Introduction to the Drama of Ahmed Parker Yerima - Leiden Repository

268 Pages·2013·1.45 MB·English

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The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/20858 holds various files of this Leiden University
dissertation.

Author: Julius-Adeoye, ‘Rantimi Jays
Title: The drama of Ahmed Yerima : studies in Nigerian theatre
Issue Date: 2013-05-08
The Drama of Ahmed Yerima. Studies in Nigerian Theatre

Proefschrift

ter verkrijging van
de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden,
op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof.mr. C.J.J.M. Stolker,
volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties
te verdedigen op woensdag 8 mei 2013
klokke 13.45 uur

door

‘Rantimi Jays Julius-Adeoye
geboren te Lagos
in 1972
PROMOTIECOMMISSIE

Promotor: Prof.dr. E.J. van Alphen
Co-promotor: Dr. D. Merolla

Overige Leden: Prof.dr. W.J.J. Schipper-de Leeuw, Universiteit Leiden
Prof.dr. M.E. de Bruijn, Universiteit Leiden
Prof.dr. R.J. Ross, Universiteit Leiden
Prof.dr. M.A. Bleeker, Universiteit Utrecht
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to the Drama of Ahmed Parker Yerima 1
Introduction 1
Background of the Study 5
The Drama of Ahmed Yerima 7
Historical Realist Plays 10
Religious Realist Plays 12
Socio-political realist plays 15

Chapter One: Nigerian Theatre: From ‘Masquerade Drama’ to
Nigerian Video Film 21
Pre-colonial Theatre 22
Nigerian Theatre during the Period of Colonialism 33
Nigerian Popular Theatre 34
The Yoruba Travelling Theatre 35
The Popular Theatre and the Advent of Television 43
Movement from Stage to Cinema and Video Culture 45
Nigerian Literary Theatre 49
The Establishment of the Arts Theatre in Ibadan 51
The Ibadan Drama Groups 52
The First Generation of Nigerian Literary Dramatists 53
The Second Generation of Nigerian Literary Dramatists 61
The Third Generation of Nigerian Literary Dramatists 66
Nigerian Theatre in the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century 68
Nigerian Stage Audience and the Influence of Nigerian Video-Film 72

Chapter Two: Studies of Dramatic Texts: The Trials of Oba
Ovonramwen, Attahiru and Ameh Oboni The Great 75
Introduction: Historical Realist Plays 75
The Trials of Oba Ovonramwen, Attahiru and Ameh Oboni the Great 79
Structure 84
Characters 90
Language 95
Thematic Pre-occupation 101
Socio-Political Contextualization of Texts 106
Conclusion 107
Chapter Three: Religious realist plays: The Angel, The Twist, Uncle
Venyil, Mirror Cracks, The Bishop and The Soul, and The Wives 109
Structure 117
Characters 131
Language 133
Thematic Pre-occupation 136
Socio-Political Contextualization of Texts 139
Conclusion 143

Chapter Four: Socio-political realist plays: The Lottery Ticket,
Kaffir’s Last Game, The Sisters, Mojagbe, and Little Drops 145
Structure 149
Characters 155
Language 162
Thematic Pre-occupation 179
Socio-Political Contextualization of Texts 182
Conclusion 194

Chapter Five: Conclusion 197

References 203

Appendix 1: Interview with Ahmed Yerima 221
Appendix 2: Biographical Note on Ahmed Yerima 243
Appendix 3: Chronology of the life of Ahmed Yerima 245

Summary 251
Samenvatting 255
Acknowledgments 259
Curriculum Vitae 263
Introduction to the Drama of Ahmed Parker Yerima

