied their daughter of correction in righteousness. The actualities of life not tempered with the rod therefore manifested in all aspects of Ado’s life continually.”

    With this statement on page 41 of the novel, Deserts, written by G. E. Orubebe, it is easier to glimpse through the message and the total import of the book. The book tells the story of Ado, a spoilt child who had everything going for her. Unfortunately, her parents did virtually nothing to correct her excesses.

    In the book, two families are pitched in different locations, where their individual backgrounds in terms of wealth and orientation help readers to understand the stories. The essence of the stories coming from different backgrounds is to teach humanity how the lack of discipline in the society has become the bedrock of the total collapse of the values people attach to life.

    This is why the author obviously chooses the story of Ado who is so beautiful but is unduly pampered by her folks to register the central point of his message. Ado is almost like a princess, whose beauty shines and blossoms in the bloom of life. And so, among her other siblings, her parents single her out for praises and often adorn her with other inconsequential niceties.

    And with time, however, Ado becomes too over-bloated with pride due to those praises, that she loses her normal senses. As she goes into secondary school, her primary business and preoccupation is to hoodwink and seduce men to stupor. Essentially her concern is to have the best of the world, while her education goes to the dogs. This obnoxious habit of hers leads her from one trouble to another. In the process, she throws caution to the winds in order to perfect her life of idiocy.

    On the other hand, Samuel, a boy born into an affluent home sets out to be nasty too. In-between the time, his mother brings him back to his senses just in time for him to begin to fall in line. Samuel, in spite of his many youthful escapades, tries to listen to his mother. While in school, he makes serious efforts to conform to rules and regulations, albeit with in-built self-discipline and comportment.

    The Deserts is a story weaved around the issues that make people become either useful or useless in future. For every single habit we display or exhibit in the process of discharging our duties in life, it all depends entirely on how much discipline and decorum we received while growing up.

    The author spices the book with moral instructions to direct both the parents’ and the youths’ attention to the deteriorating situations in most homes in Nigeria today. Without sound and profound moral upbringing, no one can grow up into a useful and meaningful person. People need to be told that God is the pillar of life.

    The book of Psalms says that it is only a fool who says there is no God. And he who says that does so at his own peril, for God is real and He guides those who call upon Him. Therefore, discipline is of God, the maker of mankind.

    It is amazing how the author, a senior police officer, could use the issues of morality and crime and culture to permeate his book. It shows that he has indeed perfected the art of story-telling in such a way that the infusions do not clash or distract.

    It is pertinent to ensure that a child is taught the way of God right from cradle. The author sums it up thus: “The child grew up not knowing scolding, striking or spanking from those whose bounden duty it was to do so for correction. The love the parents thought they professed for her (Ado) became of little or no importance. Rather it only helped in making her a vessel of dishonor…”

    The book draws attention to the very core problem area of lawlessness and disobedience which still beckon in the society. It is this issue that the novelist keeps hammering on in the book in order to encourage everybody to sit up. It is also a book totally devoted to the raising of the fabrics of the home; the complete indoctrination of the child to be able to face the realities of tomorrow.

    In 330 pages, Orubebe has been able to let the world into the secret lives of mega rich families who breed monsters in form of human beings. Yet, the lesson in it is for people to desist from such absurdity. However, there are few typographical and editing errors that need to be corrected forthwith. There are places where the inverted comas did not close or open properly.

    And so for this book to make the list of the NLNG literature prize, those errors have to be corrected. Besides, it is a book for today and for tomorrow to help remould derailing characters.

     

  • Inside Ogedengbe’s house of war

    Inside Ogedengbe’s house of war

    High Chief Oyekanmi Ogedengbe Obanla IV who occupies the royal stool of his forefathers laments that his grandfather and great Yoruba warrior, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, has not been given his deserved honour. Taiwo Abiodun, who visited the royal house in Ilesha, reports

     

    His name rings, bell across the length and breadth of Yorubaland. In the wars that raged in the land in the 18th century his name featured prominently. He fought in many battles that conquered many cities and towns in Yorubaland. He became a war legend by dint of his brawn. However, in spite of his exploits and being a ‘saviour’ of his kinsmen he seems to have been forgotten. His grave in the royal house is unmarked.

