The family of the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa has endorsed the project by Artswax Communications and the National Troupe of Nigeria to stage the play, “Tafawa Balewa” written by Award-winning broadcast journalist and thespian, Ola Awakan, about the life and times of the late Prime Minister.
The endorsement was given during a courtesy visit by the production team to the family house of the late Prime Minister in Bauchi. The playwright and Executive Producer of the play, Ola Awakan said the courtesy call was to seek the blessing and endorsement of the family on the project.
According to him, “The visit to Bauchi was to see the family members of the late prime minister and inform them about our intention to bring on stage the life and times as well as legacy of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. We went to get the endorsement of the family as we also embarked on some research exercises to enhance the accuracy of the story we want to tell. And we were warmly received and project endorsed”.
The team comprising the Playwright and Executive Producer, Ola Awakan, the Producer, Mohammed Kawu Lawan, the Project Manager, Ariyike Alawode, Aisha Abubakar Yusuf, and Mary Oladimeji was received by the first male child of the late Prime Minister, Yakubu Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Usman Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Haruna Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. They admitted that their father was an honest and hardworking man who lived a life of sacrifice for the nation.
The eldest male child of the late Prime Minister, Yakubu Abubakar Tafawa Balewa commended the initiative by Artswax Communications and the National Troupe of Nigeria to use live theatre to tell the story of his father. He posits that the play will make good reference material in the future. “It is a good thing for reference. For the future, it is going to be of great importance. The project will enlighten people more about who he was. The family is glad that you are embarking on the project and we are in support”, he said.
Usman Abubakar Tafawa Balewa added that the project is a beautiful idea because many people will now be enlightened about many things they did not know about the late Prime Minister. “In the play to be staged, there are many aspects about the late Prime Minister that people do not know. People watching the play will get enlightened and the young ones might imbibe what they have learnt there”, he said.
According to the last male child of the late Prime Minister, Haruna Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, “It is a very laudable programme that we are really in support of. This is like an awareness. This country needs people like you to bring back the history of our past leaders for this generation to know about them and learn from them”.
The team also visited the Ajiyan Bauchi, Alhaji Bala Attahiru Ajiya, a senior Councilor at the Bauchi Emirate Council who applauded the project and gave his endorsement. “We as the family are very happy about anything related to the late Prime Minister that will motivate this generation of youth to at least learn something from his personality which will help the country”.
The first prime minister of Nigeria Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was overthrown and murdered in a military coup on 15 January 1966. The “Tafawa Balewa” play production, the second in the series of Tales of Legends after “Abibatu Mogaji”, produced by Ola Awakan and directed by Denja Abdullahi is planned to be staged in Abuja, Bauchi, and Lagos in January 2025.
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