Agip Hall, Muson Centre, the prestigious elite entertainment event place on Lagos Island, witnessed a creative buzz on Saturday night, when Tourism Icon, Otunba Dr. Chief Olawanle Akinboboye unveiled his four decade old play, ODIGBOSE, to the African and Diaspora community in Lagos.

At 6pm, the evening programme came alive starting out with dignitaries and other guests on the red carpet at the foyer (the reception area of the hall). Guests had opportunities of selfies, networking and interviews with the press from different television stations and print publications, with soft music at the background.

A beautiful gathering of diplomats, cultural intellectuals, businessmen and businesswomen, youths and families.

Friends from Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry registered their faces amongst them the famous Tunde Babalola who is also the screenwriter for the film ‘Odigbose’ currently under production for a similar global audience.

ODIGBOSE – The Play unveiling, put together by Motherland Beckons – IPADA Initiatives in conjunction with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), also had in attendance, the National President, Engr. (Dr.) Jani Ibrahim, in attendance.

Speaking at the red carpet to the Press few minutes before the play presentation in the theatre styled hall, the writer of the play Otunba Wanle Akinboboye spoke about the historic slave trade and the African perspective of its history:

“The story of the African slave trade has been told by outsiders in many different ways, often misrepresenting the African side of it. A wrong impression has been presented that it was our kings who were willingly selling their subjects to the white men, but with this play, we try to correct that impression…. most of those taken as slaves to Europe and the Americas were prisoners of war…. The white men supplied weapons to the African kingdoms and set them against one another to buy prisoners of war… they knew that no one would willingly hand over people, so they brought arms and weapons of war so that armies could go to war and they could have prisoners of war.

“Africa is here telling it’s own story, in its own rhythm, with it’s own tears and it’s own truth, with it’s author, director, cast and crew within it’s hallowed soil,” Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye said.

According to Prof. Wasiu Babalola, a Professor of Hotel Management & Tourism and Chairperson of the National Technical / Mirror Committee on Tourism and Related Services, who spoke at the red carpet and attended the event with his family, he said:

“There is no better time to tell our stories than now! And we must tell it in our own way. In our own younger days, we learnt about the slave trade from films like Roots, the story of Kunta Kinte produced by the West. But now our children uses Internet to get the information. So we have to tell this story in a manner they will understand what actually happened. So there is no better time than now. The play also reflects our culture, when you say Odigbose, it means you are leaving. It is bye-bye forever. Now we are saying Odigbose. And that word now has more meaning to our tradition, that despite all we faced, we are still here.”

Asked if he agrees that Africans are still in slavery?

The Tourism Icon reluctantly agreed saying, “Yes, if they say so, though the slavery we are talking about now is not the slavery of taking human being, but culturally and mentally. You see you can be freely born and still be a slave. Some people’s expectations have turn them into a slave that everything we want to see we want to get, some don’t mind staying in prison, when you just give them what they want. Excuse me do you know the meaning of freedom? We camp ourselves into modern day slavery. Some are suffering from emotional blackmail, it is part of slavery but if you understand the purpose of life you are not a slave!

Also speaking at the red carpet after watching the play, celebrated Nollywood personality, Tunde Babalola had this to say:

“I am a screen writer. I just watched the play Odigbose written by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye here at Muson center and it really was a tremendous experience for me. It was that way because I last watch that play about 20 years ago. When it was staged at his Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos resort, La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort and I base my film adaptation screen play on that stage play I saw then. So it was a really full circle experience for me to come back and see the play again 20 years later and I realized it hasn’t lost any of its vitality and it’s strength, nor any of it’s creative interpretation: the staging, the acting, props, excitement, everything was on point and I can only give an ovation to Otunba Wanle Akinboboye and the full cast and crew, for the tremendous good job, in putting this story together again and I can only wait with a bathed breath for the film adaptation of the play to go into full production and then we can really experience what this really means; thought provoking, emotionally deep film, what this can mean to everybody.

“It is a bomb willing to go off simply because it is the first time that we will be viewing the whole experience of the slave trade, from the perspective of the African slave. So I think it’s going to answer a lot of questions. It is going to overturn a lot of theory that has been written in the past, this is the authentic story, and that’s why Odigbose will live well beyond that time and become the authentic story of the slave trade. It will be the cross Atlantic slave trade of Africa told from the African perspective. Bravo to the casting crew, bravo to the Otunba Wanle Akinboboye and bravo to Atunda Entertainment productions for staging such a great production,” Tunde Babalola added.

And all the way from Ogun state came Justice Eniola Fabanwo of the Ogun State Judiciary, Ogun State High Court, and she had did to say about the play:

“The Play ODIGBOSE is very interesting. I saw the invitation online. To my surprise, it was tagged free entrance. I am usually that kind of person that is interested in historical theatre performances. A lover of history. The story of slave trade has always a fascinating one that makes one to think deep. If we don’t understand our history, we won’t be able to understand where we are coming from and that will definitely affect our today and our tomorrow. Rather than being busy at parties and clubs, these are the kind of events that we should attend. I commend the young people who have come out today to watch this play presentation. And I thank Otunba Wanle Akinboboye for the play and making the attendance free. Now I understand better what actually happened during the slave trade. I also thank the cast, it was good and colourful.

Mrs. Faith Edeghe a school principal said she must be a very lucky person to have seen the play. She spoke of the beauty of presentation and the choice of venue, which according to her, successfully attracted the calibre of people who need to know about the truth of slavery and will be able to tell it in the African perspective. She thanked the writer of the play for a good job well done.

Others who spoke kept the commendation and conversation flowing throughout the night.

ODIGBOSE on stage at the Muson centre, Agip Hall, had a lively enthusiastic theatrical, cultural cast that came out with all vigor, talent and good mastery to deliver a world class stage presentation.

The colourful modern costumes were deliberately toned down to create the historic setting of the play to depict a story that dates back centuries ago. But the dance steps, the drumming, the songs, though dates back also to ancient Africa, represented so beautifully, the Africa of today. The astonishing blend of the history and cultural realities of then and now is one of the major showcase of the originality of the creative mind of the writer of the play and director, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye.

They depth of the story on stage is not just captivating but reveals a burden of history which are revealed in emotional scenes. A must see!

The classy evening also had opportunity of refreshments after the premiere, where guests had finger foods, small chops, soft drinks, popcorn, ice cream for snacks. Jollof rice was also available in packs as ‘take aways’.

ODIGBOSE – The Play we gathered at the event, will commence a world tour soonest, which will start from schools and universities of learning in Africa before heading to other parts of the world.