    Lamenting this neglect, the ruling Obanla IV said, “ In the year 2010 when the family members celebrated 100years of his exit, some institutions of higher learning, state governments and individuals made pledges to make sure he was accorded honour befitting his status. Osun State Government promised to turn the royal house into a tourist attraction centre while the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife were not left out as they too announced their pledges but none has come up to redeem their pledges.”

    The mystery royal house

    At the entrance to the big compound is the drawing of two guns across each other, signifying the house of a warrior. Obanla IV pointed at the drawing and said, “ those guns there are sign that this is a warriors’ family house. We have no other job than going to the warfront. I believe it runs in the family, Ogedengbe’s grand children are about 24 in the Nigerian Army, excluding those in the Air Force and the Navy,”he boasted.

    In the big compound are courtyards and rooms of different sizes. It is full of dark and windowless rooms! To view the war relics in the room, one needs a candle light. The room looks so secretive and fearsome, but most of the walls have caved in, while some of the log of woods and the iron roofing sheets are still very strong.

    According to Ogedengbe IV, there are about five courtyards in the compound and each courtyard has about 20 rooms .”There are cell rooms or guardrooms here where the late Ogedengbe used to punish his slaves , family members and followers whenever they committed any offence. There are sacred rooms where no one enters but the late warrior only. Some rooms were used as armoury where arms and ammunition were kept while he also had rooms where he kept his juju or charms.”

    A box in one of the rooms was filled with remnants of juju and various charms of different types and sizes. As the reporter was being conducted round he was warned to steer clear of touching any of the materials or be ready to bear the consequences. A forbidden exit for strangers in the courtyard was shown to this reporter too. Saucers, which were said to have been used by the late warrior for eating, guns, daggers and long necklace the late warrior used in the 17th century, were all on display in the palace, with his photographs conspicuously hung on the wall.

    The big shrine which he used to visit to perform rituals before going to war has been preserved for posterity. It is called Atoni, named after his mother’s farm.

    A forgotten hero?

    Obanla IV is not happy at the way his grandfather’s valour and gallantry have been relegated. According to him, the Osun State government is yet to fulfil the promise that it would turn the courtyard into a tourist centre or monument. He is also unhappy over the relocation of the late warrior’s statute in the town and failure to rebuild his grave. He said, “The university of Ibadan promised to come here and build a tomb on the grave, they demanded for the relics of the war like guns, clothes and his other personal effects but nothing has been heard from them again. The Osun State Tourism Department said they wanted to turn this place into a tourist attraction centre when we celebrated 100 years of his death in 2010 but nothing has been heard from them again. I know that the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola appreciates culture and history, he will definitely do something.”

    He expressed displeasure over the decision to replace the late Ogedengbe’s statute placed at the roundabout in the town with that of Owa Ajibogun, saying the decision to place Ajibogun’s statue at the roundabout and remove Ogedengbe’s was unfair and standing history on its head. “My father’s statue was erected here at the centre of this town in 1934 by Captain Bower, and it was here the Army Parade paid homage and saluted him as a warrior but when Oba Aromolaran came he removed it and placed the statute of Owa Ajibogun, the traditional head of warrior in Ilesa, instead of Ogedengbe’s. Ajibogun was the first Owa but he died in Ibadan. It was his children that got to Ilesa. Ajibogun never reached here. It was the present monarch, Oba Aromolaran, who replaced it and placed a cutlass in Ajibogun’s hand. Now when the soldiers are celebrating and marking the fallen soldiers they are misled and would go to Ajibogun instead of Ogedengbe to pay homage. I want this to be corrected. We the family members of Ogedengbe are not happy at all.”

    Asked whether he would renovate the tomb if there is no response from those who promised to assist, he said, “I would have renovated the grave but I was advised to leave it for the government knows how and what to do with it.”

