By Wole Balogun
S.A Media to VC
African writers have been urged to document oral narratives native to their roots in order to preserve such aspects of Africa’s rich cultural heritage for posterity, and equally prevent them from going into possible extinction. This imperative charge was given recently by frontline writers and academics who included Senator Babafemi Ojudu, a veteran journalist and former Political Adviser to Ex-President Mohammadu Buhari, Prof. Lara Owoeye of the English and Literary Studies Department, Ekiti State University,(EKSU) , Prof. Taofik Olaide Nasir of the Theatre and Media Arts Department, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), and Dr. Tosin Tume, the Acting Head of Department, Theatre and Media Arts, FUOYE, on the occasion of the June 2024 monthly Reading of the Ekiti State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
Participants, Senator Ojudu and FUOYE lecturers at rhe event
The event was hosted by Senator Ojudu at his residence on Iworoko Road , Ado-Ekiti, Ekti State capital. The residence was recently tagged Adire Ekiti Hub as a result of the State Government‘s choice of it for the production of Yoruba’s local textile, Adire , for the empowerment of youths and less privileged in the state.
ANA Ekiti state chairman, Dr. Daramola, Senator Ojudu and the Guest Reader
The June ANA Reading featured as Guest Reader, Nigerian dramatist, sculptor, fine artist, writer and poet, Dr. Mike Adeoye, a Senior Lecturer with the Theatre and Media Arts department, FUOYE. Dr. Adeoye read extracts from one of his drama texts, titled: Inferno and Deity of Herbs. The play is a political allegory that satirizes political issues of corruption, inordinate ambition, mis-governance, and deception among other issues that characterize the African polity.
FUOYE’s Dr. Tosin Tume and EKSU’s Prof. Lara Owoeye listening at the event
A fascinating feature of Adeoye’s play in focus is his rich use of local narratives comprising proverbs, aphorisms, symbols and motifs among others to communicate significant ideas to his audience/readers
Senator Ojudu at rhe event
Noting that the play is a rich material for research into African culture, Senator Ojudu, Prof. Owoeye and Dr, Tume jointly urged the Guest Reader to provide a glossary for the proverbs and other local narratives that he extracted from his dialect (Ado) to enrich the dialogue of the play. Senator Ojudu said: “The style of writing of Dr. Adeoye is like that of what we have in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman because the play is rich in local proverbs and other local narratives. This is an advantage for the writer to document our philosophical sayings from our ancestors. His is a peculiar style which helps our culture to grow and be promoted for future generations . My appeal to the playwright and other African writers is to continue to document these proverbs and other oral narratives in our culture in English in their writings. I am sure that these oral narratives deployed to communicate in this play will yield themselves in profound interpretation when the play is performed.
While corroborating Senator Ojudu’s comments on the need to document the oral narratives, Prof. Owoeye urged the Guest Reader to ensure that he creates a glossary of the proverbs used in the play. She pointed out that the play as a satire criticizes recurrent ills in the polity of Nigeria.
Dr. Mike Adeoye, Guest Reader and Prof. Nasir at rhe event
While appreciating him for creating a work of art that would contribute greatly to the body of works in literary Theatre in Nigeria, Prof. Nasir equally noted that Adeoye’s play’s strength lies in his generous use of local narratives especially proverbs. He also agreed that African writers must begin to elaborately document African oral narratives in their writings.
Noting that the Guest Reader has toed the path charted by renowned African playwright, Ngugi ’Wa Thiongo on his advocacy for African Writers to write in native language as a decolonizing weapon, Dr. Tosin, said: “This artistic work is a giant stride in the direction of Ngugi ‘Wa Thiongo’s call for African writers to write in their own native language and l really commend you in that aspect . “
Other writers who were participants at the event and who corroborated the call for African writers to document oral natives included Dr. Olugbenga Daramola, a creative writer and molecular Scientist who is also the state’s ANA chairman and Mr. Adeolu Ajobiewe, also a creative writer and Treasurer of EKANA.
Expressing his enthusiasm with the development, Senator Ojudu expressed his readiness to release his chalets, museum and library to writers for artistes in residence activities.
Responding to reactions, criticisms and questions raised by participants, Dr. Adeoye said: “ Though, I had grew up in an elitist environment but I was often taken to places where there is nature , such as the farms and my some rural areas while growing up. I get fascinated by nature and that ignites the artistic inclination in me. It is the artistic inclination that gave me the richness in my local dialect which I used in my writings. Also, my mother is a great story teller and she nurtured me in this tradition while I was growing up. “
Other participants who graced the Reading included Babajide Agboola of Agbovet Consult, Babajide Fajuyi of Lynetour and Consultant, Gani Salau , a journalist from Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State, Mrs. Timi Kayode, a veteran actor, lecturer with FUOYE Theatre and Media Arts Department and EkANA’s Welfare Officer, Mr. Asaolu Ayantoye of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, EKSU, Esho Bamidele of EKSU, Rev. Jide Ajala, EkANA member, Mr. Daramola Ayodeji, a student of Medicine, EKSU, Mr. Demola Atobaba, a journalist and Financial Secretary of EKANA and Wole Balogun, Special Adviser on Media Matters to FUOYE’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, state Public _Relations_ Officer of EKANA and Lecturer with FUOYE.
