CEO'S SUCCESSION.part one

A narrative sketch: "The CEO's Succession"

Setting: Modern-day Lagos, Nigeria. A powerful conglomerate, "The Heritage Group," built on ancestral lands and traditional values, is at a critical juncture. The revered founder and CEO, known as the "Baba Oga," has just passed away. The group's success is tied to a spiritual belief that the founder's successor must follow a sacred, symbolic rite to ensure the company's continued prosperity and the spiritual well-being of the thousands of employees, who view it as a family.

Characters:

Akinola (The "Horseman"): The charismatic, cosmopolitan heir to the company. He is intelligent and loved by his employees, but he has been heavily influenced by Western business practices. He believes in the company's values but views the final, symbolic rite as an outdated formality. His desire for a powerful, visible final act—marrying a young, beautiful social media influencer just before the rite—distracts him from his true purpose.

Mrs. Iyalode: The matriarch of the company and a custodian of its spiritual foundation. She is a shrewd businesswoman in her own right but fiercely committed to the traditional values that ensure the company's success. She warns Akinola against his vanity, reminding him that the ritual is not a show but a profound act of spiritual transition.

Mr. Simon Parker: A British financial consultant and advisor to the company's board. He sees the symbolic rite as a barbaric, illogical act that could damage the company's public image and stock price. He believes he is saving Akinola from a destructive tradition and uses his influence to have the ritual legally prohibited and Akinola removed from his position.

Kunle (The "Son"): Akinola’s younger brother, educated abroad and now a pragmatic and respected corporate lawyer within the company. He understands the spiritual significance of the rite in a way his brother has lost. He tries to reason with Akinola, urging him to see beyond his ego.

Titi (The "Bride"): The social media influencer whom Akinola marries. She is initially drawn to the status and glamour of the marriage but is unaware of the profound spiritual weight attached to it.

Plot outline:

The Ritual and Distraction: Akinola begins the public, celebratory phase of his ascension. He is adored by the company's staff. However, his focus shifts to his highly publicized marriage to Titi. He sees it as a sign of his modern success, but Mrs. Iyalode and others view it as a distraction from his sacred duty.

The Colonial Intervention: Simon Parker, seeing an opportunity to modernize the company and remove what he views as a superstitious practice, manipulates corporate governance and involves a Western-backed NGO to legally halt the rite.

The Failure: When the moment comes for Akinola to perform the final, symbolic rite, the legal and public pressure, combined with his own internal hesitation, cause him to fail. He is publicly removed as heir, and his spiritual failure is laid bare for all to see.

The Redemptive Act: Kunle, seeing his brother's failure and the subsequent damage to the company's spiritual core, steps in. He sacrifices his own comfortable, modern life and performs a final, deeply personal version of the rite in secret, restoring the spiritual balance. His act is not one of legal succession but of profound familial and cultural duty.

The Aftermath: Akinola is left in disgrace, understanding his shame too late. Kunle's act, while restoring spiritual balance, leaves a void in the corporate leadership. Mrs. Iyalode is left to guide the company, and the pregnant Titi, now a widow, becomes a living symbol of a future that must find a way to reconcile tradition with modern life.

This narrative sketch explores the themes of duty, spiritual integrity versus modern vanity, and the enduring impact of Western influence on traditional cultures within a contemporary framework. It honors the spirit of Soyinka's play while remaining an entirely new and original creation.