With the new auditorium of the Mamman Vatsa’s Writers’ Village, Mpape, Abuja, packed to the brim for four days, the 40th anniversary convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) was held with pomp and pageantry. The events held people spellbound as authors from far and near harped on the need for sustained interest in writing for nation – building and literary resilience. EDOZIE UDEZE was there.
IT is an Igbo proverb that states it clearly: ‘It is the firewood you gather during the dry season that you use when the rains come’. And so it has been with Nigerian Literature, authors and the body of writers. This year’s 40th anniversary convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) held inside the auditorium of the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja, spoke volumes about the above proverb. The convention opened on the 3rd of November and ended on the 7th with plenty of applause full of the joys of a people who prepared well for the future, not only for themselves, but for the sake of providence and posterity.
For the first time in many years, literature truly came alive. Writers were in their best element, the atmosphere was cool, the environment was rippled with ideas – profound ideas to set creativity on the road to progress, indeed for nation-building. Writers came from far and near. The cozy ambiance of the auditorium with central air-conditioner swallowed the surging crowd. Writers felt save with security operatives in their hundreds to do the needful. The new normal where fear ruled the air was absent. As it were, it was apparently clear that it was the sort of setting suitable for a healthy convention.
The convention was a climax of a year long celebrations where different state chapters organized their own shows. Themed ten city tour, ANA members proved that 40 is an important milestone. With books and the reading culture as the forte for the celebrations, ANA president, Camillus Ukah pleaded with the younger ones to always see the future of leadership in their love to read more, to make books their first love.
With the theme of the convention as resilience and nation building: the role of Nigerian literature, guests were excited to identify with ANA. The programmes were all engrossing, sound, ensuring that all aspects of literature were catered for. The discussions included readings, drama performances, writing as an act of conversation, children’s literature, travelogue and more. These themes were aptly handled by experts who inadvertently used the opportunity to renew people’s interest in literature, in literary matters generally.
The hall, from time to time, erupted with hilarious acclaims as prolific authors like Femi Osofisan, Moses Tsenongo, Wale Okediran, Sonny Ododo, Remi Raji, Joe Ushie, were all enthralled as they busied themselves discussing literature. There were also other scholars/writers whose presence added colours to the august gathering. They were Rasheed Na-Allah, Tunde Olusinle, Denja Abdullahi, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chinyere Obi-Obasi, Idris Amali and wife, Mary Nwoye, Maria Ajima, Dull Johnson, Shehu Sanni. As a matter of fact, the auditorium was filled to capacity by who is who in the literary and academic scenes in Nigeria.
As drinks and foods flowed, performances took over the stage. Conversation within the realm of literary realities took the centre stage. The performance of Abuja Nunyi, a collection of poetry renditions by Denja Abdullahi helped to relax the mood. Then came the welcome speech by the president, Ukah, who was full of admiration for the never-die spirits of the members of ANA. The enviable stage of development of the writers village, made Ukah the happiest ANA president, perhaps since the time of Chinua Achebe, the foremost progenitor of the association.
Ukah said: “Today is like a beautiful day that begins with early morning brilliant sunshine. Earlier in the year, at the take off of the ANA at 40 events in the historic city of Ibadan, I hinted that efforts are unflagging to ensure that this year’s convention, our family reunion so to speak, to be held in Abuja, will be a literary carnival showcasing the landmarks recorded over the years on the developed plots of real estate bequeathed our family by our departed soldier – brother, Mamman Jiya Vatsa…” Ukah needn’t say more because the structures, as imposing as they come, are there within the premises to say the rest.
It was never a lugubrious moment. All thanks to K. K. Shaw, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian army who has been developing the properties. A dogged builder, Shaw sure knows how to deliver on promises. And it is to him that ANA owes this level of development at the writers resort. The sprawling structures, the neatly constructed and well paved roads, meandering in a zig-zag form and in conformity with artistic creation further accentuated the natural beauty and setting of the premises. It was all worth the moment even as the impressive AK musical band, from Ibadan, Oyo State kept guests happy with endless renditions of musical tunes. At a point all the bigwigs in the hall took to the stage to do justice to the stimulating rhythms of the sounds.
