BENUE ANA CHAIRMAN ON HIS AWARD

The Association of Nigeria Authors ANA national secretariat recently held a national convention. Among other activities which took place at the national convention was the awards' ceremony which was done on the last day of the event.
The event was held at Nigeria's premiere University; University of Ibadan -UI at the Faculty of Arts.
Benue state ANA chairman won an award in the Poetry category and PurpleSilver had a chat with him.

PS - Su’eddie welcome to the media arm of PurpleSilver. How do you feel about your recent award?

SVA - It is really nice to be recognized. Most writers—I think myself in this group—don’t really write for awards but we can’t deny that the recognition is some confirmation that you are getting something right.

Su'eddie Vershima Agema

 

PS - What does this award mean?

SVA - It means much. It is a validation of sorts and fortunately, would make people of our generation and those around our parts to know that if this guy could get it, yes, we can. It makes things more local for us and gives a whole lot of writers in our generation, our parts and around to aspire to get this and far more. So to say, there are those who used to think that this thing—the ANA Poetry Prize—is for superstars alone like the very talented and legendary writers like Niyi Osundare, Hyginus Ekwuazi, Tubal Cain or Amu Nnadi. To have a ‘smally’ get it makes it more realistic to aspire for. I am thinking also of our younger writers like Debbie Iorliam, Celina Kile, Letter Dennis, Ene Odaba. As an aside, shortly after the award, my younger sister, Jennifer Emelife said that the award was coming down. It had gone to Amu Nnadi—Papa—in 2013, had come to this bro (myself) in 2014 and would go to her in 2015. See? So, yes, it means much to us all.

PS - Why do you think you won?

SVA - I can’t really say, and yes, it could have gone to anyone on the shortlist. For instance, we were talking—Saddiq Dzukogi (my good friend and a fellow shortlister for the award)—and I told him that if he won, he would give me 30%. I was not flattering him; I think he writes fine  poetry.  The joint winner, Ebi Yeibo writes really well too. So, why was I chosen in the end? Good fortune? Maybe the difference between the longlisting of Bring our casket home: tales one shouldn’t tell in 2013 and this one winning is because I was more careful in the crafting of this collection. The new collection, Home equals holes: Tale of an Exile has structural smartness, maybe some more finesse and all. But above this all, I know Aôndo’s hand played in our favour this time and we came smiling back to Benue with the trophy and the cheque.

PS - As the Chairman of ANA Benue does this have any significance?

SVA - Yes, I think it does. It goes to show that as a Chairman, you are not meant to be political alone, lead others but be active in producing works that would speak for you. As the Tiv proverb goes, when you show the way you point with your finger. We can’t be leaders by words alone but also by deeds. So, in a way, I am leading our branch of the association by example showing them that ‘People, let’s get these things. Aspire and let us get more of these trophies.’ Hopefully, it would set a precedence for other members to also get their acts together, to write really well—not just for local prizes or even prizes alone—and reach out to a whole lot of people.

1.       How has it been in the leadership of ANA and what are the challenges?

SVA - It has been fun and greatly challenging. We have a focus which is building the capacities of our younger writers to the best of our abilities and ensuring they get their works to a wider audience. We have had a few challenges tussling with our older members who think that it might have been better if far older people were in the saddle. We respect this opinion of theirs—everyone is entitled to theirs—and rather than take the fight that has been seemingly challenged to us, use what strength and resource we have to strategize to strengthen the association through every means possible while building our youth.

PS - Is there any difference between your anticipated challenges and your current challenges?

SVA - Well, I have been in the Executive for some years now (since 2009 or so) so I had an idea of a few of the challenges we would face. Still, there are a few that have hit us in the face which I hope we would overcome. There is a rich list but I have a competent Executive team comprising people like the lovely novelist Pever X, the poet Maik Ortserga, Edentu Oroso, Alex Hembaor and Paul Ugah—to mention a few—who are always by the corner to help fight these challenges. We also have organizations like Purple Silver, SEVHAGE, friends like Dr. Maria Ajima, Dr. Tsenongu, Sam Ogabidu, Otene Ogwuche, Laz Mom, H. O. C Kochis, Ada Agada (who has kept our online presence active by curating the Benue ANA group) who keep ensuring that we get things done.

left to right: Terese, Ene, Su'eddie, Debbie

       PS - How would you describe your leadership?

