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Nollywood actor,
Mike Ezurounye is a private person. At his insistence, this interview
is conducted in his car. As we make our way from Anthony to Surulere,
he is spotted by fans that recognise him instantly, causing him to
light up in a shy grin. “That’s the price we have to pay for being in
the limelight. I have lost my privacy,” he says. Over the next 90
minutes, no question is out of bounds, save for his age. “I am old
enough to do what adults do,” he says laughing. He is fresh off the set
of a movie in Abuja where he played a pastor torn between the lust for
the flesh and his spiritual duties.

As he speaks, the
suave actor occasionally stares out the window to wave to yet another
set of fans. Other times he tries to avoid them. Celebrity obviously
has its pain. In his navy blue corduroy blazers atop pair of black
pants Ezurounye is quite dapper. I ask how he handles female fans.
“Maturely,” he quips. The actor also talks about onset romance. “It’s a
job. A lot of people think that when we kiss on set it is real, what
you see is the movie. Trust me, there are so many people behind that
camera… So, nothing can happen”.

Born and raised in
Lagos to disciplinarian parents, the boyish looking actor was exposed
to the klieg lights from a tender age. “I was really an NTA kid. I had
a headmistress, Mrs Njideaka, who was involved with NTA, so I was
always going to the NTA to do variety show, debates such as Kiddies
Junction’, ‘Kiddies Debate’ and lots of other stuff.”

Nollywood Calling

Although he wanted
to become a lawyer, he ended up studying accountancy. Upon graduation,
he worked in a bank and later a shipping firm. The company relocated to
Tanzania when the MD’s best friend became president of that country.
Ezurounye’s first acting opportunity appeared around this time, while
he was torn between moving to Tanzania and quitting the firm. By chance
he met Ruke Amata, who would become his mentor. “I got my first movie
role from Ruke Amata’s recommendation but it never saw the light of
day-it was a series by Zeb Ejiro titled Ultimate Heroes.”

While at school, he
was nicknamed ‘Fair Mike the Recorder’ because of his ability to
imitate colleagues and seniors. “That nickname is one thing I have
going for me which in turn has helped me switch characters. I was
always joking with it but I took my education serious, so it was not
considered a weakness by my parents.” This trait was all he needed to
land his first big role.

“I was on my way to
drop a friend of mine, Songito when I stopped over at a filling station
at Maryland. While mimicking my uncle to my cousin over the phone I was
speaking phonetics, I didn’t know that there was a director -Dickson
Ireogbu – behind me who liked the way I spoke and had a character such
as mine in mind. He asked me if I ever considered acting and that was
where it started.” Ireogbu featured him as a lead actor in ‘Broken
Marriage’. He acted alongside established acts like Pete Edochie (who
reminded him of his late father_ and Chioma Chukwuka-Apkotha.

However, not until
he starred in Critical Decision, where he played a
physically-challenged character alongside A-listers like Richard
Mofe-Damijo, Genevieve Nnaji and Ngozi Ezeonu, did he achieve
mainstream acclaim. Things changed dramatically for him afterwards, and
he found himself on the path of six digit artist fee. He was soon being
touted as a replacement for Ramsey Noah; and quickly consolidated his
big break with appearances in movies like Emotional Blackmail, Bless Me
and Kill the bride.

No easy walk to fame

The road to the top
didn’t come without challenges, which he however says failed to deter
him. “There was this one time I was on set and one of the known stars
came and said ‘hey come here, go call me that guy’. I knew I was older
than that person and she was talking to me because she said it to my
hearing and was pointing at me. All I did was tell the guy seated
beside me to go tell her to come to me if she wanted to talk to me
because I thought that was rude. I do not do that to upcoming actors…
Whenever I have upcomers on set I talk with them and make them
comfortable. I am one person who has a lot of self esteem.”

Worst movie role

In a little over
five years in Nollywood, Ezurounye has featured in no less than 100
movies – but has endured his fair share of bad press. He believes it
comes with the job. “I tell myself that if you are not important, no
one will talk about you. When it is good I am happy; when it is bad, I
say I wish they could understand me. Professionally, we always say that
every form of publicity, either good or bad, is publicity since in some
way it does extend your clientele.”

He says that the
worst thing ever written about him was: “that I had an affair with
someone who I knew for sure I had only seen three times in my life. It
was so sad that someone could just cook up something like that. It just
shows that some people want to get you up inside. They will be like,
how come this guy is just having neat run? So, they just want to taint
you your image a little bit.”

And his most
embarrassing moment? “When a couple of Aruba students on tour in a UK
mall rushed at me and tore my shirt. I was surprised because obviously
they were not Nigerians but I still took it in good stride.” Driven by
the urge to excel, he confesses to watching all his movies by himself
because “I watch to criticise… I take up a lot of challenging scripts
because I feel I am a lot more challenged when I take up roles which
are different from the everyday Mike.” His dream role is “to play an
old man from start to finish.” Unlike many of his colleagues, music is
not on the cards.

Life is good

Despite the
meltdown of the past year, Ezurounye insists business has been good. In
2009, he was made a Globacom ambassador and the face of Malt Guinness.
“I feel great. It shows that the corporate world is watching and
appreciate my craft which is why I try to make it as natural as
possible. I have to do a whole lot more because it comes with a new
sense of responsibility.”

Already he’s
looking at the future. “I want to be a proper brand for Nollywood, a
very big vehicle which has in some way rebranded Nigeria – definitely
Nigeria’s best export to the outside world. [I also want] to be a
positive spokesperson for young [people].”

The ride comes to an end, and it is time to say goodbye. As I step
out of the car, his last words come as advice. “Be a good girl,” he
says, smiling mischievously. As he drives off, some people recognise
him. His words come back to mind; this is merely the price to be paid
for stardom.

