Seating in front of him today made me feel small. He was little in stature but huge in accomplishments. From Aviation to Hospitality, to sports, to media yeezy sneakers nike air force jordan kansas state football jerseys unice hair wigs unice hair wigs custom kings jersey philadelphia eagles jerseys for sale custom kings jersey adidas yeezy boost 350 v2 dazzling blue sex toys for couples black friday wig sale penn state jersey custom hockey jerseys buffalo bills jersey penn state jerseyhe holds down positions of respect. He inspires me and drives me to push as hard as I can. So sir, when will it be convenient for us to stage Awo in Ikenne. Ikenne gave the world the giant. Chief OBAFEMI Awolowo, weather you like it or not, is the single most important Nigerian Leader of the 20th century.
I say this with all of my chest. From his philosophy, to his ideals, his accomplishments which litter the whole country to his principles, it is no wonder that today he is immortalised to the point that you cannot really avoid him. From Transport hubs , to hotels, to currency, to civic centres, to highways, his name is affixed everywhere that it’s almost impossible for you to wake up and traverse your Nigerian life without being touched or impacted by the late sage. Ikenne gave us this human and as we move towards London, it only just made sense that on his birthday next year March, we should take the Play to his people in a way of sending our deep appreciation to a proud people who gave us and nurtured this great leader. As we drove around the town, from the majestic Stadium complex that houses the dreams and desire of a single individual who has single handedly transformed millions of lives, to the huge OBAFEMI Awolowo Square complex whose 2,000 seater hall would host the Play, down to the new Airport being built over 5,000 hectares of Land, you begin to see a new Ikenne.
Gone is the sleepy enclave that didn’t seem to understand it’s role in National development and now replaced by an energetic Ikenne which has moved from the legendary Mayflower Ikenne as a major development to a massive agro cargo Airtropol with capacity to employ 30,000 people and drop a huge Hotel, offices, commercial airport – which will be the home of Value Jet essentially turning the town into a brand new commercial hub. It is this town that we would be bringing Awo the highly exciting stage play written and directed by Makinde Adeniran a renowned thespian. Awo has been one of my most successful stage plays ever. Drawing crowds including the former VP Prof Yemi Osibajo, then the Speaker of the Federal House of Rep and now chief of staff to the President, Mr Gbaja and the Executive Governor of Lagos state. Awo showed same day and same time with the Fifa World Cup finals and still held its own.
The crowds defied the spiritual pull of soccer and filled the bowels of the Muson Centre with eager and hungry Nigerians seeking to seep from his wisdom. We no longer create leaders like Awo. What we have today are leaders who dress like him – wear his hat and glasses but carry on in ways that would make Awo cry in his grave. It is this Awo that 200,000 Nigerians in the UK have asked for. They have said they want to hear his story, they want to understand why he did the things he did and much more importantly why he called Mama his Jewel of inestimable value at a time when women were to be seen and not to be heard. Already such powerful global institutions like Access Bank UK, have jumped up to support. AWO IN UK is shaping up to be the biggest African stage play in Europe in recent times.
The excitement is palpable as Nonny and Lookman lead the UK based team as they begin to craft a wonderful production and with such heavy weights like Khalifa Sanusi II stating an initial interest to speak at the economic summit being organised on the back of the production, I look straight at my host with hunger in my eyes and a yearning for the traditional rice that has become a second export from this beautiful land. As I tear into the rice in their well wrapped traditional leaves and the supple taste of the burnt stew hitting my sinews, I begin to wonder once again who Awo was.
We went to his mausoleum again today and looked at his Mercedes Benz car which he used to traverse this country twice seeking for votes. As I stared at his burst, he looked up to me and said, Duke can you help me tell Tinubu something? And I said Papa no vex, I don’t talk to him but don’t worry, tell me and I will send somebody to him. Papa then asked me to come closer, that he didn’t want anybody to hear him and I descended the stairs and passed in front of Mama’s resting place and put my ears very close to his mouth and he said… Thanks
*Duke of Shomolu*