By Eric Teniola

I ATTENDED a play recently at Glover Memorial Hall at Broad Street, Lagos. Yes, the old Glover Hall built and named in 1887 in honour of Sir John Hawley Glover who was Governor of Lagos Colony between 1864 and 1872. The hall has undergone a lot of repairs, thanks to the Lagos State Government. 

The title of the play was: “Awo-the Man, His Jewel And…” In attendance were the Vice President, Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo (64), SAN, GCON and his wife, Oludolapo Osinbajo nee Soyode (54), a lawyer, who is a granddaughter of Chief Obafemi Awolowo (March 6, 1909-May 9,1987); the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (56); Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila (59) and the outgoing Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo (Jnr), 58, a lawyer.

The Group Managing Director of Odua Investment Company, Mr. Wale Raji and his pretty wife, Lamide also attended along with Chief Segun Ojo, the Asiwaju of Emure in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State,  former Commissioner of Finance in Ondo State and presently a Director in Odua Investment Company. Aremo Olusegun Osoba, the Akinrogun of Egbaland and twice-elected Governor of Ogun State came with his wife, Aderinsola Osoba, who is from the Onimole royal family in Isale Eko, Lagos. 

Chief Justus Oluwagbemiga Daniel, 65, the 14th Governor of Ogun State, Professor Bayo Williams, who turned 70 recently and Abagun Kole Omololu of the social media platform, Yoruba Consciousness, and his wife were also there. Abagun Omololu from Ikale in Ondo State, wore his high cap, his trade mark. Mr. Seni Adio, SAN, a director in Odua Investment Company and another director Mr. Segun Olujobi were also in attendance with their wives. 

The crew members of the play were Yemi Shodimu, Olaide Agboola, Edgar Joseph, Ladi Soyode, Olisa Adibua, Makinde Adeniran, Ifeanyi Eziukwu, Oluwatoyin Olokodana-James (Ph.D), Kehinde Oretimeyi, Adedayo Liadi, Adenike Ayodele, Minna Davies, Adebunmi Adewale, Paul Abbah, Abiodun Abe, Wale Adeleke, Abe Busayo, Sulaimon Abimbola, Habeeb Balogun, Saheed Balogun, Rahmon Balogun, Taiwo Adesoji and Musbau Afolabi. 

The major actors of the play were Shallom Matthew, Mojisola Kadiri, Adeyemi Adeshina, Ikponmwosa Gold, Stanley Okeke, Austin Onuoha and Segun Moses. Other actors were Moshood Fattah, Seyi Fasuyi, Nelson Orah, Toyin Osinaike, Stanley Okeke, Rasheed Aluko, Adeyemi Adeshina, Mawuyon Ogun, Nelson Orah, Yinka Davies, Jennifer Osammor, Omowunmi Segun, Aisha Onitiri, Eferoghene Awusa, Tosin Adeyemi, Oladotun Olagbadebo, Austin Onuoha, Ikponmwosa Gold, Omololu Sodiya and Seyi Fasuyi.

The play featured the major roles played by Chief Awolowo, his wife, Chief Mrs. Hannah Dideolu Idowu Awolowo (1915-2015), Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola (1910-1966), former Premier of Western Nigeria;  former Deputy Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Victor Babaremilekun Adetokunbo Fani-Kayode (1921-1995);   the late Premier of Northern Nigeria and Sardauna of Sokoto,, Sir Ahmadu Bello (June 12,1910-January 15, 1966); the late Premier of Eastern Nigeria, Sir Michael Iheonukara Okpara (December 25, 1920-December 17, 1984), the late former Governor of Lagos, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (July 23, 1929-February 11, 2021); Segun Awolowo Snr (January 1939-July 9, 1963), a lawyer, and others. 

I noticed the presence of the youths in the hall that day. I was curious about their huge presence and this set me thinking. These days, hardly do people go to cinema halls to watch films not to talk of plays.

The younger elements will prefer to be on Google or the internet to watch anything at all. But for them to come and watch a play at Glover Hall at that time of the night looked risky to me. They must have been motivated by what they have read or seen about Chief Awolowo.

Streets, stadium and many other projects have been named after Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But the youths that came to the hall that day did not experience the golden era of Chief Awolowo’s tenure as Premier of Western Nigeria. Right now they are witnessing a shattered country. Sadly they are now witnessing a collapsing nation.

The Odua Investment Company contributed a lot to the production of the play. Mr. Wale Raji told me later that the play will be staged in Ibadan soon, and he too was impressed about the attendance on that day.

The emotional aspect of the play was when Chief Awolowo, while in prison, was told about the tragic death of his first son, Segun, a lawyer, who died in a car crash along Lagos – Ibadan road on July 9, 1963. Professor Osinbajo did not make a speech before or after the play. He only went on stage to shake hands with the actors along with his wife Dolapo after the play. 

The play was a reincarnation of Chief Awolowo as the Premier of Western Nigeria and how he formed the Action Group and the crisis that came within the Action Group. It is impossible to capture Chief Awolowo’s achievements and legacy in a play, or in an article, journal or a book.

If today there is relative peace and stability in the South West, it could be traced to the foundation laid by Chief Awolowo in the region coupled with the Omoluwabi, Bibire And Alajobi culture among the people of that region.

It is not by accident that, today, Awo’s disciples are scattered all over the world preaching his legacy and reminding us constantly that there was a time when there was good governance in the Western Region.