Introduction
In my exploration into the work of Ahmed Yerima, I will argue that he is a
socio-political realist playwright, as evidenced by the socio-political realism
that is visible in all of his dramatic representations. All of the text under study,
validate Yerima’s critical viewpoint of the prevailing government of the day. In
representing a typical day in the life of his characters, Yerima creates a
relevancy to modern Nigerian theatre and, indeed, African theatre and literature
through his treatment of contemporary social, political, economic, cultural and
religious issues. He is a playwright who is conscious of his immediate
environment, and he reflects this in his drama. His drama is best described by
the words of Ngugi wa Thiong’o, a Kenyan writer and playwright who states,
“literature does not develop in a vacuum, it is given impetus, shape, and
direction by social, political and economic forces in a particular society.”1
This study of Yerima’s works in socio-political terms will investigate
the sensitive relationship between writing and power in Nigeria: Yerima has
held the position of Artistic Director, and Director-General of the National
Troupe of Nigeria, and subsequently of the National Theatre of Nigeria since
the period of military rule in 1991 up to the period of democracy before
resigning in 2010, which raises questions on the space and limit of artistic
expression to create independent and critical plays. During the military regime
of Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, and General Sani Abacha (1985-1997),
there was limited or no freedom of speech in Nigeria. It is also common
knowledge in Nigeria that holders of a government’s position cannot express
personal opinions different from that of the government he or she is serving.
Based on the Nigerian experience, one can wonder how independent
playwrights are in their artistic expression? Is Yerima’s drama conditioned by
his position in the establishment of the government? What is the publishing and
performance space available to dramatists in Nigeria under military and
democratic government? These issues will be investigated throughout the
thesis.
In order to explore and better understand Yerima’s works, I selected
fourteen out of his more than three dozens plays for critical examination. These
plays include: The Trials of Oba Ovonramwen, Attahiru, Ameh Oboni the
Great, The Angel, The Twist, Uncle Venyil, The Bishop and The Soul, and The

1 Ngugi wa Thiong’o, “Homecoming: Essays on African and Caribbean Literature, Culture and
Politics”, in Studies in African literature (London: Heinemann, 1972), xv
1
Wives. The Mirror Cracks, The Lottery Ticket, Kaffir’s Last Game, The Sisters,
Mojagbe, and Little Drops. I will perform a textual analysis of Yerima’s works,
because it enables me to look at Yerima’s viewpoint as championed in his
drama, and not through the lense of a direcor’s interpretation as we often see in
performance analysis. The text is the direct product of the dramatist, while
performance is a mediated product that the director and his or her actors have
worked upon to convey their own interpretation of the text. Because different
directors interpret a dramatic text differently just as different actors cannot play
the same role the same way, I will rely on textual analysis of Yerima’s texts
instead of performances of his texts.
In my analysis, I will maintain the categorization of Nigerian dramatic
landscape as used by most critics of its theatre, differentiating between
playwrights of the first generation, the second generation and the third
generation. The generational classification often used for these dramatists is
based on ideological commitment and dramatic style.2 According to Olu
Obafemi, this classification runs as follows: James Ene Henshaw, Wole
Soyinka, J.P. Clark, Ola Rotimi, Wale Ogunyemi, including Zulu Sofola belong
to the first generation.3
The first generation playwrights are considered as cultural liberation
proponents. They discuss nationalistic ideals, cultural re-affirmation and
historical re-engineering in their dramas. The second generation4, regarded as
radical dramatists or the radical school5, is represented in the forefront by Femi
Osofisan. Other members of this generation include Bode Sowande, Bode

