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Author: ABE ABIODUN
Posted to the web: 9/24/2007 9:57:54 AM

An epic film aimed at portrying the life an times of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, acclaimed to be one of Nigeria's most outstainding African statesmen, is in the offing. Souces close to our corrrespondent claimed that the film is being anchored by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, NANTAP Mr Abiodun Abe and a group of Nigerian Journalists led by Mr Adewale Adeoye, formeer News Editor of Punch Newspapers, Cable News Network, CNN African Journalist of the year and Executive Director of Journalists for Democratic Rights, JODER.
 
The source claimed that notable Nigerians like Dr Fredrick Fasehun who leads the advisory board of the project and Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the Director ofor documentaion of the film are involved in the production of the film billed to be rreleased to the public early next year.Other people involved are Baba Omojola, private secretary of Chief Anthony Enahoro, Ambassador Segun Olusola and star actor, Dele Odule.
 
Sources claim that the  film is to chronicle the life and times of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who remains the most outstanding political leader in Nigeria and by far one of the most cherished philosophers and political thinkers that Africa has ever produced. He deserves to be honoured in a unique way, twenty years after his passage into the great beyond.
 
 
The film initiators posit the since 1886, when the civil war ended in Yorubaland, precisely on September 23, at noon, and during which an armistice was arraigned among the children of Oduduwa, no compelling force has been able to bring the people together as one tongue, one language and shared destiny like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo did. In terms of his contribution to the development of modern Nigeria , Awo had no equal. His high level of moral, cultural and political discipline remains unequalled.
 
No doubt, the overwhelming significance of the Yoruba nation in global reckoning today can only be traced to the late sage. Unfortunately, there is an unnecessarily wide generation gap between the vast layers of Nigerians, especially amongst the Yoruba, in terms of the understanding of the leitmotif, and the compelling political treatise and fashion of the late Chief Awolowo. This has been compounded by the lack of documentation of the far-reaching achievements of the late sage and his domineering contributions and that of his disciples, to Nigerian historical development and indeed world civilisation.
 
This epic film, which is being anchored by the President of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, NANTAP is meant to reconstruct the past and the present shape of our history for a better understanding and projection of our future as a people. The film is meant to put the thoughts and glowing infrastructural achievements of Chief Awolowo in proper shape and in excellent stead.
 
A team of researchers drawn from NANTAP, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) and supported by a retinue of actors from home and abroad will make this epic film an indelible mark on the local and international arena.
 
 
The film according to sources is aimed at the following:

1. Document the key political history of Nigeria
2. Build mutual understanding among the various Nigerian ethnic groups.
3. Rekindle the consciousness of Nigerians and the international community on the past, present of Nigeria and to create the basis for appreciating the future of the country.
4. Develop the framework for understanding the basis of non-violent agitation for democratic reforms in Nigeria . Awo was an advocate of non violent agitation in Nigeria against the current trend of political intolerance and violent agitation in Nigeria .
5. Strengthen the basis for the Unity of the Nigerian nation.
6. Catalogue the positive roles of many Nigerian statesmen in the emergence of the modern Nigerian nation.
7. Create a nexus between political stability and economic development in Nigeria .
8. Build mutual trust among the various social and cultural tendencies in Nigeria .
9. Landmark cultural package that celebrates the founders of the Nigerian modern nation.

 
The initiators stated that Awo lived through the turbulent years of the struggle for Nigerian independence and his region, the SouthWest was the first to attain self-government in 1953. Ever since, Awo has remained the most written about and most spoken about politician in Nigeria . A film on him will draw the attention of the local and international communities, the members of the diplomatic corps, research institutions, artisans, market women, traders, politicians and the curiosity of every Nigerian at home and abroad will, no doubt, be arrested by the film.
 
Mission: To promote the political heritage of Nigeria and preserve the contributions of notable democrats and statesmen to the development of the modern Nigerian nation, using Awo as a peg with the aim of promoting the philosophy of non-violence and mutual trust among the various social and cultural segments within the Nigerian state.