GREATER SONTA, 2023: PRESIDENT’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

Once again, on behalf of the Chairman and Members of Board of Trustees as well as Executive Members, I say merry Christmas and compliments of the season to distinguished members of our great society.

Merry Christmas simply means “be as happy as you can during this time of the year”, and I presume you all tried to be as happy, in spite of the challenging circumstances.

We have had quite an eventful year with highs and lows, nevertheless, as faithful adherents of our dear profession, we acted our way through the fading year and in a few hours, we shall triumphantly be entering another historic year-2023 (election year), in our dear Nation-Nigeria. We shall be required to go to the polls to elect another set of leaders who would lead us in the next four years.

This decision is as crucial as it is critical to the survival of our country and by extension our great Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists (SONTA). Our choices in the forthcoming general election would go a long way in impacting either positively or negatively, the nation generally and SONTA in particular.

We therefore, must be dispassionate, conscientious. and considerate in making these choices. As creative artists and culture experts, I have no doubt in my mind that we all shall approach this exercise with an open but informed disposition.

In spite of challenges of the fading year, we still were able to maintain our tradition of convening the Annual International Conference and General Meeting. The 35th edition of the conference tagged ‘Abuja 2022’, was hosted by the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja, from 29th November – 3rd December, 2022.

Although, the eight months strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), impacted negatively on both the planning and attendance to the conference by members, the National Executive Committee as well as Local Organizing Committee, managed to orchestrate a successful conference in the circumstance. I want to sincerely appreciate those who made huge sacrifices to physically attend the conference.

It was colorful as all our invited guests attended the opening ceremony. I am aware of the clamour for a hybrid conference where those who are unable to physically attend would join via zoom; we indeed made provision for this and will continue to do so, as a number of factors have recently combined to force this approach on us as a world best practice.

However, I want to encourage members to see the need to make efforts at physically participating at our conferences. Ours’ is a performing profession and it is more fun and psychologically edifying when we are physically present to experience, behold and appreciate the entire gamut of the conference. On this premise I want to believe that SONTA-BENUE 2023 would be well attended.

I deeply appreciate members for their individual show of commitment and fidelity to annual registration. As we can see on our platforms, about 155 members paid their regular annual dues and 3 members paid the life membership dues for the year 2022.

What is even more intriguing being the fact that a greater percentage of those who paid are our senior colleagues in the Professorial cadre, some have already commenced payment for the year 2023. This shows responsibility, commitment and professionalism; virtues that must be emulated by younger colleagues who should derive inspiration from this exemplary conduct to aspire to higher professional heights.

On our part as an executive committee, we shall ensure the judicious appropriation and application of resources that accrue to the Society. A detailed statement of account will be presented during the Annual General Meeting in Makurdi for members to peruse.

By His grace we have been able to secure approval for the Nigerian Theatre Journal to now be on the African Journals Online (AJOL) – the world’s largest and preeminent platform of African-published scholarly journals. This is just as we reported during the Annual General Meeting that we secured E – ISSN for the Journal.

We are now working on acquiring a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for the journal which plans are at advanced stage. We have been able to pay and expand our website and more content is being uploaded on a regular basis now, members are encouraged to visit the website for regular updates on our activities.

The year 2023, holds a lot of promise for us as individuals and SONTA as an association. A few of our members are already in strategic positions and it is my earnest prayer that a good number shall get into even more lucrative positions that would benefit SONTA.

To this end, let me thank our erstwhile Vice President, my teacher and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Tor Iorapuu, who generously donated half a million towards the success of the just concluded Conference and Annual General Meeting, I pray the good Lord to replenish your pocket a million fold.

I appreciate Professor S O O Amali, FSONTA, OON, Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) and indeed members of the Board for their commitment to the success and survival of the Society.

In spite of age and schedule, Professor Amali made sure he attended and sat through the opening ceremony of the conference in Abuja. Professor(s) Irene Salami-Agunloye, Emmanuel Dandaura and Sunday Enessi Ododo (members of BoT), all sat through the AGM to offer guidance and direction. Senior colleagues like Professor(s) Olu Obafemi, Mabel Evweirhoma, Duro Oni, Ahmed Yerima, Charity Angya, M. I Umar-Buratai, Ojo Bakare, Alex Asigbo, Shola Fosudo and a host of others who for good cause were unable to attend physically, all called to encourage and tender apologies.

This level of humility and show of concern is humbling and must be appreciated. Members of the National Executive Committee have been awesome; they have continued to offer varying degrees of sacrifice to ensure the survival of our great Society. I appreciate the generality of our members who are ever ready to respond to calls of duty. Without you, there can be no SONTA and I pray the good lord to continue to bless and protect us all.

Lastly, though not many of you were aware that I had a health challenge I concealed and bore through the conference, I came back straight to a TURP surgery, which by His grace was successful and I have substantially recovered.

I thank members like Professor Ododo, who came all the way from Abuja to visit me on my sick bed. My VC and the Benue State University chapter of SONTA were amazing, I couldn’t have asked for a better family. With your prayers and good wishes, I shall enter the new year in good health and stable condition. Together we shall forge a common front for a GREATER SONTA, 2023!

I wish us a very warm, happy and prosperous new year! Best wishes for 2023.

Professor Gowon Ama Doki, FSONTA, MNAL