    Kiriji War

    According to Obanla IV, the war that made his grandfather popular was the war between the Ibadan /Oyo and Ekiti/Ijesa in the 17th century. It was caused by the consul who seized a warrior’s wife while she was on her way to Imesi to give her husband, Fabunmi, food and palm wine.”They did not only seize the food and palm wine from her but they also raped her. When she told her husband, Fabunmi, he was annoyed and went after the Oyo consuls, and started beheading them and sending their bodiless heads to Ibadan. This annoyed Latoosa the Generalisimo of Ibadan who swore to reduce Ijesa and Ekiti to rubbles. It became a war between Ekiti/Ijesa and Ibadan. In fact, it was the first civil war before Biafra.”

    “Ogedengbe used to get his weapons through trade by barter by exchanging his slaves for arms and ammunition from Germany. These weapons were imported by one Mr. Braham who used to come from Germany to buy slaves in exchange for arms and ammunition from Ogedengbe.”

    During the war, he said, Ogedengbe exhibited his magical feat. Each time he observed that his foot soldiers were tired he would just touch the trees which would transform into human beings and would fight the enemies. “Not only this, he was so powerful that when he was beheaded while fighting, he quickly used his bare hand to cut a woman’s head to replace his severed head to search for his own! When he saw his own head he removed the woman’s head from his neck and replaced it with his own and continued the war!

    “While the war was going on, he appeared and disappeared. It was not a myth or imaginary, my late father told me all these stories and they were real,” he affirmed, adding, “In a place in Edo State, he rescued them and today they worship his cap and built a shrine for Ogedengbe there!”

    He continued, “Ogedengbe had powerful charms that made him to be feared! When he was to be taken to Iwo (exile) by Captain Bower who came with his aides, one of Captain Bower’s aides struck Ogedengbe’s second in command, head, Alimoro, with sword, the sword broke into four pieces but Alimoro too cut off the aide’s hand. Seeing the hand on the ground Ogedengbe picked it and blew air to it and glued the hand back! He was powerful and strong, he had juju.”

    Describing his ‘charmed’ war clothes, Obanla said, “his war jacket was so heavy that about four people used to carry it yet it is hung on a spider’s web. But the British took that away. However, we all know it would not be possible for them to take it away without the connivance of some of Ogedengbe’s foot soldiers.”

    There was the story that when he returned from war, the people offered to make him king but he declined, saying he was a warrior and would not be able to go to war while on the throne. His refusal led to suspicion that he would continue to levy wars and the chiefs became afraid. They reported him to the Governor General in Lagos. He was ordered into exile. This annoyed him and led him to curse Ijesa people that “they would carry their loads but would not be able to place it on their heads!”

    “While in exile, he became more popular as the public trooped to see the strong and powerful man whom everybody dreaded but for a fee while the money realised went into the government purse. In fact , people came from foreign countries to have a glance at this great warrior , Ogedengbe who became a celebrity “, the grandson said.

    House of legacy

    Ogedengbe’s palace is full of strange things. He said strange things used to happen in the palace, “strange things are happening here, for example we use to hear strange voices in the night and also the booming of the guns, clanging of metal objects and the shrill cries of dying men like the ones we heard in war!. Not only this, at times Ogedengbe would appear wearing his war jacket or white apparel while the monkey would be screeching and the dogs too would be barking. There is nothing we demand for that will not be provided each time I am in need and I go to his grave to cry.“We keep Gboroko Kapee , a monkey here. It is compulsory to keep it for it has a purpose. The late Ogedengbe had four, my father Ogedengbe II had three while my late brother Ogedengbe III who did not spend up to one year on the throne kept too. A man once came here to harm my father while on the throne , it was the monkey Gboroko Kapee that discovered it for it started behaving strangely as it defecated and slammed it on the man’s face. When the man was searched we found charms on him, he confessed that he came to harm my father. An owl once came here, and it is a bad omen and the monkey started screaming, on the second day we heard that one of my brother’s sons died.

    “We offer sacrifice every week in this compound, and here we worship Ogun, god of iron called Iwude, and it is compulsory for the Owa to come here spend hours with us during the festival.”

