In local parlance, the cliche “I don hammer” which means “I am rich” is widely used among the youths of today when they suddenly acquire wealth, regardless of the source. The get-rich-quick syndrome has become very prevalent to an extent that people will do anything for money, yet no one bothers to query the source of the sudden wealth, which is the root cause of corruption in our modern day society. In this week’s edition of the Glo-sponsored sitcom, Professor Johnbull titled, “My Pikin Don Hammer”, this social malaise comes...

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Nigeria’s prom queen of music, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as WAJE (Words Aren’t Just Enough), is one of the very few Nigerian music acts who would take a hiatus from music and return to take her pride of place. She speaks about her career, motherhood and more. LANRE ODUKOYA reports You’d stayed on recess for too long. Were you not under pressure to make songs? When you see certain writeups about you, you will get worried. Things like that make you to start thinking about your career, if it is...

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An exhibition of body of work by one of the leading voices in contemporary Nigerian art scene, Raqib Bashorun, opened on March 18 at Omenka Gallery, Lagos. It will run till April 5. Using steel, bronze, enamel, as well as leather, brass and spark plugs, the artist brings to the fore various socio-political issues including quest for better Nigeria and the change mantra of this administration. He notes that the looming theme in Nigeria today is coated with ‘change’ and it is elusive; an average Nigerian’s expectation is that those...

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A new stage play which interrogates the burning issues of socio-cultural and moral rebirth, and looks at the fight against corruption via persuasion, opened on March 18, at the National Theatre, and will run from March 25 till 27, with a special command performance in commemoration of World Theatre Day 2017. Titled Beyond The Garb, the play is written and directed by Mrs. Ayo Jaiyesimi, and produced by the Thespian Family Theatre and Productions. According to Jaiyesimi, who is the CEO of Thespian Family Theatre, the 70-minute total theatre performance...

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Art is inherently nationalistic; it stays true to its social context even in the face of sweeping changes. May Okafor’s “Of Consumates and Cannibalism”, is an exhibition of works of art in the exploration genre.

The art pieces mainly in the form of installations engaged issues of collective national and social conventions bordering on consumption, a culture that has led to the enthronement of significant level of foreignness over relevant and essential local resources, products and values, resulting to a growing sense of despondency. Okafor is a 2010 first class graduate in Fine and Applied Art, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

Though a ceramist, her practice has evolved and expanded beyond the traditional notion of ceramics to the adoption of a post-modernist approach to creativity. She comes with a strong leaning towards the experimental which has seen her explore concepts germane to Nigeria’s contemporary realities.

The 2015 prize winner of the Annual Africa Arts Foundation (AAF) organised National Art Competition believes that art must be used as a tool to address societal concerns.

She said: “In my quest for newness and experimentation, I have been working on the idea of inordinate consumption for a couple of years, the type that has seized us as a nation, this serious crave for foreign goods have made us import items that have equally good local alternatives.”

She believes that this tendency for wanton consumerism, which though did not start today (as it already had a name such as ‘squandermania’ in the 70s), is a sort of cannibalism of a people’s future. While some blame the situation on bad leadership, others blame it on the ‘distortions’ of petro dollars on the economy, which has created the spiraling and guzzling demands of today.

The fact remains that taste buds are hooked to consumables from far flung lands.

There is no example as vivid as the importation of goods such as tooth pick from abroad despite the availability of bamboo trees in large quantities across many parts of Nigeria.

She calls this situation the “domestication of foreignness” which in her artistic opinion should be of deep concern to everyone especially the leaders and policy makers. The future is being mortgaged on the altar of our desires.

How else can the ugliness of this trend be exposed other than the biting reality of present day economic recession in Nigeria? Among the installations are the apple themed pieces which she sees as metaphor for extravagance.

“For a fruit completely imported into the local market, the apple has become even more common than oranges and other home grown fruits”, Okafor turned the ubiquitous wastes from apple crates into innovative studio materials to thematically provide the thrust for an artist under certain intense pressure to address matters of urgent concern in her beloved country.

Her body of work may also have its global implication, as consumerism and foreignness could arguably be linked to the general issues of globalisation and post-colonialism.

The danger, according to the artist, lies in the exterminating tendencies of consumerism which she captured in her ‘Genesis Series’ and the piece ‘Rolled Earth’. ‘Genesis Series’ is a composition made of hundreds of tadpole-like figures.

At a glance, the work seems to dwell on the idea of procreation and life but Okafor explains that the concept is a paradox which involves “the act of death” which is likened to what happens in our obscene desire for foreignness.

“Naturally the tadpole turns cannibalistic when it has inadequate food or space. This is the same trait I have found with imports. When they infiltrate the market, as is the case in Nigeria, they completely take over the locally produced items of its own kind.

That’s cannibalism,” she said. Enekwachi, an artist, culture writer and art teacher, wrote from Nsukka

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Sylvester Imhanobe’s undertaking to write this book is both complex and delicate, given that the book has three-dimensional thrusts – historical, political and legal.

When a lawyer undertakes such a task, the effort can only be described as exploratory. Imhanobe is no doubt a well-trained and skillful lawyer, but historiography is also an entirely different subject with its unique skills, just as dynamics of political actions are best understood by the actors themselves.

So when a lawyer picks certain political cases, such as is done in this book, and gives them historical perspectives he will most likely run into trouble. To do justice to such a book, one needs wide range of skills in law, in historiography and knowledge of the political dynamics and their dialectical waves and circumstances.

It is only then that a lawyer can veer into history and politics and produce a book of the quality and standard that reflects the true essence of the cases treated. But let me say from the outset that Imhanobe did just that in this book.

Though his style is exploratory and novel, the final outcome is inspiring and edifying. Arranging the book into 10 chapters, the author adopted two methods in making his presentations and reaching his conclusions.

The first is narrative, in which he gives account of the historical events leading to the political cases under review. The second is reproducing the judgments of those cases themselves verbatim.

