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I love it when the nursery school next door to me is in session.
For me, there is nothing as exhilarating as the spontaneous shouts and screams
of pre-primary school children playfully competing with one another to achieve
higher decibels of noise! Watching them heightens my amateur analysis of
behavioural patterns. Yet, I am eventually always saddened by how these
children are being short-changed in the name of education.

The start of the new school year is most eventful. The new
pupils; well groomed and smartly dressed in their new uniforms, arrive looking
uncertain and timid, holding on tightly to their parent’s hands. Most burst
into tears as the parents depart and some continue this regime and howling for
the better part of the school day. After a few days, or even weeks, during
which the teachers comfort, pet or outright ignore them, they calm down and no
longer feel strange and lost in the midst of their fellow pupils and teachers,
who really are total strangers to them.

Social status

By the middle of the first term, it is now the duty of maids or
servants to bring them to school and collect them after school. These maids and
houseboys are wonders in themselves. Most often, they are pre and early teenage
children themselves. They can be loving and equally brutal to their wards. They
coax them, carry their over-sized schoolbags, grab their biscuits and soft
drinks, slap and shove them whenever the mood takes them. Their actions are
sweet revenge for their frustration and lingering stigma of never having been
sent to formal schools and for the physical abuse and deprivation they daily
suffer from the children’s parents! Nevertheless, a strong though strange human
bond is noticeable between the maids and their young wards – an effervescent
oscillation between tender peer-love as children and hate based on social
status.

Young teachers

The teachers themselves are another marvel. Mostly female, their
turnover rate is alarming. A new set seems to appear every school year and they
are younger and younger every time around. I wonder where all the matronly
mother-figure teachers of yesteryears have gone. Do we still have teachers who
have taught parents and their children in the same school or older brothers and
sisters in the same class?

It is this mix of teachers, their teaching technique, lesson
contents and available facilities that intrigue and disturb me. Can some of
these baby-teachers of today do more than inflict permanent mental damage on
these innocent nursery school children?

In our days, the routine was, “Good morning, children,” and we
responded in unison, “Good morning, Teacher” or “Good morning, Mrs Osula,” to a
very caring woman we all genuinely accepted as our ‘second mother.’ Now, the young
teachers deceive the children and aggressively insist that they call them
‘Aunty.’

Religious fervour

Not long ago, the set of teachers at the nursery school, were
passionate born-again Jesus freaks. Morning assembly, consisted of frenzied
dance and clap sessions during which two, three and four-year old children
mumbled after their teacher songs about “my darling Jesus… so handsome and
powerful” or “winner ooh winner, kpatakpata Jesus will win, winner.” The sole
mission of these teachers, it seemed, was to catch young souls early and
‘rescue’ them from the lurking ,dangerous devil. These daily displays of
religious fervour baffled me and left me wondering whether these young and
obviously concerned teachers knew any simple educative nursery rhymes, or
whether they thought nursery rhymes were corruptive devil songs.

International schools

Strangely enough, a new dimension of nursery rhymes was
introduced not too long ago. These were nursery rhymes in French! How on earth
these nursery school children were supposed to know the meaning of the
‘strange’ songs they sang along with, still beats my imagination. But then, the
real idea of introducing French nursery rhymes is to give the school the
elevated status of ‘an international school’ as is the vogue now!

At playtime, these teachers are indifferent, as the kids shove,
push and try to climb the few swings in the playground. It is usually a very
rowdy scene; with the bullies terrorising the meek; the disorderly children
impatient to enter the play tunnel; many of them from the wrong end and some
even climbing dangerously on top. Amazingly, these children intuitively behave
like their elders; Nigerians, struggling to board buses or aeroplanes!

Minimal teaching aids

I know by deduction that there are minimal teaching aids
available in the nursery school. The children do not have crayons, clay or
plastercine to play with and bring out the latent creative talents in them or
help them appreciate basic form and beauty. Rather, they learn by rote. “One, two,
teari (for three,” they shout and repeat after their teacher. “What number is
this?” the teacher asks them, instead of “What is this number?” Then they go
into another routine of “A for Apple, B for Ball, C for Cat…”

An old retired teacher; a woman who taught at primary school
level for over 40 years, once told me that the best trained teachers are
supposed to teach kindergarten children so as to mould their tender minds
properly and lay the right foundation for their future education. Now that education
in Nigeria has become big lucrative business and, private nursery schools in
particular, are mushrooming uncontrollably like Pentecostal churches, I am
puzzled whether the various Ministries of Education in the country have an
approved official curriculum for them. I also wonder whether there are
Inspectors of Education who visit nursery schools regularly to assess them.

Meanwhile, in this ‘age of miracles’ I am patiently waiting to hear one of
these nursery school children shout, some day, “Aunty, don’t teach me
nonsense!”

The serene Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, Lagos, hosted
the four-day ‘Easter Artfest’ organised by artist Femi Coker. The event, held
from April 2 to 5 inside the beautiful park which had never been used before
for an outdoor exhibition, featured a workshop, symposium and performances.

Eight exhibitors including Coker’s Femi Art Warehouse displayed
artworks during the programme. Artbarn, Tribes Art Africa, My Nest Shop and Angie’s
Emporium, were some of the galleries and art and craft shops that had
paintings, carvings and beads for sale at the Artfest. Woodin International
also brought lots of beautiful textiles to tempt attendees.

‘Dancers on Wheels’ and a rock group were among groups that
performed at the opening ceremony of the artfest on April 2. Though the event
was supposed to have started at 10am, the initial low turnout made the
organiser delay the commencement to 12noon.

Interesting works by artists Godwin Adesoye, Joseph Eze, Tolu
Aliki and Kayode Lawal, were among those that guests including writer Adewale
Maja-Pearce and his wife, Juliet, feasted their eyes on at the opening.

“Maybe it could have been bigger, there could have been more
but it’s nice. I like what I’m seeing”, the writer said of the Artfest.

