Day Anyaoku, Ubah, Ndigbo-Lagos Stood up for Obiano

Chief Mrs, Ebelechukwu Obiano, HE Governor Willie Obiano, his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, Justice Peter Umeadi, Chief Judge of Anambra State, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Sec. Gen and Hon Mrs Rita Maduagwu, Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly

For the Igbo resident in Lagos, Friday, February 19, 2016 will remain memorable for quite some time; not so much for what it was but for the hope it represents. As they trickled into the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre to share an evening with Chief Willie Obiano, the Governor of Anambra State, it is doubtful whether most of the members of the Aka Ikenga, League of Anambra Professionals (LAP), Ndigbo Lagos and other Igbo groups who came colourfully dressed knew what to expect. It was a special evening, made more so by Obiano’s two-year account of stewardship which he came to share.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary General making his remarks

But Obiano did not waste time in setting the agenda. With his eyes firmly set on the crescendo, he began by pointing out that the event was a home-coming of sorts to him. “. I bagged both my first and second degrees from the University of Lagos and for over twenty five years, I lived among you here; pursuing my career from the oil and gas sector to banking. Over the years, I made friends here; evolved into a man here, got married and ended my career on a glorious note here. And when I answered the call to serve our beloved State as governor, I got the highest support, encouragement and prayers from you people here.” After establishing his rootedness in the Lagos community, Obiano made a bold admission of his own humanity with an appeal for forgiveness by so many friends and well-wishers who “felt neglected or disrespected by their inability to reach me since I took on the full weight of my office.” Quoting Archbishop Desmond Tutu that “forgiveness says you are given a chance to make a new beginning,” the governor expressed his sincerest regrets and pleaded for a chance to make things right with anyone who felt done in by the bureaucracy of his office. It was a classic mea culpa that is rare among Nigerian leaders. But it proved very effective for its purpose, soothing frayed nerves and setting the stage for a very lively evening.

Successful businessman, ABC Orjiakor arriving the venue

Before he plunged into the full range of his two-year Account of Stewardship, Obiano showed enough presence of mind to recall a cardinal vow from his inaugural address. Modulating his voice to meet the occasion, he quoted the passage that “the time has come to prove to ourselves that the entrepreneurial spirit for which our people are known all over the world can take firm roots at home; that together as one, we can be masters of our own house!”  He also recalled that he had assured the people that “under my administration, we have no choice than to decide whether we are truly the sons and daughters of our fathers and true heirs to their long history of pioneering excellence!” He therefore submitted that his achievements in the past 23 months had sufficiently “answered the question of whose children we are.”

Capital Oil boss, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah making his remarks

From this premise, the governor launched out a detailed account of his achievements that covered his economic blueprint known as the Four Pillars of Development with its thirteen Enablers. He deliberately spiced up his account with verbal queues that were carefully laced with Igbo language to elicit reactions from the audience and sustain interest in his narration. His effort drew intermittent applause that bloomed to a crescendo when in conclusion he appealed to Ndi Anambra from across the world to lend a hand in building the state. Pointing out that Anambra had become the safest state in Nigeria, Governor Obiano declared that “the future is looking brighter and brighter but with your assistance and belief in the government of Anambra State, we can take possession of our tomorrow from today.” The applause that followed reverberated in the huge hall and set the stage for the documentary that offered a graphic account of his stewardship, aptly titled, “Two Years of Excellence.” The documentary is the Obiano story, told from multi-perspectives including his commissioners, key industrialists, farmers, helicopter pilots down to ordinary citizens who bore witness to the change that the governor had wrought in the state in two years. It was the documentary that tellingly drove home the fact of Obiano’s high achievements and erased all doubts about his administrative competence.

A brotherly hug follows Ubah's remarks

Consequently, when the documentary ended, what was originally designed as a Question and Answer session to enable the governor get a first-hand feedback from the people became a one-sided flow of praises and encomiums for him. The feedback was understandably much but the most remarkable came from the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku. For one who is not known to make easy comments on Nigerian leaders, Anyaoku’s comment on the night was possibly the greatest endorsement Governor Obiano has received from Anambra’s numerous distinguished citizens. 