These two are necessarily complementary. For one to be able to reach an accurate conclusion on any particular matter one does need the stimulus of a good, insightful analysis. And for one to make a worthy instinctual analysis, one needs the narratives of the raw data in which the events emanate. The author is successful in balancing the two, thus helpfully guiding the reader to reach his conclusions.

This is basically the crux of academics. On this I score the author high. However, all is not laid out in a feather bed; for, as l pointed out earlier, in coming up with a book of this kind, a writer in the nature of the author can easily run into trouble. And true to prediction, Imhanobe quickly ran into many serious troubles.

The first is with his definition of progressives and the personalities personifying this classification. To quote the author: ‘Progressives’ is used to refer to politicians who subscribe to left-wing or centre- left political ideology; the primary focus of the progressives is to promote social democratic ideology.

They seek to change of (sic) the status quo and to use state resources to promote equality and egalitarian society for citizens through free education, health, workers’ rights and general better social welfare.” The author then went ahead and identified three leaders – Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief MKO Abiola and President Mohammadu Buhari – who to him personify this classification.

Now, I am hard pressed to accept any of the three as progressives. I concede that during his Premiership of Western Nigeria, Chief Awolowo formulated and implemented far-reaching peoples-oriented policies and programmes such as in education and healthcare, but so also did the Premier of Northern Nigeria Sir Ahmadu Bello, who is seen as a hardcore conservative.

So where is the difference? Besides, can a politician whose ideology was ethnocentric and who formed his political party on the basis of such ideology in a multicultural and heterogeneous society like ours be acceptably labeled as a progressive? I think not.

Chief Awolowo’s first political party, the Action Group, which gave rise to the Unity Party of Nigeria in the 2nd Republic, was an offshoot of his ethno- cultural organisation, Egbe Omo Oduduwa. This influenced two political developments of grave consequences that subsequently shaped Nigeria’s national politics.

First, it prompted the creation in the North of a political organisation that was also regionally/culturally based: Jam’iyan Mutanen Arewa which, like the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, later metamorphosed into a political party called Northern Peoples’ Congress. Secondly, it directly influenced the infamous 1951 cross-carpeting of 20 Yoruba NCNC members in the Western House of Assembly to the newly formed Action Group, forcing the great Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe to abandon his political base in Lagos and move to Enugu.

These two episodes laid the foundation of ethnic and regional politics in Nigeria henceforth. On the basis of this argument, therefore, Chief Awolowo, great as he was, cannot be considered as a progressive. In like manner, I cannot in all honesty also accept Chief Abiola as progressive any more than Shehu Shagari. Abiola was a member and the major financier of the National Party of Nigeria, and had wanted to be its presidential flag bearer.

Having later contested and won the annulled June 12th, 1993 presidential election Abiola’ss struggle to reverse the annulment cannot translate him into a progressive.

On the reproduced judgments of the political cases themselves, I have two issues with the author. In all there are seven cases in which 11 judgments were entered – seven lead majority judgments and four dissenting minority ones.

These are: 1. the Chief Awolowo Treasonable Felony Case, 1962; 2. Chief Obafemi Awolowo vs Alh. Shehu Shagari & 2 Ors, 1979; 3. Mohammadu Buhari & 2 Ors vs Olusegun Obasanjo & 264 Ors, 2003; 4. Action Congress & Another vs INEC & Ors, 2007; 5. Atiku Abubakar vs Musa Yar’Adua & 4 Ors, 2007; 6. General Mohammadu Buhari vs INEC & Ors, 2007; and 7. Congress for Progressive Change vs INEC & 41 Ors, 2011. According to Mr. Imhanobe, these are the political cases of the progressives in perspective.

The first issue I have is that the author made no contrasting analysis of the lead majority judgments and the dissenting minority judgments, as if this does not matter, whereas this is what actually matters. For example, reading through the lead majority judgment of Justice Atanda Fatai-Williams and the sole dissenting judgment of Justice Kayode Eso in the Awolowo vs Shagari case of 1979, at once it will be apparent that the logic of Justice Eso’s argument is superior to that of the lead judgment of Justice Williams.

The same can also be said of the dissenting minority judgment of Justice Walter Onnoghen against that of the lead majority judgment of Justice Niki Tobi in the 2007 General Mohammadu Buhari vs INEC & Ors’ case.

The failure of the author to make contrasting analysis and offer opinion on the merits and/or demerits of these conflicting judgments is a big minus to the book.

Such analysis would have afforded the author the chance to justify his conclusion that ‘on the whole, the judiciary has not been fair to the progressives’. As it is, in my view, this conclusion though justifiable has however not been justified. The second issue is the inclusion of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s cases to the list of judgments reproduced.

In the general analysis of the political divides of the country, the Peoples’ Democratic Party was categorized within the conservative fold. Yet, in listing judgments of political cases of the progressives he included Atiku’s in pages 302 – 525.

This sounds to me as contradictory since Atiku was the Vice President of the PDPled federal government. Furthermore, the author fell into the general misconception of most Nigerians with regards to the Atiku-Obasanjo fight, especially as it concerned the 3rd term controversy.

In conclusion, the total picture painted by the author is that of progressives in constant struggle with the conservatives, the latter aided by a reactionary judiciary, to install a more just and egalitarian society for Nigeria.

The three key personalities of Awolowo, Abiola and Buhari had been critical to this struggle. Many Nigerians will have additional views to this, but no Nigerian can deny the crucial roles played by this three in the struggle to build a better Nigeria.

I therefore join the erudite Prince Tony Momoh, who volunteered the foreword, to commend the effort of Barrister Imhanobe in producing this huge volume.

Only a hardworking, devoted and patriotic scholar can undertake such a gigantic task. The book will be of immense value to our scholars, lawyers, politicians and professionals, and to all those who are interested in and committed to a New Nigeria of our dream.

