Deepening the tradition of honesty, transparency and governance in an period of 'renewed hope'

In his inaugural handle on Could 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reiterated his mission underneath the 'Renewed Hope Agenda'. Nigeria has hardly ever felt worse as disappointment has been at its peak. With unemployment reaching excessive charges, individuals had been determined.

The message from the newly elected President Tinubu was a restatement of how his authorities would enhance the lives of the individuals; strengthen the ties of financial cooperation; promote social cohesion and cultural understanding and develop a way of equity and equality.

Though it was not conceived as an art-based marketing campaign, lower than a 12 months into the mandate of 'Renewed Hope' the storm of corruption, cultural explosion, social tensions, growing ills, mischief, grownup chauvinism, hatred, demonic possessions , and violent politics, amongst different social vices, have sparked new curiosity from the artistic industries in deepening the tradition of honesty, transparency, and governance past sophistry in an period of “renewed hope.”

A movie, track, play or play that questions honesty and misplaced custom deserves consideration. Nigerian classics deserve a glance. Not solely due to adrenaline-pumping moments that tradition missionaries battle with in trendy society, but additionally moments that give audiences causes to take a fridge break for contemplation, particularly in an age when motion pictures form a toddler's ideological leanings.

The tales of 'Agogo Ewo' and 'Half of a Yellow Solar' reveal an in-depth exploration of the cultural and social complexity of Nigeria, providing a nuanced reflection on the previous and current.
'Agogo Ewo', a movie steeped within the richness of Yoruba heritage, turns into a lens via which to lament the erosion of important values. Set in opposition to the backdrop of a fictional state known as Jogbo, the story intricately reveals the results of an absence of honesty, obedience and belief inside the tangled internet of management.
The movie's depiction of the kingmakers' manipulation, pushed by egocentric pursuits, displays a timeless theme of abuse of energy for private acquire. The intricate particulars, from costume codes to dialogue, function a poignant reminder of the cultural treasures misplaced to the relentless march of time.

The late Adebayo Faleti's position as ubiquitous narrator provides an anecdotal layer, exposing societal shortcomings via a lens that sees each what’s and what ought to have been – a grim commentary on modern society.
'Agogo Ewo' could have been produced 22 years in the past, however each a part of the movie exhibits a lot of what society at this time lacks: a way of historical past, tradition, custom, sincerity, honesty, obedience and belief.

Written by Akunwunmi Isola, with manufacturing and course by Tunde Kelani, it displays modern Nigeria and the necessity to morally reclaim the nation's misplaced soul on this period of 'Renewed Hope'.

The story of the movie is straightforward. After the deaths of Lapite and Lagata, the Jogbo leaders attempt to put an Onijogbo (king) of their alternative on the throne to proceed their corrupt practices. They select a retired police officer named Adebosipo who they thought could be of their favor.
When Adebosipo ascends the throne, he turns a brand new leaf and decides to depart the corrupt practices behind and advocates peace and progress in the neighborhood. He urges his leaders to deviate from their previous methods. Balogun, Seriki, Bada and Iyalaje proceed their corrupt practices.

The city youth are protesting the presence of corrupt leaders in Adebosipo's cupboard and calling for his or her removing. The king units up a committee to observe the actions of the chiefs. These discovered responsible had been pressured to return the cash they looted. The king summons the Ifa priest Amawomárò, who recommends the reintroduction of an oath-taking ritual to make sure the ethical standing of the leaders.
A public oath-taking ceremony is organized, the place the leaders needed to confess their previous misdeeds earlier than taking the oath. Two chiefs, Balogun and Seriki, refused and died on the spot when the agogo eewo (taboo gong) was struck seven instances.

The movie juxtaposes the Nigerian system of presidency with that of Jogbo. The movie recommends that the tentacles of anti-corruption companies ought to embrace all parastatals, ministries at nationwide, provincial and native ranges in order to curb the issue of corruption in Nigeria. The choice concludes with the advice that punishments for corruption must be correctly said within the Nigerian Structure.
In a broader context, 'Agogo Ewo' turns into a cautionary story for contemporary Nigeria, a rustic grappling with financial, governance and social challenges. The movie's relevance extends past its temporal origins, providing perception into the potential pitfalls of political management and the necessity for youth to face as much as prevailing points.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's critically acclaimed novel, 'Half of a Yellow Solar' hit the massive display screen in 2013, directed by Biyi Bandele. This movie is a gripping exploration of the Nigerian Civil Battle whereas additionally offering a strong commentary on the ills of society portrayed inside its framework. Set in opposition to the backdrop of one of the vital tumultuous intervals in Nigerian historical past, the movie seamlessly interweaves private tales with the bigger socio-political panorama, shedding gentle on the devastating results of warfare, ethnic tensions and the battle for identification .