Renowned Yoruba
playwright Akinwumi Isola celebrated his 70th birthday on February 24
at the Afe Babalola Auditorium of the University of Lagos. The
celebration came two months after he officially hit three score and ten
years.

The event was organised by the Ayan Agalu Soungobi foundation for Isola, a member of its board of trustees.

Organising the
proceedings in Yoruba, the MC and General Manager NTA Ibadan, Yemi
Ogunyemi said, “Today, we are here to celebrate our culture and
tradition as we celebrate Akinwumi Isola. Without language there is
nothing. Language is important to Professor Isola. Despite studying
French in the university, no one can deny that he is a true Yoruba man.”

Ode to ‘The Honest man’

Described as
Isola’s twin, another Yoruba literary icon, Adebayo Faleti read Isola’s
biography. He poured libation while offering prayers for Isola. Also
speaking in Yoruba, he said, “Nothing much is left to say about Isola
since he’s written it all, but the ones I know I’ll tell.” He spoke of
their days as students in the University of Ibadan where he was
studying English and Isola was studying French. “If you want to know
about pranks and humour, Akinwumi Isola is your best bet.”

According to him,
Isola has already written about many of the experiences he might have
spoken about. He, however, said, whatever remained to be said he would
leave for another occasion. Announcing performances for the evening,
Ogunyemi said, “Everything we do today is for the progress of our
culture.”

An Elesa Egungun
performed a praise-song for Isola hailing his genius with the Yoruba
language and his role in developing Yoruba culture. The MC was however
pained at the absence of students at the event which he called an
opportunity to learn about Yoruba culture.

Kola Bata and his ensemble from the Ayan Agalu Soungobi Foundation were up next with a Bata dance and music sequence.

Strong women characters

Next was the
performance of an excerpt from ‘Belly Bellows’, a new play by Isola.
Telling the story of how Oya leaves Ogun for Sango, the play emphasised
the need for men to care for women and not make slaves or subjects out
of them. According to Sango in the drama, “Olodumare did not create
women to be beaten by men.”

Nicknamed ‘the
honest man’ by friends, Isola is renowned for celebrating the strength
of womanhood in such plays as ‘Efunsetan Aniwura’ and ‘Madam Tinubu:
The Terror of Lagos.’

The highlight of
the drama, however was when the mischievous Esu pointed a finger
directly at the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, saying, “Esu!”
The governor pointed back at the actor repeating “Esu!” The governor
would not accept he was a troublemaker like the prankster-god.

Fashola, however, paid homage to all the actors including ‘Esu’ when he went on stage for his address.

‘Eko o ni baje’

Delivering a paper
titled, ‘The role of Language and Culture in Yoruba Politics,’ the
governor abandoned his prepared English script for a speech in Yoruba,
the event’s lingua franca. Opprobrious shouts of ‘Eko o ni baje’ and
loud applause nearly drowned out the governor’s speech.

Begging leave of
the elders in the house to replace politics with governance, the
governor emphasised the need for fair hearing in governance, hence its
presence in the constitution. Reacting to the drama, Fashola said Ogun,
Sango and Oya had been summoned before the council so that all sides
would be heard and a decision reached that would ensure peace.
“Balanced judgments help maintain family and national ties,” Fashola
said.

“We have dropped
that which is ours and embraced a foreign culture, which is hard to
understand.” Tossing in a Yoruba proverb for good measure, he said, “A
river that forgets its source soon dries up. We’ll discover all we need
to overcome certain problems once we decide to go back to our roots.”

Fashola said the
country would progress if people allow language and culture to play an
important role in governance. He prayed long life for Isola and Faleti
and thanked them for staying true to their roots and for showing others
the right path to follow.

Overseeing the
special book launch of Isola’s ‘Saworo Ide,’ Fashola said, “There is no
language or culture that is the same as the Yoruba’s. All genres of
English literature – poetry, prose and drama- rate behind that of the
Yoruba.” He bought one thousand copies for the state’s schools and
libraries.

Also gathered to
wish Isola more fulfilling years were founder of the Oodua Peoples
Congress Frederick Fasheun; Ovation publisher Dele Momodu; Muyiwa Ige,
son of slain politician Bola Ige; Senior Special Adviser to Governor to
the Lagos State governor Tunji Adebiyi, and the Dean of the Faculty of
Arts Duro Oni representing the Vice Chancellor of the University of
Lagos. All bought copies of the book while celebrating their
relationship with the honest man of letters.

The celebrant said nothing

Like Faleti had predicted, the audience had to wait till another occasion to hear what more was left to be said of Isola.

When the governor
left the venue with his entourage, he took Isola and Faleti along,
bringing to an abrupt end what was building up to be a worthwhile
event.

Not even Doctor
Tirimisiyu and his snail-shell band from Gbongan could make up for the
celebrant’s much-expected speech that never was.

Maybe like J.P.
Clark said of himself a week earlier at the same venue, all Isola had
to say, he had said through his drama and his teaching.

Before his
retirement from the African Languages department of the Obafemi Awolowo
University in Ife, Isola had taught across primary and secondary levels
as well. Described as always having been a culture buff, Isola’s love
for the Yoruba culture was shaped by fraternising with the likes of
Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi and Femi Euba when he was at the university in
Ife.

Apart from being a
renowned playwright, he is also an actor and screenwriter. Under his
collaborative effort with film director Tunde Kelani’s Mainframe
Productions, his works like ‘O Le ku’, ‘Koseegbe’ and ‘Saworo Ide’ have
been made into films. He also wrote the script for Mainframe’s ‘Campus
Queen’.

