BY OLANIYI OLUGBENGA JOSEPH
President Bola Tinubu has promised to invest in the nation’s Arts and Culture sector, describing it as essential for the education of children and the benefit of humanity.
Speaking on Tuesday evening at the presentation of a stage play, “Abibatu Mogaji: The Play”, the President praised the producer, Ola Awakan, for his thorough research and thoughtful presentation of the life of his mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.
President Tinubu, who shared fond and emotional memories of his childhood and the values instilled in him by his mother, thanked the cast and crew of the play for their hard work and dedication.
He promised to support the arts and culture sector, recognising its importance in preserving Nigeria’s heritage and promoting its rich cultural diversity.
The President, who had to leave the State House Conference Centre midway into the presentation, pleaded for the understanding of guests, saying he had another meeting with other ECOWAS leaders, whom he said had been waiting for the meeting for three days.
He, however, handed the remaining part of hosting of the evening to Vice President Kashim Shettima, and his son, Mr. Seyi Tinubu, to continue with attending to those who had come to honour the memory of his mother with him.
According to him: “I’m leaving Mama’s grandson, who didn’t partake in my first breakfast with Mama because my first restaurant was her breast, my first toilet was on her lap, and my first-ever bedroom was on her back. There is no way I could have been this old without that care.
“I thank Ola Awakan, he’s a very great researcher, producer and thoughtful person to have come up with this and I can see some faces of Mama’s children; Tunji Alausa and the rest of the people are here.
“I will invest in the play, nothing could have been better than rewarding a very thorough research.
“I can see Adams Oshiomhole there, they know her, many of you here know her. Tough, she’s a disciplinarian and I thank God for the gift that I had from her and that gift is an enduring one; character, determination, never to give up.
“I’m so grateful to all of you in large numbers, I will have enjoyed the audience more with you, I’ll find another opportunity to do that, but I asked for this assignment. Through your exercise and commitment, you gave it to me.
“Only 48 hours ago, they renewed my mandate as the Chairman of ECOWAS. So if they now give me assignment, I don’t have a choice, but do it.
“So Seyi, you didn’t partake in my breastfeeding, I enjoyed it better than you, so enjoy the play. I thank all of you immensely, from the bottom of my heart. I hate to have to go because that’s a great mother that I had, I know her.
“Ola Awakan and Yerima, and the members of the cast, I say thank you. We will invest in Nigeria’s culture and art for the education of our children and for the benefit of mankind and all of you.
“I thank you for sparing your evening to celebrate my mother, a great woman. Thank you”, he said.
The event was attended by notable figures, including Adams Oshiomhole and Tunji Alausa, who were also celebrants of the President’s mother’s legacy.
Meanwhile, the Producer of the play “Abibatu Mogaji: The Play”, Mr. Ola Awakan, has emphasized the need for Nigeria to focus on vital aspects such as mentorship, resilience, and good governance.
Commenting on the inspiration behind the play, Awakan noted that the character of Abibatu Mogaji embodies these essential qualities, which are crucial for the development of society.
According to him, the play aims to immortalize Mogaji’s legacy and use her attributes to inspire generations of Nigerians, both present and future.
“The nation needs to work on some vital points and those points are mentorship, resilience, good governance on the society so these features are actually there present in the character of mama Habibatu Mogaji and we looked at it that the best way we can reach these features to the society is by telling the story of mama .
“So we have use the story if mama to immortalise her and to use her attributes of mentorship of good leadership ,her attributes of resilience to preach to generations of Nigerians now and the unborn generation”, he said.
