ANA convention evokes essence of Literature for good governance
By Anote Ajeluorou
WITH Literature, Leadership Development and Good Governance as theme, it was clear from the Minna, Niger State, convention of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) that leadership issues will continue to dominate public discourse in Nigeria for a long time.
Even the sub-themes: Literature and National Orientation, Literary Activism and Societal Change, From the Text to the Public Sphere: Literature and the Imperative of National Regeneration, and Nurturing Future Leadership: Recent Experiments in Children's Literature attested to this preoccupation in resolving leadership crisis through literacy that can only be gained with exposure to literature.
Special guest of honour at the convention and Niger State Governor Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu stated that effective leadership and good governance were essential ingredients in a modern, developing society but that they could only be attained through an educated citizenry that knew its right from its left. "Literature is the bedrock of literacy," he declared in his remark. "We need the majority of us to be literate to understand issues and not be misled. Literacy is a foundation of education and education is the foundation of leadership."
He argued further that Nigerian writers have contributed to the development of literacy with their writings and urged them to reject in their writings "rubbish leaders who stifle good governance".
The self-styled chief servant of the power state also gave his support for the education of the girl-child as necessary means of rapidly spreading education to a large section of society. He also stressed the gains of an educated populace in having far-reaching consequences for the good of society.
"Educate a woman, and you educate a nation," Dr. Aliyu said, "but educate a man, and you educate a living room. So, educate more women. We need an educated population so we can move from where we are to a better society."
The Niger State governor, who sought to know if only literary writers were admitted to ANA membership, would rather literary artists lend themselves physically to political engagements as well as write about them. He tasked writers to shed the reclusive gab they often wore when they distance themselves from the political fray and to roll up their sleeves and be involved.
So, beyond the Literature of commitment to socio-political discourse, writers were being tasked to leave rhetoric behind and join the struggle for good governance and true political independence for the people for whom they lead in their thinking. This is viewed against the background that virtually every writing worth its salt in today's Nigeria has some form of socio-political commitment or other just as writers, like the rest of the populace, struggle to grapple with the realities of the times they live.
For Dr. Aliyu, the wisdom so enshrined in Literature, which writers so passionately espouse, could well be transferred to leadership positions for the transformation of society. "Literature is about wisdom," he argued, "we must not abandon leadership to others (with questionable character and antecedents). Don't just write, act; write and act at the same time. Writers, leave your comfort zones and participate in politics!"
The chief servant of Niger State gave the political situation in Anambra State as a classic example of how not to seek political office. He argued that the motivation for the over 40 aspirants to one office in one party could not altogether be altruistic. He reasoned that most of those jostling for position were charlatans as their desperation has shown in the dastardly things they could do to achieve their aim.
"We must go out and beg good people to lead us because majority of those who desperately seek leadership shouldn't get it," he charged, "writers must be in the vanguard of good leadership. Just try to provoke the thought in people because there are no good or bad writers. Change is possible once you believe that there is need for change; it's possible but just keep the faith.
"I want people to read; reading should be taken as a priority because those who want to deceive people want the rest of us to remain ignorant. If you know what an ignorant leader can do, you won't have him. In Niger State, education is a foundation; ANA is an avenue that can make people to read to be educated."
The governor also linked education to a better understanding of Sharia laws, and how best they can be applied for society's orderliness. He maintained that for a couple to be convicted of fornication or adultery, four independent witnesses were required to confirm the act. He said such was the power of education as it facilitated a better knowledge of God the absence of which invariably inhibited true worship.
"If you are not learned, you cannot worship God," Dr. Aliyu said, "you cannot worship God if you don't know Him. If worship based on knowledge, nobody can challenge you." He therefore charged writers to try as much as possible to be realistic about such things in order not to disturb or distort society's peace.
