"the celebration symbolises a continuation of the life of an inspirational man who has fought and is still fighting for the dignity of man, the rights of individuals, unity and security of his country.”
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka |
Countdown to Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka’s 80th birthday on July 13 continues, Zmirage Multimedia Limited, backed by the Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Rivers state governments have unfolded plans to celebrate the quintessential artiste in a loud way.
The platform for the celebration, as usual, is the Open Door Series of the Project WS (Wole Soyinka) and International Cultural Exchange (ICE) initiated five years ago by the chief executive of Zmirage, Teju Wasee Kareem.
Activities for celebrating the landmark age, that have since commenced in April, were shared with newsmen at a media briefing at Soyinka’s Kemta, Idi Aba home in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
The Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Yewande Amusan, Kareem and the producer, Lillian Amah-Aluko, took turns to speak on what will happen this year.
Adeoluwa said Kongi was worth celebrating because he had put the name of the state positively on the world map and that he had achieved a significant feat by joining the octogenarian class, having lived as a non-conformist. “For a man who has led a non-conformist life to live to be 80 years is a significant feat. It is worth celebrating,” he said.
Amusan, on her part explained that the state government was not supporting the celebration because Soyinka is an illustrious son of Ogun but because “he has been an untiring fighter for social justice.” She added that the celebration “symbolises a continuation of the life of an inspirational man who has fought and is still fighting for the dignity of man, the rights of individuals, unity and security of his country.”
Kareem expressed happiness that organisers have begun to realise some of the objectives of the WS/ICE project. He listed the essay competition among secondary school students from all over Nigeria, children’s creative and cultural presentation, tours of landmark places, conferences on national life and state of Africa, poetry performances and plays as some of the programs that will happen.
Kareem added that this year’s celebration has an international slant as representatives from Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Belgium, UK and the US will all be in Nigeria to honour Soyinka.
Amah-Aluko, who gave an overview of the project, disclosed that the 80-day countdown to July 13 has since started.
Some of the programmes holding this year include the WS80/ICE Exhibition tour around Nigeria. Abeokuta, Osogbo, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Jos and Igbale Aiye, Republic of Benin are some of the designated places. The tour will happen in Port Harcourt from June 27 to 29, Freedom Park in Lagos from July 1 through 7, Terra Kulture, Lagos on July 9, Ibadan from July 15 to August 15, Jos on July 19 and Igbale Aiye from August 17 to September 17.
A number of Soyinka’s plays will also be presented. ‘Alapata Apata’ directed by Tunde Awosanmi will be staged on July 9 at Akin Olugbade Centre in Abeokuta, ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ on July 10 at the University of Lagos, ‘Lanke Omu’ on July 12 at June 12 Cultural Centre, ‘Oba Koso’ on July 12 and ‘Madmen and Specialists’ on July 19.
The performance of Soyinka’s political satire, ‘Dance of the Forest’, will be the icing on the cake. It will be performed on July 14 at a yet to be disclosed venue.
80 spoken word performers including Mutabaruka from Jamaica, Javon Johnson from the US, Efe Paul Azino and Jumoke Verrisimo amongst others will feature at ‘The Soyinka Impulse and Education-Path to Freedom and the Future’ conference at Freedom Park on July 10 while the essay writing competition will hold in the morning of July 13.
A visit to Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and spoken word performances and a stage play will end the celebration on July 14.
(NIGERIAN TRIBUNE)
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