    Ogedengbe not a name

    Obanla IV said Ogedengbe is not a name but an appellation.”Many did not know that Ogedengbe is not a name but a nickname. The warrior’s real name is Orisaraibi Apasanforijiwa but was nicknamed Ogedengbe because of his prowess in fighting. He was a great wrestler that could face eight to nine people at a time! He would carry his opponent up and slam on the ground without stress, no matter how hefty the opponent is. It was from this that he got the appellation Ogedengbe, which was used to describe how he used to lift his opponents up and slam them on the ground.

    His birth was a mystery, it was said to have been predicted by an oracle that a powerful man would be born. Immediately he was delivered his mother died and it was believed that he killed his mother so it was in annoyance that they dumped him in a small pit where traditional weavers work, wanting him to die too. On the third day his cry was heard and baby Ogedengbe was found to have been covered with ants and rubbish. Everybody was surprised that he was still alive, he was later taken care of till he grew up with his uncle who was a blacksmith manufacturing dane guns in the Atoni village. When he was 16 he shot and killed a pregnant woman, seeing how grievous his offence was, he escaped and fled to Ijoka in Ilesa

    “We are praying to the OOdua race as a whole not to let history die. How many people remember this Ogedengbe again? We even read it in history but now we don’t teach history as a subject again. We have rich and powerful history that cannot be wished away.”

    On a final note, he appealed to the governors of the Southwest region, to, in the spirit of the regional integration, return the teaching of history to the school curriculum so as to teach our children the history and valour of the Yoruba race.

     

  • ‘How Olori Oko made me’

    ‘How Olori Oko made me’

    Adedayo Liadi is a choreographer and dancer. He is equally the creator and owner of Ijodee Dance Company whose concept is for the development of modern African dance patterns. He was also the lead dancer in the Olori Oko dance projected by the Infinity musical group. In this chat with Edozie Udeze, Liadi discusses how contemporary dance has made him popular, rich, and created a brand for him and lots more

     

    There’s this product that has been branded in the name of Ijodee, your dance company. What does it entail?

    The performance which we had recently in Lagos was connected with a new car engine oil called bestlub. It was branded in my name by the owner. It has just come into the market. I have been signed to be the ambassador of the product. The name of the director is Jide Taiwo and the performance on that day was a big ceremony to bring all his customers together. He did that because he believed in my pattern of dance, especially with the role I played in Olori Oko.

    In that programme too, we had in attendance many Nigerian young and up coming dancers. It was an opportunity for them to see one of their own being branded. The idea too was for them to witness it and see how dance can be used as a tool to re-engineer Nigeria and make the youths focus on it as a profession. That was why the likes of Frank of the Big Brother Africa was there as one of the judges of the event. Nneka, a teacher in Maltina Dance Hall, was also present. Uche Onanwu of the same Maltina fame was part of the show.

    Generally, it was an opportunity to use dance to reach out to a lot of people. That was why Mr. Taiwo did not want to miss that opportunity of ensuring that prominent dance practitioners were in attendance. That was why also he used the Agape Hall in Gbagada to do it so as to give dancers ample space to dance and entertain the guests.

    What is happening to the concept of Olori Oko which you helped to create?

    I don’t really know. All I know is that I was just a dance consultant for Olori Oko. Olori Oko dance as it was constituted then belonged to Infinity. Infinity as a team is still much together. However, about two of the members of the team have left. Last year, I performed again with them. This year again, they have contacted me about the many shows they intend to do. Even though one or two people had left, they are still doing their thing.

    What is so unique about Olori Oko dance pattern that young dancers want to identify with it?

    What happened in Olori Oko, for instance, was the display of the unique technique of Ijodee. And as a dance critic, you should know what that sort of concept does to the mind of the young. They want to identify with it. That was actually what made me popular in the Nigerian dance scene.

    Olori Oko was an eye-opener for me and that was why I decided to do it. It was for me to show the people how to use dance in a good music like that. It was to let people know that we don’t really need to dance from behind all the time. We are supposed to make a statement with the movements we display on stage. It was for us to show our bodies, for that was the training I received as a choreographer, dancer and music exponent.

