ICPC, Write Squad, Hosts Adaobi Nwaubani

Award winning author of I Do Not Come To You By Chance, Miss Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani will be the guest of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) as it intensifies its corruption campaign among the younger generations.

The 2010 Commonwealth Prize winner will feature as the Guest author in the monthly reading and interactive session of the The Write Squad tagged MY BOOK & I Session VII which will hold at the ICPC auditorium on Wednesday 23^rd March 2011.

“We have come to identify the power of literature, especially when it comes to shaping the thought of our younger generations. This is the spirit behind our collaboration with The Write Squad by hosting this edition of My Book & I. And ofcourse as an anticorruption agency, we find the book I Do Not Come to you By Chance very relevant to our objectives and such decided to use it to engage the youths in an interactive session.” Mrs. Rashidat Okoduwa, the Director Education and Awareness at the Commission reveals.

About 200 students from both private and public Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in FCT will participate in this edition of My Book & I. “We started with just 24 students in March 2010, from where we grew to between 60 – 100 on monthly basis, depending on funds available for purchase of books to distribute to the schools; and now we shall be having 200 students.” The founder and coordinator of the group, Prince Jerry Adesewo explained, adding that the ICPC has also made plans to donate some copies of the book to about 20 schools in FCT so as to enable those unable to participate in the session because of limited space to have access to the book.

My Book & I is a monthly reading and interactive session of The Write Squad, a school based literary group, designed by Arojah Concept, an Abuja based edutainment outfit to engage students in Abuja schools in cultivating both the reading culture. The Write Squad was launched in October 2009 and had since hosted writers like Ahmed Maiwada (Musdoki), Sade Adeniran (Imagine This) and  Sello Duiker (The Hidden Star) among others.

Winners emerge for the Abuja Literature Prize

The next generation of Nigerian writers had a taste of what it feels like competing for literary prizes this week when organisers of the Abuja Literature Prize announced the winners of the contest at a ceremony in Abuja, Tuesday.

The awards ceremony, which held at the Education Resources Centre, had in attendance dozens of students from public and private secondary school within Abuja who participated in the contest.

The chief judge of the prize, Mr Spencer Okorafor, described the event as a milestone and said he is pleased to be associated with the prize because it shows lot of promise.

He however decried the poor quality of submissions saying he was tempted not to award the prize. He however acceded when the organisers assured him that there are plans on the way to organise a creative writing workshop for some of the students to improve their writing skills.

Mr. Jerry Adesowo, who heads Arojah Concepts, organisers of the prize, appreciated the response to the inaugural edition and said plans are on to improve the contest.

First prize went to Okoli Marry Ann from School of the Gifted for her entry, “Not a Bed of Roses”. Her schoolmate, Ikpebe Ene Patricia, claimed second prize with the story, “My Pride”, while third place went to Adeyemo Victor of GSS Bwari for “The Traumatic Experience of John.”

The winners claimed cash prizes of N30, 000, N20, 000 and N10, 000 respectively as well as books. In all, 40 schools participated in the contest and each was presented with a certificate of participation.

Submission for the next edition has already been declared open.

Saturday, 05 March 2011 21:32

Long list of Abuja Literature prizes unveiled

One of Abuja based literary and academic services provider and organisers of the Abuja Literature Prizes for Schools in FCT, Arojah Concepts, has released a long list of ten students for the 2010 edition of its annual writing competition. The annual writing competition started in 2004 as JESAD Annual Poetry Contest and later Arojah Annual Poetry Competition but was re-branded in 2010 as Abuja Literature Prizes for FCT Schools with the aim of reaching to more schools for participation in the competition. For the first time, the organizers decided to feature a short story, having featured poetry in the last four editions of annual competition. A total of fifty-seven students from thirty private and public schools in the Federal Capital Territory participated in the competition which was assessed by the trio of Izuchukwu Okeke, Jerry Adesewo and Spencer Okoroafor. The ten finalists, in no particular order include: 1. Joseph Joan (GSS Kubwa) – A Stitch in Time 2. Johnson Yannick (GSS Gwagwalada) – Inkspell 3. Ikpebe Ene Patricia (School for the Gifted) – My Pride 4. Okoli Mary Ann (School for the Gifted) – Not a bed of roses 5. Elizabeth Chibueze (GGSS Abaji) – Men Are Wicked 6. Christiana Aniebonam (GDSS Karu) – The power of Love 7. Adeyemo Victor (GSS Bwari) – My Traumatic Experience of John 8. Okafor Onyinyechi ( GSS Gwagwa) – Agony of African Children 9. Obianu Evelyne (GSS Garki) – From Grace to Grace 10. Michgolden Nathan (GSS Wuse) His Last Respect According to the press release signed by Prince Jerry Adesewo, the best three will announced at a ceremony in Abuja scheduled to hold on Tuesday 1st March 2011 at the Multi-purpose Hall of the Education Resource Centre, under the chairmanship of Dr. Modibbo Mohammed, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission.

