G.G. Darah at 60 Conference Report
Dr. Sunny Awhefeada
Department of English
Delta State University, Abraka. Nigeria
One of the best attended, and most successful conferences in Nigeria in recent times, the G.G. Darah at 60 Conference held for four days from Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th March, 2008. Three months earlier, in January, the Conference Organizing Committee chaired by Dr. Rose Aziza a Reader in Linguistics at the Delta State University, Abraka had made a conference announcement which read as follows: Professor G.G. Darah was sixty years on 22nd November, 2007. A scholar-critic, polemicist, folklorist, journalist and administrator, Darah has contributed immensely to Nigeria’s literary, multi-disciplinary, socio-economic and political discourse. An alumnus of the University of Ibadan where he graduated with a first degree in English in 1973, and later a Ph.D. in 1982, Darah was one of those who provided ideological parentage for modern Nigerian literature. His radical approach to folklore and oral literature has yield enormous scholarly benefits for various interdisciplinary concerns. An erudite and inspiring public speaker and a versatile newspaper columnist, Darah reached the apogee of journalism when he first became Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Daily Times (1992 – 1995) and later of The Guardian 1995 – 2001). A teacher’s teacher and teacher of teachers, Darah has taught at the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Northeastern University, Boston (United States), Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and is at moment with the Delta State University, Abraka. A one-time Chief of Staff Government House, Asaba, Delta State, Darah is an avid defender of true federalism and exponent of resource control. He had been a consistent advocate of an equitable socio-political system and the liberation of the Niger Delta. The conference, which is part of the events marking Darah’s 60 birthday, inter-weaves his multi-disciplinary interests in literature, history, polemics, ideology, folklore, politics and media in Nigeria. Papers presented at the forum will be published in the third quarter of 2008 in a book entitled: LITERTURE, A FOLKORE IDEOLOGY AND THE MEDIA IN NIGERIA: ESSAYS IN HONOUR OF G.G. DARAH AT 60
The announcement resonated across universities in Nigeria, and beyond. Within a month of its publication in leading Nigerian newspapers, and through the Internet, abstracts came in from scholars in Nigerian Universities as well as from European and American universities. By the time the organizing committee was going to press to produce the conference programme/title of abstracts it had received one hundred and twenty abstracts. Thus the stage for a successful conference for a scholar who has contributed immensely to the expansion of intellectual frontiers was set. There was a pre-conference public lecture, which held on 26 Wednesday March, 2008, in the ATSCAN hall of the Delta State University, Abraka. Titled, “ How Nigeria Under develops the Niger Delta”, the lecture was delivered by the celebrant, Prof. G.G. Darah, Professor Bright Ekhuerhare, a radical scholar and Economist of renown, and until recently Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University, chaired the public lecture which was hosted by Professor Osa Egonwa, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts. The well-attended lecture was an opportunity for Prof. Darah to re-echo his famous views on resources control and fiscal federalism, which are regarded as the crux of the matter in Nigeria’s socio-economic and political dynamics. Among eminent scholars and personalities in the audience that momentous afternoon were Professor Philip Kuale, Founding Vice Chancellor of the then Bendel State University (now Ambrose Alli University), Ekpoma, Professor Uvie Igun eminent sociologist and immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University, Abraka, Professors Simon Umukoro and Sam Ukala, both literary scholars and past and present provosts of the Anwai-Asaba Campus of the Delta State University, Professor Ropo Sekoni a semiotics scholar of Oral Literature, and tenured Professor at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, United States of America, and many other distinguished scholars, journalists, civil society members and students.
The day before the opening ceremony, 27 Thursday had witnessed the arrival of academic titans, apart from Professor Ropo Sekoni who flew in from the U.S. two days earlier. By the closing hours of Thursday, pre – eminent journalist Lindsay Barret, Professor Olusegun Adekoya of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Drs. Remmy Oriaku and Demola Dasylva both former heads of Department of English at the University of Ibadan, Professor Perkin Foss from Connecticut in the U.S., Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya, Nigeria’s foremost Artist and Dr. Godwin Shoki, of the Communication and Language Arts Department, University of Ibadan, had all arrived and settled down in their rooms at the prestigious and imposing five star Wellington Hotel in Effurun. Younger scholars like Yomi Olusegun – Joseph, Kingston Onyinje Kehinde Ayoola, Nelson Edewor, HUM Bazunu, Jerome Terpase Dooga, Collins and Karo Ativie, Alex Omoni, Jite Ojaruega, Emma Ufuophu-Biri, Emma Akpoveta, Richard Maledo, Ignatius Chukwuma, Martins Tugbokorowei, Emma Tonukare, Ovaborene and Atinuke Idamoyibo, Ogaga Okuyade, Charles Okorodudu, Uche Okwukwu (lawyer to the Niger Delta Freedom Fighter Alhaji Mujaheed Asari Dokubo), Titus Ohwonohwo, Dan Omatsola, and many more also arrived before the curtains fell on Thursday.
