Denja Abdullahi: I have no need to lead ANA if I can’t improve it
Denja Abdullahi
is a Director at the National Council for Arts and Culture as well as
the Vice President of ANA. IN this interview, the poet spoke about his
ambition for ANA as he guns for the presidency.
You are contesting for the
presidency of ANA, after being the vice president for the last two
terms. What do you think you will bring that is different from what this
administration has had to offer?
The Hausas and the Yorubas do have an identical saying which can be roughly translated as “ten kings, ten different milieu.” There is a clear difference between being a vice president and a president. I have my set agenda or manifesto, which is already a public document; and when you go through it you will see the difference I intend to make if elected ; of course with the support of my fellow executives and cooperation of the entire membership of the Association. Let me mention just a few. ANA, under my watch, will lead an active advocacy, with other associations in the creative industry, for the establishment of the national endowment funds for the arts. I intend to unbundle and re-package the annual convention of the association by pulling out some events to stand on their own outside the convention and make the convention more of a literary fiesta, which it should be. I am going to set up a think tank that will come up with an 8 year strategic plan (2016-2013) for the Association that will cover all its operations, programmes and projects. I intend to also galvanise strategic support locally and internationally for the Association as well as redefine the operations of the Association so as to overcome the funding and capacity gap that have been hampering our full flight as a body that has done a whole lot, though largely unsung, for Nigerian literature and culture. My ability to bring about the difference you seek rests on the solid fact that I have played an active role in the achievements already recorded, which I intend to even surpass, or else there will be no need to attempt to mount the leadership saddle.
The Hausas and the Yorubas do have an identical saying which can be roughly translated as “ten kings, ten different milieu.” There is a clear difference between being a vice president and a president. I have my set agenda or manifesto, which is already a public document; and when you go through it you will see the difference I intend to make if elected ; of course with the support of my fellow executives and cooperation of the entire membership of the Association. Let me mention just a few. ANA, under my watch, will lead an active advocacy, with other associations in the creative industry, for the establishment of the national endowment funds for the arts. I intend to unbundle and re-package the annual convention of the association by pulling out some events to stand on their own outside the convention and make the convention more of a literary fiesta, which it should be. I am going to set up a think tank that will come up with an 8 year strategic plan (2016-2013) for the Association that will cover all its operations, programmes and projects. I intend to also galvanise strategic support locally and internationally for the Association as well as redefine the operations of the Association so as to overcome the funding and capacity gap that have been hampering our full flight as a body that has done a whole lot, though largely unsung, for Nigerian literature and culture. My ability to bring about the difference you seek rests on the solid fact that I have played an active role in the achievements already recorded, which I intend to even surpass, or else there will be no need to attempt to mount the leadership saddle.
Having served in various
capacities in the association, have you ever considered stepping aside
for new names to take over the affairs of the association?
I have not been serving alone. I have been serving along with others and we have all played our various roles at various times for the overall progress of the Association. I have also not violated the constitutional provisions governing the tenure of the various offices in which I have served. And most importantly, elections were held to fill up those offices and each time I presented myself, I was always elected and at times returned unopposed. In 2001, ANA Abuja, led by Mallam Haruna Penni, presented me to go into the National Executive Council and I was elected as an Ex-officio member at the Port Harcourt Convention. In 2003, I was nudged to step up to the position of the Assistant General Secretary, when the incumbent did not make the Convention in Makurdi, and I contested and was elected. In 2005, I actually was not thinking of contesting but the leading presidential aspirant then, Dr Wale Okediran, who we were all rooting for, who himself had been a General Secretary under the Abubakar Gimba led executive (1997-2001), made it a condition that I must run for the office of the General Secretary, if he were to accept to vie for President. The group behind our aspirations endorsed me and luckily we both contested and won our positions at the Kano Convention. In 2007, at the Owerri Convention,I was re-elected unopposed to the same position. In 2009,at the Minna Convention, I reverted to the position of an ex-officio, by constitutional provision ,after completing my two term tenure as General Secretary. In 2011, I barely made it to the Abuja convention as I was away on pilgrimage, but I was prevailed upon to come on board as VP.I again contested and won. I have gone to this length to give you this narrative to let you know my trajectory in the Association’s executive and to show you I had always been willing to allow others come on board but I kept being called upon to serve. It is all about service and winning the confidence of the members on your ability and capability to deliver on the job you take on yourself.
