BY LARI WILLIAMS

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has delivered the words. An astronomical sum of Five Hundred Billion Naira (N500 b), for the building and reestablishment of Nigeria’s Entertainment Industry.

Crying artistes

We have got the Woods Now for the Bonfire celebration,Let’s have a bonfire and light up Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Jubilation! as all artistes – unite and salute and jubilate in “hope – happy – hope”; to celebrate the hope for survival not to drown in vodka or gin and tonic and stagger and grin and vomit, but to build the industry and structure show business through a vibrant ministry

Your Excellency, sir, speaking from the High Table as Inaugural and first Elected President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, I wish to say on behalf of the Nigerian Actors “THANKS A BILLION”! We are not alone in expressing sincere and profound gratitude for giving back life to Arts, to Artistes; and indeed to the entertainment industry in Nigeria. Reviving the Entertainment industry in Nigeria is like giving a new lease of life to the masses. Until now, the Nigerian Theatre has been like a still born baby; ‘all correct, but no life’ Your action will put an end to Arts and Culture ministers’ game of musical chairs, to the realism of show business injected into the industry and into the lives of all artistes and stakeholders in the Arts: We wish you many more years to share the CHEERS from Stage and Screen. It is bound to improve the living standard of the many Actors, Dancers, Fine Artistes, and Graphic Artistes, Sculptors (Wood and Stone) Stage and Screen, Artists/Technical Directors, Producers, Dancers, Choreographers, Stage designers, Script writers, Casting Directors, Scouts, Stage Hands, Stage Managers, Musicians, Actors, Dancers, Hair dressers, Costume designers and dressers, Welfare officers, Set Builders, Transport Managers, Technical Officers, Production Managers, Location Managers and of course Publicity Managers and many more practitioners each in their hundreds and thousands all over the federation.

Mr. President Sir, we wish to thank you most sincerely for the great service to the nation and humanity at large. Many shall live and feed their families; many shall be turned away from violence and vagary to creativity.

There will be results from the STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT: in the ministry, a well funded Arts Council, Town Halls, and Theatre Auditorium in every Local Government ward. A share of the funds for TINAPA to serve as our “BROADWAY” (America) and “WEST END” (England). The funds should give employment to all the above mentioned practitioners and productions will improve in standard. BECAUSE; the production will be handled by professionals who would have proved their worth in the industry. There will be no emphasis on LOANS. the adjustment and restructuring will adequately provide for productions. There will be laid down policies with knowledgeable members of a BOARD consisting of Artistes, Stake Holders and professional administrators of the Arts.

Have no fears Sir, it’s all in good HEARTS and we shall put them in good HANDS, so that Sculptors will beautify cities and carve history into our ‘along’. Our past shall not be a passing dream.

Painters will remind us of colors in laughter and sorrow. While our Stage shall be stamped with roars of laughter and chuckles, as history is relived and characters tickle our ribs.

Thank you Mr. President. God bless you as we wish you many more years of such grand services.

Farmers will bless you as Dancers celebrate their harvests in colorful costumes, writers will relax and record the beauty and interplay that document our history. Artistic and Technical directors will fast forward their power of imagination and create such amazing depth in their story interpretation and presentation to export Nigerian humor and style to the world. Your Excellency will then see that we can also tell tomorrow stories in our style. We have seen their James Bond. We can show them our Jimoh Braimoh. They gave us Shakespeare yes, we will give them SOYINKA, and they will buy. Revelation of such monumental facts will be reached by the exploits of tourism industry. Social changes like female circumcision may be a thing of the past but the tradition of Cam- wood will live to beautify the maidens and will remain our culture. The great dances of monimkim will remain and improve for ever.