Thanking all present at the ‘end’ of the event, the foundation’s
director, Morakinyo Daramola, said of Isola, “He is an honest man, a
gentleman, a quiet man, a simple man, a cultured Yoruba man, an icon
and a great father to us all.”

The Abule Book Club
and Cassava Republic will, today, present the Ugandan author, Doreen
Baingana at a book reading session at 4.30pm.

The reading will
take place at Abule, a new cafe serving up coffees as well as organic
treats and juices. Abule is located at The Life House, 33 Sinari
Daranijo Street, Off Younis Bashorun Street, Off Ajose Adeogun Street,
Victoria Island.

Baingana is the award winning author of Tropical Fish: Tales from
Entebbe, which she read from when she visited Nigeria last year.

The first marriage
lesson my father Papalolo taught me is this: pay attention to your
wife. My dad, Papalolo of Esanland, is a seasoned warrior, veteran of
several wars, many of them in our room and parlour with our mama,
Mamalolo. Out of those bruising battles, Papalolo learnt some valuable
rules of marital engagement. Meaning, rule number one, the wife is
always right; rule number two, if madam is wrong, rule number one
applies. The first time my father came to visit us in America, he was
awed by the power of American women.

This one day, we
walked to the bus stop to witness his grandchildren go to school. He
was surprised that the children required a bus to go to a school that
was only three miles away. His displeasure at the ways America was
enabling his grandchildren knew no bounds. He accompanied me with a
running commentary about the wonder that is America [“Enh, na bus dey
carry dem go school? Cutlass cut their leg? Wonderful! Amerika!
Wonderful!”] So we got to the bus stop to find that the bus was five
minutes late! Horrors of all horrors! Several women, including my wife,
had accompanied the children to the bus stop that morning and they were
incensed at this breach of tax-payers’ trust! It was ugly; out came the
cell phones, ring ring ring to the local Board of Education to complain
about a late bus! My father was not impressed: “Wonderful! Shebi di bus
came! Ah! Ah! Do they want to kill the driver? This your wife is a
trouble maker o! Look at her making noise to the ogas! Oya mek e come
Nigeria now mek dem show am who born am!”

Once my father
figured out that in America, the iyawo [wife] rules the house, he
morphed into the father of eye-service. He threw me under the bus of
expediency, meaning, he abandoned me and turned his charms full blast
on the real deity of our household, my wife. He promptly christened my
wife “princess” and called her “iyawo” at every turn. My wife could do
no wrong in his eyes. If she gave him a glass of water for dinner, he
would proceed to chant her praises thusly: “Ah, princess, my only
princess, this hot water is the best dinner that my ancient lips have
ever tasted! Our God is a merciful God! What would my son (waving
faux-contemptuously in my general direction) do without your fearless
but graceful leadership? Please, I know he does not like to wave a
hammer around the house but please tolerate him because of me, your
father-in-law! You make me happy! My BEAUTIFUL daughter, after this
dinner we will go to the store and buy flowers with that your husband’s
credit card, don’t use your money, my daughter, and we will plant them
anywhere you want around the house. Just show me where and my cutlass
will do the work! Don’t lift a finger of your pretty hand o. I shall do
everything!”

So, I endured this
suck-up of an old man for about six months. I noticed something about
my wife, Mama-di-girl, whenever she was in my father’s presence. She
had 32 teeth. I could always count them whenever Papalolo was in her
presence. She would grin, she would strut, she would ask the old man as
she fussed over him: “Eh papa, di cowfoot too soft? You want snail? You
go drink Malbec with your pounded yam? It is good for your heart, papa!
Your son doesn’t need it. He drinks too much.” Until my father came to
America, I did not know that you could go to a grocery store and buy
snails the size of elephant ears! If I wanted to grab something to eat
in the fridge, my wife would shut the door, saying, “Ah, na papa egusi
soup be dat o, you know how he likes snails! Go make yourself a grilled
cheese sandwich!”

That Casanova posing as my dad was so good at the sweet mouth
department, when he was leaving for Nigeria, my wife happily arranged
to empty all our bank accounts into my father’s willing pockets. She
also arranged to ship, at great expense, all our personal property to
my father’s house in the village, saying things like, “Ah, papa is an
old man! He will need your coats in the harmattan!” She and my dad
tried to stuff our townhouse into his luggage but they were not
successful, Allah be praised. We would be homeless today. My father
enjoyed America and he wants to return to visit. Madam wants him back.
I don’t share the same sentiments. During the snow blizzard when I
timidly balked at shovelling the snow for the umpteenth time, she
remarked that if my dad was here, not one speck of snow would be on our
driveway. I quickly went out to shovel the snow. Who wan die? So, men,
get up, go and buy your wife flowers or I will send my father over to
your house to tell your iyawo how pretty she is.

Petite Oyiza Adaba
is a bundle of energy. Though it isn’t a good time for a chat because
she is making sure all goes well with the Seun Kuti’s monthly show she
helps to coordinate at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, she is all
charm. “Don’t be angry please, it’s not a good time but we will talk.
Let me quickly show them where to put that,” she says and dashes off.
The host of ‘Messengers’, a TV series on African art and artists all
over the world showing on Africa Magic and the Africa Independent
Television (AIT) returns minutes later with more apologies.

Love of her life

She launches into
the beginning of the series, “‘Messengers’ is the love of my life, it
came to me when I was in the States. There was a need for a platform
for African artists; it just didn’t exist. Yes, they played in
different little clubs and had exhibitions here and there but there was
nowhere we could we go and learn more about them outside of their
websites.”

‘Messengers’ focus
on all art forms because Adaba feels, “We need to give the artists a
platform to showcase their works. And the angle from which we came into
it was also to incorporate some tourism aspects. We try to film against
some historical backdrops. For example, we filmed at the Apollo Theatre
in New York, we‘ve filmed at the confluence in Lokoja, we’ve filmed at
the Lekki Conservatory to highlight very nice spots on the continent.”