Chief Sir Victor Umeh, Senatorial Candidate for Anambra Central and Chief Anyaoku

Said he -  “Whenever I visit home I see evidence of Governor Willie Obiano’s activities. Driving from Enugu to Onitsha and Obosi, the evidence stares me in the face.  In my last trip I was passing through Awka and there was His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano commissioning one of the bridges. And this evening, what we have all seen struck me deep because what we have all seen in the documentary confirms my view that in Governor Obiano we have a governor with a vision for the state and much more important than that; with a strategy. There are many leaders who have visions. But there are very few leaders, the world over, and when I say the world over, I’m sure you know that I have had interaction with many countries around the world. There are very few leaders who have strategic capacity. And there we have in Anambra State, a leader who has strategic capacity. I am always pained that Anambra State, endowed as it is with human resources, people who have attained great heights not just in Nigeria but all over the world, but if I may talk about Nigeria, it was very striking that when Nigeria celebrated its 50^th Independent Anniversary and the federal government decided to recognise 50 people who were deemed to have made outstanding contributions to the development of the country that Anambra State had 5 of the 50. And yet Anambra State, until very recently, didn’t have much to write home about. Until very recently, Anambrarians had 80% of their assets invested outside Anambra State. For me, that’s a very embarrassing situation. But you couldn’t blame them because in Anambra State, they didn’t have the grounds for bringing back their investments.  But that is changing and changing very fast under governor Willie Obiano.  He is creating the basis for investment in Anambra State. He is creating the basis for attracting Anambrarians to come home and play some role and they are feeling very safe. That is something we should broadcast to our people all over the world. And for that I must say that he encapsulated in the documentary that we saw the different aspects of the development plans. Really, not just plans but activities, because Nigeria is sometimes very good at drawing plans but not very good at implementing them. But here we have a situation where the plans are clear and the implementation is getting on actively as we pray it does.  And as was said earlier, I would say jidekwa k ‘iji! I suspect that when you say to somebody that he should hold on to what he or she is doing, it means that he or she is doing very well. So I say jidekwa k’iji. And finally, on behalf of the aging group that I represent here, I want to thank you, Your Excellency for the excellent work you are doing in our state and indeed when I go to other states you have given me the reason not only to be proud but also to boast.”

Praying for Anambra State

As would be expected, Anyaoku’s vote of confidence drew a very loud applause. But Anyaoku was not alone. Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, the Chairman of Capital Oil and proprietor of Premiership Club, Ifeanyi Ubah FC who also ran against Obiano in the last gubernatorial race was full of praises for him. Thanking the governor for an excellent performance, Mr. Ubah declared – “Tonight, we have all seen from the documentary that we watched, why governor Obiano is The Sun Governor of the Year. I contested the gubernatorial seat with him and it was a keen contest. But what we want is the progress of Anambra State. I am not a sycophant. I have seen that Governor Obiano is not a greedy governor. He is a contented man. Contentment is the key word. Let’s move the state forward. We have so many great men in Anambra State. The time has come for all these great people to rally round the governor so that we can build our state. It is time that we all remember that Anambra is our own and a journey of a million miles starts with a step and a step in the right direction is supporting the government to move the state forward. So, Akpokue, I congratulate you for the award you will be given tomorrow. Don’t be afraid. God is with you.  I will support your second term bid.”

Chief Victor Ike Oye, National Chairman of APGA

Following the same line of appraisal, famous Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie wondered whether there would still be some work left for Obiano’s successor to do after he had served two terms in office if he maintained the same work rate throughout his years. In specific terms, Edochie told Obiano – “Many people have ruled Anambra State but it was only you that made Awka look like a state capital. We are immensely proud of you.  In the history of Anambra State, no governor has ever called on the people and they responded in full as they did tonight. You are the only one who has achieved this degree of respect among our people. I watched the documentary that we were shown this evening with awe when I realized that you had only spent two years in office.  In two years, you have covered almost every part of Anambra State. When you have done 8 years in office, would there still be some challenges left for your predecessor to handle? We are standing firmly behind you,” he declared in a guttural voice.

