Edidot College Stages ‘The Trials of Brother Jero’

Edidot College, Badore, annual Art Day was thrilling, fun filled and educative as students displayed various skills incultural displays, music, and in the adaptation of a play written by Professor Wole Soyinka, ‘The Trials of Brother Jero’, which took place at the Oloye Dotun Okunbanjo Hall in Lagos. The director of the play, who is also a poet, writer and artist, Mr. Mature Tanko Okoduwa, said the play is a satiric comedy that takes aim at religious hypocrisy in the form of a charlatan named Brother Jero, who preaches to his followers on Bar Beach in Lagos. Jero is a master of manipulation and keeps his followers in a subservient position because he understands what they long for – money, social status and power, and convinces them they will soon be able to fulfil these materialistic desires. For their part, they are gullible enough to believe him.

Okoduwa who also delivered a speech titled, ‘Art in a Time Of Recession’, said art thrives in time of discomfort. He lamented that poor economic planning, lack of encouragement for foreign investors, and failure to diversify the economy were reasons for recession. He therefore called on the government to adopt expansionary macroeconomic policies such as increasing money supply, increase government spending and decrease taxation.

Expressing delight, the Principal of Edidot College, Badore, Mrs. Franca Adeyemi Alayo said the Art Day was fun filled and educative. She said art makes life better, builds diverse communities and improves the quality of life. “We advocate for our students to place a value on art and culture because it forms part of our value system,” she said.