    When I was trained in Europe, the concept was how to make statement with movements and not just to exhibit your body on stage. It wasn’t so much as to display nudity in musical ideas but to let the people appreciate how the body moves on stage. That was the idea.

    Who created the Olori Oko concept?

    I’d say we shared the ideas about it. It was between the Infinity group and my self. I brought all the ideas of the movement. I set the stage actually, brought in the drums and positioned them. Then, I brought all the dancers and did my dance patterns. Then the director liked what I did and that was how we went on with it.

    They did their own stuff too. But the idea of the stage light was done by me. All these made the work of the director much easier.

    On the whole, it was more like an experiment, because we had an idea. Then we said to ourselves let us see how we can make it work and it did work out. Today we give all the glory to God.

    What does contemporary dance mean to you?

    Contemporary dance to me is now. Contemporary to me is today. It is what you create now, what you have done now. It doesn’t really have a long meaning or concept. It is a dance of the moment and your ability to create the necessary dance steps and patterns to go with the concept.

    And because you just create it now, it means contemporary. By tomorrow, if you decide to change it, because you can change it, it still means the same thing. But what happens is that contemporary dance makes sense, it makes meaning, yet a lot of people do not know that. With the kind of dance people do in Nigeria, they do movement for the sake of movement. But in reality, with contemporary dance, you do it to make statements.

    How do you imagine the dance patterns that give you the movements on stage?

    I conceptualise a lot of things before I take them into the stage. I also take a lot of ideas from people around me. I listen to people a lot and I don’t keep a lot of things to myself. When I am working, I even listen to my dancers. A statement can spring up an idea in my head. I am not rigid when I am working. I am usually open to a lot of ideas, ideas that help to create dance patterns in my head.

    In the end, I take home the idea that makes more meaning to me. This helps me to create the ideas that have made Ijodee Dance Company what it is today.

    You have brought this sort of dance closer to the people. Do you think you are being appreciated?

    I will say to God be glory… Oh, yes, I have been very much appreciated. When we started it was very difficult; no one gave us a chance. But today, Ijodee dance patterns have come to stay. After the success of Olori Oko, people could see what we can do with contemporary dance. Today, more people have chosen to be dancers and the profession is growing.

    We have seen what we can do with African dance movement on stage and how they can be used to entertain the people.

    It has all shown us how far we can go; how far we can develop our African dance patterns. We don’t need to wait for the West to do it for us. This is so because we have the idea; we have the training to be our own masters. That is why I am happy that indigenous coaches have become important in African football. That is what we need to do in music, in dance too, so that our people can take over and make a lot of money from it. That’s my joy as a choreographer, as a professional dancer and composer.

    You have trained a lot of people in this business. How do you assess their progress so far?

    I will also say to God be the glory. It is one of my dreams to train people, to help them discover who they are. It is not just me, because today I have plenty of such people working on their own. They are all doing fine now especially in the area of modern African dance. I am still working together with lots of the people who passed through me. And I am glad it is so.

    Are you really making money from this dance?

    Eh, yes, there is money in it. Yes, I will say I am making money. But we shouldn’t look at the money aspect of it. We have also to consider the professional aspect of it and the proper statements we have to make with the dances we develop. Yes, if you do it well, it gives you money, real money.

    Just like me, I have decided not to do anyhow productions. It is only good productions that can give you money and make you popular. And that’s what I do and that’s why I have got to the level I am today. And I must tell you I am happy doing what I am doing. It gives me a lot of joy.

     

  • What manner of clerics!

    Book: When Clerics Kill
    Playwright: Shehu Sani
    Publishers: Kraftgriots, Ibadan
    Year of publication:2013
    Reviewer: Edozie Udeze

     

    When Clerics Kill, a play written by Shehu Sani, one of the most seasoned human rights activists from the Northern part of Nigeria, is a treatise on the nation called Nigeria. It is a compendium of both political, religious and social vices in this society where bigotry, avarice, hatred, ethnicity and narrow-mindedness have become the order of the day. But in compiling the many issues that bedevil some certain groups of people in the North, the playwright is somewhat hard in both his use of language and the way he apportions blames here and there.