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After colourful and stimulating performances, Otapo Bata Drummers from Abeokuta emerged winner at the traditional drummers contest as part of activities to kickoff the Goldberg Excellency Tour which held recently in Abeokuta.

The group outperformed four other groups at the grand finale to cart home the coveted prize of N250, 000. Ayanwale Drummers clinched the second position and won N150, 000, while Omo Aribido Drummers claimed the third spot and settled for the N100, 000 on offer for the slot. The other two finalists, Ayandare Drummers and Paramount Band got N50,000 each.

At the commencement of the event penultimate Friday, 12 groups were auditioned at the cultural centre, venue of the event, with five groups emerging from the pool to reach the grand finale.

The traditional drummers contest which was organised as part of the Goldberg Excellency Tour kicked off with a procession through the major streets of Abeokuta and attracted a huge turnout of residents who were delighted by performances from drummers, praise singers and dancers.

The procession helped to pull a large turnout of residents who trooped to the venue of the contest to support their groups during the different performances. Speaking at the grandfinale, the Senior Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Funso Ayeni, stated that Goldberg Excellency Tour is scheduled for five other cities: Ilorin, Ado Ekiti, Ikare Akoko, Ile Ife and Benin City.

“The Excellency Tour”, he said, resonates with the brand’s essence and strengthens its identification with the cultural values of the people of South West Nigeria. According to him, in line with the brand’s ethos, the successful event in Abeokuta also helped to promote local talent, as the competition brought out the best skills from the performers who see the contest as an opportunity to showcase their talents and skills.

While commenting on their victory, the leader of Otapo Bata Drummers, Mr. Afolabi Mufutau, said it is a thing of joy to see his group clinch the first prize after putting in many hours of hard work in preparation for the competition.

The Goldberg Excellency Tour is coming on the heels of the unveiling of Goldberg lager beer as “Your Excellency” in 2016 and it is in line with the brand’s unique credentials that positions it in a class of its own, away from its peers in the market.

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A Houston high school student has lost her battle with terminal cancer days after having a dream come true in a talk with Beyonce over a video chat.

Alief Independent School District spokeswoman Kimberly Smith says senior Ebony Banks died late Saturday night.

The teen’s Hastings High School classmates started an online campaign before her death to give her a chance to meet her favourite singer, Beyonce. Banks received a FaceTime call Wednesday from the star, reports The Associated Press.

The school gave Banks her diploma during a graduation ceremony in the hospital last week.

Students gathered at a candlelight vigil Sunday to remember Banks. Video posted on social media shows students raising candles to Beyonce’s “Halo.”

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Prosecutors in Bill Cosby’s sex assault case in Pennsylvania objected Monday to defence efforts to prescreen as many as 2,000 potential jurors.

They also said in a court filing that the jury should be selected weeks before the scheduled June 5 trial so jurors can prepare to be sequestered nearly 300 miles away from home. And they challenged defence claims that it will be tough to find people without opinions of the long-time Hollywood icon.

In a sometimes caustic court filing, they called that “a cynical view of the potential jurors in Allegheny County.”

“Defendant forecasts that jury selection will take weeks; we are confident that it will not,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said, noting that it took just a day to pick jurors for the state attorney general’s perjury trial last year.

Cosby, who turns 80 next month, is accused of drugging and molesting a Temple University basketball team manager at his home in 2004, an encounter he calls consensual. He was 66 at the time; Andrea Constand was 30.

Prosecutors had hoped to call a dozen women who have made similar accusations, but the judge will allow just one “prior bad act” witness: a woman who worked for Cosby’s agent and said he drugged and assaulted her during a lunch meeting at the Bel-Air Hotel, in Los Angeles, in 1996.

The trial will be held in suburban Philadelphia, where Cosby met with Constand at his estate, but the jury will come from the Pittsburgh area because of pretrial publicity over the past two years. Cosby’s appearance at a half-dozen court hearings has drawn a swarm of national and international media, reports The Associated Press.

Defence lawyers have proposed sending a specialised questionnaire to up to 2,000 Allegheny County residents, and to question those who pass muster starting June 5. Prosecutors said Cosby deserves no such “special treatment.” They want opening statements to start that day.

The battle over jury selection is just the latest legal manoeuvring in the high-profile case. The judge must still decide how much the jury will hear from Cosby’s deposition about his long history of extramarital affairs. The next court hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Cosby, a Philadelphia native, broke racial barriers when he became the first black actor to star in a network drama, the 1965 hit “I Spy,” a role that earned him three consecutive Emmy awards for best actor. He is perhaps best known for his top-rated 1980s sitcom, “The Cosby Show,” which painted a warm portrait of black family life and earned hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they are sexual assault victims, but Constand has granted permission through her lawyer.

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For more than three hours, celebrated poet, Dike Chukwumerije, held thousands of theatre goers and literary scholars spellbound when he hosted a show tagged “Evening of poetry for theatre production”.

Held last weekend at Oakland Event Centre, Enugu, the show which was done in collaboration with Radio Nigeria Enugu, covered 102 years of Nigeria’s history presented in different genres including poetry, songs, music, book reading and scintillating drama.

Dike, scion of late Abia senator, Uche Chukwumerije, described the event as “a made in Nigeria show” aimed at reviving the nation’s cultural values and re-establishing the nation’s history in art forms with a view to forging a common bond and unity among new generation Nigerians.

“It is possible to use poetry and literary works to sustain our values and history; yes you can use it both writing in English and talking about your culture and your situation or even writing in your own indigenous tongue, which is even stronger.

So poetry is a very strong tool for preserving our cultural heritage. “I wanted to use poetry to draw socio-political attention and pass cultural messages especially the history of Nigeria in a way that it will be interesting and engaging.

The theme is that in spite of our contradictions, in spite of our problems there are some benefits in staying together as a country.

