Name the National Theatre after Efo Kodjo Mawugbe

The late Efo Kodjo Mawugbe

While we still mourn the loss of one of Ghana's greatest assets, I don't think it will be out of place to make a passionate appeal to the government and the National Theatre Board to name the National Theatre after its son, Efo Kodjo Mawugbe.

The award-winning playwright died Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where he was being treated for prostate cancer and paralysis.

He was laid to rest at the Osu Cemetery in Accra, Friday after a funeral ceremony at the forecourt of the State House.

I don't know how it will be called – either the Efo Kodjo Mawugbe Theatre or Efo Mawugbe Theatre – but I think this will be more than enough to honour a man who dedicated his entire life to the arts and theatre of Ghana.

He made a strong case for the development of Ghanaian theatre and casting light on those efforts and his visionary leadership, the government in consultation with the National Theatre Board deemed it fit to appoint him the Director of the National Theatre.

Efo until his death had a long-standing association with the National Theatre where he served in different capacities including a Consultant, Playwright and Artistic Director. In 2000, he wrote and directed a sketch on the Education Reform Programme for the Mock Parliament of Kiddafest.

In a bid to repackage programmes at the National Theatre, Efo introduced several innovative programmes including the Inter-College Drama Festival of Ghana dubbed Dramadotcom, the Africanised version of the festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Gospel Glory and the legendary Cinderella written in the African vein and dubbed Cinderama.

He is also credited for organising and hosting for the very first time, the universally acknowledged International Theatre Day. He always put the National Theatre first in all his dealings.

In 2008, former President John Agyekum Kufuor conferred on him, a Grand Medal for his dedicated and meritorious service to mother Ghana. It was also in recognition for his sterling qualities as a playwright, Arts Administrator, Artistic Director and an ace Theatre practitioner who was relentless in helping restore the pride of the arts in Ghana.

It is unfortunate that he could not live to complete his proposed Universities Festival of Arts and Culture which was aimed at deepening the arts in tertiary institutions. The National Theatre Board also proposed a dedicated Night of Readings and Celebration of Lifetime Achievements of Efo Kodjo Mawugbe.

Born Pascal Kojo Mawugbe on 21 April 1954 in Kumasi to Madam Comfort Tulasi, a cook at Africa Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the late Michael Ayivi Mawugbe who worked with the laundry department of the University, Efo grew from that humble beginnings to become a legend.

He has to his credit 19 plays. It includes, A Calabash of Blood - Radio Drama- GBC in 1978, Aluta Continua - drama - produced for radio, stage and T.V. distributed in Africa by URTNA (1979) and in 1980, The Unbending Branch - Radio Drama (GBC), Queen Zarita of Zarita, Upstairs and Downstairs and A.P.T.S. (Acquired Prison Traumatic Syndrome).

He was winner of the BBC's International Radio Playwriting Competition 2009 with his play, The Prison Graduates. His play was selected out of 12,000 entries across the world.

The above mentioned are just a few of what this illustrious personality has offered mother Ghana. Naming his 'home' after him will definitely keep his name in the annals of Ghanaian history forever – many including the upcoming generation will definitely hear of him and I know they will be motivated and empowered to die for Ghana.