By Edozie Udeze
THE issues that led to the fictionalization of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) began in Enugu last November. It was at the annual convention of the writers’ body when the election could not hold. Before the accreditation began, some of the contestants insisted that time had come to overhaul the cadre of the leadership of ANA to accommodate new breed of leadership.
However, when the election could not hold, some of the elders of ANA present quickly suspended the voting. In the interim, the affairs of the association was quickly handed over to the Board of Trustees. According to the constitution of ANA, election was supposed to hold within 180 days.
It was while the new electoral committee put in place was still trying to sort issues out that a group of writers gathered in Abuja to have an election. This was in early March. While the Professor Jerry Agada led committee planed to have the election in Markurdi, Benue State in March, the issue of Covid-19 and lockdown was announced. And so the election was once again postponed.
But before then the committee in a press release had warned the group led by Ahmed Maiwada, a former legal adviser to ANA on the consequences of the action.
In the same vein, Professor Ernest Emenyonu of the Board of Trustees stated it clearly that the purported Abuja election was illegal and therefore does not stand in the law. But the group still insists that they will not allow ANA to be left in the hands of the status quo.
Part of the squabble over the dispute concerns ANA’s plot of land at Mpape, Abuja where development of parts of the land is ongoing. Because of this crisis the land has become a point of misunderstanding among the rank and file of Nigerian writers. However, even when several efforts had been made in the past to solve this problem some people are disgruntled that the past executive must explain so many things concerning the land allotted to them by the late General Maman Vatsa.
In a statement signed by the immediate past national publicity secretary of the association Wole Adedoyin, it said: “Bring Back ANA Movement has warned members of the public, corporate organizations, eminent politicians, ANA members and chapters across the nooks and crannny of the country to be cautious of a deviant, unelected and unconstitutional “ANA National EXCO “led by one Mr. Ahmed Maiwada who has been using the name of ANA to engage in all sort of unauthorized and illegal activities that would drag the name of ANA in the mud.
Adedoyin, a member of the Movement who is also the immediate past National Publicity Secretary (South) of ANA gave the warning on Tuesday, 7th of April, 2020.
It would be recalled that the ANA Board of Trustees on the 13th of March 2020 viewed with dismay the act of indiscipline of a deviant group led by Barr. Ahmed Maiwada which purportedly elected what it called a ‘new ANA Executive’ at Abuja on Saturday, March 7, 2020.
In a release signed by Prof. Ernest N. Emenyonu, PhD on behalf of ANA Board of Trustees described the Barr. Maiwada led group’s action as outrageous and unconstitutional and therefore warned all responsible members of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) to ignore them and their activities.
The release further stated that “Any action by any member/s of ANA intended to compromise the integrity and dignity of ANA in contravention of the vision of the ‘founding fathers’ and/ or in violation of the Constitution of ANA, as evident in the charade and indiscipline displayed by the deviant group at Abuja in the purported meeting and election on Saturday March 7, 2020 shall attract appropriate severe disciplinary action including expulsion from the Association. “
This set of of persons who are attempting to fraudulently impose themselves as leaders of the Association without being elected as provisioned in the ANA constitution are now parading themselves “ new ANA National EXCO” and have been sending letters and proposals to corporate organizations, eminent politicians and individuals requesting for donations for their selfish utilization in the name of ANA.
This latest revelation was contained in a press statement titled “30 Days in Office and immediate Task Ahead” issued and signed this morning by one Akogun Tai Oguntayo who has been illegally parading himself as the National Secretary of ANA.
He said corporate organizations, government bodies at all levels, the media and partners of ANA and KMVL , ANA Abuja Land developer, should be wary of these disgruntled members as they have embarked on using ANA’s name to pursue their selfish agenda and do not have the authorization or validation of the ANA congress to do anything in ANA’s name . He further explained that the warning became necessary following reports that this disgruntled and self appointed ANA National EXCO have been visiting State Governments, Corporate organizations and politicians in attempts to collect money from them under the pretext of financing the activities of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
Adedoyin further recalled the release of the Prof. Jerry Agada-led committee earlier mandated by the ANA Advisory Council and the board of trustees to conduct an Emergency General Meeting and elections of a valid new national executive council which was to hold in Makurdi on the 28th of March 2020 before it was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world. In the committee’s release dated 26th March 2020 postponing the EGM / elections and signed by its Chairman, it was stated thus: “ the committee wishes to remind all members , friends , associates and partners of ANA that for now, the Association has no elected executive committee until such a time when the election being postponed would have been conducted and those elected duly sworn in . Therefore , anyone who parades him/ herself as an elected national official of ANA should be ignored.”
Adedoyin advised ANA Board of Trustees , Advisory Board , Past Presidents, well-meaning members of ANA to rise against the perfidy of this desperate group who seem determined to steal the mandate of ANA and arrogate to themselves the collective patrimony of the Association .
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