“I see a lot of potentials in Nigeria as the greatest black nation on the face of the planet. I am just saying that yes I know things are difficult, yes I know that we have had a tortuous history, but the things that bind Nigeria together; the belief, the ideals; I think we should try to uphold that vision,” he said.

Chukwumerije promised to repeat the show in Enugu and the South East in general in order to sustain Enugu literary society and promote reading culture in the zone.

The Zonal Director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Enugu network centre, Mr. Ike Okere, described the show as “proof that poetry is life; that poetry is action; that poetry is not that dry academic exercise that we do in schools and universities.

And that with poetry you can actually create a change, you can actually get people thinking and that you can actually get people to take action”. According to him, Dike has proved again that the origins, the root of poetry lies in music, in dance and in song.

“Combining all these elements, he has created a wonderful, a show that has kept us for two hours, applauding on our feet, a show that beats any musical video you can think about or indeed any movie in any cinema house,” he added.

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Title: An Empty Kingdom
Author: Ebi Robert
Publisher: Bulkybon Books, Lagos, Nigeria.
Year of Publication: 2015
Pages: 89
Reviewer: Ben Binebai, PhD

“An Empty Kingdom” presents politics that surrounds succession to the throne of Egweama as its subject matter. It is a dramatic edifice structured into three Acts accommodating nine scenes, with front and back matters. The play is logically connected to a stream of narration which maintains the classical or Aristotelian cause- effect continuum tradition of dramatic creativity.

Within these acts and scenes, the playwright constructs a linear plot structure which initiates a change in the choice of the new king away from blood to soil of the land with the total support of the youth, elders, women and chiefs of Egweama.

The play runs to a conflict when Daudogi, the only surviving blood of the Timi Royal lineage registers his incurable ambition and determination to ascend the throne against the popular will of the people. On the coronation day, upon the request of the people that the chosen king appears for coronation in the presence of the community and two other kings, Tuaton the popular choice of the people and Duadogi, the self-elected member of the royal family appear. This brings confusion.

As the traditions demand, it is the responsibility of Koko, the chief King maker, to crown the chosen one. Against the popular and sacred expectation of the citizenry, Koko crowns Duadogi under duress, to cover up his earlier crime of raping and killing a young girl; a secret which can only be exposed by Duadogi.

This not only astonishes the people but angers them to the decision of renouncing Duadogi as king and abandoning the Egweama Kingdom in pursuit of the chosen Tauton in the Rivers to honour him as king; thus, making Egweama Kingdom, an Empty Kingdom.

The succession to the throne of Egweama by the royal house does not catch the fancy of the youth and people of the kingdom. Hence the old tradition is set aside and ablaze for the new tradition of making royalty outside royal boundaries. Thus the conflict is between conservatism versus change, between an old order and a new order, between royalty and the common man. Duadogi is like Kurumi the eponymous hero in Ola Rotimi’s Kurumi who for selfish reasons defends the old tradition for his personal benefit.

This cultural reformation is an attempt at modernising the ancient customs and cultures of Egweama kingdom to get rid of obsolete traditions that vitiate humanity.

This is a deliberate design of change that displaces previous law- ful and relevant traditions and customs. What this implies is that kingdoms break and perish when the greed of individuals in power become increasingly alarming.

The empty status of the kingdom is caused by greed on the part of Duadogi and Koko and love for progress on the part of Sikigbo and the masses. Duadogi does not find favour in the heart of the people but Tuaton does.

The playwright once again demonstrates that the world of man is a world that changes. From the primordial age of man to this era of scientific and technological sophistication the world of man has changed tremendously. A society that is not amenable to change is doomed for disintegration. Duadogi’s struggle is caused by his self-centeredness by appropriating the ideology of tradition to fight his personal battles.

The author plots and weaves the best types of characters in a dramatic composition. The characters are true to life, rounded, naturalistic and three dimensional because they are psychologically propelled as they undergo changes, a true depiction of human life.

The most interesting ones are Duadogi, Koko, Sikigbo and Tuaton. Sikigbo is a man of vision, an agent of change, consistent in his belief and support for a new order. He fights a battle in which he does not give up even when he seems defeated. Duadogi is another interesting character.

He is strong willed, brutal, corrupt and stops at nothing to get what he wants. Daudogi is a very powerful representation of ancient and contemporary power mongers who rate their personal collapse as a bigger evil than the evil of the entire society. Koko the chief King Maker is another attractive character. He strikes us as a man of honour and integrity but as events later unfolds, he is a dishonorable man who raped and killed a young girl.

He is one of the key factors that drive Egweama in this dramatic universe to an empty Kingdom.

There are a thousand and one Koko characters across all the countries in post-colonial Africa and beyond who bring destruction to their societies because of their lack of nationalism. He refuses to take sacrifice for the survival of Egweama kingdom. His types in literature are Ozidi, Elesin Oba in Death and the Kings Horseman, King Zoba in Sounds of the Rising Sun etc.

This was the bane of politics and democracy in Africa until Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became a shining example of a leader who sacrificed to move society forward. The play has good syntactic structure.

The brilliant appropriation of phonological pattern of language in the play through the choices of remarkable proverbs used is to make the flow of words appealing and captivating to the reader.

These proverbs where native wisdom resides, give the play a local African colour and flavour. In conclusion, the far-reaching ends of the scrutiny of this play are relevant to a wide readership of the literary community.

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It was another milestone for the Nigerian theatre community as National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) joined its counterparts around the globe to celebrate World Theatre Day.

Days leading to the celebration were series of activities with a stage production of the play Moremi, last weekend at Freedom Park, Lagos. The main celebration was held on Monday, March 27 at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

It was on the theme: “Theatre: Springboard for Effective Recovery from Economic Recession”.

There were other theatrical performances such as “Beyond the Garb”, staged by Thespian Family, Theatre, and “OSUSU” by Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, as well as a roundtable on the theme.