SVA - Our leadership—we are a team working with an Executive and our members—is inclusive, calculative, progressive and proactive. We are moving forward, not at the speed we wish to, but with a vision. Hopefully, at the end of this tenure, we would all have something to celebrate. At that time, we would find a full description to our collective leadership.

PS - Is there anything you are looking forward to at this time to make better your leadership?

Sure. Support in all ramification. I need every support from every member. The sad part about ANA—and most organizations, I guess—is that most people believe that the entire job of running an organization should be on the shoulders of the leader. We seem to forget that the leader should only point while we follow. In the end, it becomes really tasking. If we can get support in terms of members always coming for readings, paying their dues, supporting our projects and spreading the gospel of literature around, I think the association would be better off.

       PS - How much time do you have left as the Chairman of ANA?

SVA - I have about fifteen months left.

PS - What possibilities do you see between now and time of tenure expiration?

I see endless possibilities including creating opportunities for better writing and appreciation of the arts and literature in Benue and among members of our generation in the period remaining of our tenure as well as beyond that. We hope to leave structures on ground that would outlast us. We hope to have our writers have a better sense of their worth because we have amazing writers here who don’t half know the value of what they can do. We hope to have a workshop or two, readings and create avenues where we can have writers come here for interactions and have our writers go to other areas and be exposed. We hope to also co-opt secondary and primary schools by organizing programmes to include them. And there are a whole lot more but it is better to have more accomplished than simply talk and not achieve a quarter.

PS - What is the ideal environment you think would flourish and prosper ANA Benue?

SVA - There is never a better ideal environment, my brother. We have the ideal environment at the moment. All we need is for all our members to believe in themselves, support us and themselves too and we would all flourish, prosper and reach far greater heights as individual writers and collectively, as ANA Benue.

Su'eddie Vershima Agema

PS - What do you expect of ANA National?

SVA - We expect that the National would keep creating programmes to promote literature and literacy across the nation. I expect the National to take an interest in the inner politics of its branches and intervene when necessary to ensure that there is less acrimony among members at any and every level.

PS - How do you foresee ANA National at the present?

SVA - The National Executive under Remi Raji, Denja Abdullahi, Richard Ali, Chinyere Obi-Obasi, Joy Esuku et al have done much. It is important to note that. They have inaugurated the Nigerian Writers’ Series (our Publicity Secretary, Pever X is a beneficiary of the goodness of this project) and made the awards to be more appealing, more embracing of writers across generations. The prayer is that they keep the taking the association to higher heights, by being transparent and fighting for the rights of the generality of writers everywhere.

PS - The Nigerian populace surely has literary enthusiasts, what are your words to them?

SVA - Our literary enthusiasts are great and have helped us do much. I can only pray that they don’t lose their steam. People like Lola Shoneyin, Jahman Anikulapo, Servio Gbadamosi, Femi Morgan, Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, Chuma Nwokolo, Emman Shehu, Dike Chukwumerije, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Toni Kan, Jite Efemuaye, Richard Ali, Samson Iruesiri Kukogho, Enigmatic Olumide, Eriata Oribhabhor, Anselm Ngutsav have helped promote our writing and writers in many ways. I pray that they keep keeping on in all they do. Things can only get better for all of us writers. To readers who don’t think we have much to offer, please think again dear ones. There’s so much happening in Nigerian literature and you have to only read the works of the people I just mentioned above now, ElNathan John, Nnedi Okorafor, Pever X, Ola Nubi, Agatha Aduro,  Reward Nsirim, Iquo Eke, Bash Anumeni,  Eugene Odogwu, to know that we have so much more to read to leave any and everyone wowed!

PS - Thank you for honouring this interview sir.

SVA - My absolute pleasure. Thank you.

Interview conducted and edited by Anselm Sesugh Ngutsav for PurpleSilver Media.