PROFILES OF INSPIRATION (PIN) – Gideon Gambo, Ibrahim Mohammad-amin Mohammed, Ediale Oriwoh, etc

Shadez the dancer

What do they have in common: Gideon Gambo (Spinoza), Ibrahim Mohammad-amin Mohammed (Shadez), Ediale Oriwoh (Eddy), Jabir Husseini (King Jaja), Steady Ateli and Hephzibah Christopher (Hephzidance)?

They are dancers with inspiring profile.Yes, they are dancers… Dancers with inspiring profile  

And as expected though, the response to the above of most of you the elites, the elite parents and the guardians are “dancers? How come they have inspiring profile? Ha-ha-cri-ha-cri. I laugh in my language…

Dear elites and other people in that category, your response reminds me of the song of a legendary late reggae artist Bob Marley who in one of his popular songs and renditions delivered the redemption message “emancipate yourself from mental slavery”. He followed it up with a very catchy reminder “None but ourselves can free our mind”.

That message of the late reggae King Bob Marley bears great testimony on the need for the elites and their co-travellers in Nigeria to have a rethink and in this era of economic contraction, stagnation and job losses, hardship, poverty and low standard of living embrace the reality that real growth and development in any economy occurs when massive openings (opportunities) are thrown up or created through the recognition, encouragement and promotion of people with different skills, instead of discriminating against some skills and overvaluing others.

Marginalizing, crippling and frustrating efforts of citizens like the great dancers of the society: Ibrahim Mohammad-amin Mohammed, Ediale Oriwoh (Eddy) and undermining, undervaluing and neglecting their role and that of numerous others like them in the growth and sustainable development of the economy is among the factors that have contributed and brought the economy to knee level.

Individually and collectively, Spinoza, Shadez, Eddy and other dancers as life builders, dance trainers and coaches have been gathering and grooming citizens and non-citizens for meaningful livelihood. Many people are in school through them, some have completed their programme and some are about to enter and others will soon get through school. Some are in business and many others are doing well in other activities of life due to support of these dancers and many other dancers. The supports are monetary and otherwise.

Unfortunately, dancers are not supported, encouraged and their image properly branded by the Nigerian state and their elite supporters. Contributions by the likes of Shadez, Eddy, Spinoza and other dancers to the economy are downplayed and overlooked. Less attention is focused on developing the dance artists and their area of interest and specialization.

Elites in the society and their cohorts in the helm of affairs, though more often than not are not bold and skillful enough to realize the need to identify new opportunities, create new approaches and adopt different techniques to harness and deploy the different skills of citizens. To this end they are unable to address challenges of the society, including diversifying the economy for real growth and sustainable development. In place of this they have created the erroneous impression that dance artists are unserious and unintelligent members of every society.

Over the years most of those at the helm of affairs and their fellow elites in the society have concentrated efforts unduly on some professions and skills. They have systematically, though unreasonably and ignorantly granted unnecessary attention to some professions and neglected others.

Leadership should be able to identify, aggregate and manage effectively the skills-set within the system. Skills are the tools and instrument of work that all leaders pray for and expect to have. They exist in abundance and in diverse areas in Nigeria. The expectation of citizens from Nigerian leaders is to channel these tools of work objectively and throw up multiple opportunities for total development of both human and materials available in the land. By any stretch of the imagination, it is not expected that skills and professions will be discriminated against. Skills and Professions are supposed to be supported and properly harnessed by the leadership and contributions of the skill holders duly appreciated.

Whatever gave rise to the effect that most of the elites treat with disdain, scorn and abandonment the dance skill and others, never meant well for the economy. The erroneous impression that some skills are inferior and therefore, should be treated with ignominy speak volumes of the capacity, mentality and degree of exposure, as a matter of fact, level of preparedness and readiness of the leaders to impact the citizens and transform the economy as a whole.

Stick to Scoreline for Dance and Heritage and Culture related issues, by clicking on her Entertainment Label, and on the Heritage and Culture label located at the labels Corner found at the end of this Platform. 

Scoreline will be presenting to You, her esteemed reader, Profiles of Dancers, Dance Groups and Dance promoters, supporters, the technical crew members etc. Additionally, activities of the Dance groups, Dance promoters and supporters, technical crew members, dance competitions and coming dance events will be covered, and of course opportunities and benefits of dance to individuals and the economy will be effectively reported. Same goes to heritage and culture related issues. 

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Nnabugwu Chizoba