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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Niger Delta gets cultural centre, Urhobo Historical Society meets
By Chuka Nnabuife
A BEFITTING cultural edifice will soon be dedicated to the projection of the arts and culture of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
The Guardian learnt that Ovuomaroro Studios and Art Gallery, Agbarha-Otor Delta State, has now been made the Niger-Delta Cultural Centre.
Formal disclosure of this is to be made on October 31 when Delta State Governor, James Ibori, among other dignitaries including the former Governor of Mid-Western State, Maj-General David Ejoor (rtd), Mr. Goodie Ibru, Chief Johnson Ukueku, will open an exhibition and launch a book entitled Where Gods and Mortals Meet: Continuity and Renewal in Urhobo Art.
The historical exhibition and publication opened in London early this year and has been on a tour of the Americas and Europe.
Currently, the event is on at Museum for African Art, New York City.
Though the Nigerian leg of the global presentation will mark the first event in Ovuomaroro Gallery, now the Niger Delta Cultural Centre, it is also scheduled as a major highpoint in the fifth yearly Conference of the Urhobor Historical Society (UHS) set to hold on October 29 through October, 31.
Coming to Nigeria for the first time after it held in North America (2000 and 2001); London, England (2002 and 2003), the UHS Conference will hold in three venues this year.
According UHS sources, the three designations are Petroleum Training Institute (P.T.I.) Efurrun, Ibru Centre, Agbarha-Otor and Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation (B.O.F.)-owned Niger Delta Cultural Centre, all in Delta State.
The opening ceremonies of the conference fixed for October 29 at P.T.I will be chaired by former Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) boss, Justice Victor E. Ovie-Whiskey (rtd) with an address by Ibori.
Senator David Dafinone will be the patron of the event and Olorogun Moses Taiga is designated as special guest of honour.
The conference's closing ceremonies (5.00-7.00 p.m, October 31, 2004, at Agbarha-Otor) will be chaired by Maj.-Gen. David Ejoor (rtd) and will feature awards named after Chief Mukoro Mowoe, Omohwovo Okoro, Agbontaren Udih, M.G. Ejaife, and Adogbeji Salubi.
Several major events will take place between the opening and closing ceremonies.
There will be two book launches. First is a UHS book titled Warri City and British Colonial Rule in Western Niger Delta, edited by Peter Ekeh (October 29, 1:00-3.00 p.m). Chief E.K. Clark will chair the ceremony; Professor F.M.A. Ukoli will review the book; and Olorogun Moses Taiga will be the chief launcher.
The second book will be launched in Agbarha-Otor.
Chief John Ukueku will preside over the ceremony and Mr. Goodie Ibru will be the chief launcher. This book, titled Where Gods and Mortals Meet: Continuity and Renewal in Urhobo Art, is edited by Chief Perkins Foss, with contributions by Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya and several other Urhobo scholars.
It is the most comprehensive book to date on Urhobo art and culture.
There will be three roundtable sessions at the conference.
The first two will focus on the theme of the conference, namely, "Urhobo's Future and the Challenges of an Emerging Global Order in the 21st Century."
To be chaired by Senator David Dafinone and moderated by Professor David Okpako of the University of Ibadan, the first roundtable will probe the status of education in Urhoboland and weigh the prospects and problems of a private Urhobo university.
Participants will include leading scholars and businessmen.
The second roundtable is titled "Youth Crisis and Urhobo's Future."
It will be chaired by Professor Vremudia Diejomaoh, former director-general of Nigeria Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) and former deputy director of International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The third roundtable is a women's forum on "Women and Cultivation of Urhobo Culture and Language" and would have leading Urhobo women participating.
This year, Professor Omafume Onoge of the University of Jos, will speak on "Urhobo Youth and the Urhobo Future."
Another main event of the three-day conference will be an ecumenical thanksgiving church service on Sunday, October 31, 2004, at Agbarha-Otor, starting at 9.00 a.m.
This open-air church service will be co-officiated by Monsignor Anthony O. Erhueh, of the Catholic Diocese of Warri and the Very Rev. Professor Samuel Erivwo, Provost of the Anglican (Communion) Diocese of Warri.
Mr. Ekpo Udo-Udoma creator of Ovuomaroro Gallery confirmed the change of status of the art house.
He said the gallery, which hosted the yearly Harmattan Artists Retreat for artists drawn from all parts of Nigeria in the last six years, has consciously worked to project the arts of the Niger Delta region.
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