CONTINUITY is usually a major problem that plagues projects in Nigeria. The proverbial new broom truly sweeps cleanest in Nigeria, although usually in the wrong direction. Usually, every previous idea is painstakingly swept aside for new and sometimes un-realisable ones to be ushered in, all in a bid to seek public applause.Poet and political essayist, Odia Ofeimun seemed to be rubbing in the need for the new helmsman at the LNG, Babs Omotowa, to continue the good practice of Chima Ibeneche in the service of the literary arts. Ofeimun had mounted the podium near the end of the well-appointed evening of goodwill to present two of his books ' Lagos of the Poets (poems dedicated to the city of Lagos from the 1900 till fairly recently) and Nigeria the Beautiful (his poetic and dramatic excursion from the era of Lord Lugard to President Jonathan) to the new man. The poet capped off his gifts by praising the outgoing LNG boss for what he had done for Nigerian literature, when he said, 'Ibeneche did very loud things for Nigerian literature'.For a man who has journeyed through the oil and gas business on a worldwide scale, Ibeneche would seem a rare breed. In an earlier interview with The Guardian on Sunday, he said he had come to LNG to make an already successful company more successful; and he did. More than that, he significantly raised the support profile of the gas company to the arts and Nigerian literature to the envy and amazement of most Nigerian men and women of big businesses, whose expressed ignorance of the culture sector and what it could do to the national psyche Ibeneche has so eloquently magnified in his many acts of support and patronage.As chief patron of the arts, Ibeneche raised the prize money for The Nigeria Prize for Literature from $30,000 to first, $50,000 and lately $100,000. He did the same goes for The Nigerian Prize for Science. Under his watch and in express support for the music he loves and sometimes performs, LNG instituted the Choral Music competition held annually in Port Harcourt to show that even scientists can also be men rooted in culture, and without a hint of conflict as it is the practice in advanced societies, which Nigerians so eminently ape in all respects except in deepening the humanising values of cultural productions in society.Ibeneche had also noted in the earlier interview that there is a need to return to the path of entrenching cultural ethos in society both for its health and growth for a proper civilization of the polity. He stressed the significance of LNG supporting the arts and advised that Nigeria needed 'to return to a situation where culture is really vibrant. Right now, the Nigeria music scene, the pop music scene is picking up gradually. But it's nowhere near where it was during the time of Rex Jim Lawson, I.K. Dairo, Victor Uwaifo and all those people who were working hard in Nigeria.'So, this is a case of saying let's support another aspect of culture development, which has to be choral music. Just to say that it's also a genre of music that I enjoy as a singer, and that my family also enjoys in church.'Ibeneche's wife is also an eminently competent choral singer, who has performed on professional stage.Ibeneche also stated the responsibility that other corporate bodies in Nigeria often shied away, especially the culture segment of the Nigerian society. He bemoaned the sterile lifestyle that now characterised the Nigerian society, which often fails to find pleasure in cultural productions in its dogged pursuit of money, saying, 'We need to keep saying that we (LNG) are a Nigerian company and we're interested in the development of culture and the growth of our society. One of the biggest disappointments you see in a place like Nigeria is that in many cases, we don't enjoy life. We're always struggling, trying to make money'.IT was this continuity issue that Ofeimun very craftily raised in the presentation of his symbolic books gifts to both Ibeneche for the immense things he had done for the arts and literature in particular, and a reminder to the new man, Omotowa, not to sweep aside what is already on ground in LNG's active support of cultural productions, be it the literary prize or the choral music competition and other support for the cultural sector.Will Omotowa thread a path different from his predecessor or continue therewith' The culture community will watch closely his first few steps as he attempts to wear what he personally referred to as Ibeneche's 'big shoes' in the months and years to come.Indeed, Omotowa was to acknowledge what he also called a 'night for Ibeneche', saying, 'Ibeneche is a colossus, with big shoes to follow. Ibeneche has fulfilled the vision of LNG and also proving that Nigerians are more than capable of leading a world class company. Many around the world didn't believe that Nigeria LNG would succeed in a difficult place like Nigeria''Omotowa then sued for the support of staff and expressed his keenness to work with the board to continue the LNG vision already created by his predecessor, Ibeneche, noting that future challenges would provide opportunity for the gas company to work towards helping Nigeria realise the vision 2020 and contribute to Nigeria's GDP growth and job creation for the nation's teaming youth.Ibeneche was full of gratitude for all who had turned up to celebrate him, particularly the company staff and board, saying it would be 'impossible to be a leader if you don't have a willing followership'. He also thanked two former leaders involved in the setting up of LNG, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and Chief Earnest Shonekan, who also turned up to wish him well in his future endeavours. He said of them, 'I thank Gowon and Shonekan for struggling to set up LNG. What LNG has shown is a value of vision.
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