Not for profit

One of the exhibitors and vice president, Art Galleries
Association of Nigeria (AGAN), Richmond Ogolo, disclosed that he chose to be
part of the exhibition, “not just because we are looking for material returns.
Sometimes, you want to sensitise people, create awareness, try to motivate the
younger generation that this is something they could do. And it is a strong
bastion of our culture anyway. So, it’s a holistic thing, not just about
selling and buying.”

Angela Ahanmisi, another participant, also approved of the
unique outdoor exhibition. “Usually you find out that when there is an
exhibition, it’s always in halls or galleries but when it’s public like this,
people can get a feel of what the artist is trying to project and begin to be
passionate about our artworks,” she said.

Coker gave an insight into what motivated the programme. “The
Easter Artfest idea came out of my passion and commitment to the arts. I’ve
been privileged to work with major art and culture promoters in Nigeria who are
recognised globally and who are acknowledged as major players in the art and
culture industry. I see the importance of our culture, how it relates to
people’s lives and I also discovered it’s a very valuable tool we can use to
enhance sustainable development. Apart from the fact that it can create
employment and generate income, it can also add value to our lives. So, the
idea came because I really love and value African culture. Not only the
textile, language and music but also the festivals.”

Ideal venue

He disclosed that he decided on the venue, “not only to break
some conventions, but also [to] see how we can take exhibitions outdoors. How
we can stimulate people’s interest by having a kind of exhibition where people
will come, enjoy the serenity of the environment and at the same time
appreciate art. This particular place is inviting, serene and we feel that when
people come to enjoy art, they can take a walk around and sit in the park. This
is the most beautiful park in the whole of Lagos at the moment. The next one
close to this is still under construction at Oshodi. I knew when this place was
being built and I visualised that this would be an ideal environment to have an
outdoor exhibition where people can enjoy the beauty of the works and also buy
art.”

Another edition of the ‘Artfest’ will hold in December because Coker wants
“people to look forward to an outdoor art exhibition whenever there is a
holiday.”

HRH Chukwuemeka Ike was, and still is, one of the household
names in Nigerian literature. With books like ‘The Search’, ‘Our Children are
Coming’, ‘Expo 77′ and ‘The Bottled Leopard’, amongst many others, he has
established himself as a leading light, in the mould of Wole Soyinka, T.M.
Aluko, and Chinua Achebe.

He is currently the King of Ikedi-Nowu, in Anambra State, South
East, Nigeria. He spoke to NEXT on a number of issues.

Writing and Ruling

I have been a royal father for only one year. One very difficult
year, I must say. That is, grappling with my new role as a royal father in a
rural area. I am still running the Nigerian Book Foundation. I am still
writing. There is a project I have at hand now; the only problem is that it is
going to take me a longer time to accomplish, on the ground of these other
engagements. For as long as I am alive, I will never give up writing.

I don’t think there is a retirement age for writers. In this
country, government wakes up and retires people, but in creative writing,
nobody can retire anyone. Writing is one thing from which nobody can retire me.
At the age of 78, I still wake up by 5am in the morning, and go straight to my
study to write. So long as you are willing, you continue to write. Nobody can
stop you.

I have been gaining new experiences every year. Now that I am a
traditional ruler, it is opening up new doors for me. So, how can anyone now
say because I am 78 years, I can no longer put these ideas into writing, and
tell people what I have to tell the audience through them? I am happy that T.M.
Aluko recently demonstrated that you can still write, even at the ripe age of
ninety one (91years) and in fact, with his health condition. I have not seen
him for a long time, but I am aware that he had stroke sometimes ago. I retired
30 years ago at the age of 48, and I am still writing. My latest book came out
two years ago.

Nigerian Literature, then
and now

I am not surprised that situations change every now and then.
All this will of course rub off on Nigerian literature over some centuries. One
may notice changes in one area or ages and another. There was a time I was
worried about young people not being interested in prose fiction. Many of them
were becoming poets more than anything else. Not that poetry is easy to write,
but the demands are different from writing prose which expects you to create
human beings, create situations, and so on. However, I am happy those in recent
years, a lot of them, are now getting involved in prose.

I am not talking about the famous ones like Helon Habila,
Chimamanda Adichie, and a few others. There are a couple of them now, fresh
from [university] and some of them still undergraduates. One of them gave me
his book, which was self-published, to go through recently. One may want to
quarrel with certain things about the quality but then, the good thing is that
that are developing the interest, and it can only get better. I was given one
of such recently but I was disappointed at the number of errors, so I asked him
to give it to someone critical to help him look at it. That is where self-publishing
has its problem.

This probably takes us to the present state of our education. I
have these Youth Corp members who worked for me; the kind of errors you find in
what they write is a reflection of the sad situation of education in the
country. So, publishers must see that they take a good editorial look at books
that come out on their label. And for those who self-publish, I can’t condemn
them but would only pray that they ensure that they give their works to people
who can help them take a good editorial look at it before going on to get it
published.

Literary Prizes and the
independence of writers

There are various types of prizes. There are prizes which I
certainly will support. I received one in December. It is the National Order of
Merit. It gave me joy, not one that gives me worry. I have never met the
President before, neither have I sought any favours from him. This is something
given as Nigeria’s highest national [honour] for intellectual and academic
attainment. And this is something that is done by experts in the field.

If you are nominated, you submit 50 copies of everything you
have written to the Order of Merit secretariat. Mine was in the humanities. If
they think that you merit this award, they give it to you. And of course, there
is the Board of Trustees who must approve it. If you are nominated and you
don’t get it, that is it! You are never going to get a second chance, unless
you have done something really outstanding. That kind of award is honourable
and is something that should be encouraged.

Now, let’s take a look at the NLNG Prize, which is the most
expensive literature prize available for Nigerians. I commend what they are
doing, and I suggest that in addition, they should consider giving a lifetime
achievement award; or to institute something like the equivalent of a Nobel
Prize for Nigeria that writers of all ages could enter for.

However, I know that there are other prizes that are not worth
their hype, in fact they corrupt the society. Those that are based on merit
should be encouraged because what they do is encourage [and] recognise the
effort and excellence of their recipients and fire them [up] to do more. But if
there is any writer that allows his or herself to be conditioned or compromised
by some kind of literary prize or awards, such writer is not worthy [of being]
called a writer because, a writer should be an independent, conscientious and
upright person.

