Battling for the soul of ANA

Since the Wale Okediran-led EXCO made way for the Jerry Agada team in Minna in 2009, things haven’t been well with ANA. Now ahead of the 2011 convention, which incidentally will be the 30th in the association’s history, a dog fight has started for the soul of the association. In one corner, the formidable incumbent, […]

Since the Wale Okediran-led EXCO made way for the Jerry Agada team in Minna in 2009, things haven’t been well with ANA. Now ahead of the 2011 convention, which incidentally will be the 30th in the association’s history, a dog fight has started for the soul of the association.

In one corner, the formidable incumbent, Dr. Jerry Agada is quietly poised to defend his seat. In the other, Professor Remi Raji of the University of Ibadan has been rolling down hill like a blitzkrieg bent on ousting the much maligned 2009/2011 EXCO.

Prof. Raji made his intentions known quite early in the year and has been busy garnering support for his cause. He has impressed with his clear ideas of what he wants to do with the ANA – he has a manifesto that has been circulated electronically to online writers’ groups. There is no doubt he is a game changer but the question remains if, within the problematic climes of ANA characterized by lack of funds and member apathy, he will be able to effect change.

Dr. Agada on his part has been quietly marking his time. Not many were certain he will be fighting for his seat until quite recently when he muted it. It came as a surprise to many who have chastised his administration for non-performance. But to underestimate Dr. Agada would be a mistake. After all, he is a consummate politician having gunned for the governorship of Benue State, as a minister in the Yar’adua days and is still active in politics.

If anything, his outing in Minna demonstrates his survival instincts, perhaps. Pitted against the formidable Yahaya Dangana, who clearly enjoyed the backing of the Niger State government and who was digging it out in his backyard, last minutes deals clinched a resounding victory for Dr. Agada.

Teaming up

The clime has changed however since that Minna triumph. The tide is against the incumbent – it has been since the July 2010 colloquium of JP Clark when the ineptitude characterising ANA’s secretariat came into public glare.

It was all in the teaming up. Dr. Agada was saddled with a secretary general in the person of Hyacinth Obunseh who was in the opposition camp. Obunseh had been on the same ticket as Dangana and was obviously not in tune with Agada’s ideals – whatever they were. In essence, the Minna convention threw up a marriage of strange bed fellows, as they say.

Fortunately or otherwise, Obunseh, who has received even more knocks than Agada himself, has opted not to re-contest. This is almost guaranteeing a smooth sail for the proactive BM Dzukogi, who is determinedly angling for the office of the Secretary General (so far unopposed).

Love him or hate him, there is no denying Dzukogi’s pivotal role in the literary boom Niger State is enjoying today. Many young writers emerging from that state are products of his teen authorship scheme which he pursued with a passion. He too has circulated an encouraging manifesto since declaring his intention to run. However, having served as the treasurer of ANA in the previous (Okediran led) EXCO, Dzukogi has not submitted the report of his office to the secretariat, which is one of the criticisms against him.

Now the ticket being bandied about is Raji and Dzukogi. Whether the duo will scale through and implement their vision for ANA will be determined at the convention. But if one fails and the other succeeds, the visitation of the demons that have plagued the Agada administration may not come to an end.

Certainly Jerry Agada is passionate about the development of literature in the country. This has been demonstrated by his commitment to the cause over the years. So what precisely went wrong with his administration?

The Agada-led EXCO, to borrow a Hausa saying, is like a vulture with the head of a guinea fowl. Most of those on his ticket failed at the Minna Convention and he ended up with an EXCO dominated by men who had openly sided with his opponent prior to the election. Most of the EXCO members have taken a laid back approach to the activities of the association – some have never attended any ANA activity since they were elected into office.

This attitude has given room for the rise, if you like, of Hurricane Richard. Richard Ali, the young, hands-on lawyer and literati from Jos has jumped into the arena to vie for the post of the Publicity Secretary (North) and his candidacy has been the rave on social network sites over the last two weeks. Support for him has cut across age, gender and regions and his manifesto has been widely lauded as representing the view of a younger, vibrant generation of Nigerian writers.

War games

The call for change has been relentless since last year. The current EXCO was in fact saved from an ignominious exit at last year’s convention in Akure by the coordination of the Ondo State Chapter, which put up a commendable hosting of the annual writers’ meet. There had been talks of impeachment ahead of that convention and the efforts of the Ondo State Chapter convinced members there might still be hope for this administration.

The aggressive calls for change now may suggest that that belief might have been misplaced. A certain “New ANA Movement” has been inundating members of the association with text messages calling for change and subtly criticising the incumbent’s policies and statements.

Social networks have also played a role in the current campaign as Facebook and other online writers’ forum have provided a veritable platform for discussions, criticisms and a calls to arm against non-performing EXCO members.

This is the first time in the 30 year history of the association that new media has played a major role in determining the direction in which Nigerian writers as a body should go. How seriously this will ultimately affect the outcome of the elections in December will be known at the Abuja Convention.

What is certain however is that when writers converge in the capital, there will be last minute horse-trading, dramatic alliances and betrayals and dark horses emerging from the shadows to alter equations in what will obviously be an exciting convention.