Why I want to lead ANA, by Denja
Abdullahi
February 22, 2015
Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA),
Denja Abdullahi, has declared his interest in the presidency of the association
when elections for the body hold this year. He made the declaration in an
interview he granted Jerry Adesewo of the Abuja-based Arojah Royal Theatre.
“Naturally, I should
be interested in becoming ANA president at the next election, going by my long
years of service to the association,” said Abdullahi in response to whether he
had intention to contest.
Abdullahi added that establishing a chapter of the
association in the early 1990s in Kebbi State when he was lecturing at the
Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin-Kebbi, among other achievements, makes
him eminently qualified to head ANA.
“I moved to a public service career in 1998 and
revolutionised the operations of the association in the FCT where I have become
one of the pillars of the association,” said the author who has only just been
promoted director in the civil service.
The art and culture administrator, who has since
released his manifesto, explained that in 2001, he was elected into the
National Executive Council (NEC) of ANA as an ex-officio member, and in 2003,
was elected assistant general secretary.
“In 2005, I was elected as the substantive general
secretary and returned unopposed for the same position in 2007; between 2009 to
2011 after the expiration of my very eventful tenure as general secretary under
the Dr. Wale Okediran presidency, I reverted to the position of an ex-officio
member by constitutional provision; and in 2011, I was invited to contest the
position of vice president, which I won,” he stated.
He said it was only natural that he aspires to be the
next president, since he has served the association in so many capacities,
making him the longest serving member of the association in the NEC.
“I have rendered innumerable services to the
association and I have been faithful to the ideals and causes of the
association and it is only natural and a matter of duty for me to offer myself
to serve again at the highest level,” he stated.
In his over 2000-word manifesto titled ‘It’s All About
Service’, Abdullahi said, among other things, that he would run an
all-inclusive administration where every member, at home and abroad, will be
given the chance to contribute his or her talents and expertise to the
development of the association in an atmosphere of sacrifice, integrity and
conviviality.
Cooperate and advocate with other creative
associations for the establishment of the national endowment funds for the
arts, so that the creative sector can access funds for viable programmes and
projects, and internationalise the operations of the association by
collaborating with other writers’ unions across Africa and the world.
Abdullahi’s intention is also to return ANA fully to
its fundamental objectives of being a writers’ craft union committed to the
advancement of the interests of its members, repackage the developmental
objectives of the association and make the staging of workshops, seminars,
conferences, going on local and international residencies and hosting
celebratory activities routine activities.
ANA elections will hold this year to elect officials
into the national body for writers in the country.
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