Literature, the writer
and nation building

A writer is a social critic who all his/her life has been trying
to rebrand his/her country. Though you don’t call it that big name or go about
telling people that is what you are doing, but when you are talking about
corruption and other social ills, condemning and proffering solution for a
better society, what you are doing invariably is contributing to nation
building. Then, the rebranding thing. It really beats me the way they do these
things. I was drafted to be chairman of a conference on corruption,
transparency and accountability in Abuja.

It turned out that the chairman of the occasion did not turn up
and I was drafted to be the stand-in chairman. In my remarks, I told them that
the rebranding project is not beaming its searchlight where is is meant to. How
do you say you are fighting corruption, when the same government is protecting
corrupt people? The National Assembly, the political powers, and the public
officer holders, how many of them were really elected into office, if not by
corrupt means? It is clearly known that the political parties are rooted in corruption,
and so that deserves some attention. It is not enough to just put the
photographs of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and the rest on buses. No! Though it
shows that they recognise them, but it does not necessarily change anything.
Nigerian writers deserve much more than that because we are the real image
makers for this nation.

Hall of Grace, the
biggest hall at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, was begging for crowd on Monday,
April 2, 2010. The 1,500 capacity hall was less than quarter-filled
about an hour into the 80th year birthday reception of Joop Berkhout,
founder of Spectrum Books, a publishing company, based in Ibadan. It was
not certain whether the low attendance was by design or it was due to
the festivity of the Easter Monday.

However, what the
organisers could not achieve in quantity, they did in quality. Those
gathered at the venue belong to the select group of the movers and
shakers in Nigeria’s socio-political and economic spheres. The list
includes seasoned politicians, successful entrepreneurs, renowned
writers and great achievers, and they all gathered to honour Mr.
Berkhout, an Ibadan-based publisher, whose 8oth birthday was March 31,
2010. Yakubu Gowon, retired General and a former Nigeria’s Head of
state, led the the scanty crowd that witnessed the birthday reception.

Commenced almost
an hour behind schedule, the reception’s high point, was when tributes
were paid to the celebrant. Many of his associates gave testimony about
Berkhout and his contribution to the publishing industry in Nigeria.
But, more striking was the fact that though not Nigerian by birth, he
wielded so much influence in the nation’s publishing industry, and has,
probably, done than any other stakeholder in the development of the
sector in Nigeria.

Poet Odia Ofeimun
said he was fascinated by the celebrant’s ability ‘to make other
people’s problems his own’ and strives to find solutions to them. The
poet praised Berkhout’s efforts in recording Nigeria’s history for the
posterity. “His role is to make books visible in Nigeria. A man who
defends books is a man who defends the right to record history,” Ofeimun
said as he acknowledged the publisher’s well versed knowledge of
Nigeria and its history.

For Kunle Ajibade
of The NEWS magazine, Mr. Berkhout is respected for his business acumen
and good human relations, adding that these qualities were responsible
for why he could stay in Nigeria for over four decades. He informed the
gathering that as soon as he was released from jail in 1998, Berkhout
was the first person to approach him; and persuaded him to write a book
on his experience in prison.

Earlier, a mass
was held in the honour of the celebrant at St. Richard’s Catholic
Church, Jericho, Ibadan. The service was led by Alaba Job, archbishop of
the Ibadan diocese. In his homily, Job charged to be faithful in all
they do. He urged them to always pray to God for his intervention in all
things. “We need the spirit of God to guide us. No one is too big to
pray. Let us learn to be faithful in a token so that we shall be counted
worthy for big things. We should be faithful to our neighbours and our
country,” he counselled as he rained eulogy on the celebrant.

Matthew Hassan
Kukah, fiery catholic priest, who delivered the message of Pope Benedict
XVI to the celebrant, remarked thus: “You must be a holy sinner for God
to allow you to attain the age of 80 years”.

Beyond the
perception of his father by the commentators, what marvels Frans,
professor and scion of the Berkhout dynasty, was Joop’s vibrancy which
often bellies his actual age. “He is a unique person on his own. He is
always busy. He never loses his energy and power. Even when he is old,
he does not lose his power,” Frans remarked.

Donald Duke,
former governor of Rivers State and chairman of the occasion at the
reception, supervised the cutting of the cake.

Born in Armsterdam, the Netherlands, at 23.59 hours on the March 31,
1930, Mr. Berkhout came to Nigeria in 1966, having been brought to the
country by Evans UK to open an office. He has since made tremendous
impact in the industry. His contributions have not only warmed him to
the hearts of many powerful Nigerians, it has also earned him the
national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Okun Borode
of Ife, a title conferred on him by Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Ooni of Ife,
amongst others. His experience in publishing spans almost five decades
and he started his own publishing firm, Spectrum Books, in 1978. After
seeing the company to the zenith in the industry, he sold it out in
2008, itching to retire. Now, he has reactivated Safari Books, which he
is running together with George, his adopted son.

On Thursday, March 2010, the city of Abuja played
host to a special reading in memory of poet and art patron, the late Major
General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, former Administrator of the Federal Capital
Territory. The fiery soldier was implicated in an abortive military coup and
executed in March 5, 1986 by Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s military regime.

The reading was
organised by the Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors. Chair of
ANA Abuja, Seyi Adigun, explained that the celebration of Vatsa was borne out
of the need to ensure that those who have contributed to the development of
literature are never forgotten. Adigun added that Mamman Vatsa means a lot to
ANA Abuja and so, the need to have the special reading for him. “Mamman
Jiya Vatsa is the Patron Poet of ANA Abuja,” he declared.

Readings were
taken from some of the soldier-poet’s books. The event also featured a rich
discussion on the man, his visions, achievements and most importantly his
writings and contribution to literature and arts in Nigeria.

Vatsa, the
Soldier

Born on December
3, 1944, Mamman Vatsa enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 1962 and was
commissioned on February 9, 1964, at the age of 20. He attended various local
and overseas infantry and staff courses which embraced not only policy and
strategic studies, intelligence and security, but also equitation and physical
training and education.

