Grit, the award-winning drama written by Dr. Obari Gomba, was last Sunday performed on stage for the first time by a professional theatre group from the University of Port Harcourt at Anzy Place, Port Harcourt.
The stage performance was organised by Rivers State chapter of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) with the support of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, sponsors of the NLNG PRIZE FOR LITERATURE, which Grit won last month in Lagos.
Chairman (Middle) and others
The play is a replay of the bitter and violent rivalry that partisan politics has brought into Nigerian families. Two brothers contesting for one position in the coming election are dragged to a tension soaked point where one of them had to use thugs, security personnel and other means to gain advantage over the other, while the other relies on his popularity, especially among the womenfolk.
It exposes the underhand manipulations of godfathers, family interests and state actors in dictating the outcomes of elections. The play ends in violence with every party losing a limb or the other.
Rivers State Chairman of ANA, Adi Wali, said authors in Rivers State are very proud of the playwright, Obari Gomba, who he said has returned pride to the state, whose profile as one-time Book Capital of the World had begun to fade off.
Wali said rather than celebrate scholarship and culture, Port Harcourt had begun to celebrate political crises and cultism.
Dr. Obari Gomba and Dr. Lynn Ujiagbe,
“Sometimes ago, we gathered in Port Harcourt to celebrate literature every year. ANA thinks we should be gathering to celebrate books. Today, we are gathered to celebrate life, to celebrate pleasure.
“Today, Gomba has done the event. He has written the narratives. Today, we are celebrating something good: creative writing,” he said.
The ANA chairman called for collaborations and investments in literature, music and creative works. He said the time had come for Port Harcourt to retain its creative minds that often run away to Lagos because they are not celebrated at home.
Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, the Deputy National President of Nigerian Associations of Chambers of Commerce, who was a special guest at the performance, said he was very impressed with the performance and promised to buy 100 copies of the book, Grit and distribute to schools in the state. “Rivers State is more than oil and gas. We have talents and creativity and we have to seize it,” Dr. Membere-Otaji said.
The Mayor of Housing, Mr. My-Ace China, who bought 150 copies of the book for distribution to schools in Gomba’s hometown, Alesa-Eleme, said he will also organise drama and quiz competitions on the book so that kids in the state would appreciate the ingenuity of the book. The Mayor of Housing who has a multimillion dollar investment in housing in Alesa, urged investors to contribute to the development of the communities they do business in
Dr. Gomba expressed appreciation to everyone that made it to the performance. He said the plan was to perform Grit in a manner that would change the idea of literature and make literary works sell immensely.
