Nigerian Literature can compare with the best in the world
Recently you wrote a book on politics, Web of Convictions, what inspired you to write that? I wrote Web of Convictions as part of my ability to capture situations around me in writing. In other words, as a short story writer, I have the tendency of writing about things I have experienced in life. So, […]
Recently you wrote a book on politics, Web of Convictions, what inspired you to write that?
I wrote Web of Convictions as part of my ability to capture situations around me in writing. In other words, as a short story writer, I have the tendency of writing about things I have experienced in life. So, Web of Convictions is a collection of political anecdotes. You know, given my experience from the time I retired from the state civil service as a Perm Sec. up to the time I delved into politics and contested the governorship of my state up to the time the elections were lost and won, up to the time I was appointed a minister of the Federal republic of Nigeria, up to the time that appointment also came to an end as a result of a reshuffle, up to the time of my present appointment as Chairman, National Commission for Colleges of Education and of course, my experiences politically, that is what I have captured in that writing. As I said, it is a collection of anecdotes, so I have used stories to relate my experiences as a politician.
In the book, it is obvious that the politicians, the electorates, all of them were found guilty. What led you to this conclusion?
(Laughs) Well…that is the conclusion you arrived at after you must have gone through it but like I told you, it is personal experience that I have related there and whether the politicians, the electorates, everyone is guilty, then it is a reflection of my feeling about the society in which we find ourselves. In other words, it means in terms of politics, in terms of followership, in terms of whatever we do democratically, there is still room for improvement.
And how have you been coping as a politician, an administrator and a creative writer?
These three things you have mentioned are all part of the same individual. Take for instance, I, Agada, as a writer; writing is a part of me, writing is a passion for me, it is something I love doing, it’s something I cannot separate from my personal self. So even as I am sitting down, doing the work of this office, if the inspiration comes to me, what I normally do is take my [pen] and jot that thing down and continue with my office work. At the time when I have time, I collect all the jottings I have done randomly and put them together and before you know, a story emerges. In other words, there is no way I would say because I am a writer and I’m sitting somewhere else, the writing aspect would be waiting for me at home, no, it’s with me, it’s part and parcel of me so I go with it wherever I go. Then, as a politician, it’s also part of me, that’s what I engage in and that’s why a book like Web of Convictions now came out, that even though I am playing politics doing what I do as a politician, I have come out, in a way, as a writer to tell stories of what I do as a politician. It’s also part of me. I cannot say let the political side of me wait in the bedroom until I return from work or let it wait here until I put on the garb in form of agbada or something like that. Then finally, as an administrator, it is also part of me because anywhere I am, whatever I do, whether in the office, at home, anywhere, I administer situations, I administer people and because of that I cannot say it is not time for administration, let me be doing other things until the wind of administration blows. They are all interwoven. The central personality here is my personal self and as I find myself doing it, it means I am able to cope with the three aspects of me.
But doesn’t any particular aspect suffer?
No, no, no. Of course, there is this saying that you cannot eat your cake and have it. You don’t have two heads and my people have this proverb that if you have two ears it is the same thing that you hear with them. Therefore, if for instance I’m doing some writing, then the other things I am doing have to wait, you know, it means that particular one is suffering at that material time and when I change, the same thing. But that does not mean that the other part of me is in limbo, that even if I am doing this one, I can easily connect and do something about the other one. So, in terms of suffering, because of the way I plan my time, because of the way I prioritize they do not suffer.
O.K, you have been the number one citizen of the Nigerian literati for a while now. How has it been as the president of ANA over the past six months or there about?
Well, as the president of ANA, the experience has been quite interesting. I have been doing my best trying to organise our activities around ourselves, put our programmes together so we can see how we can forge ahead. We have many challenges before us such as the issue of our ANA land which has been in court, we have been going to court on the issue since my assumption of office, and many other things that we want to put in place. The challenges are there and we are working towards ensuring that things are done for the better.
What are these many other things you mentioned?
Many, many challenges before us, like I told you, the issue of our land, which we are pursuing, till tomorrow we will continue until we come to aconclusion. We have set other activities around that land in motion so that at the end of the day we can say yes, this is our own and this is what we are doing on it. We are doing other activities, underground activities to make sure that we get things started on the land. It’s not just enough to say this is your land and you start dancing over it, you have to talk of what to do to erect befitting edifice and things like it. Alongside, we have other ANA activities that we want to do, seminars, workshops and so many activities. For instance, we planned that this year we are going to celebrate J.P Clark’s 50 years of writing [a colloquium]. We are working towards that one plus celebrating others that have been writing in indigenous languages. We have series of programmes ahead of us.
Speaking of the colloquium for J.P Clark, it has been a traditional practice of ANA in the last few years, so, what new thing is your administration doing?
