Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana

CODENAME JUNE 12:
MANDATE AND MAYHEM

A Tragedy on the Greatest Threat Ever to Nigeria’s Ruling Mafia
And How it was Checked


A Play for Radio

by

Adeleke O’ Adeyemi

*A tragedy is a dramatic form that was first defined around 330 B.C. by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. The main character is involved in a struggle that ends in disaster. This character is always a person of standing whose ghastly end is brought about by a tragic flaw in character. This may be excessive ambition, jealousy, pride, or some other common human weakness. Or an exaggerated sense of rightness… This is what must lead to the character’s mortal undoing.


Dedication:

Whosoever will …
A great Leader: a merchant of Hope

,

Adeleke Adeyemi's historical play, The Mandate, chronicles the martyrdom of Chief M.KO. Abiola, the hero of June 12.

The Mandate is a full-length play written for the radio and can be adapted for the theatre.

Adeleke is a qualified geologist who has chosen to be a full time writer and he is determined to be a great success. God has given him the genius, so I am sure of his future as an accomplished writer.

We have been brainstorming for years and even had our haiku contests. Only few Nigerians can really interprete such poems and most readers don't even know when we are using Ifa poetry, Igbo poetry, Hausa poetry and classic English poetry in the compositions of our poems. And it would be a waste of time to submit poems for Nigerian poetry competitions when the Nigerian judges did not study poetry. Because, any dummy cannot judge poetry. Poetry is the highest form of literature and not the lowest as most people breaking down sentences think.

Adeleke was my right-hand man during the production of my Sleepless Night in 2002, with the late Funso Alabi playing the lead role and the choreography by the Crown Troupe. The Sleepless Night was the first major historical drama on the martyrdom of Chief M.K.O. Abiola over June 12. Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation, the French Cultural Centre and my United Artists for Human Development (UAHD) sponsored the world premiere in 2002. And we planned to produce The Mandate the following year. But the project has been delayed since 2002 to date.

The Mandate is a great work that is very important to the political history of Nigeria.
Adeleke has dramatized the turning point in the life of one of the greatest industrialists in Africa and a political leader who sacrificed his life for the Nigerian Dream. Chief M.K.O Abiola lived and died for Nigeria.

The Mandate will be published before the end of August.