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Obasanjo To Be Crowned Grand Patron Of FESTAC 77' by Nobody: 9:58am On Feb 24, 2017 |
Centre for Black and African Arts and
Civilisation (CBAAC) has scheduled to
crown Former President of Nigeria,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Grand Patron
of FESTAC ’77 on March 3, 2017, in
Abeokuta, Ogun State. This was
recently disclosed to Vanguard’s Arts &
Reviews by the Corporate Affairs
Department CBAAC, D-G’s Office, at
Broad Street, Lagos.
Manji Diyal, Corporate Affairs Officer,
CBAAC, said the decision to honour
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was taken in
recognition of the pivotal role he
played in 1977 as the chief host of the
unprecedented arts and cultural
festival in Nigeria. He said there will
also be a roll-out of 40 African
traditional drums that day in Abeokuta,
all as prelude to the 40th anniversary
celebration of FESTAC ’77.
The great event will coincide with the
80th birthday of Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo. It would be recalled that
FESTAC ’77 was previously scheduled to
hold in 1974. It was later shifted to
1975. Still, it was postponed to 1977
due to change of government through
which Providence enthroned Obasanjo
to take charge of the affairs of the
nation.
•A painted portrait of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo
Last year, the former president had
told staff members of CBAAC who had
visited him at his Ota residence that he
will support the 40th anniversary
celebration of FESTAC ’77and also
mobilise for it. “Since we have never
had another convergence of such
magnitude in Africa, the 40th year of
the last one is welcome. I will support it
and mobilise former presidents in
Africa to be here,” said Obasanjo.
Other prelude activities for the
anniversary will be a launch of
customised vehicle number plates
which the Federal Road Safety
Commission, FRSC, has been
commissioned to produce. The
customised vehicle plate numbers will
still be in use after the anniversary.
Manji also disclosed that there will be
an exhibition on African creative
industry in Abuja in which other African
countries are expected to participate in
performances ranging from folklores,
traditional dances, contemporary
dances (infusion of the old and the
new), and pop-music. There will also be
a colloquium with the theme: “Black
and African Arts & Culture and the 21st
Century Imperatives”. Other programs
in collaboration with state governments
are also being arranged, for instance,
Enugu state’s masquerade (the
mmawu), Sokoto and Katsina state’s
Durbar.
Don’t expect another FESTAC ’77
As excitement mounts over the
announced FESTAC 40th anniversary
scheduled to kick off on April 1, 2017,
Manji pleaded with people not to
expect in 2017 another FESTAC 77 in
terms of magnitude. The Corporate
Affairs Officer said the real objective of
the anniversary is to make it a platform
for the revival of the ingenuity of
African arts and culture and to
“rekindle the spirit behind FESTAC ’77.
According to Manji, FESTAC 1977 was
one magnificent event no one might be
able to recreate. About 16,000
participants, representing 56 African
nations and Africans in Diaspora, had
attended and performed at the event
held from January 15 to February 12,
1977. After the ’77 festival, all the
exhibited arts and artifacts were
handed over to Nigeria, not only for
safe-keeping, but also for continued
improvement. CBAAC was established
in fulfillment of Nigerian’s pledge to be
a custodian of those materials for the
59 Black and African countries which
participated in the Festival.
On whether CBAAC and Nigeria are
ready for this event, Manji said: “It’s not
just a CBAAC’s event, there are other
partners. We have been planning this
for one year and we are not solely
depending on government financially.
We have some private sectors that
have bought into the idea and are
ready to partner with us. The program
will be self-funded. Arts and culture
are infinite and sustainable resources,
and Africa is very rich in these. Our aim
is to package this wealth of ours for
enhanced patronage and for export.”
Indeed, Obasanjo is deserving of this
honour, given his African-ness and love
for African culture. In the Foreword of
the book, Olusegun Obasanjo: The
presidential legacy 1999-2007, Nelson
Mandela wrote: “It gives me immense
pleasure to join in applauding a
remarkable African leader with
outstanding qualities of sustained
commitment, genuine African-ness and
exemplary performance.” |
Re: Obasanjo To Be Crowned Grand Patron Of FESTAC 77' by Nobody: 10:00am On Feb 24, 2017 |
Source:- www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/obasanjo-crowned-grand-patron-festac-77/ lalasticlala |
Re: Obasanjo To Be Crowned Grand Patron Of FESTAC 77' by hucienda: 10:10am On Feb 24, 2017 |
Another iconic relic of the military past -with the royal ivory mask of the Benin Kingdom as symbol of the event. It was the military that built all those facilities to host it - the National Theatre and the FESTAC Housing Village amongst others. 40 year-old HoS, General Obasanjo kicked off the ceremony 40 years ago. The fourth republic should surpass the highs - structural, civil, architectural and otherwise - of the military regimes. |
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