 

Barrister Stella Onuorah, Commissioner for Lands, Dr. Mrs Uju Nworgu, Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism and Dr. Mrs Victoria Chikelu, Commissioner for Women Affairs

Prof Solo Osita Chukwulobelu, SSG and Prof Kate Omenugha, Commissioner for Education

Mrs Nwokoye and a friend

Chief Charles Odunukwe and Chief Victor Umeh share a brotherly hug

Dr. Emmanuel Egboga, former Senior Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum and Prof. Solo Osita Chukwulobelu, SSG

Governor Obiano touching base with the people

First Awka Open Mic Show Reveals Amazing Talents

Top Diplomat and Poet Oseloka Obaze reading from his new poetry collection, Regarscent Past

The arts and entertainment scene in Awka, the capital of Anambra State got off to a promising start at the weekend when a tribe of young poets, storytellers and singers held the audience spell-bound with dazzling performances in the first ever Open Mic show in South East Nigeria.

The Drama Troupe from the Theatre Arts Dept of UNIZIK in performance

The event which was timed to exploit the mood of the Valentine Season cackled to life in the early evening of Saturday, February 13 as the Awka Literary Society (ALS) sought to mine the depth of artistic talents that the region has in abundance.

Writer Uche Nworah 

Setting the stage with his Welcome Speech, a co-founder of the Awka Literary Society, James Eze, explained that the Open Mic show was a bold effort by the group to create a platform for artistic expression for the South East region, using Anambra as the entry point.

DJ Kelvin Nelson killing it

He recalled with nostalgia that there was a time when musical and literary creativity flowered tremendously in the region with Onitsha and Aba as the epicentres of musical excellence in the 70s and 80s while the sprouting of writing talents found expression in the publishing outlets in Onitsha which were the oldest in the country, thanks to the Onitsha Market Literature which influenced writing in the early 40s and consequently publishing.   

Izunna Okafor reads from his Igbo novel

“We thought that it was time the South East joined the rest of the world in the growing art form called the Open Mic. We thought it was time the city of Awka joined other cities like London and New York where the Open Mic phenomenon has since become a part of the urban culture. And why not Awka? Why not Anambra? Why not Nigeria? We thought that the home state of Olauda Equiano, Cyprain Ekwensi, Chinua Achebe, Christopher Okigbo and Chimamanda Adichie and many more should also be part of this evolving culture,” Eze explained.

Sensational Nkiru Ani wowing the audience

Arguing that Anambra State had always played a prominent role in Africa’s literary and cultural movements, Eze further explained that the state was ripe for artistic and entertainment explosion because under Governor Willie Obiano, Anambra had become a very peaceful and enchanting state.

The Rapper Young Tee holding it down

“Obiano has solved the problem of insecurity in Anambra. The business sector is thriving. The manufacturing sector is growing with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturers in Nnewi producing the first indigenous auto-mobiles in West Africa. The agricultural programme of the government has created the Anambra Rice brand. The only thing that is missing in Anambra is a thriving arts and entertainment scene. And that’s the vacuum that the Awka Literary Society is trying to fill,” he further explained.

The UNIZIK Drama Troupe

The event soon flared up after Eze’s speech with Nwankwo Benneth reading a short story to the audience. Nwankwo’s performance drew a round of applause as he ceded the stage to Kemi, a poet who also gave a good account of herself. But it was Emmanuel Okoye’s short story on Breast Cancer that drew bouts of laughter from the audience because of its hilarity and the topicality of the subject matter. Okoye left the audience pinning for more when he exited the stage for yet another Okoye Emeka, a Christian novelist whose work is steeped in rhetorical questions with a bold hint of philosophy. The first segment of the show came to an exciting end when Nkiru Ani who looked like a fairy, brought the audience to its feet with a tingling rendition of Chiquitita by Abba. Her choice of song and riveting performance evoked the mood of the season and reminded the audience that love was in the air.

