— set to feature, Alibaba Fathia Balogun among others

By ANOZIE EGOLE
  After a very successful first edition, a new stage comedy drama, which tends to change the country's teeming youths positively and also helps the present government drive its change agenda, Checkpoint, held a successful second ediution.

  Titled,  Checkpoint 2,  the rib cracking comedy drama which was put together by OAP, Tuebi Abide, aka, Tuale, tell the story of how to make the country better by changing the mind of the youths positively as this year's edition aimed at talking about Nigerian judiciary, entertainment and education sector among other. Among other top entertainers who featured in this year's edition included, top comedian, Alibbaba, and Nollywood screen diva, Fathia Balogun, Timi of Wazobia, Titus Bankole, among others. 

 In a chat with the organizer,  Tuale  of Wazobia, on the show, he said, “People feel it has to do with the police and the normal story we hear about Nigerian Police. But really  Checkpoint  has to do with checking yourselves that is the whole idea. We are talking about it from the police perspective with the impression that the Nigerian police are the ones that encounter all kinds of people at the checkpoint. They meet people from different professions, weather mentally stable or not.

We are now trying to talk about the flaws we have in our society and the way we contribute to that from the perspective of the Nigerian police. And not also leaving out the side where they go about their work. It is intended to let everyone check him/herself and change with all these whole change agenda. I am of the opinion that if we really want real change we should start from ourselves. And we should change our attitude towards our immediate society and it will help us in the way we run the society. 

That is the long and short of the show and it is a comedy play although we are going to do some serious issues it is not meant to bite anybody.  This year we talked about the judiciary, entertainment among others. We also talked about education, lecturers and students and we talked about the welfare of the Nigerian police. I grew up with my aunt in Lagos and she was always on me.

Growing up with her, I would say she was a disciplinarian. At a time, I had to call her and let her know that I am a grown up now who can take care of himself. In all that I think what she was doing then help in making me the kind of man I am today. At a time she called me to tell me that her spirit told her that I want to join bad gang and I told her to tell the spirit that I am not joining any bad gang. In my growing up, I have done a lot of things that had to do with driving change. During my NYSC, we went for a workshop still on driving change.

From that, I have always wanted to do my own project which had to do with talking to youths and young people and ordinary Nigerian because that is where I feel the change will start from.