As writers registered their presence, the cheer joys of a mission well-accomplished heightened their glows. The issue of accommodation was well-arranged. Mpape and other surrounding settlements and villages have enough hotels to cater for delegates. And the problem of insecurity and threats to lives never arose. States delegates arrived safely. Some came by road, while others by air. The 40% discount arrangement between ANA and Arik Air made it easier for writers and their visitors to enjoy smooth sail to and from Abuja. It was truly marvelous and interesting.
Artists came from Ghana, Cameroon and other neighouring nation-states to hobnob with this largest writers body in Africa, a group that has produced some of the best and foremost authors in the world. The visitors were impressed with the level of arrangement put in place by ANA. The location of the centre, its proximity to nature, thrilled them more, a location buried in-between highlands and valleys where fresh breeze wheezes endlessly, soothing nerves, assuaging moods.
There were food vendors. A make-shift kitchen was arranged to cook and serve guests. Even though the foods were not entirely satisfactory, it was good the kitchen was kept close-by to make feeding within reach. All in all, with over 70% state representations in attendance, it showed that those years of rancor in ANA are over. It is now time to move on to the next level, the level of literary resilience and perfection.
And so when the election came, it was devoid of bickering. It is on record that this was the only election year so far in the history of ANA where delegates conformed to decorum. Almost every official was returned unopposed, thus saving ANA from another year of protracted squabbles and disunity and disharmony.
Artists speak
Professor Femi Osofisan, foremost Nigerian playwright, dramatist and former president of ANA, presided over a theme simply titled ‘the story as escort’. Addressing a full hall of eager listeners, he said” “this is the largest writers body in Africa… Yes, we are the story tellers, the people who hold the society spellbound with the recounting of the issues that shape and reshape our beings. Achebe, the founder of this body was a perfect story-teller. We can never forget him. His works will continue to stare us in the face, reminding us of who we are”.
A highly celebrated scholar and emeritus professor of drama of the University of Ibadan, Osofisan is one of the founding fathers of ANA. He went on: “A story teller appeals to the mind, he invokes the norms. His stories remain from generation to generation. This is what we do; this is why we are here, to create history, to recreate our societies. But if we do not sit up or speak out now, all of us remain indicted. We need to use our stories to agitate the minds of our leaders. There is fear everywhere, no security of lives and property in our land”
He referred to folklores as part of veritable ways to streamline our stories, bringing them into realities. “Yes, from folklores you have drama, poetry and prose. You tell stories to correct, to chastise our leaders”. He made references to some local stories of a hunter and the hunted to illustrate his muse. “Stories are not always innocent. The stories often affect and touch on all aspects of our society. This was why Achebe said that ‘it is the failure of leadership that has drastically retarded our state of development’. In ‘You must set forth at dawn’, Wole Soyinka berated leaders as well. But then what is the role of literature in all this? People in power must live above board. They have to serve the people. At independence they all scrambled to take position. No one scrambled to serve the people”, he said amid resounding applause.
As for Mamman Hassan, a retired general in the Nigerian army and former aide to Vatsa, Vatsa was a brave soldier who lived for all. Hassan who went down memory lane, read a poem he wrote on Vatsa. He said: ‘Vatsa inspires Nigerian authors. He overcame evildoers to give a place to Nigerian writers. A royal dedicated soldier, full of love for poetry. A poet of no mean stature, he wrote his heart out. He used pen for peace because he loved peace. His love for writing was too good standing him out among his peers. He left behind his model of valour, now his legacy stands still with a posthumous award for him. As a writer you will never be forgotten. Never, even at old age you still write’. He also revealed that Vatsa was a citizen of Bulgaria, to which guests nodded their acclaim.
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