Lois Otse Adams holds brief as the chairman, transition committee of the Association of Nigerian Authors ANA, Abuja chapter. In this interview with EDOZIE UDEZE, this foremost biographer talks about her readiness to return the association back to its glorious past and how her father influenced her writing career and more.

ASSOCIATION of Nigerian Authors is 40 this year. What preparations are you making to mark the anniversary?

The 40th year of the existence of Association of Nigerian Authors will be hosted in Abuja, being the Federal Capital Territory, and fortunately for me I am a member of the Abuja Chapter that will play host to the landmark event.

We at the Abuja Chapter are very much interested in partnering ANA National, and at the moment we have started aligning with the Writers Village in Mpape. We hold all our Literary events there, in preparation to marking the epoch occasion.

There are several inspiring lined-up  events to take place before, during and after the actual month of August; like the engagement of 40 authors and their books, having geo-political Literary Readings across the nation, festivals of contents, display of talents, bringing creativity to the subconscious of the Nigerian youths. The youths are already being involved because, the President, Mr. Camilus Ukah is someone who believes in the development of young people and nurturing young minds. This is because without them ANA can not mark it’s 80th year anniversary. So it is very vital they are involved to play several roles in what they know how to do best, that is arts.

We have started writing to schools for courtesy visit to Vice Chancellors, Rectors,  Principals, etc of the need to officially release their arts students to us during the period of celebration.

Lots of students will be involved, especially from related departments like Literary Studies, English Language, Theater Arts, to spark up the event and for them to be reminded that arts need to be sustained by conscience efforts and this is by practicing it.

You can deduct the enormous role of the Abuja Chapter in marking the legacy laid by our forefather, Prof. Chinua Achebe. We are already making plans to liaise with other chapters to actualise the purpose of the anniversary, which is to keep good legacy alive.

We are in touch with the national body therefore, every further role assigned to us as a chapter shall be carried out amicable without hesitation by the Almighty God.

As the head of the transition committee of Abuja ANA, what are we expecting from you to stem the storm?

From the day I became a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja Chapter, with my dear father, Dr. Omokhogie Adamu, an author, who was the oldest member of the association before he passed four years ago, I became resolute and everybody sensed that, maybe that is what has led me to where we are today. Being appointed  chairman of the transition committee, to me it was not by accident but hard work and resilience, and it didn’t come to me as shock. This is because I have had great expectations for the chapter. The purpose of the association was dwindling and it became so obvious that if something was not done the umbrella body of writers globally may go into extinction. But I am happy that today, we as an association are beginning to stemming both known and unknown storms. This we have achieved since January 29th when we were appointed. We have revived the reading culture, for in

stance, we hold our readings every week instead of every month. We have also activated the creative alertness in members and we have engaged in several critique sessions with books written by members and they were pleasant sessions.

We have initiated online general meetings and they have been going on well. During meetings all we discuss is the affairs of the association and how to develop content, because content matters to us most. There is no association without content, without content we as writers can not mirror the society in the global phase.

We have also cultivated the culture of bringing in authors, script writers, and people who have something to do with creativity and not charlatans who will come in and cause lots of distractions as we have had in the past. And we were getting used to it, such shall be flushed out soon, all our card carrying members are professionals and these are people who have made several landmark achievements both in Literature and in their various endeavours.

In the previous times there was no record to show that we had successful administrations in the chapter so that was an issue that bothered us as transition Committee. So we have built a mini Library at the Writers Village, where documents are kept, association documents are not for personal use. So we discouraged that bad culture, this will also make members to read from books written by other authors, to enable us enrich the noble pen profession. We have invested in books, the chapter has just purchased books worth 200,000 to enrich the library. We have placed orders for further books, written by great authors, former and retired members of the association. We cherish our work and we promote ourselves.

We also within the short time have been able to bring back the culture of respect and decorum. Looking back at our founding fathers there is this one thing that keeps inspiring me and others, the manner they served with utmost respect, even though there were National issues Prof. Chinua Achebe will simply dish it in a book like the book entitled ‘THERE WAS A COUNTRY’. There is no day I haven’t heard Nigerians refer to that book in discussing present national issues. We want authors who will actively use their inks to make positive statements and recommendations that will stand the test of time. On the issue of respect we are imbibing and instilling in young members how to respect those in the association and how conflicts can be resolved before it metamorphoses into crises.