I have not been serving alone. I have been serving along with others and we have all played our various roles at various times for the overall progress of the Association. I have also not violated the constitutional provisions governing the tenure of the various offices in which I have served. And most importantly, elections were held to fill up those offices and each time I presented myself, I was always elected and at times returned unopposed. In 2001, ANA Abuja, led by Mallam Haruna Penni, presented me to go into the National Executive Council and I was elected as an Ex-officio member at the Port Harcourt Convention. In 2003, I was nudged to step up to the position of the Assistant General Secretary, when the incumbent did not make the Convention in Makurdi, and I contested and was elected. In 2005, I actually was not thinking of contesting but the leading presidential aspirant then, Dr Wale Okediran, who we were all rooting for, who himself had been a General Secretary under the Abubakar Gimba led executive (1997-2001), made it a condition that I must run for the office of the General Secretary, if he were to accept to vie for President. The group behind our aspirations endorsed me and luckily we both contested and won our positions at the Kano Convention. In 2007, at the Owerri Convention,I was re-elected unopposed to the same position. In 2009,at the Minna Convention, I reverted to the position of an ex-officio, by constitutional provision ,after completing my two term tenure as General Secretary. In 2011, I barely made it to the Abuja convention as I was away on pilgrimage, but I was prevailed upon to come on board as VP.I again contested and won. I have gone to this length to give you this narrative to let you know my trajectory in the Association’s executive and to show you I had always been willing to allow others come on board but I kept being called upon to serve. It is all about service and winning the confidence of the members on your ability and capability to deliver on the job you take on yourself.
Considering the huge potential
of ANA in terms of its enormous man power, would you say that the
association has failed to live up to its expectations?
It will be clearly against the run of the achievements of the association in the about 34 years of its existence to come to that conclusion. Given its organizational dynamics as a purely voluntary association with no binding right of corralling all practising creative authors into its membership or the enjoyment of a regular in-flow of funds as check-off dues like a typical union and the fact that its affairs are run on a part-time, absolutely volunteering basis; the association should indeed be commended for having achieved so much. The Association has, in my assessment, lived up to the expectations behind its establishment by the late Chinua Achebe and others and has been operating in line with its founding ideals. It has sustained interest in Nigeria literature, it has fought at various times for the interests of Nigerian writers, it has established schemes and ventures to promote and project Nigerian writings and writers and has most importantly added its voice regularly to the building of an egalitarian Nigerian society.
Even in the face of all these, there is still room for improvement and fine tuning of its operation in line with new trends, necessitating regular renewal of leadership and vision.
It will be clearly against the run of the achievements of the association in the about 34 years of its existence to come to that conclusion. Given its organizational dynamics as a purely voluntary association with no binding right of corralling all practising creative authors into its membership or the enjoyment of a regular in-flow of funds as check-off dues like a typical union and the fact that its affairs are run on a part-time, absolutely volunteering basis; the association should indeed be commended for having achieved so much. The Association has, in my assessment, lived up to the expectations behind its establishment by the late Chinua Achebe and others and has been operating in line with its founding ideals. It has sustained interest in Nigeria literature, it has fought at various times for the interests of Nigerian writers, it has established schemes and ventures to promote and project Nigerian writings and writers and has most importantly added its voice regularly to the building of an egalitarian Nigerian society.
Even in the face of all these, there is still room for improvement and fine tuning of its operation in line with new trends, necessitating regular renewal of leadership and vision.
You are running against your longtime friend, BM Dzukogi. Is it possible that one of you could step down for the other?