Then came the day of the Opening Ceremony, 28 Friday March, 2008. It was a most colourful and plural gathering. Professor Darah’s associates from the many constituencies he had traversed were in attendance to participate in the event. There were his academic colleagues, old and young, journalists, radicals and ideologues, politicians, students, non-governmental organizations, dance troupes and more. Mr. Raymos Guanah, a civil Commissioner in Delta State, represented the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who was the Special Guest of Honour. The immediate past Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, under whom Professor Darah served as Chief of Staff as well as past and present top government dignitaries were in attendance. The opening ceremony, which was chaired by Professor David T. Okpako (FAS), had the Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University, Professor John Enaohwo, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin) Professor Otete Okobia, as Chief Host. Both Professors Ebiegberi Joseph Alagoa and Mabel Evwierhoma were academic guests of honour, however the former was absent due to unforeseen circumstances.
The opening ceremony apart from featuring participants who arrived the previous day, also saw the arrival of the likes of Messrs Odia Ofeimun, Kingsley Osadolor, Comrades Tony Iyare Abiodun Aremu and Baba Omojola, Professors Phillip Kuale, Tanure Ojaide, Onigu Otite, Michael Young Nabofa, Simon Umukoro, Bright Ekuerhare, Uvie Igun, Sam Ukala, Emma and Mabel Osakwe, Chief Roy Omoni, among others. Professors Alagoa, Dele Layiwola, Femi Osofisan, and Dr. Sola Olorunyomi sent profuse apologies.
As the events kicked off in an atmosphere charged by Urbobo cultural dance troupes, especially Udje dancers, encomium poured in for Professor Darah from Governor Uduaghan, Professors Okpako and Enaohwo, Chairman and host respectively. In his keynote address, entitled “When Sociology Invaded Literature at Ibadan” the first Keynote Speaker Professor Omafume Onoge traced the emergence and evolution of the radical and sociological criticism of literature in Nigeria. A most profound, nostalgic and thought provoking address, Professor Onoge’s postulations set the stage for the inspiring intellectual fireworks that characterized the conference.
A short break, which featured Art Exhibition by the Delta State University based artist, Nelson Edewor ably supported by HUM Bazunu and Jude Onose, was observed. The Exhibition titled “ The Niger Delta Spirit: Born to Survive” which the artist dedicated to Professor Darah was declared open by Chief Ibori. The artist using wood sculpture negotiated and delineated the chequered fate of the Niger Delta region, expressing an inherent hope in the region’s resilient spirit. The break also afforded participants the opportunity to take a sumptuous lunch and savour the rich culinary offerings of Delta State. The afternoon session saw Professor Ropo Sekoni delivering the second keynote entitled “Orality and the Challenge of Cultural Capital in Nigeria”. This brilliant and insightful presentation was followed by an evening session chaired by Odia Ofeimun during which academic presentations were made. The session witnessed vibrant and sound arguments and counter-arguments ranging from literature, to politics, cultural studies, philosophy, media, and other allied disciplines.
The next day 29 Saturday March 2008, commenced with the third keynote speaker Professor Tanure Ojaide speaking on “Efeturi: G.G. Darah and the Rich Cultural Heritage of Urhobo”. Other paper presentations by notable and distinguished scholars followed. That ended the morning session. There was an interlude during which participants had light but delicious refreshment. In the afternoon session, participants broke into parallel session made up of ten panels delineated by thematic affinity. The participants presented individual papers one after the other. Questions followed at the end of each presentation, and in several cases robust and discursive arguments and engagements, which yielded fresh insights, took place.
The various papers presented covered all the sub-themes of the conference including literature, politics, polemics, folklore, cultural studies, the media, language, gender, youth movements, new Nigerian writing, the Diaspora, and quite significantly the Niger Delta challenge and federalism. It is noteworthy that the conference traversed the two important towns of Abraka and Warri, the former being the State’s education headquarters, while the later is the economic hub. The University town of Abraka, where the enchanting and bluish waters of the Ethiope River navigates its course rhythmically to other parts of the state provided accommodation for many of the participants. While Warri, in its newfound Parisian splendour defined in part by the grand Wellington Hotel at Effurun hosted the main conference events. By 30 Sunday March 2008, when the participants were departing, they did so with a great sense of fulfillment for a most memorable conference, and an immediate longing for another in the not too distant future.