Tag: ANA

Mallam Denja Abdullahi, a poet, playwright and culture administrator, is the president of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). In this chat with Edozie Udeze, he speaks about this year’s ANA convention which will hold in Makurdi, Benue State, next month, the issues involved and what this year’s election portends for writers and more.

This is election year for the Association of Nigerian Authors [ANA]. Are you re-contesting? If you are, what new programmes and ideas do you have for the writers’ clan?

Definitely I am re-contesting. I have programmes I am already running with my Executive which we hope to complete in the next tenure of two years if re-elected.Beyond that, we have a strategic plan (2017-2022) which was developed after wide consultation and a rigorous workshop session by my administration. This strategic plan document, which was presented to the congress at the last year’s convention and already being implemented, contains myriad of programmes and projects designed to be carried out in the short,medium and long time over a five year period. I only need to look into it and roll out what is appropriate and logical at any given time to move ANA to the next level.Even after the life of my executive,if elected again in October,the incoming Executive will still have to work with that document.That document is not a frivolous one, it was well thought out and scientific. As it is, the thinking and mapping have been done,all what is needed is the will and resources to implement. Above all ,if re-elected I will concentrate on giving an ANA a befitting writers’ resort which is already underway at the Mamman Vatsa Writers’ village in Mpape,Abuja.

Makurdi, Benue State, host of this year’s convention is under the threat of floods. Any alternative venue if the worst happens?

We commiserate with the Government and people of Benue State on the natural disaster which was similar to the one that happened in 2012. We are currently working out ways on how we can contribute to ameliorating the situation. A lot of our members are affected by the flooding. It affected the ordinary folks in the State and we should all be concerned.However, it is our hope that the flood will soon recede and governments at Federal and State levels are already taking up measures to help the situation.We are sure Benue will be ready to receive us in October 26-29,2017. In the event of that not being possible, we do have a plan B and even C.

ANA is financially handicapped. How would you tackle this for a successful 36th ANA convention?

You are right about our financial constraint,which is perennial. We are creative people and we have been surviving and doing great things in spite of the financial hurdles every year. This Convention will be better planned, which we have started ensuring through the strict pre-registration procedure.We are going to be stricter with procedures when the convention starts. We will run a smart and order-responsive convention.There will be no room for any unwarranted assumptions on the part  of delegates to the convention. Attendees must fulfill all the conditions of attendance for us to have a smooth convention. We have approached our traditional sponsors and we are expectant of their support. The Benue State Government will also be hosting and deploying required facilities and hospitality. I assure you that we will do a memorable convention.

Let’s look at your two years in office. How do you assess your tenure so far?

I have fulfilled my major campaign promises. If you go back to look at my campaign document of 2015 called “ The Pragmatic Deliverables” vis a vis my scorecard for the near two years I have been on the job, you will discover I have achieved with my team, not less than 70% of what I promised. Some people have even told me, after reviewing our Scorecard which is already a public document on the social media and on our website, that we have done too much for just two years.

Any new initiatives for upcoming writers?

We have expanded the mentoring scheme for younger writers under our Young Writers Mentoring Scheme. We are going to take it further in the near future with workshops and literary agency scheme. Even the recent publication of the  three new titles under the Nigerian Writers Series II scheme is an initiative that has supported the birthing of upcoming writers. We will support upcoming writers appropriately as befits their fledgling writing careers.

What’s your comment about the NLNG shortlist,for this year,being a poet yourself?

 All the poets on the shortlist and their books are good enough for the Prize. But the determination of the ultimate winner is the judges’ prerogative.When that comes, there is nothing anyone can do but to accept it and move on.

Nigerian Writers Series 2 books dedicated to children’s literature are out. This is a culmination of over a year process of competitive call, sifting through manuscripts and arriving at a group of three adjudged publishable by the series editors. For this outing, many thanks to Yusuf Ali( SAN), whose 2017 grant to ANA was used to finance the publications; the series editors( Prof Uwemedimo Iweketok,Ikeogu Oke and Omowunmi Segun); and Osorobu Igudia , the Managing Editor, NWS Publishers, an imprint of ANA. With these books, ANA’s A- Book-A- Child nationwide project is set to run. Congrats to the authors, Salamatu Sule,Chinyere Obi-Obasi and Kabiru Abdullahi.

