PAUL C NWABUIKWU, a public intellectual, presents his gripping collection, The Pain and the Promise
Last Wednesday, for three glorious hours, the 100-capacity hall of a major Abuja hospitality complex, was filled with magic. Within the space, joy jostled with laughter, clapping competed with cheering and the atmosphere was suffused with that sense of collective delight that comes from having a good time in great company.
No, the event wasn’t a lusty show by one of the big three musical giants of the moment – Davido, Wizkid or Burna Boy – or any of their other famous satellites in Nigeria’s star-rich entertainment firmament. These musical notables would have needed a bit more space than the comparatively modest one in which the event under discussion took place. And, of course, the decibel level would have been much louder if they were in the vicinity. This was a quieter, more thoughtful occasion.
Also, the event wasn’t one of the many political meetings and bazaars that are gradually taking over Abuja, six months to the next national presidential, governorship and legislative polls. This was clear from the absence of babanrigas, agbadas, Isi-agus and other popular cultural attires in the corridors and halls. That aura of frenetic corruption and furtive desperation that generally accompanies political gatherings in Nigeria was absent. The air was suffused with pleasantness and a certain joy with an underlying intellectual thoughtfulness.
