Maik ORTSERGA
There is room to breathe in Independence Layout, a highbrow section of Enugu, the Coal City. The good network of well paved streets keep swallowing and spewing out vehicles all day long with no hold ups. Located right in the heart of Enugu, the place was primarily carved out to mark Nigeria’s independence, and it is today the soul of Enugu state government business, housing the headquarters of the three arms of government namely the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary as well as the state’s radio and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). It is, therefore, not surprising that this place has won the locational honour for the highly anticipated Association of Nigerian Author’s 38th International Convention holding in the Coal City between 31st October and 3rd November, 2019 with the theme “Literature, Nationalism and the Poetics of Integration.”
The Convention is tagged ANA Homecoming 2019, as the first ever convention happened in the University town of Nsukka in 1981 when the Association was established by the patriarch of Modern African Literature, Chinua Achebe and others. Since that time a convention of the Association has never been held in Enugu State though other States in the South East like Anambra and Imo have held ANA National Conventions in the distant past.
Earlier in June 2019, after Enugu State Chapter of ANA was granted the hosting right after a competitive bidding process with the Edo State Chapter, members of the National EXCO of ANA including the President, Mallam Denja Abdullahi and the Vice-President, Camillus Uka, visited Enugu to inaugurate the Local Organising Committee(LOC) headed by Hon. Ndubuisi Ene. Recently in September,2019 a team from the National Executive Council were in Enugu to assess the preparations on ground to host a befitting convention in which new officers will be elected to man the affairs of the Association at the National level as the Denja Abdullahi-led executive council will bow out of office. The team comprising of the Vice President,Camillus Ukah, Ernest Onuoha, ex-officio and Maik Ortserga, Asst. General Secretary, were in Independence Layout, the proposed central venue of the convention to meet with members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and verify their level of preparedness by confirming the venues and the recommended hotels for delegates and guests’ accommodations.
In a Press Conference addressed by the Chairman of ANA Enugu State Chapter, Zulu Ofoelue on Monday the 14th of October,2019, he stated that the convention which is an annual ritual, has the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu), as Chief Host. He will also declare the convention open. He stated that as at the day of the Press Conference “over 400 of Nigerian’s best and foremost creative writers, literary critics, journalists, members of the academia and other stake holders have registered to attend the convention in Enugu State.” The Keynote Speaker to the Convention is Professor E.E.Sule of the IBB University,Lapai in Niger State. The Special Guest to the Convention is Professor Ernest Emenyonu, a Trustee of ANA and Editor, African Literature Today, who is coming all the way from America to attend the convention. Three new Fellows will be inducted for the Association at the opening ceremony. They are Prof Zaynab Alkali,Prof J.O.J Nwachukwu-Agbada and Prof Remi Raji,all distinguished writers and scholars and members of the Association. The Governor of Ekiti State,Dr John Kayode Fayemi is also to be conferred as a patron of the Association at that same opening ceremony.
It is expected that by hosting this international convention and the Enugu State convention would be in the limelight of National discuss in literary creativity and criticism, promotion of indigenous culture, tourism as well as peace and good governance. Consequent upon the quantum of delegates already registered and expected, ANA expect over 600 critical reviews and creativity on issues of growth the arts, literature, tourism, good governance as it patterns to Enugu State within the first month after the convention and subsequent publication thereafter.
The convention would also have a very positive impact on the rising education quality in the state from basic to tertiary level. Commercial activities in Enugu State would be beefed up by the inflow of tourists from all parts of the world. It would also be an opportunity for participants and visitors to enjoy the unique modern infrastructures and the peaceful & conducive environment provided by the dynamic government of Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
ANA Enugu State being the host branch, wishes to solicit the support of the state government, corporate bodies, philanthropists and lovers of literature, arts and education towards financing and successful hosting of this grand International Convention. We also solicit specially the support of members of the fourth estate of the realm to ensure its success. A website www.anacoalcity.com has been developed specifically for information about the convention
- Maik Ortserga ANA Ass. Gen. Secretary
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