‘Why FG Should Involve Artists In Governance’

Former Chairman of Society of Nigerian Artists, Lagos chapter, Mr Olu Ajayi, has said getting artists involved in the think tank of governance would go along way to proffer creative solutions to the recurrent problems in the country.

  Speaking to The Tide during a two – day meet-the-author event organised by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in Bonny, last week Ayaji argued that the, government was losing out by thinking that religious leaders should be the only people to run to in times of difficulty or when they were in need of philosophical advice.

“No. The artists’ role is there. And it is when you have a creative solution to a problem that you begin to find a due dimension to it. What we see today is stereotyped solution to the recurrent problems. So, what you find is government becoming predictable. People already know what they are going to do because it is always the same thing,” the fine artist and painter argued.

He added that government, rather than embracing and seeing the need to locate the artists properly in governance, choose people from other disciplines into the caucus of government and reduces them to mere craft or skills for producing pictures, entertainment items or objects for interior decoration.

According to him, going back to history, great philosophers and artists contributed adequately to the development of their states, adding that, “they were close to power. In fact they were with power. Their role was cut out. They were in the heart of the think tank to the king. They were the people that the king consulted”.

He, therefore, urged the government to locate artists and properly situate them in the arm of government alongside traditional and religious leaders if we are to have lasting solutions to the problems of  the country.

Also speaking , the head of NLNG School, Mr Dirk Schui Ling, advised government to provide opportunity and access to books by building as many libraries as possible and stock them with books.

He explained that this would inculcate a reading culture in them, thus making them have more knowledge, which they say, is power.

Corroborating this stance, the guest author, Mrs Chinyere Obi-Obasi said imbibing a reading culture would no doubt correct the ills of our society as a lot of good habits are picked through reading good books.

Obi-Obasi also advised children to remain focused despite the negative circumstances around them, as they would not remain children forever and would be accountable for their conducts someday.

The meet-the-author event is an annual event organised by NLNG with the aim of impacting on the students in its host communities.

This year’s event featured “The great fall” by Chinyere Obi-Obasi, a 2011 winner of “the Nigeria Prize for Literature,” and an International fine artists and painter, Mr Olu Ajayi.

Schools in attendance were the NLNG School, Bonny, Bonny National Grammar School, Bonny, community Secondary School, Abalamabia and government Girls Secondary School Finima, (Junior and Senior sections).

Vivian-Peace Nwinaene