The two gods in this matter are the government agency of privatization BPE (Bureau of Public Enterprises) and the Professionals cum the Culture workers. Consequently, they have turned the National theatre to the Colosseum for their ‘would be’ rugged battle.
The advent of theatre can be traced back to the ‘Before Christ’ era, Greek traditional festivals, rituals, myths et al therefore, it is easier to associate the practice of theatre to the worship of some sort of gods. Anyway, over the centuries, theatre practices have grown to serve other purposes in nation building rather than an avenue for mere jamboree. Gone are the days when theatre practice bestowed on practitioners an automatic title of ‘dregs of society’, now, countries build their economical survival on it.
Even the Roman colosseum (an amphitheatre) of the AD 69 century is still standing till date, as a touristic relic though but the government is still ensuring its usefulness economically and culturally. It is mind bugging then when a two fighting situation has been created between the practitioners cum workers in the culture sector and the government over this same Theatre relevance and its non-relevance especially in this golden age. What comes to mind immediately is “what is the cause of this imbroglio?”
The Nigerian government is saying via the BPE that the theatre (practice and Building) can only make meaning to the economy of the nation by outright selling or by concession. Well, the government claims further that their investment in the theatre is almost becoming a waste because they spend on it and never get returns. Looking at this argument critically, the government being the custodian of all the nation’s heritage is fair or quite right on this issue, that is, if the government is sure that this is the real motive or right argument for declaring the National Theatre as a FOR SALE property.
The practitioners cum workers too are claiming that the government has consistently short-changed the sector in the effective running of the institution thereby affecting the output and practice of the profession generally. Can the people ever be right over government in an issue such as this, especially that they are not the one wearing the shoes, so, they may not know where it pinches? Yet they (the practitioners/workers) are adamant that it’s their tax money after all so, they demand to have a say! Even though they are less powerful on this issue, they seem ready to make a fight and quite right too. That is, if they knew all there are to the institution’s ineffectiveness culturally and financially.
A perusal of the two contending facts as argued above show that there are couples of central factors militating against the two factions (govt. and practitioners/workers). On this issue, there have been enough write-ups to proof “who is wrong” and “who is right” but none has touched on the crux of the matter; the act of law that established the National Theatre and its consequent functionality.
I am not conversant with the law though, but I do know that no Theatre in the world operates under a civil service code of which the Nigerian National Theatre is operating now. So, it simply proves that from the very start, the government got it all wrong or had another agenda for the venue apart from what the general public think or know of it. So, the question of budgetary allocation, shortchanging as vividly enumerated by CORA (Committee for Relevant Arts) in one of its write-ups, or the cultural heritage syndrome as protested by professionals and the culture workers would not come to play yet.
To really establish a National ARTS Theatre that would bear positively on the socio-cultural status of a nation, it requires administrative and operational structures that are devoid of contradictions. The NT should be a gauge for our literary output, that which should automatically have positive bearing on our educational standards especially in the area of literature and also to serve as an archive for preserving and updating our cultural practices by way of performances, workshops, training through artistes Residency, symposiums, publishing, play reading, conferences, cultural orientation, exhibitions, libraries, cultural exchange programmes, regulatory organ within the practice and so many more. The government, especially in a democratic setup like Nigeria should be the least of the NT’s sponsors (only by way of subventions) in other to avoid political appointees as the head of the institution. The NT is purely a professionals’ world! Rather, the NT as a government establishment, should source for funding with its well articulated programmes from funding agencies, corporate organizations and influential individuals around the world as it’s the practice all over.
Dr. Ahmed Yerima, the current Director General of the National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria (NT/NTN) can only ‘TRY’ as he’s doing right now. The mess the NT is today (in function then shape) has been for almost 30 years so, it definitely wont be easy for a true professional of which Dr. Yerima is on one side and a civil servant on the other, to do more than he has done within the short period he was appointed. It is obvious that he’s battling to do the right things where the laws do not permit it.
Unfortunately, all meaningful professional associations within the system that should do the battle had been run aground. Even some of the professionals (individuals) who are clamouring on either side are doing so for ulterior motives, and the cultural workers are perceived as just fighting to retain their jobs within the civil service. So, it becomes very hard for the protest to have a meaningful breakthrough.
The NT is to the economy culturally what a Central Bank is to the economy financially: a country’s heart. The NT should therefore, not be a financial profit making institution but a “cultural orientation profit making” institution, but the NT is returning none of these ‘profit’ at the moment. In the Guardian newspaper of Sunday 22nd of July 2007, an article was published, written by one Mr. Carl Orji, a consultant to the consortium that won the BPE bidding of the NT; Infrastructica. In that article, the intentions of Infrastructica were enumerated clearly and so fascinating too, I must confess. And it will, as insinuated by the plan, generate enough profit for the consortium and government. Would it then be right for us to say that the government is wrong in her concession of the NT, especially that the government is operating within the policy that NT is presently operating on (profit generation)? Certainly NO, even if the deal may have been perceived as been a shoddy arrangement meant to favour some “unknown” privileged few.