It is hoped that during the ANA 36th anniversary conference in Makurdi this year more new ideas will be introduced by the Denja Abdulahi led executive. ANA has been doing its best to lift the standard of Nigerian writings both home and abroad. This is why this effort must be commended by well meaning Nigerians.

In the next production all hands must be on deck to strenghthen other areas of literature like prose, poetry, and drama. Abdulahi whose tenure in office has been lucrative for Nigerian writers is not relenting in this regard. Let us hope that with these anthologies he will have more energies to do more and encourage more up coming writers to do their bit.

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has just turned 35years.  Formed in 1981, ANA has come to remain the highest intellectual writers’ group in Nigeria.  During its just concluded international convention held in Abuja, a lot of new issues were discussed.  Edozie Udeze reports.

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has indeed come of age.  That was what this year’s International Convention of the association set to establish during the just concluded 35th anniversary gathering of its members in Abuja, the nation’s capital.  Formed in 1981 by the first generation of Nigerian writers in led by Chinua Achebe, and the like, the idea was basically to have an intellectual body whose role is to establish a voice for all Nigerian writers.  In the main, ANA has been up to this ideal in terms of attracting and nurturing writers in all the genres of literature in Nigeria and beyond.

Today, as it celebrated its 35th anniversary, emphasis was placed on ensuring that the spirit of ANA does not die and that writers must continue to look inwards at the socio political and other problems of the nation for their sources, plots, stories and criticisms.

This was why the keynote lecture this year which was delivered by Professor Isidore Diala of the Imo State University dwelt on re-contextualizing African literature for the African renaissance with close attention on emergent realities, trends and strategies for the 21st century.  Beyond praising those who raised the bar for Nigerian writings to thrive, Diala, a renowned critic and academic, insisted that ANA must exist to write profound stories to help the society.  “It is the responsibility of every committed writer to see his role as corrective.  We have to rise to the occasion.  We have to tackle issues of our immediate environment as they unfold.  This is why owe it to ourselves to continue to engage in discourse on myriad of problems that beset the society.  A writer’s work often depends on his temperament.  We have stories of our traditional elements and other issues.  In all, literature can influence all we do depending on how we handle our works.  Elsewhere, it is used to correct political imbalance.  It is an anathema of some sort”, he said.

He therefore called on writers to continue to write to immortalize their progenitors, those who lived to see these glorious moments for Nigerian literature.  “The names of the founding fathers cannot be allowed to disappear.  It is our duty now to hold strongly to the doctrines of writing which they laboured so much to entrench”.  His lecture gave insight into what must be done to improve the literary issues to make them more relevant and strategic for the 21st century needs of the society.

The special guest of honour, Mrs. Nneoma Okorocha, wife of the Imo State governor, drew applause when she empathically announced that she did not only attend as a special guest, but as a member of ANA, Imo State chapter.  An author of many books, Okorocha, said “Yes the theme of this conference is apt and relevant to the present economic and political situations we face today.  For us, literature is part of life, it is an embodiment of our whole existence.  As Africans we have to tackle all the issues that pertain to us.  And it is the role of writers to bring these issues to limelight.  It is through the messages we convey that both the leaders and the led will understand what obtains in our midst.  The past has to be properly documented through our efforts as writers.  With time, our leaders will have to refer to our works as reference points”.

She, nonetheless, berated some leaders whom she said no longer have time to read.  “Time was when leaders had books in their homes.  These books helped them to read to know more about those they lead.  But then we also owe it to ourselves and to the people to write books that have substance; books that have values to help us move forward.  In this way, we will ensure that history does not die.  Therefore, this conference is a step in the right direction.  We should not then be discouraged from doing the right thing to continue to promote literature in the 21st century and beyond”, she said, as she read excerpts from two of her poems.

For Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central in the Upper Chamber and who was also the chief host of the conference, it was good to have the conference in the capital city of Nigeria so that people would be offered the opportunity to savour the aura of authors and what they project.  He said, “I am delighted to be the host.  It is a memorable occasion, very important indeed to honour and promote the dreams of the founding fathers of ANA.   The ideals of ANA are sound and penetrating.  We know that times are hard but it is when times are like this that the writer is at his best.  We know it is not easy in times of recession to bring people together like this.  But to show how resilient you have become you still made efforts to attend,” Sani said, in a way of encouragement.

A human rights activist and writer of immense proportion, he went on further, “we should know and realize that writers are always important components of our history.  Today the name ANA is a household name.  It is therefore time for us to leverage on that name and importance to move forward and add more values to our society.  Our writings have to place emphasis on what we live with, who we are and much more.  It is the role of writers to take positions and then make submissions that can enhance the lots of the people and government.”

Sani, known for his unambiguous stand on issues of racial segregation of all kinds, said, “We should not diminish the interest of literature, but what then do we do to revive the interest of the younger generation of Nigerians in this regard?  It is our responsibility first and foremost, to revive this interest.  It is time to stop their total reliance on social media.  We have to show them that it is what you have acquired that you feed into the computer.  If you are empty, of course, your knowledge is totally limited.  Even our past leaders spoke eloquently and made references to writers because they were knowledgeable about them.  But what do we have these days,” he asked, noting, “often our leaders contract people to write their works for them.  Yet most of them do not know what are contained in those books.  This is not good enough,” he said.

Leaders who want to lead well, Sani warned, should have well-stocked libraries at home.  Not only that, they should have time to read, study and understand the people well.  “It is no longer moments to launch books which were not necessarily written by those whose names appear on them.  It is time to be serious.  Ghost authorship should be discouraged so that people would know that the issue of authorship is a serious affair.  Therefore let us not feel that doing the right things is no longer the proper way to go,” he admonished all, as he relished in his traditional smiles.

The large turnout of members and participants this year was unprecedented.  The auditorium of the Women Development Centre, Abuja, venue of the conference was indeed a beehive of activities as writers defied the economic hardship of the nation to honour ANA at 35.  This was why in his welcome address, the ANA president, Mallam Denja Abdullahi enthused thus, “We are happy today that the ideas espoused by our progenitors in this association are still intact.  ANA was established to curry for an egalitarian society by the likes of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.  The dreams are still on as we can witness today”.

As writers, Abdullahi reiterated the need for members to write to defend the oppressed and the downtrodden.  “We have therefore a role to play here both collectively and individually.  When we do this, we’ll help to move the society on and make more progress.  As writers we have to re-examine ourselves, the role we play, to see if we are on the right track.  It is our resolve in joining hands to build a better society”, he said.

Those present included Jerry Agada, Femi Osofisan, Wale Okediran, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Camillus Ukah and many more from different strata of the society.  The three day event saw writers hobnobbing and exchanging ideas for further discourse.  A lot of new books which were on display should the vibrancy of the sector.  Even as publishers now make publishing a lot more herculean, authors still device their own means of publishing their books thereby keeping the book and literary sector ever aglow.

It was good that the last meeting of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos State chapter raised a lot of dust about the state of Nigerian Literature: The argument, as it were, centred more on why most Nigerian institutions of higher learning do not seem to show deserving interest in the works of younger Nigerian writers.  The point at issue was whether to write to Nigerian teachers formally to draw their attention to this development or to meet them at an official level to sort the issue out.

Usually, the monthly meeting of Lagos ANA is to discover and admit new members and to also read old and new works and banter generally on plausible new ways to move the association forward.  As a matter of fact, it was one of the poetry readings by one John Paschal Anikwe that provoked the debate.  The main issue of the day was to celebrate mothers anchoring the meeting on the role of motherhood in the breeding of successful writers world over.

