…As She Is Honoured In The UK

Two warring factions of theatre practitioners in the country, the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners (ANTP) and the Theatre and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) have agreed to sheathe their swords, while working in unity to develop their industry.
This development came during a day of performances organised by the Ogunde Theatre Group, ANTP and TAMPAN in honour of the late Chief Mrs HID Awolowo.
Speaking during the event, Chief Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, said because Mama Awolowo stood for peace in her lifetime, “and we are here celebrating her today, then it is important we also allow peace to reign.
“When we leave here today, we will work out modalities through which we will work together for peace to reign,” Chief Salami said.
The anchor of the event, Mr Yemi Shodimu, initiated the peace move after the Ogunde group had performed a song, Yoruba Ronu, composed by Chief Ogunde in 1964.
“We are listening to Chief Ogunde’s message on unity, but here we still fighting for supremacy battle among ourselves.
“I hope this event can be used to cement unity among our people because we are here to celebrate a woman who stood for unity,” Shodimu said.
Meanwhile, the late Yeye Oodua, Chief Awolowo, was honoured in the United Kingdom last week, when the National Coordinator of Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), Chief Gani Adams, called for a minute silence in her honour.
Adams, at the formal launching of Oodua Voice Radio and Magazine online in London, extolled the virtue of Mama as a virtuous woman worthy of emulation not only by womenfolk but also by all Yorubas the world over.
He said the demise of Mama is one of the reasons Yorubas should have a rethink on their position in the federated Nigeria and also the need to emphasise their individuality as the fifth respectable ethnic group in the world.
On the launching, Adams described it as historical and a right step to preserve and promote Yoruba heritage. Adams said the effort is in continuation of the vision and graduation of the path-finding strides of Oodua Progressive Union (OPU).
According to him, OPU was convened to showcase values and cultural integrity of Yoruba “outside the geographical contraption of Nigeria, apology to the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who founded the Egbe Omo Oduduwa here in London in 1947.”
He lamented that Yoruba culture and tradition is gradually suffering from the overwhelming influence of what he called systematic cultural imperialism through exposition to unbridled vogues, socio effect of globalisation and indecent social interaction.