The newly appointed Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Troupe of Nigeria Mr. Akinsola Mendra Adejuwon have formally resumed office as head of the National Troupe, a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. Mr. Akinsolu Adejuwon from Ekiti state takes over from Mr. Martin Adaji. He becomes the fourth Chief Executive Officer of the National Troupe of Nigeria since the Troupe’s formal establishment in 1991. Foremost theatre director Mr. Bayo Oduneye and the Dean of the College of Humanities of Redeemers University Professor Ahmed Yerima have at various times led the Troupe as Artistic Director
Former Artistic Director Mr. Martin Adaji handing over to the new Artistic Director Mr. Akinsola Adejuwon1
A theory cum practically oriented Artist; Mr. Adejuwon was until his appointment as Artistic Director on Thursday September 11, 2014 a Museum Curator of the Institute of Cultural Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Osun State. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Design of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a Master of Arts Degree in African Arts Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Currently the Chairman of the Osun State Chapter of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) and member of the Nigerian Field Society, the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Troupe has designed, organized and attended several conferences, seminars and workshops and has curated, coordinated and executed a number of local and internationally acclaimed exhibitions.
A widely travelled artist whose current research activities include a study on Festivals of Yoruba land, Mr. Adejuwon has since been meeting with management, staff and stakeholders of the National Troupe. His immediate plans, as Artistic Director is to reposition the National Troupe and to make the Troupe a truly national and international performing arts company.
At a brief handing ceremony held at the National Theatre on Thursday, the former Artistic Director Mr. Martin Adaji congratulated Mr. Adejuwon on his appointment and thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity.
members of management of the national troupe with the former and new artistic director3
Fresh facts have emerged on how the new artistic director of the national troupe mr akin adejuwon was appointed. Contrary to widely held view that Mr Akin was appointed by Culture Minister Edem Duke to reward his close associate Dr Franklin who was then believed to be father of the appointee, a competent source in the presidency hinted Society Reporters NG that Chief Edem Duke has nothing to do with the appointment but rather a close relation of the appointee who works closely with the President was the one who got ‘an open approval from president jonathan’ for mr Akin to be appointed. According to the source, the Secretary to Government was directed to appoint Mr Akin, a graphic artist and junior staff at the Obafemi Awolowo University and to communicate the appointment to Chief Duke who at that time was out of the country on official assignment. ‘But rather than go through Mr akin’s CV to know his area of competence, and also ask them at the Ministry of culture if vacancy exist anywhere, the SGF who is not usually thorough in decisions that he takes, appointed a fine artist with no managerial experience to head a theatre arts troupe. It shows you the kind of man the SGF is. Check round, what we have are round pegs in square hole all round’ the source said.
However despite being absolved of blame for the appointment, the minister chief duke is still under fire from both the President and members of the theatre arts community. The President is angry that he was misled to granting an approval without a proper briefing on the competence of the appointee and whether indeed the tenure of the officer he was replacing was due. The tenure of the former artistic director mr martin adaji from Kogi state was still running when he was questionably sacked. He was even due for reappointment in March 2015. On the other hand, members of the theatre community consider it a slap for the President to appoint a fine artist into a position meant for a dance, drama or music specialist. They said they are crossed with not just the President but the Minister who should have educated whoever appointed Mr. Akin on the diference between being an ‘artist’ and a ‘artiste’. According to one elder theatre artiste ‘it shows you the level of appreciation of the arts by those at the top. They know nothing an about it and wont appoint people who know. How can you appoint a painter as CEO of a dance, drama and music outfit. Couldnt you have sent him to national gallery where his competence would be put to test? That was how this same Anyim appointed a building engineer as CEO for the Nigerian Film Corporation and appointed a woman who should have retired having attained the mandatory years in service and age as DG of National film and video censors board. Tommorow Jonathan will come and sit down and say he is jotting down our problems that he will solve. Anyway, we are meeting in the next of couple of days. But we shall resist this one at the national troupe and then revisit that of NFC and NFVCB’