Well, the point is that we want to have the impact felt in all the regions of the country, you understand. As you can see, we did for (Chinua) Achebe, we did for Abubakar Imam, we did for Falate in Ibadan. There are other writers, I mean people to be celebrated all over the country, we don’t want the activities of ANA to be felt by just a few communities, no, we want everybody to know that…you know, it’s a continuous thing, there is no other innovation other than to say, yes, we will use our ingenuity to bring out people to be celebrated in that way so that people will know. It’s not when you go and win a Nobel that we will say okay, let us come and start celebrating you because this has been done. It is our duty to fish out our own, it is our duty to use our own methodology to arrive at who is our own and celebrate him with the aim of making people around him emulate him.
Well, Nigerian writing has been growing in recent years, what has ANA been doing to encourage this trend?
I can tell you that ANA has been in the forefront of Nigerian writing and this we will continue to do. One can say with a sense of pride, in terms of writing, we have not been doing badly at all. If you look at the international scene, when you talk of winning prizes, you will see that majority of winners come from Nigeria, either the person is staying in Nigeria or staying outside, Nigeria is Nigeria and it’s winning, meaning that our writing can be compared with other writings from other parts of the world if not, our people cannot be winning like that.
So are you saying you are satisfied with the present level of development?
Well, there is always room for improvement, this is what ANA says, in as much as we are doing well in writing, there is that room for improvement, more writers need to be published. If you go round many ANA members, you will discover that many of those have manuscript that have not seen the light of the day as a result of challenges we have in terms of publishing houses, you know, majority of the writing you see these days come through what we call vanity publishing or self-publishing and whatever, which is not the best but there is no other way but to do it that way. ANA is also collaborating with many organisations towards ensuring that such manuscripts see the light of the day by getting them published and so on.
Recently, it appears South Africa has been challenging Nigeria as a literary powerhouse on the continent considering the recently released Commonwealth Prize shortlist where you have nine South Africans and four Nigerians on the shortlist. What do you think about this?
The point is that, I agree that South Africa is also a flourishing ground for literary activities but in one off situations where, because you have many of them listed for this and just four Nigerians on the list therefore they have surpassed us but what of other years? I mean these countries are working on these lines trying to surpass one another but I can tell you that they have not surpassed Nigeria.
There was a tradition of ANA publishing upcoming writers. Somewhere along the line, that practice stopped; what happened?
It has not stopped. For instance if you see the activities of ANA state chapter of Minna [Niger State] they have a programme for teen authors, it is still going on.
I mean at the national level.
We have integrated it into our programmes to look at it and see how we can bring upcoming writers to be published in many other ways that we can. That’s why I told you that we are working in that direction.
Are you satisfied with the relationship between writers in the country because it appears there are splinter groups?
Well, the point is that Nigeria is a democracy and what we do is that we want our activities to reflect that democratic setting. For instance, there are many, many writers groups, I mean, that is good. It is like telling the public there are many ways of killing a rat. What I want you to know about the Association of Nigerian Authors is that it is the umbrella organization of all writers in the country, there can be as many groups as possible. But if you call them splinter groups, that is not good enough because it’s as if there is a quarrel and everybody is working against the other. I don’t think there is any situation like that; all of them are working towards enhancing the literary progress of the country and it’s good.
But some of these groups have been alleging that ANA has been trying to suppress them. Is that correct?
Well, I don’t think that has taken place under me because I have not seen a single example where ANA activities under me have appeared to be suppressing any writing group in the country.
The Abuja Writers Forum for instance, has repeatedly claimed that ANA has been trying to undermine their activities, calling them 419ners.
I don’t think so, I don’t think so. ANA under me has never called anybody 419ner, ANA under me has never castigated any other writing group, instead, we have always encouraged them. When I was elected ANA president I said there are many writing groups, it’s good. All of them are working towards the progress of literature in Nigeria. I myself as a person – I can speak for myself as a person and for ANA as the president, our activities have never been to suppress anybody and if anybody feels so, I am yet to be aware [of it].
Can you tell us anything you have done to encourage other writers’ bodies?
Even from the speech I have made; this is encouragement, that if you know what to do to advance the course of Nigerian literature do it, by saying that am I not throwing the door open for that partnership? In other words, you can come and partner with us if you so want for the purpose of carrying our literary activities on. You have Abuja Literary Society; they have done activities with ANA. I have attended their activities. Any other organisation that has anything to do to encourage Nigerian literature, ANA will always encourage that group.
Have you attempted to reach out to any of these groups?
I have told you, ANA is the umbrella body, ANA cannot be going to states and ask them to form other writer’s group but if you do fine, you understand, but to come and blame ANA… the idea is live and let’s live but if any one comes and complains that ANA has not been supporting us, in what way? Are you doing anything and you invited ANA and ANA said no. I don’t want people to bring personal issues to override institutional issues like this. If anybody feels he has any quarrel against ANA, it’s entirely that person’s [choice].
How do you see the future of Nigerian writings?
The future is bright. We are talking of so many groups of writers and writing all over the place, if things can thrive under that condition it means there is room for improvement, there will be lots of competitions, there will be lots of improvement which is good for the society.