Garlands for Odia Ofeimun

The University of Abuja Friday discarded the practice of waiting for legends to pass on before celebrating them when it kicked off a two day confab to celebrate renowned poet and activist Odia Ofeimun in Abuja. The event opened at the Yar’adua Centre with the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor James Sunday Adebowale Adelabu […]

The University of Abuja Friday discarded the practice of waiting for legends to pass on before celebrating them when it kicked off a two day confab to celebrate renowned poet and activist Odia Ofeimun in Abuja.

The event opened at the Yar’adua Centre with the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor James Sunday Adebowale Adelabu saying the institution chose to focus on Ofeimun for his contribution to the debates on democracy and other social issues in the country.

“The conference is important to deliberate how the writer can contribute to the fledgling democracy in Africa,” he said.

The theme of the confab is “The Writer in the Evolving Democracy.” This is rather apt considering that Odia has made a name for himself as a social critic. His poems are famous for their caustic attacks on anti-democratic elements, oppression and corruption among other social vices. His political stance is not surprising considering that he was one time private secretary to the late Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Odia, who was born in 1950 also prides himself as being born in the same month as the Action Group, which he says might have had something to do with his outlook on life.

This outlook is the reason he is being celebrated today, according to the convener of the Ofeimunconfab, Prof. Vicky Sylvester of the department of English, University of Abuja.

“Ofeimun’s essays, poetry and poems for dance drama which he produces and stages all have a positive bearing on societal development and transformation,” she said.

The calibre of people who turned up for the confab was astounding. Professors from various fields and institutions topped by Kole Omotosho, who flew in from South Africa and delivered a soul searching keynote address, literary enthusiasts, students of literature and many others. The hall was brimming and many were left standing in the aisle and any other available space.

When Prof. Kole Omotosho mounted the podium for the keynote address, there was huge sense of expectation. He did justice to the paper titled: “The Morals of the Poet and the Aesthetics of the Politician”, anchoring his presentation on Ofeimun’s famed poem, The Poet Lied because “Odia Ofeimun occupies the crossroads of Nigerian literature and politics.”

Prof. Omotosho explained that it is not uncommon for a poet to take a moral stand on issues like Odia has done over the years  because a certain  French poet, Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) refused to further partake in the slave trade when he started writing his poetry.

To justify the topic, Omotosho set up Odia as the poet and  Chief Awolowo was the politician with aesthetics, because he was a consummate lover of the arts, a welfarist and principled politician. This premise offered the professor the premise to launch scathing attacks on the corrupt practices of today’s politicians, saying there have been about eleven thousand abandoned projects in the country in the last 40 years.

Nigeria the Beautiful

His well received address paved the way for a sumptuous serving of Odia’s latest dance drama, Nigeria the Beautiful. From the opulent opening montage, the audience was enthralled by the captivating story of a country’s struggle to find its footing told from a fresh perspective. The rich, poetic dialogue, the commanding performances, the fluid and evocative dances, the flowing songs and drumming, the haunting and apt lighting effects combined to give the viewers an unforgettable experience of a story they already know – the tragic story of Nigeria.

The success of the performance was anchored on the shoulders of the scintillating Nissi George and the charismatic Efe Mayford Orhorha and Ombo Gogo Ombo did well to compliment the two. All three featured prominently in the successful run of Odia’s A Feast of Return.

The young dancers too deserve commendation for their tireless and enthralling displays. The challenge of such a demanding production was obviously much and they seemed to carry it almost effortlessly, apart from one, who occasionally seemed to slip out of character. But that took nothing away from the entire effort really.

The story depicts Nigeria’s pre-independent agitations, post independence tottering through the years of wilderness under military rule to the young administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. It was poignant and humorous in turns. Overall, it was inspiring and despite running for over an hour, the audience did not mind.