However, given the intellectual nature of writers and the ideas they often project, the theme of the day shifted to accommodate the growth and development and treatment of works of younger Nigerian writers by teachers of literature.  Daga Tola, a former chairman of Lagos ANA and a teacher by profession, was particularly irked that the Nigerian state does not love the arts.  “This is time for a literary revolution.  The education system is in deep crisis.  There is no consistent policy to promote education in Nigeria,” he said.

Tola, a poet and revolutionary writer, did not mince words when he posited that what the nation needs now is total overhaul of all aspects of the society.  “How can you say you have a sound educational system when the materials with which to teach are not there?  There are no modern tools.  And to make it worse, it is the same old poets and novelists that our people still teach.  What sense does this make?  We need therefore to restructure the system; we need to make those in charge refocus their attention on the modalities of how they teach and what they teach.”

To most of the people who presented their own argument, it is not proper; in fact, it does not portend well when it is only the works of the first generation Nigerian writings that are given space in the curriculum.  Anthologies are done nearly every year in which works of younger writers are included.  Most of these works are deep, sound and intellectually suffused, yet they hardly get attention in the classrooms.

“Oh, yes, let attention shift to these new writers, especially poets.”   Tanko Okoduwa, poet and a former publicity secretary of ANA (national), opined.  A well-celebrated writer, publisher, fine artist and entertainment impresario, Okoduwa argued that poetry is about the only genre of literature that survives in a rough terrain where a lot of writers groan.  “This can be expressed in any language, form and style, as it pleases the writer.  Whether the language of expression is simple or hard, it is the structure of poetry and the message it conveys that distinguishes it from the rest.  Indeed, poetry has so far created an enormous positive impression on literature.  It has immensely contributed to the promotion of language, culture and education generally.”

Nonetheless, Anikwe, whose poem was captured on his way to Ghana, described the lines as the way he felt about the adventure.  Titled Bus without brake, some of the lines went thus: it is my vision.  But being broke and on my way to Ghana… travelling to Ghana..a famished dream many months of this monster.  At this rugged soul…”  Sorrowfully, he narrated his ordeal on his way to Ghana by road.  It was a journey that nearly drove him crazy.  His ability to capture it in lines also drew argument from members.  Did he do it well?  Was it a well-articulated poetry?  Is poetry really an admixture of structure and form and the like?  The debate went on endlessly, yet it was clear that these new writers who emerge with new ideas and renewed vigour also need some measure of mentoring.

Mentoring is part of the grooming of writers.  Ideas may be there; they can be put into words, yet it is good to have them presented more convincingly in order to promote literature more accurately.  In his own short story presentation entitled Endless Night, Idoko Daniel said, “I was on my way home but darkness overtook me.  I have waited for over five decades now but the day is yet to dawn.  Help me, Owakum, to you I come.  Lead me, Omanchala, lead me home.  I beg your pardon, I have not introduced myself.  I’m called Oche-awanda.  This is not my real name, I was told, but no one has ever called me any name other than Oche–awanda since I grew up.  So, I assume my name is Oche-awanda.  I’m a poet, singing the ballad of woes.

“People don’t like me, I don’t know why.  Some say I talk too much… some say it’s better my tongue is severed off.  My aunt complained the most about my garrulousness.  She once scorched my tongue with a live coal of fire because I told her husband that a man came on his behalf and was leaking the palm kernel oil that my aunt used to wet her lips.

“I told him that the man was also looking for something inside her bra.  And that my aunt, refused to show him where the thing was.  So his hand moved here and there inside her bra for a long time.  Well, that happened when I was a child.  Now, I’ve grown old, though people still complain that I talk too much.  Even in this wicked desert, I have heard a lot about myself.  Passers-by hailed me with different names and titles.  Commentator.  Announcer… they call from afar.  I don’t care about what they call me.  But I will like to tell you all I have witnessed in all my years of waiting: in all the days I have spent in this arid land waiting for the day to dawn…”

Such and more depicted the voices of some of the budding writers who grace these readings regularly.  This story by Idoko invoked emotions and attracted attention.  It is a story that shows a promising writer on his way to greatness if properly mentored.  This is one of the whole essences of such outings by ANA: by Nigerian writers.