A Rivers State-born play
wright, Clinton Dan Jumbo has recommended that the best way of resolving the lingering political impasse in Rivers State and by extension in Nigeria is to listen to the voice of reason and embrace dialogue rather than fighting.
Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt while presenting a play titled ‘Amaechi’s Mgbu’, Dan Jumbo, said the play was an artistic encapsulation and exposure of a large number of unresolved common questions in the mind of people within and outside Rivers State, and its concomitant effect on the Nigerian polity.
He said “the play reflects events in Rivers State and by extension the country at large, and draws attention to some contentious issues on contemporary politics of Nigeria such as ‘5 being bigger than 27’ and 16 being bigger than 19’, as regard the imbroglio in the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
The playwright disclosed that the play which blends fiction and fact gathered from the media, attempts to capture arguments for and against parties in the imbroglio, allowing readers to decide for themselves who has a superior argument.
Dan Jumbo also explained that the title of the play, Amaechi’s Mgbu, had no link with the former commissioner for police, Joseph Mbu Joseph, but the word Mgbu was used in the sense of  its Igbo meaning, pain, thus Amaechi’s pain.
Dan Jumbo, who is also an author  of two works of art, The Snatched Verdict’ and ‘Broken Pedigree’ emphasised the need for proper documentation of events in Nigeria for historical references.
He added that only the emergence of conscientious political leaders would guarantee the political future of Nigeria and called on youths as future leaders to engage in proper leadership training and resist the trappings of power.
Dan Jumbo also called on youths to enhance their skills and culture by taking advantage of the chain of activities in the Port Harcourt Book Capital project coming up soon.
Taneh Beemene