Apart from its art
and tourism slant, ‘Messengers’, produced by Adaba’s Africa-Related
Limited with offices in Lagos and New York, also tilts towards
education. The Theatre Arts graduate loves presenting the “easy going”
programme because it “has its own flair; we are free doing it, we are
not in the studio. We can be on a mountain top; we could be crossing a
river.”

She is happy with
the two seasons already produced but is “more excited about the
upcoming season- season three. We are also trying to work on some
partnership, production wise, to step up our game because it’s not
really where I want it to be right now.”

Adaba’s desire for
the show which has featured Chinua Achebe, artist El Anatsui, Wyclef
Jean amongst others is for “it to be syndicated on all networks. We
want to be able to film in different parts of the continent. The reason
we are not able to do it right now is because we don’t have sponsors.”

Not a piece of cake

Like most
entrepreneurs, Adaba is discovering that doing business in Nigeria is
not for the faint hearted. She discloses, “2009 was a difficult year
for a lot of businesses and people because the bank reforms affected a
lot of businesses. We did get sponsorship in the first season that
thankfully saw us through. The second season was a little challenging.”
Adaba adds that beyond that, “It’s the quality of what we see on TV
that worries me, the quality of what corporations and companies choose
to put their money into. That’s what is disturbing because you go with
a genuine product that definitely will sell, that will boost their
image, but you find that advertisers choose to put their money in
franchises that don’t even make any sense in Nigeria.”

Adaba relates her
experience further. “Proposals are not even looked at; I don’t know how
many proposals I have dropped. You want to talk to people that are
interested and that think like you because we have a vision for this
and it’s not small. We enjoy what we are doing; we did it despite the
fact that we didn’t have lots of money. That shows commitment. Stepping
up the level of production, getting production partners that would come
on board with us and hopefully being able to syndicate it to more
stations just so we could drive up our popularity is our goal now.
There are so many copycats out there; I wish we were more original.
Somebody starts something and others latch on. Come on, give it a
twist. Pretend as if you’ve never seen the other one.”

Star struck

Oyiza, who has
three other siblings in the media and is daughter of broadcaster Tom
Adaba, doesn’t usually get awed interviewing subjects. She, however,
did in 2008 with Chinua Achebe during the 50th anniversary of ‘Things
Fall Apart’. “He insisted on talking to a Nigerian station so it was
myself, a Camerounian lady and two other Nigerians that went to
interview him. He said he had only 45 minutes but he ended spending two
and half hours. It was such a great time. I don’t get star struck but
when you know you are sitting in front of …that really generated so
much respect in me for him all over again. I enjoyed that interview and
I asked a question I didn’t know was a no go area. It was a question
about why he turned down the national honour by Obasanjo, he was still
a little raw at that time but I still asked it anyway and he answered.
That interview was very inspiring, I learnt a lot from it and I’m so
excited that he has another book out.”

Working with Seun

“Seun is a very
unique person. I think we met in New York on his first visit and coming
back to Nigeria, we reconnected. I love his father and I wanted to see
the music at a different place in Nigeria because Afrobeat is
originally Nigerian. So, it’s up to us, and that’s what we do, we
protect ours and I work with Seun on different levels. There are plans
to get him to different parts of the country where he is not really
seen or known but people might have heard about him or picked up his CD
but it would be a great opportunity to work on taking him around
Nigeria. He tours the world already but what about home? That’s our way
of upholding what’s authentically ours and that’s Afrobeat.”

‘Messengers’ shows on Africa Magic’s DSTV 114 every Thursday by 8.30pm

Worship, comedy,
music and health were at the heart of the ‘Praise Along with Femi
Micah’ concert. A series of shows scheduled to take place across
various Nigerian university campuses, the first held on Thursday, March
11 at the University of Lagos.

The programme,
which also involved testing and counselling sessions on ailments like
diabetes, cancer, and hypertension, pulled a large crowd from within
and outside the university community.

Showtime at the Main Auditorium

On the bill of
performers were the host himself, Femi Micah and comedian Holy Mallam.
Starting the musical run was singer and Ewi musician Damola Adesina.
Paying homage to God in His various names, she quoted copiously from
the Bible before breaking into song and praising the name of God. The
applause that followed her performance was near-ecstatic but would go
higher before the end of the evening.

Upcoming acts Kenny
K’ore, Sanmi Michael and Bolaji Sax had the opportunity to strut their
stuff. Bolaji Sax’s proficiency on the wind-instrument blew the
audience away with his style and a medley of contemporary indigenous
and foreign Christian tunes. The grateful audience sang along,
providing the words to his instrumental symphony. The fast-paced tempo
of K’ore’s and Michael’s performances also proved the event was no
place for ‘dull’ worship.

Offering prayers
that, given a different circumstance would seem like curses, popular
comedian Holy Mallam had the audience reeling in laughter. He set the
stage for other comic acts of the evening: First Born, Helen Paul, Fat
Jerry and Cee D. John. First Born’s act had the audience reminiscing on
the “good ol’ days” and the differences between children brought up in
wealth or in poverty. Cee D. John’s mimicry of ‘village-influenced’
worship was, however, the evening’s comic highlight.

Young dance group
Xquizit gave an energetic and inspiring solo performance and back-up
act to musician Funke Akinokun’s performance. Akinokun spiced up her
act with praises to God in Nigeria’s major languages, before delving
into upbeat melodies that kept the audience on its feet.

Saxophonist Segun
Oluwayomi was last on the list of musicians before the evening’s
headlining act. Building on the pace of other performers, Oluwayomi’s
string of tunes was all the audience needed to bring them full circle
for the act of the night.