There are a lot of other things like membership ID cards. We were able to print every member’ ID card before the festival, receipts being issued to members. We are all financial members and we have a say in the affairs of the association, unlike before, this is because the transition committee believes in inclusive service where everyone has to contribute and have a stake. Again, there is no association that survived without financial members, for the association to stand we all have to pay our annual dues and new members duly registered.

By the special grace of God come May  we shall be conducting an election that will usher in a substantive chairman and other members, members have shown good interests. I encourage more to come out and contest for positions of their choices.

ANA Abuja literary festival seems dear to you. What are the ingredients of the festival, when is it happening and the calibre of people involved?

It is very dear to us being that we are trying to correct the wrongs done in the past. It is as it is presented, it’s   literary festival, the era of jamborees are over when people were praised for doing nothing. This time first, we are honouring FCT Literature teachers who have raised the people who have promoted arts, what we have in the society of arts and culture today, we want to honour them for their Literary efforts, and to partner their schools in every event held in the chapter. We want to start making authors out of Secondary school students. I run an association of creative minds in the rural schools and we were spreading out before I was appointed transition Chairman,  this is what I am bringing to the table of ANA Abuja, since it worked for us there it will definitely work for us in the FCT.

These teachers are also coming with their students so we have a space to accommodate them. Let them come take home some memories that can never fade away in a hurry, that is the best way to nurture our young adults and children, instilling in them what gives them confidence.

The festival will also feature readings, critiquing, familiarization, and site seeing. Our members are set to explore life and arts for a better Nigeria. We need art oriented Nigerians, these are the people who know what it takes to give life to a nation in a depressive state

We have invited Ministers, DGs, National Assembly Members and friends, former President’s, former Chairmen and Secretaries both at National and States, some serving states chairmen, etc and the National President of the Association.

How much of literary confidence have you built into Abuja literary clan?

As I stated before I have a lot of confidence in the Literary clan before I was appointed. I have built confidence with my resilient disposition, attitude and talents displayed over 15 years, I have been able to make a statement with my outstanding achievements, as an author of over 20 books. I have encouraged young adults even in medical profession to write and publish books, I encouraged them to the finishing stages. I have mentored a lot of women as well, both in my office and in church, lots of them have interest in my literary mentorship and I am so proud of them and the level they have attained.

As a writer what genre of literature are you mostly known for and why?

I am a bundle of talents. First, I am presently mostly known as a Biographer, this is because funds raised from this venture are used to sponsor other books projects done by me and others.

I explore fiction, I have lots of books that are fictional, although the stories may have existed but they are creative stories. I have encouraged other young writers like Sarah Aliu, a potential medical student to write one. The Evil Plot and it was well edited content, non fictional I have written a story of the A-Z of Human trafficking, then, this will amaze you. I have written several stories of myself, I am not inspired to write my authorbiograpy but I present different sessions of my life in story books and giving them different titles and these are coming to public domain in a few months time. On  drama, I have encouraged my first son, Cos-lewis Osigbemhe to write drama, we have plans to covert it to a play to be acted. Poetry get the other genre in me activated so I am seen around with poets like Sir Eriata Oribhabor and others. I have attended their conventions and other events I have partnered them on several events.

My content is second to none because I don’t rush books and I involve the best hands in and outside the country during production period.

I have also done charity based editing for a decade because that is what my dear father did best, a great man I can never afford to drop his good legacies.

IMMEDIATE past Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors ANA Benue State chapter, Dr. Charles Iornumbe has emerged second winner of this year’s African Human Rights Essay Competition.

The African Human Rights Essay Competition is an initiative of the International Human Rights Art Festival IHRAF, USA aimed at promoting human rights values in the entire African continent.

Organisers of the International Essay Competition led by a renowned American Playwright and visual artist of vast experience, Mr. Tom Block picked the winners out of the thirteen shortlisted entries earlier announced.

Nigeria’s representative of the International Human Rights Art Festival ANA National PRO South, Mr. Wale Adedoyin who released names of the winners Wednesday in a statement, said Dr. Iornumbe has demonstrated mastery of the subject he has addressed in the essay entitled: ‘Teenage Sexual Molestation: Rethinking the havoc on Girl Child.