In other to solidify his commitment to writers and the art of writing, he directed the Secretary to the State Government and the Education Commissioner to see to the establishment of ANA in all secondary schools in Niger State. He also promised to give the seed resources to kick-start the project. He urged school pupils present at the U.K. Bello Theatre Arts Complex to take their extra-curricula activities seriously as most of the things they will learn would not necessarily come from academic work. Dr. Aliyu stated that he was a living example of such approach to learning while he was in school, where he headed several social clubs as a way of making up for missing out on being prefect because of his small stature.
A respected Niger State ANA member and a recluse of sorts, Labo Yaro argued that most leaders didn't care about Nigerian Literature the way the state governor did and openly gave his supported. He noted that ANA started with a few members back in 1981 but that it has grown, adding that Prof. Chinua Achebe would be happy with the large members gathered in Minna for the 28th convention of the association.
Reflecting on the socio-political climate in the country, Yaro stressed that it "provided a lot of materials for writing for writers. If there is bad government, it provides room for writing like it happened in former Eastern Europe because Literature is about the conditions of men. Don't complain about the situation in Nigeria; write about it."
Newly elected ANA president Dr. Jerry Agada also asked writers not to be tired. He challenged Benue State governor, his state governor, whom he taught as a student, to emulate the worthy example of his Niger State counterpart in promoting Literature so as to raise the standard of writers in the Benue State.
In a keynote address, Prof. Pat Utomi, who was represented by Dr. Inyang Ekanem, in describing Literature as the art of imitating God said writers had a duty to tell society that the right values needed to be imbibed that could be translated to leadership levels for the good of society. Typical of Prof. Utomi, he took the audience on a scholarly tour of leadership models by eminent writers and businessmen.
In his 'Farewell to Literary Leadership' address, outgoing ANA president Dr. Wale Okediran harped on certain issues that have continued to plague writers and the book business. First to come under his radar was the high cost of printing in the country. This phenomenon, he said, has necessitated publishers to get books from abroad rather than publish locally, a situation that has serious negative implications for the economy.
He therefore urged government to take a close look at the problem and reduce import duties particularly as it impinged directly on the much lamentable issue of poor reading culture and literacy in the country. Alternatively, he argued that the paper mills at Iwopin, Jebba and Oku Iboku should either be privatised or resuscitated for newsprint to be made available in the country at affordable cost.
Dr. Okediran also tasked government not only to build libraries in all the 744 local government councils, he wants them adequately stocked with good books. Indeed, the former House of Representatives member wants 'One Library per Political Ward' as panacea to making books available for pupils to read. In effect, Dr. Okediran wants 16,400 libraries in the country; and he believes the government has the resources to do it. Indeed, as a former Reps member, he should know.
He also wants the long advocated Endowment Fund for Arts to be instituted, and that it was time government gave impetus for its establishment to make the sector vibrant. He urged government to allocate more funds to the arts and Literature because "brilliant arts is equivalent to brilliant science".
On the controversial Nigerian Liquified natural Gas Literature Prize that was shrouded in questionable circumstances this year, the former ANA president said, "It is rather unfortunate and painful that after all the publicity and euphoria over the longlist, no writer was adjudged to be worthy of the prize. It is also an anomaly that these writers, who had merited this kind of attention were not invited to the award ceremony. It is our hope that NLNG, which we consider our partner in progress, will take adequate steps to avoid these unnecessary distractions in future by consulting far and wide with stakeholders in the book business on how to avoid these pitfalls.
"Having said this, I wish to remind my fellow writers that our principal objective for writing is to be read, received and be responded to and not to win prizes. We are all aware of the very high rate of objectivity that goes into literary competitions. Any writer who therefore places his or her measurement of writing on the ability to win prizes will be frustrated and ruin his career. If along the way an award comes, then it's an icing on the cake, if not, the fact that we are being read and celebrated should be enough impetus to keep writing... Rather than waste time and energy agonising over a prize, I want to enjoin my colleagues to spend more time writing, getting published and being read."