The Man of the Hour

Guests had
gradually been trickling into the main auditorium as the event went on.
It was almost at full capacity when top-billed act, Femi Micah, got on
stage at around 8pm. He was welcomed with a roaring, standing ovation.

Performing songs
from his Live Recording album, ‘Praise Along with Femi Micah’, the
artist had the audience perpetually on its feet; clapping, waving and
dancing, as offering to the Almighty God. But in the midst of praise,
forces with other interests seemed to be at play. During Micah’s praise
medley and at the height of the audience’s frenzy, the sound went off.
If not for the fierce drumming of the traditional drummers, the music
would have died.

Send in the clowns

The break in
transmission, however, seemed to the advantage of some. It provided a
quartet of young men the opportunity to ‘strut their stuff’ on stage.
While it was not the best of dancing, it was a bit of a distraction
from the lack of sound on stage.

This side
attraction and Micah’s attempt at involving the audience in some
clapping and waving did not stop almost half of the house from trooping
out, though. For those left in the house, however, there was no slowing
down when the sound was eventually restored. Rounding off with the
interrupted medley and one more track from his album, Micah ended his
act for the evening.

Micah had made his
audience’s evening with songs like ‘Holy, Holy’; ‘Immortal God’,
‘Mighty God’ and ‘I will lift your Name Higher’, all from his new
album. It was probably not so new, though, as the audience was singing
along smoothly.

Your health and You

It was not just a
night for music. At the entrance to the venue, a crowd of students
could be seen at various testing locations. The centres had been
stationed to provide diagnostic and counselling services to all those
who had attended, especially the students.

Pastor and breast
cancer survivor, Sola Adeoti, of the MariaSam medical and counselling
team, advised regular testing and check ups to prevent the onset of
certain potentially life-threatening ailments. She encouraged those who
had tested positive or were at risk of some of the ailments not to be
afraid but to immediately commence treatment or seek preventive
measures that would ensure a normal life post-diagnosis.

In the closing
remarks of Saheed Ogunsola, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church
of God, the event had a purpose to fulfil. “The purpose of this
programme is not to entertain you, but for the uplifting of your soul;
to connect you to the source of your life, so that you’ll never run
dry.”

With laughter, praise and healing, the concert is on its way to fulfilling that purpose.

Other concerts and counselling sessions are scheduled for the
Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State; the University of Ibadan,
Oyo State and the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Many will look back
at 1930 and say, “It was a very good year.” That year, renowned
children’s author, Mabel Segun, was born months before another Nigerian
literary great, Chinua Achebe. Eighty years on, fans, friends and
family gathered to celebrate Mabel Segun on March 2.

Described as the
mother of children’s literature in Nigeria, the award-winning writer’s
children organised a birthday celebration for her at Terra Kulture in
Lagos. Amongst those gathered in her honour were students, writers and
fellow octogenarians.

Performance tributes

Businessman and
arts patron, Rasheed Gbadamosi, was chairman of the occasion. “Femi
Segun has a way of ambushing me,” Gbadamosi said, referring to the MC
and son of the celebrant. The renowned author’s son had chosen
Gbadamosi because “he is also a writer.”

“It’s very difficult for me to say no to him, especially if it has something to do with our mother, Mabel Segun.

“Mama has done very
well for feminism, for literary activism, for plays, for poetry, for
essays. The task you (referring to the students) face is that you
emulate her and try to surpass her.”

He had nothing but
praise for the Aig Imoukhede family, which the celebrant was born into.
Hailing the intellect of Frank Aig-Imoukhede, also a writer and Segun’s
brother, “Who would not want to belong to that family with all their
achievements?” asked Gbadamosi.

A series of
readings and performances followed the chairman’s address. Poet, Jumoke
Verissimo, read a poem titled ‘Mama’ by Akeem Lasisi, a poem she found
“very appropriate because it catches what exactly I feel in my mind,”
considering how privileged she was to be at the event. The poem was
about the rarity of a good mother and the joy felt when such is found.
Also, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo read her poem, ‘Ode to the successful
Woman Writer’ from her collection ‘Heartsongs.’

The poem, in which
she refers to the woman writer as “queen of letters”, was dedicated to
Mabel Segun, joint winner with Adimora-Ezeigbo of the NLNG Prize for
Children’s literature in 2007. She also said it was an honour to
celebrate a woman she had admired for many years. She called her a role
model, a mentor and a symbol of women’s empowerment. “I want to thank
her for being my friend. I will always see her as a role model and the
kind of woman that we need in this country. She’s strong, she’s
accomplished, she’s successful, she’s articulate, she’s everything,”
Adimora-Ezeigbo said.

The Crown Troupe of
Africa staged, ‘Our Area’ a dance performance chronicling the history
of Nigeria and the constant problems that affect it, probably because
its citizens refuse to think. And even when they do think, things just
do not seem to be able to work, the performance suggested.

They ended their performance with a special rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ in honour of Mabel Segun.

The students of
Methodist Girls High School performed ‘Moremi’, one of Segun’s earlier
plays. They serenaded the celebrant with the cultural song ‘Iya ni
Wura.’ It was a befitting tribute to Segun’s dedication to promoting
culture amongst the youth through her writing.

Fellow writer,
Mobolaji Adenubi, also paid tribute to Segun in a humorous anecdote
that involved her father. “When I went to school in 1963 in Ibadan, my
father mentioned that there was a writer and a sports woman (there) and
I think he thought that just breathing the air of Ibadan with her would
make me like her.” She said of when she convinced her father that she
had indeed met and worked with Segun, “He had this opinion of her and
did not think it was fair for me and her to be working in the same
place. Now, I think you will agree that it is fair for us to be
celebrating her today.”