Though what the government is failing to understand is this: Infrastructica as presently constituted is of high standards and will operate as such whereas, the practice here is of the lowest of all low because of lack of support and sponsorship, the government policy is not even in favour of the practitioners and the professional associations are almost moribund therefore, Infrastructica will be a western phenomenon which would not, 90% of the time, find its customers directly amongst the practitioners here because of pricing and in some cases, quality of work. It is obvious then that the consortium will be detached from its intended purpose. Whereas a nationally established National Theatre will help to articulate and flourish our cultural identities, the consortium will exchange it for western cultures in other to make returns on profit to government as all private entertainment companies do, then, our cultural identities as Nigerians, one of the reasons for which a National Theatre is established would have been eroded.
The protesting professionals and the culture workers who are also agitating for the wrong reasons, that the government should not have made the concession of the NT to the consortium rather, the government should give them the NT to manage and hold in trust for government. This position is not any different from what the government has done with the consortium, but all these would not do any good as long as the laws on which the NT is operating is still as it is. Therefore, our best option on both ends of the “Colosseum battle of the gods” will be the hallow chambers of law: House of Representatives and the Senate.
In the best interest of all concerned especially the nation, the Houses should peruse and scrutinize the conditions of concession, and if not worthy enough, the Houses should help honourably, to adjust the conditions to suit practitioners/culture workers so that the nation can maximally benefit from the concession especially in the areas of employment generation and training.
And as for the second type of “concession” as proposed to the government by the professionals/culture workers through the protest recently organized by “Coalition of Artistes”, the Houses should debate thoroughly and honourably on the issue of the nation having a National ARTS Theatre with all the required appurtenances (practice conduct, support structure, benefit structure) of such an institution with standard practice. And if government in its wisdom would want to convert the present civil service arts and culture parastatal – National Theatre to a NATIONAL ARTS THEATRE proper, then that would take a proper re-composition through policy adjustment of organs of operation (staff, administrative structure, code of conduct and professional etiquette) in the NT as it is presently operating.
the diversification in economy gains that the nation seek would wear a new look and optimism if the cultural orientation of the people change, and one of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to understand who we are as a people, our limitations and our collective desired goals through our original and adapted histories which would help to properly define the nation’s identity. A National ARTS Theatre is one of the answers to this regeneration that the nation seeks.
Makinde Adeniran.
Playwright, Director, Arts/Culture Consultant
08023355244
makindeadeniran@gmail.com
The advent of theatre can be traced back to the ‘Before Christ’ era, Greek traditional festivals, rituals, myths et al therefore, it is easier to associate the practice of theatre to the worship of some sort of gods. Anyway, over the centuries, theatre practices have grown to serve other purposes in nation building rather than an avenue for mere jamboree. Gone are the days when theatre practice bestowed on practitioners an automatic title of ‘dregs of society’, now, countries build their economical survival on it.
Even the Roman colosseum (an amphitheatre) of the AD 69 century is still standing till date, as a touristic relic though but the government is still ensuring its usefulness economically and culturally. It is mind bugging then when a two fighting situation has been created between the practitioners cum workers in the culture sector and the government over this same Theatre relevance and its non-relevance especially in this golden age. What comes to mind immediately is “what is the cause of this imbroglio?”
The Nigerian government is saying via the BPE that the theatre (practice and Building) can only make meaning to the economy of the nation by outright selling or by concession. Well, the government claims further that their investment in the theatre is almost becoming a waste because they spend on it and never get returns. Looking at this argument critically, the government being the custodian of all the nation’s heritage is fair or quite right on this issue, that is, if the government is sure that this is the real motive or right argument for declaring the National Theatre as a FOR SALE property.
The practitioners cum workers too are claiming that the government has consistently short-changed the sector in the effective running of the institution thereby affecting the output and practice of the profession generally. Can the people ever be right over government in an issue such as this, especially that they are not the one wearing the shoes, so, they may not know where it pinches? Yet they (the practitioners/workers) are adamant that it’s their tax money after all so, they demand to have a say! Even though they are less powerful on this issue, they seem ready to make a fight and quite right too. That is, if they knew all there are to the institution’s ineffectiveness culturally and financially.
A perusal of the two contending facts as argued above show that there are couples of central factors militating against the two factions (govt. and practitioners/workers). On this issue, there have been enough write-ups to proof “who is wrong” and “who is right” but none has touched on the crux of the matter; the act of law that established the National Theatre and its consequent functionality.
I am not conversant with the law though, but I do know that no Theatre in the world operates under a civil service code of which the Nigerian National Theatre is operating now. So, it simply proves that from the very start, the government got it all wrong or had another agenda for the venue apart from what the general public think or know of it. So, the question of budgetary allocation, shortchanging as vividly enumerated by CORA (Committee for Relevant Arts) in one of its write-ups, or the cultural heritage syndrome as protested by professionals and the culture workers would not come to play yet.