By Joan Okolie, People’s Daily Tuesday, 08 February 2011

Remembering Ken Saro Wiwa on stage

Death is a debt that every one must pay. Though the how and when, unlike debts owed a bank or some magnanimous benefactor, we may not know. Yet, we still must pay. And the why, for sure, is different from one debtor to another. However, there can be nothing as dispiriting as knowing that you are going to die, as well as the manner and time of death. For Kenule Saro Wiwa, the Nigerian writer, theatre producer, and environmentalist, it was a mixture of all, as re-enacted in Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba’s play ‘The Killing Swamp’, where the playwright, using his creative licence, digs dramatically into the final moments of the late Ogoni activist’s life. The play, directed by Chidi Ukwu, was staged in Abuja on Saturday, November 13, by an Abuja-based theatre company, Arojah Royal Theatre. It was to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of that execution, spearheaded by the then military ruler, Sani Abacha, an act that was widely condemned by the international community. Patrick Otoro is Ken Saro Wiwa The audience in Abuja, largely populated by members of the international community, was held spellbound by the delivery and interpretation of Patrick Otoro, who played the role of Kenule. “The performance was so real that I felt like I was witnessing the exact incident as it happened… Kenule is a very strong character and the actor succeeded in arresting the audience,” said Yoash, an Isreali in the audience. He revealed that it was his first time watching a stage play since arriving Nigeria; and added that the lady sitting beside him was close to tears and murmuring repeatedly: “Did they really did that to him?” Otoro, who endured the passing away of his father just days before, put up such a heart rendering performance. He could be described as a veteran of Adinoyi Onukaba’s plays, having at various times produced, directed, or acted in some of the playwright’s pieces. Among Otoro’s earlier involvement in Onukaba’s plays, are: ‘A Resting Place’, ‘Tower of Babel’, and ‘Her Majesty’s Visit’. “It’s a great honour been given the responsibility of re-enacting the lifetime of such a great personality like Saro Wiwa. I am glad, however, that I did not disappoint. This will no doubt remain for me as one of the highest point of my active career as a theatre practitioner,” he said of playing the lead in ‘The Killing Swamp’. Other players in the four-man cast play were: Jibrin Ahmed as Major; Ikponmwonsa Gold; Seun Odukoya; and Adetutu Adebambo, who played Asabe in the first and second performances respectively. Gaming with death Though a dramatic imagination of the playwright, the last moments of the late Ken Saro Wiwa, as depicted onstage, moved the audience to tears. Kenule engaged in what Major refers to in the play as ‘buying time’ with various demands. The highpoint of the play was the late discovery by Kenule that his cousin is the Major who has been assigned to carry out his execution. This revelation was followed up by a long drawn argument about the real reasons behind his predicament, the foundation set up in the name of Bera’s father, and the possibility that money must have exchanged hands. Having failed to talk him out of avenging his father’s death, Kenule gave up his antics and orders Bera (Major) to carry out the execution, saying, “Go on, do what you are here to do.” The play opens and ends at a clearing in the bush, where Kenule and the Ogoni eight are executed. It employs a flashback at some point to re-enact the meeting of Asabe and Kenule at an audition and then the court scene, which had both players switching roles. The same technique was employed in the court tribunal scene, where Major assumed the role of the judge. ‘The Killing Swamp’ offers fresh insight into the Niger Delta issue, especially as it relates to the intrigues behind the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa. The playwright, however, in his wisdom, employs humour in his treatment of some of the most salient issues in the play. Commenting on the production, the playwright, Adinoyi Onukaba, praised the high quality of work put into the production by the actors and director. “While it is right to say this is my play, what you have seen here today is beyond me. It is the interpretation of the director and his artists. You don’t always have much influence on how your play is produced. Once the book leaves your hand and goes into the hand of a director, he gives it whatever interpretation that suites him, and in this case, I must say that the director, Chidi Ukwu, is very good and has done a good job.

” http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/ArtsandCulture/TheatreDance/5644392-147/story.csp

Arojah Theatre Presents THE KILLING SWAMP

AROJAH ROYAL THEATRE brings to you Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba’ s play THE KILLING SWAMP, an imaginative dramatization of the final hours of Kenule Saro Wiwa.

The play provides fresh insight into the Niger Delta crisis through the fictional re-enactment of the controversial life of one of its iconic figures – Ken Saro Wiwa.

Arojah Royal Theatre (ART) is a professional theatre outfit which grew out of a deep and genuine concern to employ the fullness of the arts as a social force. One of the aims and objectives of this group is to use its medium, in alliance with organizations committed to a better society, to forge a better tomorrow.

Date: Sunday 14th November 2010

Time: First Show – 3pm & Second Show – 6pm

Gate Fee: Adult N2000, Student N1000 (with valid proof) Children N500

NB: Discount available for early/bulk booking

For booking/enquiries contact: 0803 453 0786

Rallying point for the theatre artists

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year’s convention of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) themed ‘Theatre and Change: Credible Elections for Good Governance’ will hold in Lagos from November 17 to 20.