Akin Samuel performing his poem

There was a brief period of pep talks and glancing reviews of the works shared by the writers by Odili Ujubuonu, a co-founder of the Awka Literary Society before the second segment of the show ensued. Ujubuonu praised the writers for daring to tell their stories and urged them to keep perfecting their works until they felt confident enough to share them with the world. He revealed that his first novel took thirteen rigorous drafts before it assumed a publishable shape and advised the young writers to feel free to express themselves in any language the felt comfortable in.

Singer C.I whoops it up

The second segment of the show began when Hon Oseloka Obaze, a top diplomat, formerly with the United Nations who recently retired as the Secretary to the Government of Anambra State took to the stage. Obaze read from his new collection of poems - Regarscent Past, and hypnotised the audience with his masterful delivery and enchanting tone. His poems – An Ode to my Origin and The Blind Minstrel resonated with the audience who rewarded his offerings with a resounding applause. Obaze who also doubled as a Special Guest in the evening further sustained his spell on the audience during a Conversation with Uche Nworah, the MD/CEO of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) who himself is a published author. Their exchanges on the Creative Industry offered snatches of crucial insight into the huge potentials that exist in the arts and literary sector in the South East if conscious efforts were made to grow it. It also offered insight into the young and aspiring writers of the night the challenges and opportunities that writing and indeed good writing offers.

Benneth Nwankwo

However, the evening came to a standstill when the Drama Troupe from the Theatre Arts Department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka finally mounted the stage. They mesmerized the audience with perfectly choreographed movements and drama skits that interpreted the highlights of current progress that is being witnessed in Anambra State and other relevant social themes. The troupe showed so much confidence and harmony in their representations that the audience was amazed at the fact that they were all undergraduates.

Engr Mike Ogbuekwe reads his poem

The next segment of the show revealed a cast of artists whose works showed a lot of promise. Izunna Okafor read some pages of his Igbo novel which he said he was working on. Chiamaka, a poet from Ogbaru stirred the audience with a piece that evoked nostalgia, titled – The Days of Yesterday, while Mike Ogbuekwe, an engineer who is a senior special assistant to Governor Obiano on Agriculture shared two seamlessly rhyming poems with the audience. Ifeanyi Aniagor, another engineer who is also a senior special assistant on social media to Governor Obiano also read his poems to the audience. As it turned out, both engineers are love poets and the works they shared were love poems which they hoped would remind the audience that it was a season of love. But Akin Samuel gave the audience what actually came close to performance poetry. His opening was attention-grabbing and he sustained it with a smooth performance that set him apart as a poet to watch out for. Uche Nworah read a draft of his engaging work in Pidgin English and redirected the attention of the young writers to a different mode of expression that might interest some of them. Nworah also read from another work in Standard English which was well received. Chinelo Obi, a young fine artist from the University of Nigeria at Nsukka also exhibited her inspiring painting of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and shared a love poem with the audience. Obi’s poem showed a lot of promise with remarkable imageries and polished metaphors.

Ifeanyi Aniagor reads a love poem

Interestingly, the musical talents that performed at the show did not allow the writers total ownership of the night as they deployed different tricks of their trade to announce themselves to the people. Young Tee, the only rap act in the show was mesmeric in his word-play as he free-styled to the amazement of the audience in a rap genre that made Phyno and Da Nigga Raw before him household names. A singer known as C.I also dropped two songs from his upcoming CD. Both artistes came from Enugu to show what they had. But the audience was back again on its feet when Nkiru Ani returned to the stage with the classic All of Me by John Legend. Ani’s cover of this song had the audience reeling like waves stirred by a passing ship. The audience joined her in the chorus and allowed itself to be drawn into the vortex of her performance. She beamed with smiles and returned the favour in manifold and when she left the stage, there was a pervading sense of fulfilment that made the evening look like time well spent.