It runs in the family

Omowunmi Segun,
also a poet and daughter of the celebrant, read her mother’s poem
titled ‘The Bride Price.’ Verissimo accompanied the younger Segun in
reading the dual voices of the poem — a humorous piece on evaluating a
bride’s value based on her education, her skills or her ‘quality.’ It
ends on the question of a possible refund considering that the goods
might have been damaged before purchase.

Nine-year-old
Oluwafikemi Segun, granddaughter to the celebrant and daughter to Femi
Segun, overcame cold feet before reading her ode to her grandma titled,
‘Lovely Grandma.’ Someone could not help quipping, “It runs in the
family.” Femi Segun called her “a chip off the old block off the old
block.”

His comic attempt
at reciting Wole Soyinka’s ‘Abiku’, however, got hooked midway
considering he was trying to recall it from his secondary school days.

This is your life

A short film on
Mabel Segun’s life followed Oluwafikemi’s reading. The film ‘This is
Your Life at 80: An Exquisite Tapestry’ was a biography of Mabel Segun,
from birth till date. True to the words of Oluwafikemi’s poem, her hair
was never a mess. The film traced the older Segun’s early days as a
writer, sportswoman, ambassador, administrator and academic, and
followed her across various continents. Apparently, the celebrant had
had a penchant for collecting dolls from every country she’d visited.

The tributes
weren’t done yet. Odia Ofeimun read ‘Pidgin Soup’, a poem he said was
“given” to him by Segun’s brother, Frank Aig-Imoukhede, renowned for
writing in Pidgin English. Ofeimun said, “Mabel Segun may be 80, but
she ought to know that we won’t stop quarrelling with her because of
that. If we are no longer able to quarrel with Mabel Segun and she’s no
longer able to quarrel with us, what kind of Mabel Segun would that be?
One great thing about this great woman is that she picked the way she
was going to live and she was not afraid to stand by it.”

He advised women
writers to overcome any challenge in the way of their creativity, be it
their children, their husbands or “a stupid society.”

It was time for the
matriarch herself to speak. She read the first from her personalized
cookery book, which took 18 years to write. The author described the
recently-published cookery book as ‘Rhapsody: A celebration of Nigerian
cooking and food culture’, as one depicting “many aspects of Nigerian
cooking culture” such as “food taboos, food proverbs, food festivals,
food chants and so on.”

Denouncing the dull
marketing skills of some food vendors, Segun broke into a sonorous
chant heralding the advent of the moin-moin seller. She read a poem she
had written about boiled corn, before engaging pupils from Meadow Hall
School in performing a musical sketch about life in the riverine areas
from her ‘Readers’ Theatre’ collection.

The students,
thereafter, presented the author with birthday greetings, and gathered
round her for pictures before the cutting of the cake which was
supervised by fellow octogenarian, Bimbola Silva, an 84-year-old
medical consultant and mother to popular actress Joke Silva.

Both were in the
audience which also included Kunle Ajibade of The News Publications,
members of the Aig-Imoukhede family, female lawyer Hairat Balogun, Yeni
Kuti, former Presidential adviser Modupe Sasore, advertising guru Bruce
Ovbiagele and his wife, Helen, who is also a writer, and Paul
Adefarasin of the House on The Rock Church.

Commenting on the
celebration, Adenubi said, “It is important that we hear all these
beautiful things they say about us before we die. When we die, they say
all these things but we have no ears to hear. I congratulate her
children (for) making it possible for her to hear all of these good
things in her lifetime. May she live long to celebrate this life.”

Lucky Ejim cut a
striking figure in his role as the near-suicidal Obinna in ‘The
Tenant’. In real life, he is no less impressive in presence as he is in
his speech, with words rolling off his tongue in a near-solemn march to
the ears of the attentive listener. His profession as an actor needs no
telling. Also a director and screenwriter, though the writing is
currently taking the backseat, Ejim calls himself a storyteller. His
role in ‘The Tenant’ tells a story of disillusionment, disgrace and
desperation. Acting in and directing the work, he told Obinna’s story
on camera and coordinated the story of the other characters from his
space behind the camera. “Working and directing The Tenant was like
wearing two hats at a time. But I had a strong team and they gave me
their trust and belief.”

As an actor and
director, Ejim shifted between being selfish and being selfless in
order to strike a balance between both roles and a balance between the
actor/director and the rest of the cast and crew. A series of meetings
and rehearsals where each department was “dissected” helped strike the
balance. “I worked that out with the actors, so when we came back on
set, it’s easy for us to jump into the role and everyone will be on the
same footing as myself.” This, Ejim said, was essential to the success
of ‘The Tenant,’ self-financed by himself and Jude Idada, his business
partner at Broken Manacles Entertainment.

The Message

‘The Tenant’ is the
story of a young Nigerian in Canada trying his best to avoid
deportation. To a large number of Nigerians already abroad or preparing
to hightail it, the film tells a grim tale. “We want them to understand
that the piece we are doing is not just another film. It is a story
that digs deep into displacement that places a distressing mirror on
immigration and looks at the future of the youths of today slipping
away because the powers that be are negligent to the woes and cries of
the generations to come.” The question to government, he says, should
be “Are you really leading us?”

His passion for
this cause is jolting. Is his reality the same as Obinna’s? “I spent an
extensive amount of time digging into the story, when I threw myself
into the role, it was effortless. I did not need to act to be Obinna.”