“Beyond the Garb”, written and directed by Ayo Jaiyesimi, centres on the burning issues of socio-cultural and moral rebirth; the presentation also focused on the state of the nation where the performer’s used dance, drama and music to convey the message.

In celebrating the day, the interim President of NANTAP, Israel Eboh disclosed that in the last 26 years NANTAP has worked tirelessly to fulfill its objective of bringing all practicing Nigerian theatre artistes together under one umbrella for the purpose of making the practice in Nigeria viable.

“We have through our programmes, advocacies, and collaboration with cultural and arts agencies and institutions, both local and international, government and private put the interest of the theatre practitioner on the front burner of our agenda with a view to creating a most conducive environment for the artiste to ply his trade.

“We cannot but appreciate the Nigerian theatre artistes who continue to operate more often than not, in a most unpredictable and insensitive environment.

“The Nigerian artiste must work in a society where his function is considered to be an indulgence; a situation where even government can classify the artiste as an artisan speaks volume of how we are perceived; a situation where corporate institutions regard theatre as a sector that should be merely tolerated through handouts shows how unenlightened they are about what we do and what we contribute to  the table of national development.

Yet our government officials, corporate executives travel to foreign lands to watch the Sikulus, Lion Kings and Shreks of this world,” he said.

He noted that while other sectors are struggling under the bite of the economic recession, the creative sector continues to grow in leaps and bounds.

“Even in a most unreceptive environment as we find ourselves, the Nigerian theatre continues to creatively and ingeniously put out shows that continue to amaze people; even when the size of theatre going patron continues to shrink, we continue to doggedly put up shows even when it is in near empty halls.

As theatre we continue to represent the dogged persevering spirit of the average Nigeria.”

The Chairman of Lagos State Chapter, NANTAP, Makinde Adeniran explained that theatre is broad, noting that the entertainment industry particularly film has to do with theatre. “Theatre is the laboratory of the entertainment industry; that is what is applicable in Hollywood. The actors disappear for a while, where will you find them?

They are in Broadway retooling so that when they reappear they are fresh again. That is how they keep long in the industry,” he said.

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An exhibition of body of work by one of the leading voices in contemporary Nigerian art scene, Raqib Bashorun, opened on March 18 at Omenka Gallery, Lagos.

It will run till April 5. Using steel, bronze, enamel, as well as leather, brass and spark plugs, the artist brings to the fore various socio-political issues including quest for better Nigeria and the change mantra of this administration.

He notes that the looming theme in Nigeria today is coated with ‘change’ and it is elusive; an average Nigerian’s expectation is that those managing the country’s affairs are the custodians of the anticipated change.

Indeed, Bashorun, like all Nigerians, yearns for a state of utopia, of bliss, and of freedom – a Nigeria where all are offered respite from the effects of the recklessness and impropriety of her leaders. Bashorun continues to incorporate in his work found materials from his immediate environment, most notably metal in form of aerosol and soda cans, as well as domestic accessories like table cutlery.

These experiments begun in the past decade remain a key feature of his oeuvre. Major solo exhibitions like Evolving in Discovery (2013) at Terra Kulture, as well as Evolving through Waste (2014) and Evolving in 360 (2015), both at Omenka Gallery, chart the course of his trajectory.

His latest solo at Omenka, Realm of Freedom builds upon these experiences. Borrowing from the constructivists and expressionists, the artist’s skill is evident in his ability to effortlessly blend metal, wood and other found objects.

The body of work in this solo exhibition, he says, was inspired by the thought of the common agitations shared by all irrespective of race, tribe or nationality and the hardships visited on everybody.

He said: “We struggle to function in a society that frowns at freedom and is petrified by looseness. I guess we all clapped for deceitful performers. We did not hope that something terrible was in the offering, we bought into the cheap deceit. This route from far and near flags disaster; we have to recalculate, we have compromised our freedom innocently and it is our responsibility to go back to the drawing board and re-articulate our moves.

“We get what we ask for but we have to keep asking, be relentless and be engaged in the process until the very end of the tunnel. We must challenge our own thinking.” According to him, there are a few places where he tends to enjoy an abso- lute sense of freedom; at the airports (the open concept and human traffic and expressions on those faces) by courtesy of the airline associates, in the aircrafts through the tones in the voices of the crew members, on the runways and in the emptiness of the sky.

“It is however uncertain if I discovered or found the freedom – I do not know what your take is on this subject and I am uncertain if indeed you have found yours. I guess I do not know myself even though I assume that I do.

“The majority of us endorsed the slogan ‘change,’ and we did unquestioningly even when the protagonists of the phenomenon did not know any better.

From all obvious indications, they have not lived up to our expectations and on our part, we continue to perceive this issue as though we have no role to play to advance the cause,” Bashorun stated.

The Director, Omenka Gallery, Oliver Enwonwu, who is the president of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), in his statement on the exhibition, notes that Bashorun’s skill is evident in his ability to effortlessly blend metal, wood and other found objects.

“Design is central to the artist’s oeuvre, his leading dictated by his materials. Essentially a commentary on the state of the Nigerian economy, the artist reveals his inspiration behind the 19 works on display.”

According to Enwonwu, alongside an exemplary career spanning over three decades as a teacher, Bashorun has maintained an active studio practice accompanied by a rigorous exhibition schedule that have all contributed to his prominence as one of the most significant artists working in Nigeria today,” he said.

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A new stage play which interrogates the burning issues of socio-cultural and moral rebirth, and looks at the fight against corruption via persuasion, opened on March 18, at the National Theatre, and will run from March 25 till 27, with a special command performance in commemoration of World Theatre Day 2017.

Titled Beyond The Garb, the play is written and directed by Mrs. Ayo Jaiyesimi, and produced by the Thespian Family Theatre and Productions. According to Jaiyesimi, who is the CEO of Thespian Family Theatre, the 70-minute total theatre performance is their own way of keying into the change initiative in the fight against corruption in the country. “Our play this time is Beyond The Garb.