Uche Nworah in Conversation with Oseloka Obaze

 But the show wasn’t over yet. Almost without warning, the DeeJay known as Kelvin Nelson took the microphone and showed himself as the revelation of the day. He performed a highly experimental song that was his own work and left the audience shuddering in wonder. Kelvin sang like someone with a lot of soul and crowned it up with a frightening stage craft. When he sank on his knees in a magnetic interpretation of the lyrics of his song, the audience lost its footing. His performance was so stirring that my friend, Odili Ujubuonu quickly nudged me from behind and spoke excitedly about the prospects of opening a record label in Awka. 

 

Chiamaka reads her poem

When the audience finally recovered its footing from Kelvin’s awesome performance, Odili picked up the microphone and urged everyone to look out for the next edition of the Open Mic show, promising that there would be two more before the close of the year. He also reminded the audience about this year’s edition of an annual poetry festival tagged The Return to Idoto 2. 

Odili Ujubuonu and James Eze, co-founders of the Awka Literary Society

He thanked the various organisations that co-sponsored the maiden edition of the Open Mic show, naming organizations like the Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, Brande Aristortle Ltd, Little Drops Media, Ifeadinmesi blog, National Light and Havila Suites as being supportive of the outing. The house almost came down when the audience rose to its feet to belt a hearty rendition of the stirring Anambra Anthem; The Spirit of Anambra. It was indeed a night to remember.

Ifeanyi Aniagor, Emeka Ozumba, Ujubuonu, Obaze, Eze, Nworah and Nollywood superstar Bob-manuel Udokwu

 

Fine artist and poet Chinelo Obi reads her poem. On display is her visual interpretation of Things Fall Apart

with sensational talent, Nkiru Ani and the poet Kemi

With the hilarious MC Sacramento

Awka Literary Society Holds Valentine Eve Open Mic Session

Awka Literary Society has concluded plans to mark this year’s St Valentine Season with an Open Microphone session that will fling the doors of artistic and musical expression open in the South East of Nigeria.

The event which holds on February 13 in Havila Suites, Awka, Anambra State capital is the first Open Mic session in the smithy city and promises to draw an eclectic crowd of singers, poets, painters, storytellers, minstrels, griots, flutists, dramatists and comedians under one roof.

The event essentially signals an auspicious start to the year by the literary group whose debute outing last year represents a rupture in the nation’s artistic landscape, leading to Nigeria’s first poetry festival (The Return to Idoto) held in honour of the brilliant modernist poet, Christopher Okigbo who died in the Biafran War.

Speaking on the coming Valentine Eve Open Mic session, one of the co-founders of the group, novelist Odili Ujubuonu described it as a “creative explosion to mark the feast of love and renew our humanity.”

According to him, Awka Literary Society wants to tap onto the symbolism of the St Valentine Day to reawaken the age-old themes of love and the pursuit of happiness which have remained eternal in spite of the ceaseless onslaught of bitterness, hate and bigotry that plague our world.

“In addition to spreading love, we also want to fan the embers of artistic enterprise in South East Nigeria. We started last August with The Return to Idoto. It was a hugely successful outing for the Society. Now, we are opening the year with an Open Mic session to celebrate our humanity and open doors for a flowing of talents. In fact, if you are not at the Havila Suites in Awka on Saturday evening, then you are on the wrong side of history” Ujubonu declared.

Speaking further, the Ujubuonu revealed that the Society had also made arrangements to ensure that established writers who are expected at the event would look into the works of young storytellers, poets and dramatists with a view to making critical interventions that would nudge them to the path of growth.

The Open Microphone session which is expected to kick off in the late afternoon promises to usher in a new phase of cultural awakening in the South East as prominent novelists, poets and singers in the region have already indicated their readiness to grace the event.

The event is a product of creative collaborations between the Awka Literary Society and Anambra Broadcasting Service, Havila Suites, National Light, Ifeadinmesi blog, Little Drops Media and Brand Aristotle.