He served as
instructor in the Nigerian Military School (NMS) and the Nigerian Defence
Academy (NDA) for several years; and was involved in Nigerian internal security
operations from 1965 to 1968, and during the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to
1970.

Vatsa served as
Commander of many infantry brigades, as commandant of the Nigerian Army School
of Infantry (NASI), the country’s premier military training institution, and as
the Quartermaster General of the Nigerian Army. It was in his position as the
Governor (Military Administrator) of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a
member of the Federal Executive Council, that he was implicated in a coup plot,
found guilty and executed.

Vatsa, the
Writer

There is a
diversity of opinion about the quality of Vatsa’s writing, but there is little
doubt he was a prolific one. He wrote many children books in English, Hausa and
Nupe. His books were used in primary schools all over the country. In 1974, he
won the first Prize in Poetry at the then North-Central State of Nigerian
Festival of the Arts; and in 1984, was awarded a gold medal by the Union of
Bulgarian Writers for his contribution to world literature.

Some of his
titles include: ‘Poems of Abuja’ and ‘Reach for the Skies’, two collections of
poems on and about the then budding city of Abuja. The building, the movement,
the beauties and attractions of Abuja were presented in what has become known
as the poetics of Vatsa. There is an unmissable show of patriotism that is
displayed in almost all of his poems. His other publications, numbering over 16
include: ‘Arise, Arise, My Country’ (a collection of poems on Nigeria, its
national symbols and people, as well as the War Against Indiscipline drive of
the Buhari/Idiagbon regime); ‘Back Again at Watergate’, ‘Nupe Children Rhymes’,
‘The Bird that Sings for Rain’ (a poetry collection for children); and ‘Tori
for don get K-leg’, one of his collections in Pidgin English.

Vatsa’s poems
appeared in many national and international journals and magazines; and his
plays have been broadcast over the Voice of Nigeria (VON) networks and the
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Apart from his
military exploits and writing, Vatsa served as a member of three Nigerian
University Councils, and as Chairman of the Army Museum Committee.

Vatsa, the
Art Patron

Aside from his
literary endeavours and successful military career, which culminated in his
receiving the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 1979,
another reason Vatsa remains a cult hero, and especially among writers and
artistes, is his love and support for the art. As recounted by the likes of Dr.
Eddie Iroh, Odia Ofeimun, and Ben Tomoloju at the reading, the late Vatsa’s
support for the arts was unmatchable. Denja Abdullahi recalled that, “As
far back as around the early 1980s, Vatsa made writers have good sense of
belonging. He treated writers like kings by going as far as conveying writers
across the nation in a private jet to and from convention venues. The 1985
convention in Abuja was in itself a memorable one for Nigerian writers who
attended it. Like a fellow writer, he threw his door open to writers across the
nation. Eating, dining and frolicking freely with writers. No military officer
or civilian head of government, for that matter has been that close to writers
[since]. They avoid us like lepers. They make promises and pledges to writers’
bodies that they never fulfil.”

Unarguably,
ANA’s one and only asset today is the 56 acres of land at Mpape, a suburb of
the Federal Capital in Abuja. Currently valued at about ₦4billion, the land was
a gift from the gallantry soldier to Nigerian Authors when he hosted the 1985
convention in Abuja. But for his untimely death, the massive piece of land
would have been developed into a state-of-the art writers’ village, as promised
by Vatsa. The land was only recently returned to the association (it had been
initially revoked for having not been developed for over 20 years) by a former
Minister of the FCT, Aliyu Modibbo Umar.

Today, several
military officers are writers, perhaps thanks to the inspiration of Mamman
Vatsa, who challenged military officers then to document their field
experiences through writing. He was reported to have sponsored the publication
of books by military writers, in addition to the publication of two anthologies
of poems by officers of the Nigerian Army, which he edited. One of such is
Colonel J.I.P. Ubah, author of ‘Song of Lokoja’.

Immortalising
Vatsa

Mamman Vatsa may
be long gone, but his meritorious service to the nation as a military officer,
love and support for the arts has given him victory over death, as he is today
held in high esteem. “We are not interested in the politics of his death.
The truth is that a coup is the very uncertain politics of military
governments. He may not have committed this offence in the first place. And
even if he [did], what matters to us is his contribution to humanity. And for
that, we shall forever honour him. May those who killed him not die
again,” said Abubakar Abdullahi, a writer and senior public relations
officer with the National Library of Nigeria.

For Kabura
Zakama, poet and aid worker, Mamman Vatsa deserved much more honour than
currently accorded him. “If he has done as much as I am hearing now. If we
appreciate his gesture in giving writers an asset worth N4billion, today; if
this man has encouraged the arts this much, then he deserves more… [ANA]
should show its appreciation to this great man in a more elaborate function, to
be held either as a posthumous birthday celebration or anniversary of his
death. I don’t care how, but we must celebrate this man.” Zakama,
popularly called ‘the Fulani poet’, also pleaded that the association contact
Vatsa’s family, and or, the publishers, to re-issue some of his poems and make
them available to the reading public.

Thus, it was
agreed that an elaborate event be organised in honour of the soldier-poet. In
view of these, the National Secretary of ANA, Hyacinth Obunseh revealed that
the association is putting plans together to hold an International Colloquium
in honour of Mamman Vatsa and Ken Saro Wiwa, next year.

Mandela’s Bones

By Sam Omatseye

60pp; Kraft Book

Almost 20 years to the day he walked free through the gates of Robben
Island, the infamous penitentiary in which he was held for the better part of
27 years, Nelson Mandela is once more immortalised in verse by Sam Omatseye.

‘Mandela’s Bones and Other Poems’ is one of several collections of Nigerian
poetry written to celebrate the heroic struggles of the Madiba that would in
1994 put an end to apartheid rule and usher South Africa into the era of
multiracialism. Perhaps the first Nigerian volume in this regard is Wole
Soyinka’s ‘Mandela’s Earth and Other Poems,’ to be followed by J P
Clark-Bekederemo’s ‘Mandela’ and Ogaga Ifowodo’s ‘Madiba’.

