February 2, 2023
(Beaming African Ways Of Life)
Afro-Scope Presents:
AFRO-SCOPE PRESENTS “CULTURE WAR” ON “CULTURE-WATCH-AFRICA”
Greetings, and welcome to Afro-Scope. I am Harry Agina, and this is edition 2 of “Culture Watch Africa” on Afro-Scope. This is also edition 1 of the “Culture-War” drama series on “Culture-Watch-Africa.” Sorry, am I beginning to confuse you? Naah, don’t let me confuse you; I simply mean that Afro-Scope presents “Culture-Watch-Africa” Campaign, which has “Culture-War” as one of its many activities and serial presentations that are unfolding…shikena (that’s all)!
“Culture-War” is based on cross-cultural influences between Africa and the rest of the world. There’re good cross-cultural influences, and bad ones that threaten the existence of the African Culture. Even worse, is the fact that the threat is from Africans themselves. Ironically and sadly, today’s “whiteman” whose forefathers demonized the African Culture a few centuries ago, now accepts that his forefathers made a mistake. But today’s ignorant Africans insist that the ancient “whiteman” was right to demonize and subjugate us…very sad!!! One of Nigeria’s mega billionaire commercial Christian pastors, Chris Oyakhilome, is ignorant enough to declare that “There is no such thing as African Culture.” What a shame to have educational degrees without the common knowledge of the simple facts of the world! Pastor Oyakhilome is too ignorant to know that there is nothing like “A people without culture,” in the entire world.
Culture is defined as, “The ideas, customs, and social behaviors of a particular people or society.” So, culture is the people, and the people are culture, period! Now, do you get the full weight of what Pastor Oyakhilome and his Pentecostal colleagues in Nigeria, West Africa, are saying? That Africans (including themselves, mind you), have no ideas, no customs, no social behaviors of our own! It is scary that mega commercialized Pentecostal Christianity billionaire pastors in Nigeria, such as Oyakhilome, are preaching to their followers to destroy the African Culture. Even more scary is that too many of those followers are ignorant enough to obey every word of those debased Pentecostal-Christian wealth-hunting pastors! I call them funky pastors, who are amassing wealth (some say “stealing”) in the name of the Lord and destroying our culture in the process. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome said, point-blank, “…destroy the African Culture.”
Anyway, enough of the preamble. Let’s get to Morgan Ukaegbu and our new “Culture-Watch-Africa” series. The purpose is to counter bad foreign influences on the African Culture, such as Pastor Oyakhilome’s ignorant interpretation of the Christian scripture. So, here is Morgan’s:
“CULTURE-WAR” IN MARRIAGE TRADITIONS, ON “CULTURE-WATCH-AFRICA,” EPISODE 1:
SCENE 1: OUTSIDE, A POPULAR SHOPPING MALL; IN THE DAY
TWO LOVEBIRDS, CHIMEZIE AND NNEKA EMERGE FROM THE SHOPPING MALL INTO THE LARGE FRONT AREA WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CUPS OF ICE-CREAM. THEY STOP MOMENTARILY TO FEED EACH OTHER, GIGGLE AND LAUGH. CHIMEZIE SAYS SOMETHING FUNNY TO NNEKA, SHE LAUGHS AND BEGINS TO MOVE AWAY FROM HIM WHILE STARING INTO HIS EYES AND JUST THEN CHIMEZIE QUICKLY KNEELS DOWN AS HE FISHES OUT A BOX OF RING FROM HIS POCKET. NNEKA EXPRESSES SURPRISE AS SHOPPERS AND PASSERSBY GATHER TO WATCH HER REACTION. FEW PEOPLE ARE ALREADY RECORDING THE DRAMA ON THEIR CELLPHONES AS NNEKA MOVES CLOSER TO CHIMEZIE. HE OPENS THE BOX OF RING, FISHES OUT THE BEAUTIFUL ENGAGEMENT RING AND RAISES IT TO HER
CHIMEZIE
My sweetest love. Will you marry me?
