Playwright: Olanrewaju Ari-Ajia
Publisher: Phyleom Publishers, Lagos
Pages: 113
Year of Publication: 2015
Reviewer: Olutayo Irantiola
The society is the bedrock of
inspiration for a writer because they are a product of that locale and this can
be transported into any genre of literature. The unending complexities of the
country would produce sufficient themes for any writer; as it is being said;
African writers are still fighting for emancipation from our brothers, who are
taking us on another round of ‘colonialism’. Ari-Ajia, a product of this
society, tried to show the examine the rot in the educational system, the power
tussle which leads to the wanton waste of lives and what people call ‘love’ on
February 14.
The first place which is about
a young lad; Dede, who is a book aficionado, he reads at all times in
preparation for his final examinations from high school to the University. He
has been having endless struggles with two tempters and his ‘tempter’ friends equally.
He eventually becomes a victim of what happens to many Nigerian students; they
study courses that they do not want because they do not know people who can
help them during the struggle for admission. Some of the insinuations from the
play are written below-
The technocrats who have
proven integrity are usually scared of coming out to contest for leadership positions;
while those who want to squander national resources keep doing it optimally. The
tempter made a salient point about the populace, ‘bad people are not more than good people but observers are the largest
group of the good people; while the bad guys occupied the good places in the
country’ Pg. 5
The role of writers in the
society which is to educate and sensitize people is no more appreciated as it
used to be before. One of the statements in the text shows that, writing is not
profitable. However, writers take solace in the salient truth that they are
building their names and also, writers never die, ‘what people are doing is making money and neither writing nor thinking;
and why, simply because education is no longer a profitable business.’ Pg.
13
Since the encroachment of
private universities in Nigeria, the ability of poor men to get affordable and quality
education for their children became a mirage; with the aforementioned, the
playwright wrote, ‘we hardly have quality
education anymore in this country. The few that we have are beyond the grasp of
poor people’ Pgs. 14 & 15.
Students of public schools
have a thorough understanding of strikes. The public office holders rarely
consider the children of the poor in the quest to ‘fill’ their pockets; as
such, teachers go on strike periodically on page 23, the playwright expresses
his view most especially when two releases contradict one another, ‘government announces resumption on rediffusion,
teachers turn students back in schools. Dede’s mum told him not to return home.’
The parental vice of getting their
children to pass examinations at all cost was also discussed. The friends of
Dede educated him while Oga Teacher detailed the financial rates determine
examination success. Gone are the days, when students write ‘Almighty May-June’
for many years. The names of the school are ‘Easy Passage College and Pyrrhic Victory College’. The result is
evident in the names.
On page 43, NECO, which is the
acronym of National Examination Council was also given another definition, ‘Nation-wide
Examination Corruption. Also, the manipulation of Computer Based Tests (CBT) to
ensure that the candidate gets the desired scores to be offered admission for a
course he cannot cope with; other mentioned issues are ‘indigene-issues’ and federal
character was not left out of the discourse.
This play is not just to
satirize the educational system but also to show that there is a need to
overhaul the system; if hope would be restored to the poor and our educational
system would truly produce graduates that are worthy in learning and character.
The second play ‘State of the
Nation’ is a reflection of the tussle by the power brokers which negatively
impacts on the populace; it is about the uncompromising stand of the powerful. The
power brokers consult, connive, empower touts and want to lead with impunity
till there is an eventual crash of the system in form of war. The play has a
heavy use of personification of animals, parables and cultural elements. The
theme of ‘waste’ is depicted from the waste of energy by going to war and equally
the waste of human lives.
The last play titled ‘February
14’ is about the type of ‘breed’ that can result from illicit sex on that day. Janet,
the character in the play, set the pace for the Patrick to come have a feel of
her flesh. There were mentions of national problems, such as, fuel scarcity,
black market, bad roads, these are common phenomena in Nigeria, Janet implored
Patrick to leave the vehicle at the gas station and come over to her to
celebrate the day and it ends in copulation.
These plays are well-crafted
with great words; virtually all the pages have major discussions that describe
the current state of our country. Students, who read the play, would have a
rethink about their commitment to studies so that they would not be seen as a
wasted breed; the powerful ones should also reconsider their stand for the good
of all and for lovers to consummate their relationship before consuming the fluffy
flesh.
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