At its core, 'Half of a Yellow Solar' unravels the material of a society grappling with the complexities of the postcolonial nation. The movie is about within the early Nineteen Sixties, when Nigeria gained independence after which entered civil warfare following the secession of the jap area because the Republic of Biafra. Because the story unfolds, it turns into a mirror that displays the deep-rooted issues plaguing Nigerian society on this tumultuous period.

One of many central themes of the movie is the corrosive influence of ethnic and tribal divisions. The deep-rooted tensions between the Igbo individuals and different ethnic teams are vividly depicted, exposing the social fault strains that in the end escalate right into a full-scale battle.

The movie doesn’t draw back from depicting the brutal penalties of such divisions, as households and friendships crumble alongside ethnic strains and a nation is torn aside by inside battle.
The movie additionally sheds gentle on the socio-economic variations that fueled the battle. Class distinctions and financial inequality grow to be abundantly clear because the characters navigate the altering panorama of warfare. The stark distinction between the opulence of the elite and the grim actuality of poverty confronted by bizarre individuals exposes the systemic issues that contribute to the breakdown of societal buildings.

“Half of a Yellow Solar” not solely tells the historic occasions of the Civil Battle; it meticulously dissects the social issues that triggered the battle. It pushes viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about identification, tribalism, gender inequality and financial inequality.

That is what Nigeria wants now: a artistic trade that may confront the results of not doing the fitting factor, which has given rise to the philosophy of 'Chop-I-Chop' and 'Share the cash'.
“A nasty man offers a foul identify to his race, even when that race incorporates angels” is a well-liked saying. That is undoubtedly a mirrored image of the struggles Nigerians face at this time in being labeled as corrupt or utilizing the phrases of former British Prime Minister David Cameron “they’re fantastically corrupt”.
The nation is dealing with an ethical battle to win its soul and a humanistic artistic trade is what the nation wants.

Nonetheless, there’s a presumption that inappropriate conduct, informal attitudes, ethical decadence and violence amongst kids are the results of most Nollywood movies produced as espoused by Nkemakonam Aniukwu within the piece entitled 'Nollywood and the leaders of Tomorrow : Interrogating movie'. content material and character formation of the Nigerian youngster', Nigeria wants a humanism of Soyinka that thinks of the longer term in 'Loss of life and The King's Horseman' and a quest for change and sustainable governance as seen in Fred Agbeyegbe's 'The King Should Dance Bare'.

In his 'Ola Rotimi: The Lasting Affect of a Nigerian Theater Large', Sanya Osha, Senior Analysis Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, College of Cape City, notes that “Rotimi noticed theater as a strategy to construct group, each inside the theater world and past. He didn’t see theater as a closed and synthetic artwork type, however as a strategy to join previous, current and future. On this imaginative and prescient, theater serves as a hyperlink to the broader group and in the end to our widespread humanity.”
In performs equivalent to 'Our Husband Has Gone Mad Once more', 'Kurunmi', 'Ovonramven Nogbaisi' and 'The Gods Are Not To Blame', he focuses on ethical dilemmas: good versus evil and proper versus unsuitable, that will confront at this time's Nigeria. should do. solutions to look.
“After the curtains fall and the lights exit, the group exterior continues. And everybody – artists, singers, actors and dancers included – should return to it. However they don't return empty-handed. They’re supported by morals, ethics and a way of social goal and cohesion acquired all through the play. It’s the responsibility of each solid member to uphold and unfold these beliefs,” says Osha. “Rotimi humanism – just like the South African idea of ubuntu or the Tanzanian ujamaa – views the collective quite than the person as the first automobile of social transformation.”

This humanism is what ought to drive Tinubu's renewed hope agenda: the belief of Africa's cultural independence, the unification of continental Africa underneath democratic governance, and Africa's return to the standard communal pondering of its ancestors.