2 It is important to note here that “generational classification” used for Nigerian dramatists does
not strictly refer to “time”, the age of the playwrights or the year(s) of publication. In this vein, I
am not in agreement with Pius Adesanmi’s position that “Third Generation” Nigerian writers can
be referred to as writers born after 1960s. However, it must be stated that Adesanmi did not
mention dramatists in his interview, but writers. See Adesanmi’s comment at
http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/0607/adesanmi_interview.htm. Though I am using the term
“generation” in demarcating dramatic writings from Nigeria, I am not unaware of the various
debates on both the relevance and irrelevance of periodizing literature from Wellek and Warren
to Rehder, Childs, and Armstrong or Frederic Jameson’s “crisis” in periodization statement
(Jameson qtd in Leonard Orr’s “Modernism and the Issue of Periodization”, in Comparative
Literature and Culture Vol. 7, No. 1, (2005), 2. I maintained the classifications in order to draw
attention to the way Nigerian literature is partitioned and discussed by its major critics.
3 Gbanou, K.S., “Anglophone African Theatre: Structure and Development”, in Susan, Arndt &
Katrin, Berndt, eds. Words and Words: African Writing, Theatre and Society (New Jersey and
Eritrea: African World Press, 2007), 54
4 Yemi, Ogunbiyi, “Drama and Theatre in Nigeria”, in Yemi Ogunbiyi, (ed.), Drama and Theatre
in Nigeria: A critical SourceBook (Lagos: Nigeria Magazine, 1981), 36
5 Chris, Dunton, Make Man Talk True: Nigerian Drama in English Since 1970 (London: Hans
Zell, 1992), 123
2
Osanyin, Meki Nzewi, Kole Omotosho, Akin Isola and Tunde Fatunde.6 These
dramatists, dissatisfied with the nationalistic, or what some critics refer to as
cultural liberationist, drama of their predecessors turned to Marxism in their
dramatic approach. The radical dramatists are committed to promoting,
“revolutionary change by Nigerian peasants and workers”7 through their plays.
The third generation dramatists boast of Ahmed Yerima, Tess
Onwueme and Stella Oyedepo as leaders of this generation. Others include Ben
Tomoloju, Sam Ukala, Julie Okoh, Iyorwuese Hagher, Irene Salami, Tracie
Utoh-Ezeajugh, Foluke Ogunleye, Alex Asigbo, Barclay Anyakoroma, Bunmi
Julius-Adeoye, John Iwuh, and Toyin Abiodun. These dramatists are not
interested in revolutionary aesthetics in their dramatic approach as were their
predecessors. Even though they rejected Marxism, they still liked the Marxist`s
dramatists craving for a just socio-political order in the Nigerian system by
reflecting leadership crisis, military misadventure, national unity, political and
ethnic rivalry, and state oppression of the people that plague the nation’s socio-
culture and politics. Other issues that pervade their works include corruption
and poverty, inadequate health care, environmental problems, and other socio-
economic issues.
The themes of the drama of recent playwrights, rather than being
shaped and sharpened by the ideology of their predecessors such as Soyinka,
J.P. Clark or Osofisan, are the result of an individual search for a spiritual
solution to the country’s socio-political problems and of self-survival in the
midst of the nation’s numerous crises. The ideology of the Nigerian third
generation dramatists is an expression of individual survivalism, placing
emphasison the survival of an individual in a chaotic society as opposed to
socialism which was characterized in the works of the earlier playwrights.
Ones’ survival is self-dependent and not reliant on any governmental
intervention.
The term “Individual survivalism” is used to define the strategy and
subculture of individuals or groups anticipating and making preparations for
future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social
and political order.8 The dramas that are constructed within the ideology of

6 Ademola, Dasylva, Dapo Adelugba on Theatre in Nigeria (Interview) (Ibadan: Ibadan Cultural
Studies Group University of Ibadan, 2003), 15
7 Chris, Dunton, Make Man Talk True: Nigerian Drama in English Since 1970 (London: Hans
Zell, 1992), 123
8 There has never been a reading of “individual survivalism” as an ideology in Nigerian
literature, particularly drama. However, Adediran Ademiju-Bepo mentions survivalism as an
ideology in the works of third generation dramatists in his article titled “Visual Literature and
3
individual survivalism create realistic characters that represent individuals
within the playwright`s current surroundings in their society.
In the words of Prakash Khuman, “Realism, [is] a style of writing that
gives the impression of recording or ‘reflecting’ faithfully an actual way of
life.”9 This does not mean that realism presents actual events of life as they
occur but instead makes a representation of life by selecting some real life
occurrence for inclusion in the text. Khuman further states that the term realism
“refers, sometimes confusingly, both to a literary method based on detailed
accuracy of description and to a more general attitude that rejects idealization,
escapism, and other extravagant qualities of romance in favor of soberly
recognizing the actual problems of life.”10 Since collective struggle for group
emancipation has failed in Nigeria, individuals strive to conquer direct
obstacles to a better life. The third generation playwrights scrutinize
contemporary Nigerian reality and dare the characters to scale over obstacles to
progress in whatever way they can. Ademiju-Bepo further highlights that to the
Nigerian third generation playwrights, radical “ideologies have failed to
awaken the desired consciousness in the people to confront their realities.”11
The third generation playwrights expect their reader-audience to have an ability
to distinguish between the oppressive and dictatorial government of most of the
leaders depicted in their plays. In this case, the reader-audience can relate these
villainous characters to the political leaders in their own society. It is expected
by the playwrights that these plays might help the reader-audience to come to
terms with their everyday reality and also in the realization of their daily
struggle for survival. A well-defined link between the earlier two generations of
Nigerian dramatists and the present generation of which Ahmed Yerima and
Tess Onwueme competently represent12 exists in the line of these thematic
preoccupations being treated in the dramas of the majority of the dramatists.
Nigerian drama has been explored and researched by virtually all the
notable critics of African theatre. These include Anthony Graham-White and
Alain Ricards 1976; Martin Banham and Clive Wake 1976; Abiola Irele and