NNEKA BLUSHES AS SHE GLANCES AROUND. PEOPLE ARE WATCHING HER IN EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION. ONE OR TWO LADIES NOD TO HER. SHE TURNS TO CHIMEZIE, STARES AT HIM FOR A WHILE THEN MUTTERS…
NNEKA
(Very excited)
Yes!
AND FOLLOWS IT UP WITH A SCREAM.
NNEKA
Yes!!!
THERE ARE SOUNDS OF APPROVAL AND ROUND OF APPLAUSE AROUND THEM AS CHIMEZIE SLIPS THE RING ONTO HER ENGAGEMENT FINGER, SHE PULLS HIM UP TO HIS FEET AND THEY END UP IN A TIGHT EMBRACE AND LONG DROWN OUT KISS. THE APPLAUSE GETS LOUDER.
Fade out…
- INT. CHIMEZIE’S BEDROOM. SAME DAY
THE DOOR FLIES OPEN AS CHIMEZIE AND NNEKA STUMBLE IN WITH THEIR TONGUES LOCKED IN A PASSIONATE KISSING BOUT AND TEARING AT THEIR CLOTHES. THEY LAND ON THE BED AND THE KISSING CONTINUES AS THEY TRY TO TEAR OFF THEIR CLOTHES.
Mix…
INT. CHIMEZIE’S BEDROOM. SAME DAY
THE LOVERS HAVE DISSIPATED THEIR ENERGIES IN THEIR LOVEMAKING AND ARE IN EACH OTHER’S ARMS AS THEY DISCUSS.
NNEKA
Honestly, you took me by surprise. I never envisaged that.
CHIMEZIE
What?
NNEKA
The proposal. And you went public. Wow!
CHIMEZIE
I want the whole world to know how much I love you.
NNEKA
Awww! I love you too.
CHIMEZIE
Listen, you mean the world to me. You mean the entire world to me. I don’t see myself surviving a day, a second without you by my side. We will have beautiful children together. We will go places no couple has ever been to. We will be the happiest couple.
NNEKA
I know. The very first day I met you, happiness came into my life. I don’t want to lose it.
CHIMEZIE
You won’t, my love. I am not leaving your side. Ever! You are mine. And I am yours.
NNEKA SMILES AS HE STARES INTO HIS EYES, HE KISSES HER FULLY ON THE LIPS.
Fade out…
- INT. CHIMEZIE’S BEDROOM. NIGHT
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY AT NIGHT. MIX TO THE BEDROOM. CHIMEZIE HAS BEEN SLEEPING AND OPENS HIS EYES AS THE CAMERA SETTLES ON HIM. HE GLANCES AROUND THE BED AND THE ROOM. NNEKA IS NOT THERE. HE CHECKS HIS WRISTWATCH AND ITS PAST 8PM. HE SIGHS AS HE YAWNS, GETS OUT OF BED AND LEAVES THE ROOM.
Cut.
- INT. CHIMEZIE’S LIVING ROOM. SAME NIGHT
CHIMEZIE WALKS INTO SHOT FROM THE BEDROOM DIRECTION JUST AS NNEKA IS EMERGING FROM THE DINING AREA. NNEKA SMILES AS CHIMEZIE EXPRESSES SURPRISE.
NNEKA
Sleepy head.
CHIMEZIE
Yeah! Who wouldn’t sleep after the bout we had.
NNEKA
What bout?
CHIMEZIE
You know. I actually thought you’ve left when I woke up and didn’t find you on the bed.
NNEKA
I wouldn’t leave without informing you.
CHIMEZIE
Yeah! Come here!
He pulls her close and kisses her.
NNEKA
Dinner is served.
CHIMEZIE
Oh! Gosh! I am feeling like a married man already.
They laugh and head to the dinning.
Fade out.
- INT. CHIMEZIE’s LIVING ROOM. DAY
ESTABLISHMENT SHOT OF THE CITY. CUT TO THE LIVING ROOM. THE DOORBELL CHIMES, NNEKA SAUNTERS INTO SHOT, DRESSED IN CASUAL WEARS AND GETS THE DOOR. A PRETTY 28 YEAR OLD LADY, EBERE ENTERS AND THEY EXCHANGE PLEASANTRIES.