‘Mandela’s Bones’ is a collection of 27 poems centred round a miscellany of
subjects. In this collection the poet sticks to the typical issues of Nigerian
poetry: politics, governance, the decay of infrastructure, social anomy and the
pathologies of being a Nigerian and living in Nigeria. But more importantly
this poetry is in one sense an affirmation of the transformative and redemptive
powers of individual exertion on behalf of society.

There is a tendency toward realistic portrayal of issues which would accord
with Omatseye’s approach in ‘Baby Ramatu’, his other collection, also recently
published. In ‘Ita-Oko’, the first poem subtitled ‘Awo Museum at Lekki’, the
poet ruminates on the welfarist and developmentalist legacy of Chief Obafemi
Awolowo as can be gleaned from the tales of skulduggery and cloak-and-dagger
politics of the First Republic told by the pictures, newspaper cuttings,
figurines and other memorabilia that adorn the walls of the museum that was
opened to the public in 2009.

The poet compares Awolowo’s detention
in this swampy, waterlogged, mosquito- and later crocodile-infested island by
the Atlantic to that of the slaves held in the same place by Lequi, the
Portuguese slaver after whom the island – now popularly corrupted to Lekki –
was named: ‘those who wove shadows like/wreaths over blood on the
horizon/brought you here/in chains echoing the chamber century past/of blacks
hemmed in pens for their colour…/in those days bars branded your limits/just as
chains defined the slaves/of master Lequi here at Lekki.’

While evoking Mandela’s detention at
Robben, this poem subtly calls attention to and compares Awolowo’s equally
heroic struggles to the kind Mandela embarked upon to bring freedom to South
Africa. Calling the detention island ‘Ita-Oko’, the awe-inspiring name by which
it came to be known among Nigerians having been turned by the military into its
favourite gulag- referring to the detention place by this name foregrounds the
poet’s attempt to bring to the reader’s consciousness the sheer inhumanity of
the detention and the apartheid-like treatment that was meted to one of the
modern founders of Nigeria right after the dawn of independence.

Thematically, ‘Ita-Oko’ is in sync with ‘Mandela’s bones’, the title poem in
which the poet affirms the primacy of individual will, expressed in diplomacy
and dialogue, as opposed to violence in the dethronement of apartheid. As he
avers: ‘It was silence/not guns/that brought Pretoria/to its knees//mute canon
fire/ like Mandela’s bones/did not need/lips of Roben Island…//so the armoury
did/ not need staccato arguments…/quietly it was language/wombed in the
Greeks/reborn in the enlightenment…’

This same theme of the catalytic power of individual effort on behalf of the
collective is sustained in ‘Tiananmen square’, China’s own ‘Freedom Square’ and
site of the violent suppression of the people power movement led by students in
June 1989. The poet takes a retrospective look at the events of that day even
as he salutes the courage of the anonymous man that stood before armoured tanks
unfazed by the awesome might of the military-backed communist regime. It is
biographical details such as this gives Mandela’s Bones that edge of historical
meta-fiction that lurks between the verses.

The subtext of this detailed recounting of the heroism of this and other
individuals, ‘private rebel’ for a just cause will seem an acknowledgment and
restatement of the time-hallowed verity of the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
The subversion of the early promises of the Nigerian nation as reflected in the
dreams of the ‘founding founders’ is the focus of poems such as ‘What the
prophet said’ and ‘Ibadan’.

In the former poem the poet paints a picture of contradiction presented by
those who lament the state of helpless deprivation in which Nigeria supposedly
languishes and the concrete evidence of nightly carousing in which ‘the whore
has her potion/the liar his profit/a party reels at every turn/every tomb hosts
a feast…’ In ‘Ibadan’ the poet laments the degeneration of this once-proud city
of pathfinders in which ‘history disables prophesy’ and where literally ‘the
thief became the/chief of our narratives’ (‘I should pray for you’).

This was the city of firsts that set the pace of development across Africa
but now reduced to virtual beggary and dilapidation with refuse-strewn streets.
Hostage-taking and armed militancy in the Niger-Delta are the concerns of
‘Kidnapper’ and ‘Bees and the beast’ while ‘This is our land’ affirms the right
and faith of Nigerians as stakeholders in the destiny of the country.

While the title poem seems spare and inadequate to carry the weight of the
entire collection, and enjambment as the most obvious feature of the poet’s
style is sometimes sloppy, Omatseye, now ‘In Touch’ and back to the ‘familiar
eaves’ of his home after years in exile, is the journalist-commentator and
chronicler of contemporary history who takes over the telling of the Nigerian
narrative from the thieves in our midst. Mandela’s Bones in its celebration of
individual heroism and sacrifice points in the direction of the ultimate
triumph of good over evil.

Musically, Benin
city is usually associated with the ‘Titibiti’ and other sounds of
master guitarist Victor Uwaifo and the Edo-blend Highlife music of
Osayormore Joseph. There is, however, now a new flavour of music on the
entertainment scene in Benin City: the lively jazz music of Coast 2
Coast, led by Newton Sax.

It is a pleasant
surprise to hear young Nigerian musicians play ‘serious’ instrumental
music, it is also heartening to see instrumentalists, especially at a
time when most of what now passes as the norm and apex of popular
Nigerian music are singers backed by rhythm machines and
computer-simulated sounds.

Newton P.A. Okoeri
a.k.a Newton Sax is a Computer Engineer who graduated from the
University of Benin in 2007 and now leads the Coast 2 Coast band,
playing the alto, tenor and soprano saxophones. He started off playing
the bass guitar and three years ago switched to playing saxophones under
the tutelage of Papa Roy; one of the first four musicians sent abroad
by the Nigerian Army to learn how to properly play the saxophone.

Interestingly,
Newton Sax formed the Coast 2 Coast musical outfit eight years ago as an
investment company. He now leads the second edition of the band which
was formed two years ago. Already it has grown into a very tight nucleus
of electric piano, bass and drums which provide the accompaniment for
Newton’s saxophone and their collective jazz sounds.

