Playwright: Lanre Quadri
Published: 2013
Page: 40 books
Title: The Indictment
Publisher: iGod Books
Reviewer: Olutayo Irantiola
The opening
of this book is with a poem by the poet-playwright, Lanre Quadri, who defined
stealing and governance according to the happenings within Nigeria and Africa
at large. According to the playwright, stealing is a crime committed by
‘no-man’ but governance is when political officeholders take from the
‘Commonwealth’. As for me the critic, I am opening this review with a
commendation that this play is written like a script ready for a screenplay.
Many a times, playwright does not publish like this.
This play is
a one-scene satire interspersed with drum to signify change in direction of the
play. The play is modelled after the Epic Theatre proposed by Bertolt Brecht.
The play opened up by the director who spoke the evident spate of corruption in
the nation but seeking for volunteers who were the cast in the play. However, this
play touches on all areas of governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Some of the
happens in the country which was discussed in the play include the state of the
judiciary and the ability of the political class to continually ‘buy’ the
judiciary and subverting justice at the expense of the citizenry. The use of
government agencies like the Police to quell the creativity tendencies of the
citizenry akin to the maltreatment of Jelili Atiku in recent times is also
demonstrated in the play.
Painfully,
the citizens of the country are looking forward to the first major conviction
of a prominent corrupt politician through the judiciary but as judgements keep
getting delayed for ages; the people resolved to the creation of people’s
court. This court is a place where verdicts are given without any legal
loopholes in dispensing justice.
The main
crimes among political officeholders are embezzlement, racketeering and gross
misappropriation of funds. The contrast of the faith and crime of our
politicians is also mentioned as every illicit acquisition is ‘God’s
blessings’. The judgements passed on the President ‘Mrs Ogunbi’ by the people
include decapitation, one thousand years imprisonment, thrown into the zoo to
live with animals. However, the judge said it should be twenty years
imprisonment with hard labour.
The director
summed it up by advising the judiciary to stop the verdict of ‘’discharged and
acquitted’ but the police came again with accusations that the director is
guilty of treason felony. The officer requested for a bribe as a token for the
director to be let loose. The mob overpowered the policeman and collected the
gun from him.
Conclusively,
this play is an indictment on the ruling class that are seemingly above the law
and enrich themselves at the expense of the citizenry. Hopefully, one day,
politicians around Africa especially will no more be ‘monarchs’ and all
government agencies would work as expected. The people’s court is diverse in
nature- it could be like the Arab Spring- many more. Every minute invested in
reading the book is worthwhile. Ultimately, one day, the will of the people
will PREVAIL & WIN
Lanre Quadri
is a young Nigerian playwright, poet, short story writer and artistic director.
He has been to the following institutions- Baptist Boys' High School, Abeokuta;
Kwara State Polytechnic; University of Ilorin; University of Lagos and
currently on Postgraduate studies at the University of Ibadan. His published
works include TYRANTS AND ANTS; THE PSEUDO-DEMOCRAT, THE INDICTMENT, A THIEF
CALLED CHIEF; TORTOISE GOES TO CHURCH. He has written over fifty screenplays
for television and films in Nollywood.