NNEKA
Eby! Eby! Baby…
EBERE
Don’t Eby me abeg. Oh! This is where you camped out all this while.
NNEKA LAUGHS AS THEY SIT.
NNEKA
All this while? Ebere, you are sounding like I have been hiding here since last year. Babes, I came here yesterday oo.
EBERE
Yesterday! So, where have you been for weeks now? I was at your house last week and you weren’t there.
NNEKA
Maybe, you went there to see my dad.
EBERE
What?
NNEKA
Yes. I get it that you have a thing for him.
EBERE
You are not serious.
NNEKA
He’s still handsome, you know. Go for it if you wish. I won’t stop you guys.
EBERE
Stop NNEKA.
NNEKA
Stop what? What other reason will make you go looking for me in my house without calling me first? Huh?
EBERE
You are not serious with this your…
NNEKA LAUGHS.
NNEKA
Come on! Of course, I am kidding. Welcome dear. What do I offer you?
EBERE
Everything you have. I am thirsty and famished please.
NNEKA
Well, I don’t have food at the moment. I will prepare soup and stew later in the evening. Let me get you something to drink.
EBERE
Wait! Are you not……?
NNEKA IGNORES EBERE AND HEADS INTO THE KITCHEN. EBERE WAITS AS SHE GLANCES AROUND, THEN FISHES OUT HER CELLPHONE AND BEGINS TO OPERATE IT. SHORTLY, NNEKA EMERGES WITH A PACK OF FRUIT JUICE AND TWO GLASS CUPS.
EBERE
I was saying that you sounded earlier like you are not planning to leave here soon. Cooking soup and stew in the evening. It means you are sleeping over today.
NNEKA
Babes, I will be here for a long time. My dad travelled.
NNEKA LAUGHS AS SHE SETS THEM ON THE TABLE, UNCORKS THE PACK OF FRUIT JUICE AND BEGIN TO POUR INTO EACH CUP. EVENTFUL SOUND AS EBERE NOTICES THE ENGAGEMENT RING ON NNEKA’S FINGER.
EBERE
Wow! What’s with the ring?
NNEKA FLASHES TO HER FRIEND.
NNEKA
We got engaged yesterday. Public engagement.
EBERE
Public engagement. How?
NNEKA
He knelt down at the mall and proposed. And I accepted of course.
EBERE
Wow! That’s lovely. I thought Val was out to chop your yam and run away. He’s actually for real.
NNEKA
Hmm! The man that will chop my yam and run away has not been born. I know how to handle my man.
THEY LAUGH. EBERE RAISES HER GLASS OF FRUIT JUICE, NNEKA DOES SAME AND THEY TOAST TO THE ENGAGEMENT.
EBERE
To the engagement. Blissful married life in advance.
NNEKA
Blissful married life.
THEY CLINK THEIR GLASSES OF THE FRUIT JUICE TOGETHER AND DRINK.
Fade out…
END
Story and Screenplay by
Morgan Uzoma Ukaegbu (SWGN)
And so it is, that “Romeo” has proposed to his Juliet. And they will live happily ever after; right? Well, not so fast…not in Africa! Wait until the mamas and the papas of both of the couple get to know about it, and African traditions get into conflict with some of the youngsters’ Western approach to marriage. Next, on “Culture-War,” on “Culture-Watch-Africa,” here on Afro-Scope.
You will do well to click the button right now to subscribe to Afro-Scope. Please do; that way, you’re sure to follow Morgan Ukaegbu’s series, and many others like it on “Culture-Watch-Africa.” Indeed, we’ll alert you for all the other InfoTainment presentations, on Afro-Scope. ‘Till the next blog, it’s bye for now, from Harry Agina.
HERE’S THE LINK TO EPISODE 2 OF THIS SERIES:
AFRO-CULTURAL MARRIAGE VERSUS THE WESTERN WAYS DRAMA, EDITION 2
Now, it’s time for you to visit our introductory “Culture-Watch-Africa” blog/vlog through the following link, to understand the concept and aim, thus: