It was a festival of songs and re-enactment of the folk story-telling culture in a typical African society where life is simple and easy going before the advent of foreign culture and value.
Prof. Chike Edozien, Asagba of Asaba
It was a moment to bring to life the mores, the world views and values that heed families and societies together and there could not have been a better time than the activities marking the 90th birthday ceremony of the paramount political leader of Ahaba Ujom kingdom Asagba, Professor Joseph Edozien, CFF, the Asagba of Asaba.
The act could not have had a better star performer than Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who took the centre stage to render folk tales from his infant recollections that rocked the Nnebisi Hall of Grand Hotel, Asaba.
P.C. Nwabuzor who provided an innovative setting and structure and format that could save folk love a heritage of Africa.
The theatre set up, the audience participatory formal in typical African call and response African entertainment sequence holds the prospect of making story telling a veritable aspect of African Night Entertainment repertoire as was fit for royalty. The audience was made up of Asaba and Anioma people that have been invited by the Asagba Birthday Anniversary under the chairmanship of Professor Epiphany Azinge, the former Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies (NIALS), Abuja, member of the Edozien family, Civil Servant and Lovers of Traditional Art.
Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, the Senator Representing Delta North Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly took the first short with a folk tale entitled: Nwa Nnabeji which he rendered in short takes with improvised music by PC Nwabuzor Group, but the hall erupted when he told the story of Omalingwo Nwa Eze Ute-Ute and followed it up with Ani Ogbalagada.
The audience was thrilled with stories of Chief Nwaboshi personal life odyssey as he interspersed his act with his personal life his act with his personal struggles of life that is typical to any African child with less privileged background.
His cameo performance set the stage for an evening of Orature, a journey of rendition of tales of rural and rustic communal life which is now one of a dying art forms in modern society. This was the traditional pattern of socialisation process which was used to mould character and shape personality traits in children. It formed an essential patter of communication and critical commentaries on social and issues of governance in traditional African society social and moral ethos with conveyed through this art form which part of African literature especially those who study oral literature in tertiary institutions.
The advent of technology especially the African movie tradition has equally provided a rare of hope for the likes of Dr. Chudi Okwechime, and Mr. P.C. Nwabuzor who have tried to preserve this art form both in written work and stage performance.
Nwabuzor told Vanguard of his vision “to involve the students at all levels to join in this revival of an essential part of the culture of the people.”
Nwabuzor told Vanguard of his vision “to involve the students at all levels to join in this revival of an essential part of the culture of the people.”
A community leader Ogbueshi Akaeze Ibonye commended the organisers of the event for using the opportunity of the 90th birthday of the Asagba to make statement about the people the culture and tradition of Asaba people and also drawing attention to this historical links between Asaba people and in Igala people who share a common ancestry.
He was particularly happy that the Attah of Igala sent a full delegation from Igala land to participate in the Asagba birthday. They also brought their elephant masquerade to participate in the carnival.
Professor Azinge said the committee to time to plan the event in major areas of life that the Asagba has passed through notably his cultural and traditional aspect of life and the Asagba political institution, his life through the academia the medical profession, sports, where he was the captain of the football team of Chris the King College, Onitsha from 1933 to 1941, and the royalty which was captured in the book entitled: Asagba Joseph Chike Ezozien: His Thought, Mission and Vision, written by Mr. Ifeoha Azikiwe, but this was not without a public lecture by Professor Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe CFR, who spoke on: “Corruption: The Toxic Junction Box of A Challenge Nation.”
This topic had a special appeal to the Asagba, who was appointed in 2008 to be the Chairman of the board that reviewed to observations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make it more efficient in dealing with issues of graft in public and private sectors of the economy but the report was never implemented.
Professor Akinkugbe concluded that Nigeria’s war against corruption must go beyond the cosmetic treatment of crimes involving corruption as the Chinese example shows how serious nations that want to fight this malaise and culture can go to deal with it in their own particular way.
The Chief celebrant, Prof. Edozien was impressed with the attention to details by the organisers but more importantly by their effort to involve every segment of the society.
He was happy with the scope of the programme which included the induction into Asaba Hall of Fame, the erection of a life size statue in his honour and naming a major street after him.
Secondly, school students participated in the essay and quiz competitions while the fishing festival, the carnival parade, the football match were used to add colour to the event which climaxed on July 28 with an inter-denomination service which was attended by the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa who praised the monarch for his steadfast support for his candidacy during governorship contest.
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