By Omiko Awa
AS part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 52nd independence
anniversary, National Troupe of Nigeria presented The Bridge, a musical dance drama recently at the National Theatre,
Lagos.
Written and
choreographed by Arnold Udoka, The Bridge
has peace and unity as theme.
It opened with
dances that cut across the major ethnic groups in the country, including Igala.
The play centres on a bank manager, who, apart from unifying the various ethnic
groups in the town where he was posted to serve, also helps to solve the
different problems militating against the growth and development of the town,
Tanfo, a town at the verge of collapse.
When the
industrious banker, the lead character, is promoted to the position of a
manger, his people are full of praises for him and organises an elaborate party
to celebrate the new position; but the joy soon wanes when they discover that
their son is not only transferred to Tanfo, but will head the bank as manger as
well. Not satisfied with their son going to the town, the banker’s kinsmen and
community leaders of thought plead with him to turn down the offer on the
grounds that there is high level of insecurity, civil strife, corruption,
rancour and power struggle among the people of Tanfo. But he would not listen;
not even his pregnant wife’s entreaties could make him change his mind.
Dedicated to
his duty, the young branch manger sets out for Tanfo. Just as his people
feared, he meets Tanfo in anarchy and civil strife, which result in
bloodletting. Worried about the situation, he resolves to settle the people’s
differences thereby bringing a new order that ensures everybody is given equal
opportunity to operate. While working under the new order, peace returns to the
town and the inhabitants start to have a level ground to invest and move freely
and the once dreaded community begins to experience some growth and
development.
Using Tanfo as
a metaphor for Nigeria as a developing nation, the 45-man dance drama, through
colorful costumes and dances that are both traditional and modern bring to the
fore the positive and negative forces that usually contend for attention for
the emergence of true nationhood and mutual coexistence of the various tribes.
The dance drama showcases how negative elements such as ethnicity, civil strife
and distrust usually draw a nation backwards. The Bridge highlights the importance of peace and unity as
essential ingredients of nation building.
In
encapsulating the overall message of the play, Udoka said, “It is when we build
bridges across boundaries, across gender, ethnicities, religions and states
that we would have the understanding of people and the situation of things at
the other side of the divide. What is happening is that within religions, politics
and gender, there is so much strife, which is totally unnecessary.”
First staged
in July this year at the 7th edition of African First Ladies’ Peace
Summit held in Abuja, Udoka said, he was inspired by the unity of the nation to
write the play.
“I was
inspired by the need for the unity of the country to write the play, because I
know the various federating states are capable of building bridges to link one
another. Though some people are busy destroying what others have built or are
building by causing confusion, strife or inter-tribal wars in the country, but
with mutual understanding and justice, we will overcome them.
“If men and
women understand themselves there will be no strife between them or male
cheating or making laws that do not favour women. If we really understand the
essence of building bridges, then we need to know that we have to build bridges
of peace, love and unity across religions, political divide, states and ethnic
groups to bring about social and economic justice that would enable the various
communities in the country to develop and Nigeria as a country will be the
better for it.”
While
commenting on the role of the bank manger of Tanfo, Udoka said, “People should
learn to grow up because there is no god-fatherism in self-actualisation; as a
bank manger, the young man was able to manage everything, include human
emotions and crises to succeed. He is a metaphor for leadership and the type of
leader expected in Nigeria”.
POOL Club,
Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, was last week filled up by operators of travel
agencies, hotel and hospitality businesses. They were around to welcome members
of the South African Tourism Board, who were in the country to introduce the
various destinations in South Africa to Nigerians.
The event, which served as avenue for
stakeholders in the hospitality and travel and tour business to network, saw
the tourism board officials show some of the clips on television to guests. 
The tourism team also attracted staff of the South
African Consulate General, Lagos, led by Ambassador Mokgethi Sam Monaisa. 
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