AS part of activities earmarked to celebrate Nigeria's 52 years independence, National Troupe of Nigeria presented The Bridge, a musical dance drama, at the National theatre, Lagos.Written and choreographed by Arnold Udoka, The Bridge has peace and unity as theme.Opening with dances that cut across the major ethnic groups in the country, including Igala, the play centres on a bank manager, who aside from unifying the various ethnic groups in the town where he was posted to serve, also helps to solve the different problems militating against the growth and development of the town' Tanfo, a town at the verge of collapse.When the industrious banker, the lead character, was promoted to the position of a manger, his people were full of praise for him and organised an elaborate party to celebrate the new position; but the joy soon weaned when, they discovered that their son is not only transferred to Tanfo, but he is going to head the bank there as manger. Not satisfied with their son going to the town, the banker's kinsmen and community leaders of thought pleaded with him to turn down the offer on the grounds that there is a high level of insecurity, civil strife, corruption, rancour and power struggle among the people of Tanfo, but he would not listen; not even his pregnant wife's entreaties could make him change his mind.Dedicated to duty, the young branch manger sets out for Tanfo. Just like his people feared, he meets Tanfo in anarchy and civil strife, which resulted to bloodletting. Worried about the situation, he resolves to settle the people's differences, thereby bringing new order that ensures everybody is given equal opportunity to operate. Working under the new order, peace returns to the town and the inhabitants, then, have a level ground to invest and move freely while the ones discarded community begins to experience some growth and development.Using Tanfo as a metaphor of Nigeria as a developing nation, the 45-man dance drama, through colorful costumes and dance ' traditional and modern ' brings to the front burner the positive and negative elements that are usually associated with nationhood and mutual coexistence of the various tribes. Showcasing how, the negative elements such as ethnicity, civil strife and others draw a nation backwards; The Bridge highlights the importance of peace and unity as essential ingredients to nation building.Sending goodwill message to Nigerians, Udoka said, 'it is when we build bridges across boundaries, across gender, ethnicities, religions and states that we would have the understanding of people and the situation of things at the other side of the divide. What is happening is that within religions, politics and gender, there is so much strife, which is totally unnecessary.'First staged in July, this year, at the 7th edition of African First Ladies' Peace Summit held in Abuja, Udoka said, he was inspired by the unity of the nation to write the play.' I was inspired by the unity of the country as one nation to write the play, because I know the various federating states are capable of building bridges across one another. Though some people may busy destroying what others have built or are building by causing confusion, strife or intertribal wars in the country, for with mutual understanding and justice we will overcome them.'If genders understand themselves there will be no strife between men and women or male cheating or making laws that do not favour women. If we really understand the essence of building bridges, then we need to know that we have to build bridges of peace, love and unity across religions, political divide, states and ethnic groups to bring about social and economic justice that would enable the various communities in the country to develop and Nigeria as a country will be the better for it.'Commenting on the roles of the bank manger of Tanfo, Udoka said, 'people should learn to grow from the run because there is no god-fatherism in self-actualisation; for as a bank manger, the young man was able to manage every thing include human emotions and crises to succeed. He is a metaphor for leadership and the type of leader expected in Nigeria.
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