Why did Newton
choose to play serious music? “It is actually a jazz group,” he
confirms. “I discovered that in this part of Nigeria everybody likes the
idea of singing,” he explains. “I found there are areas that are
lacking. I had cultivated the habit of listening to jazz and liked it
and it became part of my life. Unfortunately people give less value to
instrumentation in this part of Nigeria and because it has not been done
well. We decided to do it well and it is now attracting attention.”

How was he able to
get such young like-minded musicians like himself to form his Coast 2
Coast band? “Based on their personal interest, the key members of the
band learnt how to play their instruments from their own masters. I go
out for shows and performances and I meet musicians and I have been able
to make use of them based on their urge and interest towards jazz; a
music they have heard mostly on CDs and tapes.”

The rarity of young
musicians tuned into and willing to play jazz music is well understood
and appreciated by Newton Sax. “I define jazz as few players and few
listeners” he aptly says. Well aware of the scarcity of jazz fans in
Benin City, he has worked out a strategy to introduce and attract more
people to his music.

“Basically, most
people appreciate the way I mix my instrumentation in music. I mix it up
with generational hits like today’s Nigerian jams. I play these hits as
instrumental music and lure my listeners into the instrumentational
representation of music, which is what jazz music is all about. For now,
we are the only existing jazz group in Benin City.”

Newton Sax has no
qualms about abandoning his Information Technology training in favour of
a full-time career in music. “Music is a special gift from God and it
is what I enjoy doing. I build my vision on it,” he declares. And in his
view, “Jazz music is made for scholars; people who have something up
there. It makes them think and keeps them happy.”

It is no accident
that all the members of the extended Coast 2 Coast musical outfit are
undergraduates and, an appreciable number are graduates. Their
educational level lends itself to their intellectual approach to serious
music

Coast 2 Coast is
also eclectic. When the mood takes them and the atmosphere demands they
go down memory lane and play oldies-but-goodies like Ifeoma by Felix
Liberty. This and other hit songs of old; particularly from the golden
age of Nigerian pop-soul music of the 70s and 80s, provide the
opportunity for the four singers – Tosin King, Blessing Williams, Osahon
Agbonifo and Matthew Kamalu – to strut their stuff.

Newton admits that
his music “started from the church” and is sure in his mind that there
is no ethical or spiritual conflict between the music he plays in church
and the music he plays in nightclubs and concerts. This assurance that
there is no separation of purpose explains why most of his five original
instrumental compositions are Gospel tunes. “We organise jazz concerts
yearly,” he explains “and we are planning for the 2010 Edo Gospel Jazz
Festival in November.”

At their regular
Sunday evening performances at the Hexagon Entertainment Centre in
G.R.A. Benin City, Coast 2 Coast play a non-stop instrumental flow of
cross-over jazz hits and some country-and-western music thrown in.
Innovatively, a talking drummer, Taiye Thomas, has been added to the
rhythm section to give the band a rhythmic cutting edge.

The other
instrumentalists who are featured as extended soloists in addition to
leader Newton’s saxophone solos, are: guitarist Ekhator Nicholas Esosa
and pianist Nmezi S. Ifeanyi. Bass guitarist Olusegun Kehinde Emma and
drummer Nwanjei E. Sylvester provide adequate and driving support.
Highlights in these segments also include sessions of interplay between
Newton on soprano saxophone and guitarist Ekhator who frankly admits
that he is greatly influenced by Earl Klugh.

The audience is
quite receptive to the music of the Coast 2 Coast band, especially when
they play familiar and popular tunes by George Benson, Earl Klugh and
Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke. The band is working on an album which they
hope to release before the end of the year. According to Newton, “our
future is to become one of the best jazz artists in Nigeria.” They are
definitely moving towards that direction and their fans and potential
coverts should expect an album of instrumentals and vocals soon.

However, Newton and the Coast 2 Coast band are far from complacent.
“We are still aspiring to do more,” Newton says, adding that, “Everyday
is a learning process. Somehow some day by the Grace of God we will get
to the peak!” He is as modest as ambitious; well aware of the ups and
downs in the music industry. “I have a vision and I have a lot of
challenges ahead of me. Jazz is not a hopeless kind of music as some
people think. My ambition is to spread jazz round the world!”

No one tires of a
good story. Add some spice to its telling and hardly anyone will fall
asleep till you’re through. That’s how the MUSON Choir and Symphony
Orchestra held an audience’s attention for three hours on Palm Sunday at
the Agip Recital Hall.

The concert was
Bach’s ‘St. John Passion,’ an oratorio about Jesus Christ’s capture,
trial and crucifixion. Based on the story as told in the Gospel of the
Apostle John, often referred to as the ‘Beloved’. Emeka Nwokedi was the
musical director, assisted by Theophilus Okang.

This version of ‘The
Passion of Our Lord according to Saint John’ was narrated by Tenor,
Guchi Egbunine in his role as the Evangelist. Through several
recitatives, he took us through Christ’s betrayal, to Peter’s denial,
and Christ’s crucifixion. John Paul Ochei (Bass) was Jesus and in the
role of Peter was Victor Hagan, whose vehement denial of Jesus, “I AM
NOT!” had the audience laughing. Even when Peter regrets his actions and
weeps “bitterly”, the audience struggled to stifle their laughter. Uzo
Emenanna (Bass) as Pilate, stole the show from Ochei, whose muffled bass
voice was hardly audible. Thank God, the Bible already tells us what
Christ said at this period. Rightfully though, Ochei’s Jesus did not
seem intimidated by the tough expression on Pilate’s face.

The choir performed a
number of chorales such as ‘Jesu, thou by toilsome death deathless life
art earning’, ‘Help us o thou God, by thy bitter passion’, and ‘Ah!
Lord, when my last end is come bid angels bear my spirit home to
Abraham’s bosom going’. In the spirit of Easter, Nwokedi asked the
audience to join the choir in singing ‘Thy Name is shining on me Lord
Jesus, day and Night.’