Being Lucky

Ejim’s journey into
film started in Nigeria at the University of Benin where he studied
Theatre Arts. He majored in Acting and in 2000, emigrated to Canada,
where he trained in Directing and Writing at the Toronto Film School.
“Because I’m a storyteller, it’s hard for me to be susceptible to
mediocrity. I’m very critical of any work I do. So it felt natural for
me to want to improve myself as a storyteller. That’s why I went to
train as a storyteller. Lucky is an artist that is serious about making
a political statement.” Part of his mission he says is “to sell the
ideals and the ideas of the black man to everyone.” On the set of ‘The
Summit’, a Canadian movie, he had the role of a Kenyan president
changed to a Nigerian just to make a point. “That was nice. I fought
hard for that role and it was imperative to me at that point in time
that the president whose ideals must foster greater good in Africa was
initially created as a Kenyan man. Someday, they will see that in the
reflection of our being as the leading black nation in the world.”

Ejim might himself
be on the way to being one of the leading black men in Hollywood. He
stars in ‘The Lockdown’ currently in pre-production and recently
finished work on the set of the upcoming Hollywood epic ‘Moby Dick’.
The film is based on the 1851 novel written by Herman Melville about a
white whale. The film stars William Hurt, Ethan Hawke, Raoul Trujillo,
and Charlie Cox amongst others. Ejim plays Daggoo, a whale hunter.

Like he did in ‘The
Tenant,’ he brings to this role a graceful bearing that echoes Sydney
Poitier in his younger days as an actor. “It’s quite inspiring hearing
more than one people say that I carry with me the markings of what
makes up Sydney Poitier. That is big and when I think about it it’s
scary because that’s an icon to carry over. He is a source of
inspiration.” His knowledge of trivia about the legendary African
American actor underscores Ejim’s awe and respect for Poitier.

His affection for
his art means he is all for his profession. “It’s this or nothing. If I
wasn’t acting or directing, I’d be writing.”

Stuck in time

The mood changes
slightly when Nollywood is mentioned. “I think it’s stagnant,” Ejim
says, “I think it started off good, but we now see a number of Nigerian
films that strive on mediocrity. We need to move forward. The
quick-buck mentality has created a rift between the ‘money’ people and
the artistic people. I believe it can grow. It’s always when you have a
precarious situation that people are forced to think.”

He is shocked to
hear that certain films here are made under a week. “I think that’s an
exaggeration. I don’t know how people do that. That is sad, because the
image of my country around the world is at stake as far as storytelling
is concerned.”

His attitude to
such films may not be unwarranted. Filmmakers who are based abroad like
himself suffer the consequences of the quality of Nollywood films.
“Jude (Idada) and I have walked into production houses where we say we
want to make a film and then you say you are Nigerian; the energy
changes. It’s like ‘Oh! OK. We’ve seen your movies’ and we are like ‘Oh
no, no, no! Not those ones.’”

He complains of the
limitations this has placed on the path of young and upcoming Nigerian
filmmakers, “When somebody else will pitch easily, you have to
reintroduce yourself and work so hard before you are even allowed to
pitch, because our level of intelligence is being reduced to shabbiness
by people that don’t understand the global phenomenon that should play
out in telling their stories. The outside world matters. If your child
grows up with these ideas that lack depth, they’ll not be able to
compete internationally. If you do not really know how to make a film,
it’s only a matter of time before you are sent packing. The idea of
filmmaking as almost a run in the Olympics is re-energising those that
really love the art. Tell a good story and you will emerge as a person
that people outside will look out for.”

Undoubtedly,
filmmaking in Nigeria is already developing into an exciting race
between the best and the worst. Who leads the pack? As ‘The Tenant’s
lead actor says, “There’s more to come, and at this juncture for Lucky,
it’s just a crawling stage, when he starts walking, you’ll think he’s
running, when he starts running, you’ll think he’s flying and when he
flies, you won’t see him.”

The world might as well look out for a comet named Lucky Ejim.

You lured your prey

To your bed of pretence

The truth in you died

As her innocence you defiled

Deny it

If you will!

Just once

Only Once!

A big slice of the national cake

Washed down with a gallon of champagne

Strong enough to encourage a rape,

Performed repeatedly

On a virgin land

That clung to your feet in trust.

Deny it

If you will!

Just once

Only once!

How many once

Can impregnate a woman?

How many shots

May kill the heart of a nation?

Just once,

Only one!

Taken from ‘Streams’ by Bose Ayeni-Tsevende (Kraft Books).

No greater honour could have been given to poet, Odia Itoya
Ofeimun, than the activities organised by his Committee of Friends and the
Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) to celebrate his
60th birthday on Tuesday, March 16.

The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria
Island, Lagos, where the first of the activities, a lecture delivered by
Ugandan academic, Mahmood Mamdani, held, was already half filled before the
programme commenced. There would be no more seats shortly after the event
started; late comers had to stand in the wings.

The impressive turnout and eminent personalities in attendance
also affirmed how highly Ofeimun is regarded. Apart from members of his writing
constituency, the Action Congress, civil society groups, corporate Nigeria, and
the academia, professionals and youth also sent representatives to celebrate
with Ofeimun, fondly called ‘Baba’. Fola Adeola, Adebayo Williams, Rasheed
Gbadamosi, Segun Olusola, Abdul Oroh, Ropo Sekoni, were amongstthe guests at
the occasion.

Public Fountain

The first task of the day, the introduction of the celebrant,
fell on Kayode Fayemi, governorship candidate of the Action Congress in the
2007 election in Ekiti State. Fayemi had only praises for his and others’
mentor. He acknowledged the author of poetry collections including, A Handle
for the Flutist, London Letter and other Poems, A Boiling Caracas and Go Tell
the Generals as the “man from whose fountain of knowledge many of us have drank
from in the last two decades.”