Yes, it is possible but this possibility must be predicated on experience, length of service, ranking and widespread acceptability among members of the association. Ironically, I and BM Dzukogi in the recent history of the association have been jointly the chief advocates of consensus building at periods of leadership renewal. In the past, we have helped resolved, through active consultation and consensus building, what would have amounted to perilous contests for leadership at both the national and states’ levels. If we had successfully done that many times over in the past with the use of the tools of fairness, justice, precedence and objective assessment, then why should we have this situation between us? Definitely, something somewhere is not adding up. However, there is still room for mending fences as people do say.
This administration, of which you are part, came onboard on the premise of developing ANA’s most precious possession, the land at Mpape, Abuja. What is the situation of that development now and how do you think, should you be voted into power, pursue it further?
ANA is gradually waking up from its slumber on the Abuja land matter. We have won the court case on the land since 2012 and paid the necessary damages due to a developer whose intent was to hold us hostage to his lack of capacity. We have a new agency on the land that has helped us fight off vicious trespassers, encroachers and land grabbers. Preliminary or take off infrastructures are currently being laid on the land on a very challenging topography. Under my watch, I will ensure there will be no deviation from the original plan for the land to be a writers’ resort with layers of facilities that will house important edifices and generate income for the Association. I will also ensure a business model is adopted for the development of the land and the running of its facilities so that the Association will derive from there at least 50% of its running cost while the remaining 50% is sourced from membership dues and sponsors for necessary programmes and projects.
Yes, it is possible but this possibility must be predicated on experience, length of service, ranking and widespread acceptability among members of the association. Ironically, I and BM Dzukogi in the recent history of the association have been jointly the chief advocates of consensus building at periods of leadership renewal. In the past, we have helped resolved, through active consultation and consensus building, what would have amounted to perilous contests for leadership at both the national and states’ levels. If we had successfully done that many times over in the past with the use of the tools of fairness, justice, precedence and objective assessment, then why should we have this situation between us? Definitely, something somewhere is not adding up. However, there is still room for mending fences as people do say.
This administration, of which you are part, came onboard on the premise of developing ANA’s most precious possession, the land at Mpape, Abuja. What is the situation of that development now and how do you think, should you be voted into power, pursue it further?
ANA is gradually waking up from its slumber on the Abuja land matter. We have won the court case on the land since 2012 and paid the necessary damages due to a developer whose intent was to hold us hostage to his lack of capacity. We have a new agency on the land that has helped us fight off vicious trespassers, encroachers and land grabbers. Preliminary or take off infrastructures are currently being laid on the land on a very challenging topography. Under my watch, I will ensure there will be no deviation from the original plan for the land to be a writers’ resort with layers of facilities that will house important edifices and generate income for the Association. I will also ensure a business model is adopted for the development of the land and the running of its facilities so that the Association will derive from there at least 50% of its running cost while the remaining 50% is sourced from membership dues and sponsors for necessary programmes and projects.
One of your cardinal campaign catchphrases is “quality leadership”. How do you intend to deliver this to ANA?
Quality leadership in ANA and even everywhere else entails having the right experience, competence and capability to lead people. It must also be imbued with the right mix of the abrogation of self for communal objectives while being mindful of the legacies you want to leave behind. I intend to deliver this quality leadership by remaining faithful and committed to the ideals, causes and objectives of the association as I have always done. This quality leadership in an association like ANA must go with one having the right temperament and the security to inspire and challenge others to come forward to contribute their talents, expertise, time and resources in the service of the association. A leader in ANA and elsewhere must always be ready and willing to give everyone his or her due without feeling diminished or eclipsed.
Quality leadership in ANA and even everywhere else entails having the right experience, competence and capability to lead people. It must also be imbued with the right mix of the abrogation of self for communal objectives while being mindful of the legacies you want to leave behind. I intend to deliver this quality leadership by remaining faithful and committed to the ideals, causes and objectives of the association as I have always done. This quality leadership in an association like ANA must go with one having the right temperament and the security to inspire and challenge others to come forward to contribute their talents, expertise, time and resources in the service of the association. A leader in ANA and elsewhere must always be ready and willing to give everyone his or her due without feeling diminished or eclipsed.
