Preparations intensify for Efuru@50
six-city celebration
October 17, 2016
*Profs. Bolanle Awe, Zaynab Alkali,
Akachi Ezeigbo, David Ker are keynote speakers
Ahead of the November 29th commencement date of the
‘Efuru@50’ celebrations, the Dr. Wale Okediran-led National Organising
Committee (NOC) is pressing solidly ahead with preparations to ensure a
hitch-free event in the six selected cities.
The golden jubilee of the novel written in 1966 by the
late Flora Nwapa and published by Heinemann, would be loudly celebrated in
Lagos, Maiduguri, Abuja, Enugu, Owerri and Oguta from November 29 to
December 11 under the theme, ‘Efuru@50: A Celebration of Flora Nwapa and
African Women Literature.’
As part of efforts to ensure a hitch-free celebration,
local organising committees (LOCs), under the supervision of eminent scholars,
have been constituted to aid the work of the NOC
Scholar and poet, Professor Hope Eghagha of the
Department of English, University of Lagos, is head of the LOC in Lagos while
Dr. Razinat Mohammed is overseeing preparations at the University of Maiduguri.
Professor Vicky Sylvester of the English Department, University of Abuja is
head of the local organising committee in the FCT, Prince Paschal Mebuge heads
that of Enugu and Mr. Camilus Ukah is chair of the committee in Owerri.
Also, keynote speakers including
Professor Bolanle Awe (Lagos), Prof. David Ker (Abuja), Prof. Zaynab Alkali
(Maiduguri) and Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo (Enugu) have been contacted.
Not willing
to leave anything to chance, members of the NOC including Dr. Okediran, Prince
Pascal Mebuge, Barrister Uzoma Nwakuche (Nwapa’s first son), Chinyere
Obi-Obasi, Salamatu Sule, Akintayo Abodunrin, Isaac Ogezi and Ikeogu Oke have
also paid courtesy visits to key stakeholders. The NOC, has amongst others,
visited the managements of UNILAG, UNIABUJA, National Council for Arts and
Culture (NCAC) Abuja, UNIMAID and IMT Enugu among other places.
Personalities and organisations
including the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Imo State Governor,
Owelle Rochas Okorocha, NTA Enugu, Radio Nigeria Enugu, Ford Foundation Lagos,
Nigerian Breweries Lagos, Goethe Institute Lagos, British Council Lagos and
Chief Victor Umeh in Enugu have also been visited to seek their cooperation.
Happily, the
authorities of UNILAG, UNIABUJA, UNIMAID, IMT Enugu, NTA Abuja (for the use of
NTA Arena for the Children’s Carnival), NTA Enugu, Radio Nigeria Enugu,
Ford Foundation and Nigerian Breweries have since confirmed their
support.
Similarly, eminent Nigerians including the Emir
of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, ex-military president, General
Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd), Gen T.Y. Danjuma (Rtd), Bishop Mathew Kukah, Senate
President Bukola Saraki, Senate Leader, Mohammed Ndume and Ministers of
Education, Information and Culture, Mines, Women Affairs, Transport and
Communications among others have been contacted for support.
Disclosing
what else needed to be done before the conference opens on November 29, Dr
Okediran said schools participating in the literary competition would soon be
confirmed while copies of ‘Efuru’ would be distributed to them.
He urged other individuals and corporate Nigeria to
come on board and join in the celebration of both ‘Efuru’ and its writer,
Nwapa, an assistant registrar at the
University of Lagos between 1962 and 1964, a visiting Professor at the
University of Maiduguri and three time commissioner in the East Central State.
The ‘Efuru@50’ celebration
will feature discourse and paper presentations, symposia, children’s carnival,
writing competitions and drama sketches from the novel. The grand finale has
been scheduled for Oguta, Imo State the birthplace of the author on
Saturday December 10 2016 with a Cultural Festival.
https://cityvoiceng.com/preparations-intensify-for-efuru50-six-city-celebration/
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