Fayemi did not fail to laud the celebrant’s “exemplary generous
spirit.” He also highlighted similarities between Ofeimun and the guest
lecturer, Ugandan Mahmood Mamdani, both of whom studied Political Science.
“Taking Nigeria seriously and speaking truth to power,” Fayemi added, is what
Ofeimun does best.

The appreciative protégé of the public intellectual nonetheless
touched on two sins of his mentor: the fact that he has not been “spoken for,”
and his non-conclusion of a definitive biography on the sage, Obafemi Awolowo,
whom he served as private secretary.

Director General of CBAAC, Tunde Babawale, didn’t halt the flow
of tributes in his welcome address. Babawale disclosed that CBAAC collaborated
with Ofeimun’s friends to celebrate him through the lecture “in recognition of
the celebrant’s sterling qualities and his contributions to scholarship, arts
and culture.” His verses, the administrator added, “initiated a paradigm shift
in the ethics and aesthetics of the poetry of socio – political engagement in
Nigeria. Through his Poet – of – the – Week page in The Guardian on Sunday, he
helped many budding poets launch their career, thereby bringing their talents
to national attention. Ofeimun’s contributions to national development are not
restricted to literature alone. As a political activist, Ofeimun uses his
writings to fight social ills.”

‘You will die bankrupt!’

Chair of the lecture, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, whom
photo-journalists never tire of photographing – they almost mobbed him as he
entered the hall minutes before the lecture started – noted that “private
events shouldn’t begin with the National Anthem because it casts a pall on the
event.” The man, also called ‘Kongi’, recalled the beginning of his
relationship with Ofeimun and related to the audience the story of how he
engaged in an act of ‘piracy’ to include Ofeimun’s poems in Poems of Black
Africa, which he edited in 1975.

Kongi also chronicled his ‘complaint’ against his younger
associate. Ofeimun, Soyinka disclosed, initially had a bad voice which made
listening to him reading poems a torture! He eventually trained himself and has
become proficient. Another complaint by Soyinka is his failure to get Ofeimun
to drink wine. “He continues to drink juice, unfermented juice,” Kongi said in
mock horror. He added, “You will die bankrupt if you continue to take waifs and
others into your place!” Kongi’s stern, “no more recognitions, you have
recognised everybody else” to Toyin Akinoso, who initially emceed in place of
broadcaster Ohi Alegbe, drew smiles from people.

Chair, governing board of CBAAC, Semiu Bakinson, who did a poor
job of reading the address of the former Minister of Tourism, Culture and
National Orientation, Jibril Gada, also delivered the goodwill of his principal
to the celebrant.

Dangers of federal character

Another political scientist, Abubakar Momoh, did an excellent
introduction of the guest lecturer which Mamdani himself acknowledged as
“generous.” This though didn’t stop him from adding, “I’m always nervous with
my introduction because I feel I’m getting a preview of my funeral oration!”
His discussion of the lecture titled, ‘Sudan and Congo: What Lessons for
Nigeria?’ was a brilliant analysis of the hidden consequences of the federal
character principle and measures taken to heal the rift of Nigeria’s Civil War.
The non-doctrinaire scholar lived up to his reputation by revealing the
duplicity of the international community (the corporate media, international
NGOs, and UN agencies) in reporting violence in Africa.

Mamdani drew attention to latent consequences of the federal
character principle: “The question I have in mind does not concern motive, but
consequence; whether the unintended consequences of this provision – its costs
– may have come to outweigh its intended benefits for Nigeria.”

He added: “The federal character principle has extended the
colonial principal of Native Authority to key institutions in the federal
state. Its unintended effect has been to turn federal citizenship into an
extension of ethnically-defined membership of Native Authorities, and thereby
undermine it. By dividing Nigerian citizens into ‘indigenes’ and
‘non-indigenes’ – not of Nigeria but of individual states – for purposes of
participation in national institutions, it has disenfranchised a growing number
of Nigerian citizens, those who do not live in the states where they and their
fathers were born.”

He concluded with, “One lesson of Congo and Sudan is that it may
be time to rethink the legacy of both the colonial past and the reforms you
undertook to end the civil war.”

Scholars Biodun Jeyifo, Chidi Odinkalu, and Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi,
the lead discussants, also gave their views on the subject. Jeyifo, a professor
of Comparative Literature at Harvard University, US, added that structured and
systematic use of violence by the state against progressives is another form of
violence in Africa. He disagreed with Mamdani’s explanation of ethnicity and
identified what he termed ‘trans-ethnic or post ethnic identity’ in Nigeria.

Odinkalu identified accountability as key to the transformation
of Africa. Adeleye-Fayemi added normalisation of chaos, crisis of leadership,
crisis of personhood with reference to women and agency to the mix. Other
contributors including writer Festus Iyayi, who asked Soyinka the goal of the
Save Nigeria Group, and Lanre Arogundade, who suggested a pan-political
movement, also had their say. Mamdani, however, closed the session with the
suggestion, “We’ve not been able to create a viable political community. Once
you have a political community in place, I think we can have accountability.”

Saveable country

Ofeimun, who has always taken Nigeria seriously and whom Soyinka
playfully warned had little time to speak, has not lost hope in the country.
“The only political party that can save you is the one that you give money to
and no Nigerian is too poor to contribute to a political party, none,” he
stated in his remarks. And in spite of his fame, the celebrant confessed, “I’ve
not yet become the writer I want to be.”

He also said of Soyinka, who gave him his break in poetry, “He
makes you a promise to buy you a book and he does not forget. I mean, if you
are looking for training in the world, that’s one kind of training you must not
allow to go.”

Before exiting the stage for the ceremonial rites of gift presentation and
vote of thanks to be observed, Ofeimun told the gathering, “This is an
eminently saveable country; we can save this country from those who want to
hack it down.”