Emergent Paradigms of Nigerian Home Movies and the Dialectics of Orientation”, in Nigerian
Politic and Society, Africa Update Vol. XIV, Issue 3 Summer (New Britain: 2007), (online)
9 Khuman, P., “Social Realism in Major Novels of Mulkraj Anand: A Study”, a PhD Dissertation
submitted to Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India, 2010, 78
10 Khuman, P., “Social Realism in Major Novels of Mulkraj Anand: A Study”, a PhD
Dissertation submitted to Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India, 2010, 79
11 Ademiju-Bepo, Adediran, “Visual Literature and Emergent Paradigms of Nigerian Home
Movies and the Dialectics of Orientation”, in Nigerian Politic and Society, Africa Update Vol.
XIV, Issue 3 Summer (New Britain: 2007)
12 I mentioned these two playwrights because they are the most recognized and discussed of the
third generation playwrights in Nigerian academic institutions.
4
Oyin Ogunba 1978; Eldred Jones 1978; Yemi Ogunbiyi 1981; David Kerr’s
1985 and 1995; Dapo Adelugba 1990; Chris Dunton 1992; Muyiwa Awodiya
1993 and 1996, Sandra L. Richard (1995). Others are Ademola Dasylva 1997
and 2003; Olu Obafemi 1997; Lanre Bamidele 2000; Karin Barber (1995, 1997
and 2000); Selom K. Gbanou 2007, etc. None of these critics mention Ahmed
Yerimaas neither a budding or emerging playwright. This is in contrast with the
classification in Yemi Ogunbiyi’s Drama and Theatre in Nigeria: A critical
Source Book published in 198113, which mentioned Ahmed Yerima as part of
the second generation dramatists. Ogunbiyi not only saw the published texts of
Yerima’s earliest four plays The Movement, Asylum, The Flood, and Statement
from Prison but also saw their performances at the University of Ife between
1977 and 1981. Though Yerima began is a second generation dramatist, I
believe that he only fully matured as a third generation playwright. Conversely,
some of the critics who failed to include Yerima as a dramatist, mentioned Tess
Onwueme and Stella ‘Dia Oyedepo who began writing only after Ahmed
Yerima had staged and published some of his plays.

Background of the Study
The post-independent African state is one bedeviled by significant leadership-
induced poverty, corruption, religious charlatanism, war and restiveness, an
unstable political system, dictatorial governance, a lack of adequate basic
amenities, as well as a myriad of other issues. Despite Nigeria’s obvious wealth
(from oil and other natural resources), it has undergone dramatic economic
deterioration, especially under military rule, which has, for the most part,
governed the country since its independence.14 Even before the military
incursion into Nigerian politics in 1966, the country had been experiencing
severe and devastating socio-economic, political and developmental crises,
reasoning used by the military to force its way into power. Nigeria’s
developmental framework is laden with components such as consumerism,
corruption, incessant military coups, failed socio-economic and political
policies, and so on. According to Odebode, the “socio-economic climate in
Nigeria within the past three or four decades has not promoted the kind of
social and economic welfare that would insulate families from the vagaries of

13 Yerima’s earliest plays were published in 1980 by Ogunbiyi Press, Ile-Ife under the title Three
Plays in Transition (a collection of three plays; Asylum, The Flood and The Movement, published
in Ile-Ife by Ogunbiyi Press)
14 Odebode, Sunbo, Husbands are Crowns: Livelihood Pathways of Low-Income Urban Yoruba
Women in Ibadan, Nigeria (The Hague: ISS, 2004), 12
5