What lies beneath the little garment? For those who know Thespian Family Theatre and Productions, our plays are tied into a theme that either has impact on the community or something that the government is trying to do or some change initiative or the other. That is what we are trying to key into,” she said.

“So, Beyond The Garb, actually, is us trying to take a look at the situation that we have right now. We are talking about corruption; we are talking change, trying to change paradigms and perceptions.

And when we are talking about that, especially when you go out on the street, you will find out that everybody is good; everybody is either blaming the government or the next person for what is happening, but not looking at ourselves and see the role that we could play in transformation, change and anti-corruption.”

‘Beyond The Garb,’ is made up of some dialogues that were brought out through certain professionals. It also goes to a village called Orurimeji where they are trying to hold a coronation.

The people are happy that there is going to be a coronation but they kicked against the person that was to be crowned because the person is coming from the city. Left to them the people in the city have not done any good; they believe that the subsisting inflation is due to the fact that the people in the city are not managing the economy well.

However, somewhere along the line, after listening to the discussions, the storyteller, a lawyer, then says “yes, we think that the people in the city have not done too well but let’s look at ourselves,” she added, stressing that except the people look inward and allow the change to start from them, there will not be progress.

Beyond The Garb is “deliberate considering the time we are. For instance, we are quick at pointing accusing fingers at others such as the police on the road, but we don’t examine ourselves. So, we are using theatre to look at the fight against corruption via persuasion,” she said.

The play which also shows the police encounter with Paulinus (Omololu Sodiya) and his lover girl and the intervention of a fake prophet captures the many prophecies and deceits of our time.

Also, the play brings to the fore the get-rich-quick syndrome shown by some Nigerians, it also deals with the attitudes of the policeman who surrenders his loot from the road block to a fake prophet in order to make it big.

Beyond The Garb is rich in humour, with musical interludes featuring songs and dances drawn from major ethnic groups spiced the presentation. The cast include Teco Austin, Owumi Ugbeye, Samuel Perry, Stanley Okeke, Michael George, Joy Amata, Victor Sunday, Adesina Adejoke and Agunpopo Olamide.

The post Beyond The Garb: Theatre seeks socio-political, cultural rebirth appeared first on New Telegraph Newspapers.

Organisers of the prestigious pan- African reward and recognition platform for professionals in the film industry, Africa Movie Academy Awards, have asked for an enduring partnership with the Lagos State government as the host state for the 13th edition of the awards scheduled to take place on Sunday 11th June, 2017.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode accepted the hosting right during a courtesy call by the leadership of AMAA to his office in Lagos, where the governor also announced that the award event will hold at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

The first leg of the continental show which is the nominations gala night where nominees will be announced into the 28 categories of the awards from the total films in the competition, will take place at Kigali, the capital City of Rwanda on Saturday 22nd April, 2017.

Governor Ambode, in accepting the hosting rights, noted that AMAA coming to Lagos at the point when the state is celebrating her 50 years anniversary makes it historic. “This is a very historic moment for us in Lagos. We are celebrating the existence of Lagos for 50 years.

If you look at the calendar, you would wonder, in what ways and manner can we celebrate Lagos?

“Without your sector, there is no Lagos. So, when we say 50 years, we are talking about 50 years of history, so somebody documents it, somebody dramatises it, and then somebody keeps it, so that those who are yet unborn would see it; so even when we are not there, it would be displayed through your creative talents.

I formally accept on behalf of the government of Lagos State the hosting rights for AMAA 2017,” he said

. In her response, Ms. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, who is the founder of the awards, expressed her joy and appreciation to the governor and the government of Lagos State for accepting to be the host state, adding that beyond hosting the awards, the organisation wants a strategic relationship with the state that will promote the entire creative industry as a major contributor to the economy of the state and the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

“It is amazing to have a Governor in Lagos State that supports and invests in the creative sector of our economy.

That entertainment and tourism are integral part of Lagos State Government’s policy to create employment and opportunities for youths is very gratifying. My team and I are humbled and very much grateful for the honour to have Lagos as our official host State for AMAA 2017. We will work with Lagos State to deliver a great experience,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of College of Screeners and a Jury member, Mr. Shuaibu Hussein, has disclosed that the pre-screening process of the awards has been completed, adding that the College of Screeners will resume at their camp to consider the films that will be sent to the Jurors for consideration for nominations after which winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Lagos.

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Nollywood actress, Omoni Oboli, now has more trouble to contend with after a Lagos High Court judge ordered the seizure of the released copies of her disputed movie titled ‘Okafor’s Law’. The movie which was to premiere last Friday got its first knock upon the court’s verdict to halt the premiere.

According to reports, an Anton Piller order was issued by Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos, for the seizure of the film and also, stopping it from being shown in any theatre or cinema house, pending the court’s decision. The judge reportedly also ordered the “seizure of all copies, materials, projections or infringing materials, relating to the subject matter.”

The court’s order reads: “An order of interim injunction, restraining the first to third defendants, whether by themselves or their privies, from premiering the feature film “Okafor’s Law”, in Lagos or any part of Nigeria, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

“An order of interim injunction, restraining the defendant from releasing the featured film in any movie theatre or Cinema house on March 31, pending the hearing of the motion on notice. An order of interim injunction, restraining the defendants from distributing the featured film pending the determination of the motion on notice was also served.

An Anton Piller order is granted to the plaintiff, to enter into the defendant’s premises, cinema, studio and other places of dissemination, to seize all copies of infringing materials relating to subject matter.

An order, directing the defendants to deliver and surrender to the plaintiff ’s solicitors, all products and packages with the inscription, ‘Okafor’s Law’ and volume of transaction or trade which have been done by defendants.”

Last Friday, scores of movie goers who bought tickets to view the premiere of ‘Okafor’s Law’ got the shock of their lives when they were prevented from entering IMAX Cinema for the premiere, due to a court injunction over copyright infringement.