To really establish a National ARTS Theatre that would bear positively on the socio-cultural status of a nation, it requires administrative and operational structures that are devoid of contradictions. The NT should be a gauge for our literary output, that which should automatically have positive bearing on our educational standards especially in the area of literature and also to serve as an archive for preserving and updating our cultural practices by way of performances, workshops, training through artistes Residency, symposiums, publishing, play reading, conferences, cultural orientation, exhibitions, libraries, cultural exchange programmes, regulatory organ within the practice and so many more. The government, especially in a democratic setup like Nigeria should be the least of the NT’s sponsors (only by way of subventions) in other to avoid political appointees as the head of the institution. The NT is purely a professionals’ world! Rather, the NT as a government establishment, should source for funding with its well articulated programmes from funding agencies, corporate organizations and influential individuals around the world as it’s the practice all over.
Dr. Ahmed Yerima, the current Director General of the National Theatre / National Troupe of Nigeria (NT/NTN) can only ‘TRY’ as he’s doing right now. The mess the NT is today (in function then shape) has been for almost 30 years so, it definitely wont be easy for a true professional of which Dr. Yerima is on one side and a civil servant on the other, to do more than he has done within the short period he was appointed. It is obvious that he’s battling to do the right things where the laws do not permit it.
Unfortunately, all meaningful professional associations within the system that should do the battle had been run aground. Even some of the professionals (individuals) who are clamouring on either side are doing so for ulterior motives, and the cultural workers are perceived as just fighting to retain their jobs within the civil service. So, it becomes very hard for the protest to have a meaningful breakthrough.
The NT is to the economy culturally what a Central Bank is to the economy financially: a country’s heart. The NT should therefore, not be a financial profit making institution but a “cultural orientation profit making” institution, but the NT is returning none of these ‘profit’ at the moment. In the Guardian newspaper of Sunday 22nd of July 2007, an article was published, written by one Mr. Carl Orji, a consultant to the consortium that won the BPE bidding of the NT; Infrastructica. In that article, the intentions of Infrastructica were enumerated clearly and so fascinating too, I must confess. And it will, as insinuated by the plan, generate enough profit for the consortium and government. Would it then be right for us to say that the government is wrong in her concession of the NT, especially that the government is operating within the policy that NT is presently operating on (profit generation)? Certainly NO, even if the deal may have been perceived as been a shoddy arrangement meant to favour some “unknown” privileged few.
Though what the government is failing to understand is this: Infrastructica as presently constituted is of high standards and will operate as such whereas, the practice here is of the lowest of all low because of lack of support and sponsorship, the government policy is not even in favour of the practitioners and the professional associations are almost moribund therefore, Infrastructica will be a western phenomenon which would not, 90% of the time, find its customers directly amongst the practitioners here because of pricing and in some cases, quality of work. It is obvious then that the consortium will be detached from its intended purpose. Whereas a nationally established National Theatre will help to articulate and flourish our cultural identities, the consortium will exchange it for western cultures in other to make returns on profit to government as all private entertainment companies do, then, our cultural identities as Nigerians, one of the reasons for which a National Theatre is established would have been eroded.
The protesting professionals and the culture workers who are also agitating for the wrong reasons, that the government should not have made the concession of the NT to the consortium rather, the government should give them the NT to manage and hold in trust for government. This position is not any different from what the government has done with the consortium, but all these would not do any good as long as the laws on which the NT is operating is still as it is. Therefore, our best option on both ends of the “Colosseum battle of the gods” will be the hallow chambers of law: House of Representatives and the Senate.
In the best interest of all concerned especially the nation, the Houses should peruse and scrutinize the conditions of concession, and if not worthy enough, the Houses should help honourably, to adjust the conditions to suit practitioners/culture workers so that the nation can maximally benefit from the concession especially in the areas of employment generation and training.
And as for the second type of “concession” as proposed to the government by the professionals/culture workers through the protest recently organized by “Coalition of Artistes”, the Houses should debate thoroughly and honourably on the issue of the nation having a National ARTS Theatre with all the required appurtenances (practice conduct, support structure, benefit structure) of such an institution with standard practice. And if government in its wisdom would want to convert the present civil service arts and culture parastatal – National Theatre to a NATIONAL ARTS THEATRE proper, then that would take a proper re-composition through policy adjustment of organs of operation (staff, administrative structure, code of conduct and professional etiquette) in the NT as it is presently operating.
the diversification in economy gains that the nation seek would wear a new look and optimism if the cultural orientation of the people change, and one of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to understand who we are as a people, our limitations and our collective desired goals through our original and adapted histories which would help to properly define the nation’s identity. A National ARTS Theatre is one of the answers to this regeneration that the nation seeks.
Makinde Adeniran.
Playwright, Director, Arts/Culture Consultant
08023355244
makindeadeniran@gmail.com
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