    The core issue here is the never-ending hatred between Muslims and Christians in the North. Sani is certain that it is the utterances of religious and community leaders that incite people to violence. Over time, people from various backgrounds have lived harmoniously together as brothers and sisters. Now, some certain groups of people from both religious groups come on to preach discrimination, hatred and intolerance. The play abhors this in its totality.

    The playwright is sure that with these half baked preaching, embers of hatred have been built. As it is with Christians so it is with Muslims. The problem still remains the core issue of those who are settlers or those who are regarded as sojourners and those who originally own the land. The people used in the play rummage in this problem, while the Hausa-Fulani keep tormenting those around them with threats and counter-threats with the way they invade people’s farmlands.

    The issues raised are so heavy that they drip with flood and unfathomable fear as you read through the pages. They are not the kind of issues that should be raised in public glare. This is so because, even if you want to use them to illustrate an issue, it would have got out of hand before you realise it. The playwright is deliberate in pitching the two groups – the two foremost religions in Nigeria – against each other in the play.

    The tone is heavy, the language too strong to make for a stage play. Even though Sani says it is to help reconstruct and make amends, the rancour and bitterness recorded in the book can explode on stage if it is allowed to go that far.

    Moreover, making references to other issues of unemployment and social vices in the society where the youths, the leaders of tomorrow, are perpetually idle, adds a serious dimension to the play. In a way, it is a play anchored on the state of the nation. There is hardly any aspect of the societal problem, since fifty years ago, that is not included in the drama. It all shows how Sani, as a versatile writer, has been following Nigerian problems over time. It shows an author who can preach as well as chronicle issues that affect the larger society. His sequential presentation is commendable.

    To him, both the government and the people around them have been the ones distorting the progress of the society. There is no more honesty in the system. And leaders – both secular and spiritual – have found time to intimidate everybody with their divisive and obnoxious sermons. It is this tendency that has become worrisome.

    But everybody can come together to harmonise their differences and make the society a better place for all. The issues raised in the play are too binding to be wished away just like that. That is what the playwright is saying.

    However, if it goes on stage, the play director can try to water down on the abrasive and tenacious usage of divisive expressions employed by the playwright. This is so because the play is meant to correct and not to play up more sentiments in the minds of the people. And again preachers or clerics, no mater where they come from need to be more cautious and careful with their tongues.

  • Diego Fazio: The new face of pencil art

    With a norm-breaking, style-defying body of works, Italian visual artist Diego Fazio makes a statement that has come to be described as photorealistic. Recently, the attention of the world was tickled when the young artist awed art lovers with only a pencil and paper.

    His paintings draw their uniqueness from the fact that viewers find it difficult to tell whether they are actual paintings or photographs. A former tattoo artist, the 22-year-old has an affinity for giving his sketches life.

    Also known as DiegoKoi, the artist held a solo exhibition in Singapore of 10 of his black-and-white photorealistic pencil portraits. The show opened at Raffian Art gallery at Queen Street on Jan 26, and prices range from $3,000 to $18,500. Titled Sensations, it featured a work called Rampage, which won him a prestigious Italian award, the Cairo Prize, last year.

    Rampage pictures an old man with a heavily-lined brow and an intense stare. As with his other works, Rampage draws its neatness from precise pencil strokes, deftly giving life to the image with different shades of grey.

    The young artist only started drawing in 2007 and gained recognition by posting his drawings on social networks such as Facebook and DeviantArt, an online community which allows users to share their original artworks. Today, DiegoKoi who prides himself in being self-taught has almost 37,000 fans on Facebook.

    On winning the Cairo award, Fazio says: “I do not care about fame, I’m interested in drawing. That is all. I see people liking my artworks on Facebook, posting it on their walls, discussing them. It means that people like what I am doing, they appreciate my art.”

    He began his career designing tattoos and perfected his photorealism. In his home country, he won an award in 2011 for Best New Artist and has been gaining fame and accolades ever since.