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Nigerian songwriter and newest artiste, Nuhu Zakari (aka Nuzak) has released his latest single. It is titled Olowo Laye Mo. The song preaches lots of message.

“Everything is all about making money,” he said. “Not that I am perfect; I am just saying that our parents need to know and understand the kind of music we do. Olowo Laye Mo is a song that preaches lots of message.”

Nuzak hinted that as an artiste he has to pass a message across to the society in other for them to be on the right track.

The artiste, who hail from Kogi State, but grew up in Ondo State, disclosed that he started music at a tender age. “I was not born with a silver spoon; when I used to hawk for my mother, I used to sing and compose songs,” he said.

According to the artiste, who has worked with the likes of Sean Tizzle, Oritse Femi, among others, his parents, especially his father, did not support his choice of doing music, but later gave him his blessings when he began to listen to his music. “My father is a strict and principled man.

He is a policeman. From the beginning, he was not in support when I decided to do music, but as time goes on, when he started listening to my songs, he said ‘okay! If that is what you want to do, no problem’.

” The Royal Empire Music label act is grateful to God, his parent and fans, as without them he will not be where he is today. “I am also grateful to my amiable CEO of Royal Empire Music, Prince Kazeem Eletu Idibo, he has been there for me.”

The post Nuzak serenades fans with Olowo Laye Mo appeared first on New Telegraph Newspapers.

Celebrated singer and Bonsue-fuji music maestro, Adewale Ayuba, in this interview with FLORA ONWUDIWE, recalls how his interest in music started. He says that fortunately, for him, his parents were supportive of his choice of music as a career. He also talks about his rise to the top and other sundry issues. Excerpts

When did music develop in you and what did you do?

I started singing fuji at the early age of seven years. Then, I did not do anything except fuji music. Incidentally, my parents gave me all the necessary support. However, they insisted that I must go to school. Good enough, I listened to them and it paid us all off at the end of the day.

Was money not one of the strong reasons why you embraced music?

I did not actually go into singing or music for the sake of money. Rather, it was purely for the love of singing or for the sake of music. I just enjoyed singing. I was not singing for the sake of money. I remember that I used to sing at any social gathering for the fun of it. There were usually Kobo attached to these efforts.

What are the factors that propelled you into singing?

From the onset, I have been married to fuji music. I actually started at the age of seven years; you can see that I was really young. Naturally, when I listen to any music genre, I have the instinct to memorise it. I mean word for word. This has been my special ability from my childhood. It helped me in no small measure in my music career today.

How did you produce your first album?

I released my first Fuji album on Success Records Ketu, Lagos. I had to pitch my tent with him because he was the only humane private record company owner then, who was really poised to assist me at all cost as a result of his strong belief in my talent.

Was that why you stayed with him for years?

I had to because of his initial interest in my talent. Aside from this, he also advised me strongly on the need to be very sincere with anybody; I am dealing with, maintaining that I should not allow my success to go into my head. That is one of the main reasons why I still try to be humble against all odds till date.

How many records did you do with Success Records before you turned your back on the C.E.O?

I did four albums within the expected four years of recording. I met the expected standard which may have made me to stay long. Moreover, I tried to be as humble as strongly advised. After my four years there, I went to Sony Records.

May we know why you have to leave Success Records after your memorable working relationship with the owner for four years?

In as much as I embraced all he did for me to come-up, I had to look forward to growing bigger. For this to really take place, I had to look for a place with facilities for strategic and effective marketing. Unfortunately, Success Records had no such facilities. This was the factor that forced me to make up my mind to leave.

It was obvious that I had to hook-up with bigger and corporate recording company, if my noble dream was to be realised. My case was made easier when Sony Music listened to my four recorded works on Success Records label. Based on this strong belief, they concluded that the four works were all hits.

What factors attracted you to Sony Music Records first?

I see them as a big corporate music company where I can easily realize my dream of being a big time Fuji act. Luckily for me, they had perceived my past releases as hits, and this opened the door for me easily. Later, I was introduced to Laolu Akins who produced my first two albums in Sony Music in 1989.

Was the involvement of Laolu Akins as your producer one of the factors that forced you to stay long there?

Not quite. I have always produced myself before I met Laolu Akins. But as somebody who needs a teacher, I had to embrace him. He was like a super coach to a successful footballer. Honestly, Laolu Akins was all I needed to explode. He used to guide my lyrics, arrangements and instrumentations with all sincere commitments.

For instance, he would instruct that I maintain and use high key where and when it was most appropriate. At times, he could advise me to reverse it for professional result. He has never failed to put in a word in any of my albums. That sincere commitment has, no doubt, brought out the excepted magic to bear on my two albums he produced.

May we know why you had to leave Sony Music despite the commercial success?

The problem happened when I travelled abroad. When I was there, something happened in the accounts department that angered me so much so that I had no choice than to leave after checking the records to confirm the truth concerning what happened. Though, it has been long and I have since forgotten what happened.

Are you on your own now?

Oh yes. I have a label now and hotel, “Sweet Life Home”, somewhere in Lekki, Lagos. That’s my only investment for now in the hospitality concern. I am into it because of my love for the hospitality related business.

What’s your definition of love?

My definition of love is to be straight with my wife. I am a true Christian and that is my true belief in Christianity.

What fascinates you in women? Personally, I don’t believe in the physical looks of women. Rather, I believe more sincerely in the intelligence of women.

What role do you think sex plays in successful marriages?

Sex is what comes after love. You cannot have sex without loving the person.

That is thinking and talking of true love. It should start from this level to beyond. That’s the only natural way to confirm the love you have for a particular person. To me, this must be supported through words of mouth and deeds which I have since been demonstrating with © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company my wife to glory of God.

