Ebose
•Offers 500 Akwa Ibom youths free theatre clinic
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Chuks Udo Okonta
The Management of Anchor Insurance Company Limited, one of the nation’s fastest rising risk protection providers, has said fomllowing its passionate concern to ensure the Nigerian culture does not go into extinction, it was sponsoring a life stage play titled Ibiom: When Doves Fly which will hold in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital April 30 and May Ist, this year.
Disclosing this during a chat with some media hands in Lagos at the weekend, Ebose Augustine, Managing Director of the risk-bearing outfit, explained that the company would further be supporting the producers, Duke of Shomolu Productions, in providing free theatre clinic for 500 selected youths of Akwa Ibom State origin during the two-day stage play.
According to him, “as a corporate citizen with high respect for social responsibility, we see it as an opportunity to support events of this sort which aim at restoring, keeping and giving meaning to our culture as well as using such events to impact on the lives of the people.”
He explained that “as a people, we are fast losing our culture and history to Western narratives. Any race without a sustained culture and history has lost her identity. It is our passionate resolve at Anchor Insurance to be part of any programme that will help to project and ensure that the histories and cultures of the Nigerian ethnic components do not die.”
Ebose said that “this support is one of our ways of giving back to the society as it is the people that have ensured our continued success through their patronage.”
“In fact, we became very excited when we knew the play was about a rich story of the tribes that make up present day Akwa Ibom State where we are a notable corporate citizen and a beneficiary of first class business considerations,” noting that “it was, therefore, not out of place for us to give the support we could to ensure the success of the show.”
Commending the company for its supports, the Chief Executive Officer of Shomolu Productions Limited, Mr. Iniobong Joseph Edgar, said “Anchor Insurance has been there for us for over three years now. We salute the impeccable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reputation of the organization in promoting arts and culture in Nigeria.”
According to him, “this unrelenting and constant patriotism by the company has continued to set it apart from other corporate bodies in the country,” noting that “we are convinced that through the organisation’s continued support, we will weave a tapestry of hope for our arts and culture.”
While stating that the company had supported his outfit in staging “Emotan” in Benin City in 2019 and “Aremu” in Abeokuta in early 2020, the Akwa Ibom State-born Edgar said “the need to build a bridge between our cultural heritage and present day Nigeria has been our driving force in all our stage works.”
According to him, “the Ibiom story will take the audience through the origins of the ancient tribes that make up Akwa Ibom state,” noting that the casts would be fully indigenous Akwa Ibom artistes led by the popular queen of Nigeria home movie, Ini Edo.
It could be recalled that Anchor Insurance which has won the Fastest Growing Insurance Company in Nigeria and the Insurance Company of the Year awards, among others, has at different times sponsored the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), National Arts and Culture Expo and the International Arts and Crafts Expo organized by the National Council for Arts and Culture.
