ANIEKAN UKPANAH – DUKE, YOU WILL GET YOUR AFANG

That was cosmopolitan and excessively brilliant Aniekan Ukpanah, the Managing Partner of the prestigious Udo Udoma and Bello Osagie Law Firm to me as we discussed varied issues pertaining to this our country.

You know I have said that the fund-raising run of this my new play – Ufok Ibaan which is a depiction of the Ikot Abasi women’s Uprising in 1929 has really opened me up to some of the most cerebral Nigerians I can find.

Normally, when I am looking for money for my play, I will be chasing corporate sponsors but this one, because of its deep intellectual and historical influences, I have begun to see that the kinds of people who are talking to me are deeply engaging and prominently cerebral. How do you explain, meeting with Gbenga Oyebode and Senator Udo Udoma on the same day on the same matter?

Anyways, that is how I entered Aniekan’s lair the other day. The St. Nicholas building offices of the law firm strategically and proudly standing beside my former office -BGL. The ambience of the office is a story for another day, but let me just say this, the place na oasis. Very meticulously apportioned with fitting images of our Icons – Fela, Chinua Achebe, Ladi Kwali all scripted by famed Lemi Ghariokwu the guy that did most of Fela’s album art.

Aniekan is a handsome man who comes at you with the sweet breeze of intelligence. He took me down some very deep incursions into leadership, history, economics and the evolving modern-day law firm especially in its strategy, identification of the dynamics of the market and its engagement with the arrowhead of economic movements.

I just sat there, mouth opened drinking from the well of this knowledge and the sweet pride exuding from this well dressed gentleman.

After the long and incisive engagements, it was time for me to talk. Mbok, what can I say to such an erudite gentleman. I just ask, ‘Mbok don’t vex, madam had invited me to Afang in the house. Please, help me greet her and remind her of the offer’. He smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry, we are all in Akwa Ibom, this December, Afang in the village would be perfect’. I said, ‘Magic’ as I moved towards the elevator wondering just what kind of breast milk did these ones take wey dem come brilliant like this. Kai.