Nigerian Newspapers
The gods are not to blame
The playwright intended for the book to be a sign post for the need for obedience in our society. The story is a well-grounded literary piece on an unfortunate man named Odewale, the king of Kutuje. This man left his hometown and in the process stumbled upon the people of Kutuje at a time when they were weak and down-trodden reeking of defeat. Odewale empathetic to their plight mobilizes them to action against the people Ikolu, the town responsible for the invasion and subsequent defeat of the Kutuje people. The people of Kutuje respond to his call and follow him to war against Ikolu. They are successful and in appreciation the people of Kutuje make Odewale their king. As custom demands he takes Queen Ojuola, the wife of the now late King Adetusa, as his wife and she bear his four children. Eleven years after a peaceful and joyous rule as King of Kutuje, trouble begins.
An epidemic in the town resulting in the death of the towns people in their numbers sets in motion the series of unfortunate events brewing up. These deaths cause the Odewale to send Aderopo, the son of Ojuola’s former husband, King Adetusa, to Ile-Ife to inquire from Orunmila the cause of the present epidemic. Aderopo returns with an answer that a curse on a full-grown man, who killed the former King Adetusa, was the cause of all the trouble. Odewale sentences the man right there and then to a slow painful death and again sends Aderopo to Oyo to call Baba Fakunle, an old Ifa priest, considered to “see all” and “know all”, to unveil the identity of the man. When the priest arrives he gets frantic on seeing Odewale and accuses him of being the murderer that was being spoken of. He labels him the cause of all the present problems in the land and a bedsharer. Odewale is upset by this assessment and orders for the priest to be detained. Seething, Odewale comes to the conclusion that there is conspiracy against him spareheaded by Aderopo and as a result, after a confrontation with Aderopo on the issue, banishes him from the land.
More determined than ever to find the culprint, Odewale swears to do so before the end of that day and is about to set out to begin his search when his wife delays him with her questions on what happened between him and her son. He answers and it is from this conversation that the truth about the origin of Odewale is revealed. It is discovered in the end that Odewale is the first child born to King Adetusa and Queen Ojuola. When he was born divination was carried out and his destructive destiny was uncovered. He was going to end up killing his father and marrying his mother. To avoid this, the priest at that time Baba Fakunle, ordered for the boy to be killed. This was to be done by a palace guard called Gbonka. Gbonka took the child to forest but decided to spare the life of the child. Instead he gives the child to a hunter and his aide that he met in the forest. The hunter Ogundele accepts the child and raises him as his own. When Odewale is full-grown, he also visits the oracle for divination to be carried out to find out his destiny. It is here he discovers that cruel hand fate has dealt him. Against the advice of the priest to simply stay where he was, he decided to run far away from home and not come back until both his parents were dead. In the process of running, he, in anger, killed a man later revealed to be King Adetusa for speaking disrespectfully against his tribe. It was while fleeing that he came across the people of Kutuje and helped them. As Ojuola discovers the horrible truth, that she has indeed married, slept with and had children for her son, she goes into her chambers and drives a knife into her own stomach. Odewale, realising that the weight of what had been done, goes in after Ojuola and seeing her dead, pulls the knife out of her stomach and uses the same knife to remove his eyes from their sockets. In his self-imposed darkness, Odewale requests for Aderopo to be called back to the land. He (Odewale) apologizes to Aderopo for accusing him wrongly when Aderopo eventually arrives and then asks as a final request for his wife and mother, Ojuola, to be given a burial of honour. Odewale proceeds to banish himself along with his children from the land, fulfilling his earlier vow. On this tragic note, the play ends with Odewale sorrowful and full of regret, his children confused and sealed to a wretched fate and the people of Kutuje mourning for the loss of their beloved king.
The book is written in drama form in acts and scenes with dialogue. With a well-handled plot, the fluid movement of the plot from start to finish gave the story an enthralling rhythm that did well to engage the attention of the audience. The employment of the narrative technique in fractions of the play conveyed a better understanding of plot and did well as an element of mystery and suspense. Literary devices like flashback were employed to expound on the plot, evoke the interest of the reader and give life to the story.
The quality of the playwright’s style was high. One feature to highlight here is the sheer simplicity of the play which left a sweet taste on my tongue. The originality of this piece is commendable. The idea to “Africanise” an originally European literary piece (Oedipus rex) was daring enough but then the playwright not only succeeded in this but ended up delivering a work of art rich with African content and flavour. The plot is well framed with an excellent construction and dramatic power. Dramatic irony is effectively used and the tense mood of the story is lightened through the application of literary devices like irony which contributed to the emotional quality of the writing. An example of this is seen in Act 3 Scene 2 where Odewale says
Odewale: Of course. You all mean no evil against me. You all love me. We are all close friends. [Sneering] Like he-goats and cocoyams!
[Here Odewale already suspects that there is a conspiracy against him]
In terms of theme, the major theme is the price of disobedience. This is a traditional and familiar theme that is especially popular in religious settings. The archives of history are replete with stories of people/ communities/ nations that have been destroyed for acts of disobedience, an example is the Israelites. The theme, didatic in purpose, developed as the plot developed and was emphasized at the climax of the story where all the clothes were hung out to dry. If only the bodyguard had obeyed, then if only Odewale had obeyed and remained where he was. If only, if only… The three-dimensional characters also carried the story well. Odewale, for example, was a complicated man, the kind of man you would not want to die, one you would love but also the kind you would want to shake hard for lacking wisdom and common sense, not to mention taking unnecessarily rash actions. There wasn’t one interpretation to him.
I would recommend this book to as many people as possible. It is a magnum opus, a work of art with much to teach and even more to offer. I’ll give it a 10.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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