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Mursty Adinoyi is the presenter and producer of the television programme, Hitlist N Cruzin, which won the Best Entertainment Programme at the Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards (NBMA) 2016. Adinoyi, in this chat, explains further on the idea behind Hitlist N Cruzin as well as challenges and plans.

What’s the latest about Hitlist N Cruzin?

Right now, we’re trying to expand our map to places we’ve not been before and we’ve now added Oyo State to our map. Last year, we added Ogun, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Benin. Now, we’ve added Ibadan and plan to add even more states soon. We even plan to go off-map as far as Nigerians are there and they send us texts and if one of them happens to be our winner, we’ll be there for them.

Has there been a particular state or region that you get the most texts from?

Well, Hitlist N Cruzin is a weekly programme and sometimes more texts come from Port Harcourt; sometimes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa; so it’s not fixed. Sometimes more come from Kaduna, Kano and many other states we’re yet to get to but where they love the programme because of our nationwide reach through AIT Network, TVC and many other stations we’re on. And the acceptance, the love that Nigerians are showing us these days is spurring us to do more, but sometimes, we’re limited because of funds.

But we pray God Almighty will make things better for us, so we’ll be able to touch every part, every region of the country. Hitlist N Cruzin is capable of employing more hands. That is, have people in every region recording and cruising for us.

Why not make it a daily show in order to celebrate more people as you desire?

The one thing that is constant in life is change. So for me and my team, can we run a daily show? Yes, if we have the air time; don’t forget that this weekly air time, we pay heavily for it on all the channels we are.

If any of these stations calls us and says we’ll give you more air time, do more and give us a daily show, we’ll be able to do more. I already told you we can employ more hands, create more jobs, so if we were to run daily, all we have to do is employ more hands all over the country, just like the TV stations are doing by having correspondents all over.

So I’ll be happy to go daily, but right now, do we have the financial resources to do that? It’s not there. But if we have partnership with a TV station that is ready to give us the air time, then we’ll do that. And if we have the necessary sponsorship, we’ll do that. But with the little we have now, if we try to do that, we’ll overstretch ourselves. One thing is, there’ll always be barriers in anything one wants to do. But what I also understand is when you keep on moving, before you know it, you’ll achieve it.

To get to where we are today, it wasn’t on a platter of gold. We had to work hard both day and night. So, other plans that we have, we’ll just keep on working and believing in what we’re doing and we’ll achieve them. Nothing good comes easy.

What are the innovations you plan to add to Hitlist N Cruzin?

Sometime back, there was nothing like 60 Seconds on Hitlist N Cruzin. But it’s now there for the stars and creative people in general to talk about themselves in just 60 seconds. You see, we have just 26 minutes to do whatever we want to do.

Cruising takes five minutes, E-Cruising takes another five minutes, so 10 minutes is gone already. We need to play at least two music videos to keep people on their feet to keep watching what we’re doing. So, we don’t really have enough time for all the ideas we have on ground. We’re waiting for the better time to unveil them all.

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                          …to feature FELA, Waka, Kakadu, Eyo, Jazz festival

The Planning Committee of the Lagos@50 celebration has unveiled a list of activities for the final celebration of the state’s Golden Jubilee anniversary. Announcing the series of activities earlier in the week, Co-chair of the Lagos @ 50 Planning Committee, Mr. Habeeb Fasinro, said the final lap of the celebration would kick off on Saturday, April 8 and climax on Saturday, May 27.

Fasinro, who was joined at the conference by other members of the committee including Professor Ademola Abass, Hon. Adebimpe Akinsola, Mrs. Sarah Boulos, Mrs. Chika Balogun, said the events lined up for the celebration had been carefully selected to tell the story and journey of the state from 1967 when it was created till date. According to him, the event would commence on April 8, with “Wakaa The Musical”, produced and directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, at the Muson Centre, Onikan Lagos.

He said the celebration would continue on Thursday, April 13, with a three-day theatrical production of Broadway musical tagged “FELA,” that would feature the life and times of the legendary Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and celebrate his pioneering music.

It will be performed by a combined cast of the original Broadway production and the Royal National Theatre production under Bill T. Jones. Fasinro added that a Boat Regatta would also hold on Saturday, April 15, in Epe, Badagry and Lagos Island, to showcase the state’s aquatic assets to residents and visitors alike. A Jazz Meets Fashion event would take place on Sunday, April 30, and would see Grammy award-winning Jazz artistes share the stage with Nigerian musicians, while the evolution of fashion in Lagos State over the past 50 years will also be on display on the runway.

The activities continue on Monday, May 1, with a Special Workers’ Day celebration by both active and retired civil servants, with a special parade in the morning at the Agege Stadium and a dinner in the evening. Fasinro also hinted that on May 5, five of the highest box office films and five evergreen ones would be screened to local audience in the five divisions of the state – Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe.

Also, a Lagos Carnival would hold on Saturday May 13, in both the Island and Mainland zones of the state and extend to the different communities and ethnic groups in Lagos, while the Eyo Festival, which was last staged five years ago, would make a grand return on Saturday, May 20, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). The celebration continues on Wednesday, May 24, when all former governors of the state will join Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for a Special State Executive Council Session, while the Judiciary and House of Assembly would hold same on May 18 and 22, respectively.

The activities climax with the grand finale slated for May 27, which coincides with Children’s Day celebration. It would feature a historic gala night that would have a rich blend of good music and the best of Lagos cuisine, photo exhibition and the unveiling of a special coffee table book that captures the essence of Lagos through the lens of 50 accomplished photographers.

Fasinro noted that though the 50-day event ends on May 27, the celebration of the state’s Golden Jubilee would continue throughout the year with a series of activities to celebrate and showcase the state’s rich cultural heritage.

He enjoined residents to key into the various events, adding that the anniversary is “a celebration of Lagosians, by Lagosians, for Lagosians”. Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said since May 27, 2016, when the events flagged off, there had been a series of events that had held on the 27th of every month to mark Lagos @ 50.

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