Reacting to the news of his emergence as second winner of the International Essay Competition, Dr. Iornumbe said he was happy to have come near tops in his first attempt at a literary competition of such magnitude, noting that after all, it was not a wasted effort.

According to the immediate past ANA Benue Chairman, the outpour of congratulatory messages to him from Literary Icons have defined the importance of his position in the competition which he does not take for granted.

In a related development, ANA Benue Wednesday in Makurdi, conferred on Dr. Iornumbe the ‘Anchor of ANA Benue’ Award in recognition of the roles his leadership played in uplifting the Literary body at a book event in which he, in a speech, thanked his successor Mr. Paul Ugah and his Exco members for finding him worthy of the honour.

Following the two positive developments, some members of the Literary Community including Otse Otokpa, Professor Moses Tsenongu, Doctors Maria Ajima, Tartule Tijah, Dorcas Otalu, Raymond Anumve and Tyotom Keghku as well as Regina Achie-Nege, John Ameh Ogaba Ede and Chief Elaigwu Abutu have, in congratulating the immediate past Chairman of ANA Benue, wished him well in his literary exploits.

Alimi Adewale, studied Mechanical Engineering and later switched over to visual art. Today he is one of the most outstanding Nigerian contemporary artists, using urban social issues to explore the face of the earth. At the moment he is exhibiting in Abuja in what he termed changing faces, new frontiers in figurative art. EDOZIE UDEZE examines the issues he explores in his art in this write-up.

NIGERIAN contemporary artists keep changing the face of the earth.  It is amazing how most of them delve into the visual from their original course of studies.  One of such amazing artists is Alimi Adewale. Adewle studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, but later vied into visual art.  This sort of professional cross-over is rare, quite amazing for many people to comprehend.

After graduation, Adewale began to attend different workshops on visual.  He deliberately did so to teach himself the rudiments of the art.  Therefore as a self-taught artist, he chose his own path.  That path is to explore urban issues, using same to delve into the modern problems of Nigeria, and beyond.

On April 30th, Adewale opened an exhibition in Abuja titled changing Faces, new frontiers, in figurative art.  The exhibition will end on the 25th June and it involves paintings, sculptures and installations.  All the works respond to global changes in materiality.  These are matters on pandemic and protests against state – sanctioned police violence all over the world.  He sees the state – controlled police as part of the siege to cage humanity, to let human beings remain in their cocoons, properly restricted; somewhat immobile.

A well-grounded artist, Adewale’s practice combines elements of minimalism and abstraction.  Through these he evokes the necessary dynamism and the intensity of the cosmopolitan environment.  From the different sources of aso-oke cloth, he creates portraits, landscapes and nudes on social lifestyle in Nigeria.  And because he loves portraits, landscapes and nudes, Adewale creates a socialites series in a mixed media form on canvases whereby he uses aso-oke cloths to totally reflect on the lifestyle of Nigerian socialites.  He does that also to explore contemporary notions of glamour in the entertainment industry, what the creative sector represents.  All these come out in more glamourous form than any other artist can demonstrate, can replicate.

He has also created a new series of wooden head sculptures which explores his deep interest in the anonymous human form and the experiential function of art.  Whatever art that comes from Adewale dwells on the serious issues that perturb Nigeria.  As the troubling issues of police brutality ravage the world, he uses sculptures, paintings and installations to tackle the menace.

He has had residences at different times in different parts of the world.  He has also exhibited at many galleries across the globe.

He had his first exhibition in 2011.  Since then he has exhibitions around the world.  These places of exhibitions and residences include Sweden, Nigeria and more.  Also in 2017 he was an artist-in-residence at the Miliki in Lagos.  He has held exhibitions at Amina Gallery, Doha, Belvedere Artspace Beirut, Galleri Astley Uttersberg, Just Africa Stockholm in Sweden, Alara in Lagos.

Adewale has equally featured in art fairs around the world with the Nil Gallery Paris.  In 2016 he took part in the Kongtepidemins residency in Sweden.  There he learnt series of forms that have today helped to shape his style.

Therefore the Abuja outing is to continue to explore what Adewale sees as some of the social nuances troubling the society.  That is why the theme is quite suggestive and soul-searching.