Edgar, lets postpone. Those were the terse words from the Festival director after I had announced at the meeting that I was facing a historic push back from Ekiti indegenes on the funding
The festival has been designed to be the biggest in the country. Over 28 plays, spanning 10days and involving over 2,000 actors mostly Ekiti State indegenes.
The budget was N200m and I was very clear as to how to get the funds – chase Ekiti State prominent Indegenes
Why not go to the Government? Everybody says
We have raised over N2b with various state governments contributing less than 10% of that.
Lagos state Government deliveing about 80% of the 10%
So we have never relied on Government at any level talkless of Federal Government that has never given us a penny cos we have never asked
The closest has been the CBN cos of Emir Sanusi a play that depicted their former Governor and even that one sef na war and threat and fight before the money came out, almost six months after the show.
This is the biggest local budget in our history – Awo was N200m but was raised for a play outside Nigeria and we were very clear as to how we would pull and push.
Lekan Ajisafe the Insurance broker of note came on board very early with massive support and he opened the Senate Leader- Senator Michael Opeyemi who has pledged and who also opened up the Ekiti Caucus at the National Assembly
Meetings with the Secretary Hon Akin Rotimi a good friend and neighbour remains positive
But it ended there. Apart from flashes from Odua Investments as a result of the passion of their Chairman Otunba Bimbo Ashiru and also Sir Kayode Otitoju who also linked me to Senator Ojudu , it has been blank stares from the rest of Ekiti people
Calls have been unanswered, letters have been ignored and the coldness of the response is beginning to look like a career defining moment for me.
I have never failed. The closest was Aremu in Abeokuta but Unity Bank came in that morning with a N10m bonanza and Herbert Wigwe also jumped in to save Emotan at the dying minute
This Ekiti one is funny as I stare at the database, I see no hope. No sunshine in the distance as all the names and phone numbers stare at me with disdain
So I called a meeting and they said postpone and I say NEVER
Even if it is one play, I will do in that Ekiti. Evem if it is one dancer that will climb that stage and dance, I will do.
Even if the Oracle says ai shd dance naked on the streets of Ado before he will release the money, I will but postpone? I WIll not. Dont even knw the meaning of the word.
So i asked the festival director to look at the schedule again and redesign and give me a more practical schedule reflecting the snub we are getting from Ekiti people but he must not touch the plays from all 16 local governments of the state.
I want to savour the richness of the Ekiti culture. Curate it and push it further to the world thru 16 different stories from all over the state.
I cannot even wait. During Fajuyi, i saw first hand the richness of the Ekiti Cultural landscape and with their world famous Commisioner for Art and creative economy, Prof Ojo Rasaki heavily backed by my second favourite Governor after SANWO-OLU, Oyebanji, I cant help but want to share these stories with the rest of the world.
Prof Ojo delivers a beautiful timetable but this time adds two masterclasses with me taking one on the Business of theatre for over 300 theatre students pulled in from all tetiary institutions in Ekiti
The timetable boosts my morale which was very low this morning making me feel like crying and i jumped into the market again
I called AVM Makinde rtd who pledged. I oushed towards Gbenga Oyebode who says i shd see him next week, chased Kayode Adeleke of Russelsmith who will deliver on friday and skirted around Wema and Premiun Trust Banks who are very close to Ekiti state
I am watching Sterling Bank with one eye. Their MD *AbuSulaiman* used to be my friend but has not taken my call in one year, so I will push towards Tunde Adeola who is the ED and a brother and who came for Bianca
Bode Olanipekun SAN has said we should see and Dele Oye Esq President of NACCIMA is doing like he has not seen my letter.
Wale Oyedeji has pledged and Ive been begging him to ooend up MD of First Bank
My friends at BOI led by Taiwo their brilliant CFO have started rallying. Spent time with theor ED the super sharp Rotimi Akinde and he promised to help
The EFCC chairman is under my radar. I have written him and his people say i shd send acknowledgement copy to them, so they can push him
I want to do this without Government and will do it.
His Excellency Fayemi and His brother Excellency Niyi Adebayo are looking good.
Tayo Adeoye the Commissioner for Commerce is doing a yeomans job giving me names and contacts and the Ekiti DiasporaAgency have agreed to open up their people to us thru a closed door session with them.
Fountain Holdings headed by my brother Tunji has pledged hotel rooms and their Chairman the great Jide Ogubdare is being stalked by my sister Tope Omojokun.
The guys at Ikogosi Warn Springs are on board already just as my brother Lekan Fatodu of the Lagos State Sports Commission has already dropped his own.
Obi Asika the brilliant DG of the NCAC have also committed, so what am I now afraid of
Jumoke Ogundare is under my watch and I have sent a signal to Tolu at UBA that I am coming
The Oyebode brothers Akintunde who is Commisoner of Finance and Deji who is a hot shot Lawyer have also pledged
My people we will do this show no matter what and we will do it well, i am not even afraid anymore
The Ekiti International Theatre Festival will pull in over 200,000 people into Ekiti and engage over 2,000 youths and the plays will be seen by over 1m people globally and after it all, I will follow my brother Jide Fajuyi to once again climb the hills to go spend sometime with Obatala with our bottles of Seaman Aromatic Schnapps.
Who is coming to Ekiti
Duke of Shomolu