The chorales
provided additional information to the narrators’ recitatives. Soloists
Francesca Boyo (Soprano), Mary-Ann Agetu (Soprano), John Eclou (Tenor),
Stanley Okoli (Tenor), and Obinna Ifediora (Bass) performed the
reflections on the Passion, including ‘Chains of bondage that I wrought
me’, ‘My Heart behold the world intent’, ‘I follow in gladness to meet
thee’, and ‘O heart, melt in weeping and pour out thy dolour’.

The same choir that
provided such beautiful musical accompaniment to the story had the dual
role of Christ’s attackers. When Pilate questioned them on Christ’s
perceived atrocities and whether Barrabas the robber should be released
in Christ’s stead, the choir sang out in unified outcry against the
person of Jesus.

The performance
combined stories of loss, hope, faith and renewed hope in a musical
pattern made even more memorable by the singers’ skill. The concert
ended with Jesus having the last word, of course.

In the audience was
renowned musicologist, composer and teacher, Laz Ekwueme, who Nwokedi
acknowledged as his mentor. Ekwueme, also a popular film actor, was
greeted with shouts of ‘Igwe!’ when he rose to honour Nwokedi’s praise.

Palm Sunday is
celebrated among Christians as the day of Jesus’s triumphant entry into
the city of Jerusalem. It is the Sunday preceding Good Friday (the day
of Christ’s death) and Easter Sunday, (the day of Christ’s resurrection
three days after his death.)

The memory of this concert will probably last till the next Christian
celebration.

He latches on humorously to my slip about his age. “I thank you very much. You know why you made a mistake? I don’t look 70, not so? They’ve been telling me. You said 60, go ahead. I believe you. It’s great,” he says before the start of the highlife birthday concert organised for him last November at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.

“I’m fulfilled that I have attained that age even though I had thought I might not last till now. Not for any reason but for the fact that in this period, the lifespan in my part of the world is diminishing from year to year because of the problems that have refused to be solved by those who are governing us. And that’s a shame. I feel fulfilled and I’m grateful to God that I’m 70. I have no illness; I have a back problem, that’s all,” he adds.

Home is best

Forced to remain in the UK in 1995 after a performance because goons of the late Sani Abacha were after him, and restricted to brief visits after the demise of the dictator, Uncle Tunji, as most people call him, “missed everything about Nigeria” because, “no matter how poor my country is, home is best.”

Performing at EMUKAY, a restaurant/cultural centre on Camberwell Road, South East London however helps him overcome his nostalgia. “Some people call that place Lagos, they say ‘L’ Eko yi’ (This Lagos) because that’s the only place anywhere in the world where you find somebody singing so much highlife, entertaining the people in the way they will remember home and promoting Nigerian culture.”

Though it is assumed that he and his wife, Kike founded EMUKAY, Oyelana explains, “I didn’t establish EMUKAY; my wife started EMUKAY Restaurant to survive. She studied Physical and Health Education at the University of Ibadan but abroad you can’t be guaranteed of having jobs to do. She did it here before; she established a dress making industry which collapsed because we couldn’t return to Nigeria in 1995. She re-employed herself in England and that’s why she started EMUKAY.

“As a retired artist, as a retired teacher of music and actor–you can never retire as an actor-but as a retired government worker, sort of, I needed to do something. I’m not earning any salary by performing there; nobody pays to come into EMUKAY to listen to good highlife music. She has created a spot where I can make sure that highlife does not die.”

Didactic art

Satire and instruction are vital components of all Oyelana’s compositions (‘Double Face’, aka ‘Enia bi aparo’, ‘Gudu morning sir’, ‘Guguru Perere’ etc) and he has no apologies for that. “Any art form that has nothing to inform or educate people about it is not good art form. An art form should be entertaining, refreshing, educative and informative. If one of these elements is missing in any art form, forget it. It’s just a mess, a joke.”

‘Double Face,’ which warns against relying on friends, is one of the most popular and enduring songs of Uncle Tunji, and he retains his view on the subject. “Don’t you know that’s what people want of you? When you progress, they envy you; they want to pull you down. You cannot trust human beings entirely. You know what ‘Aparo’ (patridge) means? ‘Aparo’ has only one dress, ‘aso aparo maa npon ni’ (it’s feathers are always dirty). That’s the way a human being is.”

He also stresses his love for instruction in ‘Omugo,’ one of the songs he did in UK, which is “To tell people to respect elders, to give respect to whom respect is due. That’s a simple element in a society. If you respect yourself, you will respect others. If you don’t respect yourself, of course you won’t respect anybody else.”

His latest efforts, he discloses are, “‘Aduke’ and ‘Abeni’, songs from highlife veterans like Ambrose Campbell and Adeolu Akinsanya that I put together. The little part about it that belongs in the Diaspora is ‘Home my Home’ that ends the song because I miss home and I want others like me to think of home wherever they maybe all the time.”

Not my will

The acknowledged pioneer of the one-man band trend in highlife music reveals what informed the move: “There were occasions when I could pay the band boys and I will take them to such occasions. There were occasions when I even took them but I couldn’t pay because of the kind of proximity between me and the celebrant. But the thing is that I’m still able to promote proper arts on these instruments, not promote the effect of technology which in most cases is what is happening now. Technology is replacing ability and I won’t like that happening to me. I use such instruments but I still enforce my ability on the instruments.”

Does the former artist-in-residence in music at the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, miss the university and the stage?

“I do. I have been a theatre man all my life but situation made me get away. When I got back from exile, I was not properly treated in UI. One particular Registrar was giving me a lot of problem because I kept wanting to go and see my family who were still in England then. He just kept haunting me all over the place wanting to know why I should… I quickly retired myself from university employment and that’s OK for me. It’s better for me because today, I don’t only meet more people to educate through my music, in fact some people still come to me in England, they want to know how to do the theory of music and I take them through. I’ve worked with universities in England too. I worked with the English Department of the University of Leeds to do some productions; I’ve worked with Femi Osofisan at the Northampton University to do some productions, I’ve done some workshops all over Britain.”