What informed the choice of Camilus Uka as your running mate? What does he bring to the team?
I have not announced officially any running mate but people seem to have chosen one for me already. Remember in ANA, no one runs on the ticket of another, you must face the congress and be elected on your own merit. Nevertheless, I have full confidence in Camilus Ukah becoming a good vice president to me as president if we are so elected. Camilus Ukah is a highly experienced member of the Association like me, though he has never been in the national executive. He has been a one-time chairman of the Imo State chapter and I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand his selflessness, doggedness, determination and capacity for hard work in the affairs of the association when Imo State successfully hosted ANA national convention in 2007 during his tenure as chairman while I was General Secretary. Camilus is a team builder, a bridge builder, a literary entrepreneur who has over 10 quality novels to his credit. He has helped nurture many writers, literary associations and ANA chapters in the South-South and South-East of Nigeria. In Camilus Ukah, I will have an effective vice president, not a ceremonial spare- tyre kind of vice president to put it in the Nigerian popular political parlance. As VP myself, I have not been a spare tyre and I like I said In my manifesto: “in a voluntary organization where every expertise and sacrifices are needed to pursue and sustain avowed objectives; there can be no spare tyre, as all tyres are needed to keep the vehicle running.”
How do you think ANA can reposition itself to serve the need of its members and what makes you think you are the man to deliver?
ANA must move with the times and keep re-inventing itself for optimum performance while not sacrificing the fundamental ideals of its existence. ANA also needs to restructure to introduce some permanent structure into its administrative capacity. I can deliver because with me you cannot be re-inventing the wheel as I have been there long enough to know what works and what has never worked. I am also amenable to innovation and willing to encourage contributions and support initiatives without prejudice and as long as you will roll up your sleeve to work towards achieving set goals. At present, I have quite a span of institutional memory on the workings, activities and affairs of the association that cannot be wished away in taking the right steps at all time.
I have not announced officially any running mate but people seem to have chosen one for me already. Remember in ANA, no one runs on the ticket of another, you must face the congress and be elected on your own merit. Nevertheless, I have full confidence in Camilus Ukah becoming a good vice president to me as president if we are so elected. Camilus Ukah is a highly experienced member of the Association like me, though he has never been in the national executive. He has been a one-time chairman of the Imo State chapter and I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand his selflessness, doggedness, determination and capacity for hard work in the affairs of the association when Imo State successfully hosted ANA national convention in 2007 during his tenure as chairman while I was General Secretary. Camilus is a team builder, a bridge builder, a literary entrepreneur who has over 10 quality novels to his credit. He has helped nurture many writers, literary associations and ANA chapters in the South-South and South-East of Nigeria. In Camilus Ukah, I will have an effective vice president, not a ceremonial spare- tyre kind of vice president to put it in the Nigerian popular political parlance. As VP myself, I have not been a spare tyre and I like I said In my manifesto: “in a voluntary organization where every expertise and sacrifices are needed to pursue and sustain avowed objectives; there can be no spare tyre, as all tyres are needed to keep the vehicle running.”
How do you think ANA can reposition itself to serve the need of its members and what makes you think you are the man to deliver?
ANA must move with the times and keep re-inventing itself for optimum performance while not sacrificing the fundamental ideals of its existence. ANA also needs to restructure to introduce some permanent structure into its administrative capacity. I can deliver because with me you cannot be re-inventing the wheel as I have been there long enough to know what works and what has never worked. I am also amenable to innovation and willing to encourage contributions and support initiatives without prejudice and as long as you will roll up your sleeve to work towards achieving set goals. At present, I have quite a span of institutional memory on the workings, activities and affairs of the association that cannot be wished away in taking the right steps at all time.
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