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From; Madu Ezenoha, Enugu
Multi-faceted literary giant, Dike Chukwumerije at the weekend stormed
the coal city state of Enugu, where he staged several drama and poetry
performances depicting Nigeria’s historical development.
Dike held thousands of theater goers and literary scholars spellbound
for more than three hours in the show tagged “Evening of poetry
for theater production” at Oakland Event Centre, Enugu.
The show which was done in collaboration with Radio Nigeria Enugu,
covered 102 years of Nigeria’s history presented in different genres
including poetry, songs, music, book reading and scintillating drama.
Dike, the scion of late Abia senator, Uche Chukwumerije described the
event as “a made in Nigeria show” aimed at re-evening the nation’s
cultural values and re-establishing the nation’s history in art forms
with a view to forging a common bond and unity among new generation
Nigerians.
He said, “It is possible to use poetry and literary works to sustain
our values and history; yes you can use it, both writing in English and
talking about your culture and your situation or even writing in your
own indigenous tongue, which is even stronger. So poetry is a very
strong tool for preserving our cultural heritage.”
“I wanted to use poetry to draw socio-political attention and pass
cultural messages especially the history of Nigeria in a way that it
will be interesting and engaging. The theme is that in spite of our
contradictions, in spite of our problems there are some benefits in
staying together as a country.
“I see a lot of potential in Nigeria as the greatest black nation on
the face of the planet. I’m just saying that yes I know things are
difficult, yes I know that we have had a tortuous history, but the
things that bind Nigeria together; the beliefs, the ideals; I think we
should try to uphold that vision.”
Chukwumerije promised to repeat the show in Enugu and the South East
in general in order to sustain Enugu literary society and promote
reading culture in the zone.
The Zonal Director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN)
Enugu network centre, Mr. Ike Okere, described the show as “a proof
that poetry is life, that poetry is action, that poetry is not that
dry academic exercise that we do in schools and universities. And that
with poetry you can actually create a change, you can actually get
people thinking and that you can actually get people to take action.
“Dike has proved again that the origins, the root of poetry lies in
music, in dance and in song. And combining all these elements, he has
created a wonderful show, a show that has kept us for two hours, applauding
on our feet, a show that beats any musical video you can think about
or indeed any movie in any cinema house.
“We are a public radio channel, Radio Nigeria is a public radio
channel, and we believe that it is our responsibility to promote
culture, it is our responsibility to promote a literary culture every
where we are. So we will do that, we will continue to do that, and we
will continue to provide the platform for people who are creative to
be able to really express themselves,” he said.
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