Enduring legacy

Uncle Tunji warns about the fate of highlife music, though he is happy his colleagues are holding the fort. “Highlife must not die. If it does, it would not have rewarded the effort of Hubert Ogunde, Victor Olaiya, Chris Ajilo, the late Zeal Onyia, Sam Akpabot, Adeolu Akinsanya; all highlife veterans who did a lot for the music. They left a legacy for us which must not perish.”

Like some musicians of his generation, Uncle Tunji’s heart bleeds over happenings in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, especially when he watches “TV and sees these young kids, trying to copy Americans and all that. It’s not good for us. We have our own culture, let them (follow) it.

“When you emulate them, you will never sell there and you are ruining your chances in your country too. Go and learn from the music of the past, take lessons from them and keep creating in that vein of informing, educating and entertaining.”

Victoria Oruwari
has the presence of a diva -on or off the stage. After her recital at
the MUSON centre, there’s just enough time to take some questions and
rest her voice for the night. The confidence with which she answers
each question is similar to her majestic stage performance: cool, calm
but in control as she melodiously turns out European classical and West
End musicals. Her accompanying pianist and fellow Trinity College
alumnus, Babatunde Sosan describes her as ‘extremely gifted’ with a
wide knowledge of instruments and music history.

Dream come true

Discovering she
could sing at the age of nine, there was no stopping Oruwari, until she
had to endure five years in secondary school, unable to study Music
because she was blind. You wonder if her dream would have survived if
she’d stayed in Nigeria. “Not so much I must say, because if I’m to be
really honest, the system here doesn’t support disabled people as much
as they do abroad. Here, for example, people are too quick to say ‘you
can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ I spent five years in Queens
College, not studying music because they said I couldn’t study it. I
got to England, all my fellow blind friends were studying music. People
don’t want to take risks because they are scared of what could go
wrong, but in England they think of a way round what could go wrong, so
there’s no can’t. They try everything possible to make sure I can go
round the stage and do all the things that I want to do. I have a dream
and they help me make it come true.”

It was not all easy, though as there were times when Oruwari felt she was fulfilling the wrong dream.

“I remember when I
was auditioning to get into Trinity College of Music, it was getting a
bit too hard and then sometimes in the middle of the course, because
the courses are so intense, your teachers have to criticise you every
time and everyday you are getting criticised about your instruments.
One day you get up and think ‘what’s the point of all this?’ but at the
end of that day, you’ll still think, ‘This is what I want to do.’ Also
coming out of school and looking for record companies; it’s very
difficult because everything depends on how the package looks.” After
trying various record companies, “You are thinking when is this going
to work?”

That was not enough
to deter the dogged Oruwari, though. With her undisputed talent, there
was no way she would let go of her dream. “One thing I didn’t do was
forget my dream. I had always wanted to be a singer from the moment I
heard (Tchaikovsky’s) ‘Once upon a dream’ from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and
kept hold of that dream.”

Born to perform

The confidence
comes to the fore again when I ask Oruwari why she chose classical
music. “Because it is not based solely on image, you have to be good at
what you do and I like the idea of working hard at something. A lot of
popular music is not always properly done and yes, I love to listen to
it or enjoy it. But at that level, I don’t feel on the same level that
I feel when I perform classical music.”

Her role models are
stage and screen divas Julie Andrews from ‘The Sound of Music’ and
Barbara Streisand, both big-voiced women, who cannot help but captivate
any audience whenever they perform. However, I ask Oruwari why she has
chosen both artists. “Because they both had long-lasting careers and
whatever they do just seems to be perfect.”

One other thing
pleases Oruwari apart from her passion for performance. “Of course, the
performing, I was born to perform. I love teaching, don’t get me wrong,
but for me to work, the student has to be willing and wanting to learn
as much as I was willing to learn. When I’m with a very good student,
it’s the same as I feel when I’m performing. I love teaching because
whenever I help achieve something with their voice that they haven’t
achieved before, I find fulfilment in that.”

Singing for charity

Her musical skills
are also not limited to performing and teaching. “A lot of times, I
write songs and they are quite simple. Some of them are gospel, some of
them are ballads and I’m looking for a producer to put them together.
But most of the time, I’ve been focusing on my music because that’s my
strongest point. I play the piano, but not professionally. I would not
play in front of an audience as big as that (referring to the one at
the Agip Recital Hall). I would be nervous, but when I teach my
students how to sing, I play for them. So as long as I’m not the one
who’s at the centre of attention, I’ll play.”

Oruwari is also
given to doing some charity work. “I sing songs for charity. Like over
Christmas, I went to some old people’s homes in England. In winter,
it’s cold and miserable and they can’t come out with people to enjoy
all the fun that’s outside. So I thought I’ll take Christmas to them. I
also go to some outreach programmes to sing to children from very
troubled backgrounds, so I use music to inspire them. At that moment,
they are doing work with me, they are not thinking of their problems. I
also do youth music mentoring where I go to schools where children have
disabilities and I talk to them about what their dream is and I teach
them very feasible ways of achieving those dreams.”

Hers is a story of
a dream achieved and for her everyone else’s dreams should be
fulfilled. “Everybody who has a dream should keep hold of their dream.
If you have a dream, then your hard work is channelled towards that
dream. As long as you get your determination going, you’ll get to
wherever you want to be.”

She’s on the way to
being where she wants to be but Oruwari just is not done yet. “I want
to sing for the rest of my life. I want to go around releasing albums.
I would also like a recording contract with a reputable recording
company so I can record more songs. I want to be a classical crossover
singer because a lot of the time, people cannot relate to strict
classical music because it’s either quite intimidating and they don’t
really understand it.

In the future,
Oruwari hopes to perform her own works on stage. “I will produce
something. I just have to find a producer who understands my voice and
understands what I want to do with my music. It’s a hard gamble and you
just can’t pick anybody.”

She ends the
interview with a message to her audience and aspiring singers with
disabilities. “My aim with my music is to integrate people more and to
let everybody come to my concert and enjoy what they hear. I want to be
a source of inspiration to a lot of people. I have worked hard to get
to where I am and can believe that everyone else who has dreams of
another nature can achieve that through hard work.”