Oduduwa Lives On

 Rebecca Ejifoma

“Oduduwa”, as its title goes, is a household name that calls for much attention and prestige. Many have known the name, Oduduwa, today through folklore and moonlight stories their fathers told them. However, today, a group of nimble young men from Kings College have opted to roll the history of the Yorubas into a comic relief for students’ pleasurable reading and comprehension.

This, according to the authors’ penchant, is to relay and remind the Nigerian students, especially the Yorubas and the Edos, of their origin. So, in line with the saying that Charity begins at home, three young alumni of Kings College, Ikoyi Lagos, came up with a concept and produced the result, a comic book titled, “Oduduwa”, the story of the Yorubas.

Such men include Olatunji Anjorin, Oriteme Banigo and Adeniyi Adeniji. Others, who contributed in the birth of the comic, are Sunkanmi Akinboye, Harriet Ekwueme, Dayo Animashaun. With one mindset, 560 copies of Oduduwa were donated to the JSS one students, who were 560 in number.

As an idea, which started off seven years ago, “Oduduwa” finally stormed the literary world. With this the authors could proudly say, good thinking, good product. Written for the benefit of impacting historical truth in a comic form, the book is straight to the point, conversational, graphical, easy to comprehend and as short as a fable. The choice of words is simple for an average reader or a learner.

The 36-page book is written in a dramatic style. It started off like an argument among four boys with two on each side of the fence. Perhaps, they needed an older person to correct or explain the truth on how the whole voyage of Oduduwa started.

For the new diction used in “Oduduwa” the authors went as far as expounding those words in the last page of the book defined each word for clearer and better understanding.

Being an educational initiative, Tunji enthused that they decided to make it as simple as they could; even as it is uploaded on their website. “Panaramic Entertainment was created to enable Nigerian and the rest of the world engage in our rich history and culture, thereby, helping to promote and preserve it.

“Reading as a form of leisure and self-development is a faint concept in the minds of most Nigerians; thus, perpetuates the cycle of illiteracy. Through this medium, we are able to provide our audience with positive historical figures and role models who our leaders can relate to: who face the same problem,” Tunji stated.

Every developing economy, he added, has a comic book industry. Nigeria has an industry but it hasn’t been developed. So, we created this comic book that tells our history, historical people and events and our culture. Explaining further, he reiterated that Okiojo is a wise all-knowing man, who will relay this whole story to the young generation. As the Editor-in-Chief of the book, Tunji maintained that for one to know where one is heading one needed to know where one is coming from.

Meanwhile, the Principal of the Kings College, Otunba Oladele Olapeju, said with much thrill, “As a literary man I feel great and as a principal of Kings College I feel greater that this is coming from my old boys.”

We did a preview of this book a year ago, he stated, because they sent copies to us. Olapeju said he took the copies of the books to their teachers and discover that it is not only a literary book but also some of those things about history that these children didn’t learn they can learn from the comic book.

From his expression, one could tell how proud he was of the old students, who pioneered the book for the young students, whom he addressed as Kings. “There have been several other contributions from old boys but this is taken to a different dimension. Some of those things that are tedious to learn in school can be turned into comic or cartoons’ series and children will learn better.”

Students gladly grabbed their various copies as they recited the school anthem to round off the day. Their classes’ teachers as well as coordinators also took part in the exercise. For the students’ delight, Okiojo (the all-knowing wise elder) tells historical tales, myths and legends to the young Nigerians, who are eager to learn about their past and heritage. “We advise students to broaden their horizons and re-live the experience in order to become the arbitrator,” in the words of the alumni.

The set of authors also revealed that they have prepared three other comic books including “1985”, “Queen Amina part one” and “Queen Amina part two”, which would be released through their Panaramic Entertainment platform.

Wande George Shows at TerraKulture

Rebecca Ejifoma

Reflection by Wande

Naked Truth, an exhibition of the recent arrays by the renowned Nigerian artist, Wande George holds from August 16 to 26 at the Terra Kulture Art Gallery in Victoria Island Lagos.

The solo exhibition, which aims to awaken the instinct of Nigerians to start acting not talking, will feature his 30 works in paintings and mixed media. Naked Truth is meant to serve as a food of thought for the viewers and Nigerians to peep and focus on the current threats facing the nation.

“In his usual thought-provoking reflection of social and domestic issues, the artist highlights both the common elements and the great diversity that constitutes the fabric of our society,” says Joseph Umoibom a reviewer.

According to the artist at a press briefing held at Terra Kulture recently, “When I started the series it was soul searching and were basically religious concepts, but somehow along the way, I found out that what happens to me, happens to others and can easily be applied to the society in which I live, after all, I am a product of the society and so interestingly, the more I explore the more I discover.”

To highlight his message even father, some of the works to be displayed include “Reflection”, “Desperate Men”, “Deceit (The Seat)”, “Generation X”, “East & West”, “Blind Leader” and the “Boarder Post.” Others are “Fear”, “Security”, “Dialogue”, “Window of Opportunity”, “My Sweet Heart”, “Waiting”, “African Queen”, “For Better For Worse” and of course, “Good News.”

Wande also stated that most often, he liked to express the ideas as crude as it hits him, because that is the only way he could be true to the concept and keep the idea intact.

Indeed, the show promises to be NAKED and TRUTHful as Wande, the artist, enthused that the viewers may be jolted, amused, indifferent or nod their heads and say ‘yes, this is true’. “I am just trying to be fair to my conscience on this concept of Naked Truth I have been exploring since 2004.”

For example the “BOARDER POST” is an expression of a personal experience when my privacy was intruded (A Yoruba adage that says “Bi ogiri ko ba la’nu, Alangba ko le wo ibe” meaning without a crack on the wall lizards can not gain entrance” is what I tried to express here but applying it in a global term. You will notice how people are infiltrating and migrating uninhibited especially in Africa, this is because there are so many porous route/access. The advent of the Internet (especially social media) has also given unhindered access to people to intrude on other people’s privacy. The “Boarder Posts” are indeed porous. 

Permit me to say that a few of the works may denote violence, I do not intend to promote violence (I am an ambassador of Christ and He is the Prince of Peace) it is a wake up call that violence is real and it is becoming our second nature, therefore, if we do not act fast, danger is imminent. For example WHO ARE YOU? & INSECURITY are classical examples of how we have all lost patience with ourselves both individually and corporately. There’s no day that I drive on the street of Lagos that I don’t see people bullying each other, on the global scene you will also note that Nations are also on each other’s jugular, trying to prove superiority.  There is an imminent danger and we all need to slow down, unlearn what we have learnt and show more understanding and love because we are made in Gods image and GOD is LOVE In this body of work you will also find figure paintings, landscapes etc., It is only a reminiscence of my days as illustrator in the advertising world  Some people say I am a Cubist Some say I am an expressionist  I don’t know what you think of me.  All that I know is that I am an Artist and a Voice in the affair of my generation.  Whoever you think that I am… welcome to my world!