By JAPHET ALAKAM

LAST one week, the busy city of Lagos  was agog with flurry of activities as friends, former colleagues and huge admirers and fans of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu celebrated his 60th birthday.

The celebrant, former governor of Lagos State and one time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is no doubt one of the most important living political titans with dominant influences across the country’s divides.

In recognition of the immense contributions of this important politician, friends, colleagues, fans and citizens of Lagos organized colloquiums, book presentations, prayers and cultural performances with which they explored and re-represent the celebrant.

Freedom fighter
One of such activities that intensely captured the character of Tinubu as a statesman, freedom fighter and politician was the stage presentation of Odia Ofeimun’s play, Nigeria the Beautiful.

Staged at the Shell Hall of Muson Centre, the play directed by Felix Okolo is a dramatic effort by the playwright Odia at chronicling Nigeria’s tumultuous journey in the political space from the colonial days till date.

The  play, a dance drama which has toured some cities across Nigeria was staged by the Hornbill Playhouse and committee in charge of  Tinubu at 60 in honour of the man who is described by many as a true democrat.

...A scene from the play

And as usual, Nigerians from all walks of life filled the hall to watch the play and through out the period it lasted the audience was treated to what could be described as a well rounded theatrical production.

Some of the important personalities who spared time to convive with the celebrant at the well attended dance drama were: Chief Bisi Akande, chairman of ACN, Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi and their son, Seyi; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Joke Orelope-Adefulire; Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Aremo Segun Osoba; the publisher of Vanguard newspaper, Mr Sam Amuka; celebrity couple, Olu Jacobs and Joke Sylva; Chief Bisi Olatilo, among others.

Talking about the play, the playwright, Odia  stated that Asiwaju Tinubu’s impressive contributions to the progressive political movements inspired the staging of the play.

The dance drama addresses the central issue of a country that is so eminently savable but never managed to put it together.

With the play Odia in his usual manner of using every available platform to tell a story, also employs the dance drama to recapture how the country hurriedly got independence unprepared, and how the first civilian government collapsed and how the army took over and the role of the various leaders, their greed and unpatriotic will to keep the country under their control without providing the needs of the masses.

This theatrical intervention did not end there. It also highlights how the masses revolted many times and how they were reduced to nothing by the powers that be. Right from the time the performance opened till the time the curtain was drawn, there was an unprecedented recapturing of what the country has gone through in the hands of the so called leaders that have made the rich and beautiful country to become a failed state.

Natural and human resources
The production was indeed an exposition of the ugly situation in the country that is richly blessed with abundant natural and human resources but fails to make good use of them. In his part, the well travelled director, Okolo used his ability to blend all the elements of production into a composite aesthetic experience in the drama.

In putting up the play, he was guided by the five basic fundamentals of drama production: composition, costumes, movement, rhythm, pantomime and actions and in line with that, the actors/actresses keyed into that and gave an excellent account of themselves. As in other dance drama of that class, it was rich in dancing and spectacle, the lighting was okay and the set was well designed to suit every act.

At the end of the drama presentation, an elated Asiwaju said: “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the cast and Ofeimun have gone through political history. The hope to transform our country is still alive. You just need to work harder. God bless Nigeria.”