Organisers said the coming edition will be a rallying point for theatre arts practitioners nationwide, as they intend to create job opportunities for interested artists.

Speaking at a National Theatre press briefing on Tuesday, October 12, National president of NANTAP, Greg Odutayo, said the convention would begin with arrival of guests and a carnival, followed by the opening ceremony on the second day, culminating in a Variety Night. The organisation’s National Executive Council meeting is slated for the third day, along with a play. A gala/awards ceremony that will feature distinguished personalities will hold later on the third day to round up the meeting.

Asked what NANTAP plans to do concerning the 2011 general election judging from the theme of the convention, Odutayo said, “Our choice of that theme is deliberate – Change, Credible Elections for Good Governance. It is deliberate because, coupled with the fact that it’s our own election year and we are hoping that in our own election we would be setting an example in our own little corner for Nigeria to emulate the kind of election we would conduct.

“Secondly, we will be doing a couple of advocacy and sensitisation (moves) to (encourage) credible elections for Nigeria. (There will be) placards and jingles for television and radio, all courtesy NANTAP, in contributing our own quota to the call of one man to one vote and credible elections and leadership. So the theme was chosen deliberately and we would ensure we do whatever we can to bring about credible elections.”

Odutayo called for support from the media towards making the event “a mutually enriching one for all concerned.”

Upcoming Events

EVENT: Play Reading Party

DATE: Wednesday 6th October, 2010

TIME: 4.30pm – 6.30pm

VENUE: Korean Cultural Centre, 2nd Floor, Rivers House, 83 Ralph Shodeinde Street, Central Business District, Abuja

GATE FEE: Absolutely Free/Copy of the Book

Play of the month is THE KILLING SWAMP by Adinoyi Onukaba Ojo

RSVP – 0803 453 0786 (Jerry), 0805 601 8996 (Gold)

PLAY READING PARTY DEBUTS WITH ONUKABA’s ‘THE KILLING SWAMP’

A new initiative; a monthly Play Reading Party from the stable of Arojah Royal Theatre, an Abuja based performing troupe, in collaboration with the NANTAP Abuja Chapter, aimed at promoting live theatre as well as contributing to the reading culture will debut in Abuja on Wednesday 29^th of September.

Arojah Royal Theatre (ART) is a professional theatre outfit which grew out of a deep and genuine concern to employ the fullness of the arts as a social force. One of the aims and objectives of this group is to use its medium, in alliance with organizations committed to a better society, to forge a better tomorrow. This is its first major outing as a troupe.

According to Jerry Adesewo whose Arojah Royal Theatre initiated this new idea, “Abuja is yet to experience the full force of sustainable live theatre, save for some once-in-a-life time commissioned productions. This is because of the lack of sponsorship support for the theatre. Therefore, the idea of a Play Reading Party however is to bridge this gap. While we work towards a more sustainable, monthly theatre performance, we want to engage with some of our best plays and use them as a basis for public discuss.”

This maiden edition will feature Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba’s The Killing Swamp, an imaginative dramatization of the final hours of Kenule Saro Wiwa, the Nigerian Writer and rights activist, who was hanged on November 10, 1995 with eight others for the alleged murder of four pro-government chiefs. The Killing of Ken Saro Wiwa and the other Ogoni eight was condemned worldwide as a criminal act of state murder aimed at silencing protests against the environmentally hostile policies of successive Nigerian Governments. The play provides fresh insight into the Niger Delta crisis through the fictional re-enactment of the controversial life one of its iconic figures.

Jerry Adesewo, who was only recently appointed as Secretary of the Abuja chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners added that the reading which is expected to be chaired by the Secretary of FCT Social Development Secretariat, Mrs. Blessing Onu and Dr. Baclays Ayakoroma of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation as the Special Guest of Honour, will have the duo of Mallam Denja Abdullahi and Dr. (Mrs.) Anthonia Ekpa as discussants to lead interactions on the theatrics and messages, especially the social relevance of the play, after the reading. “Most importantly, this reading will serve as a preamble to the planned staging of this play on November 10 in commemoration of the 15 years anniversary of the killing of Ken Saro Wiwa” he said.

The statement also added that the choice of Adinoyi Ojo’s new play to kick start the new initiative is intended to honour the playwright, as well as highlight the play which was shortlisted for this year’s $50,000 NLNG Prize for literature which is this year looking at drama. The winner will be announced on October 10, 2010 in Lagos.

Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba studied Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and Journalism and Performance Studies at the New York University, New York, USA. Dr. Onukaba has worked as a journalist with The Guardian Newspapers in Nigeria, the United Nations in Somalia, and as a Professor of Communications at the College of Rochelle in New York before he returned to Nigeria in May 1999 and later became the Managing Director of The Daily Times of Nigeria PLC. Some of his other plays include A Resting Place; Her Majesty’s Visit; The Virginity Fee; Tower of Babel and The New God.

The Second edition of the Play Reading Party (PRP 2) will feature the late Esiaba Irobi’s Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh in the last week of October while Ben Tomoloju’s We Only Went In Search of Happiness is billed for the November edition.