Onileagbon |
The
chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos State chapter, Femi
Onileagbon, in this interview with ADA DIKE, among other issues speaks on the
need for writers to register as members of ANA.
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*Among all the projects you proposed
to do in your manifesto, which one of
them have you completed?
I
was elected as the chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos State
chapter in September 2013; my tenure will end in August 2015.
One
of the things I promised to do was to ensure that ANA Lagos works as a body. So
during last year’s convention in Akure, Ondo State, I was able to get the body
of writers to go for the convention as one. We went together and came back
together.
I
also promised to introduce an end of the year party which we started last year,
sponsored by Dr. Tolu Ajayi.
I
promised that I would start a programme called Vintage Wine and Fresh Blend. We
had the maiden show on January 25, 2013, sponsored by poet, columnist and The
Editorial Board Chairman of the Nation, Mr. Sam Omatseye.
One
of my manifestos was that they would be a board of directors in ANA Lagos. We
have a board of directors, headed by the first chairman of ANA Lagos, Dr. Tolu
Ajayi.
*Are you satisfied with all that you
have achieved?
No, I am not. I am only at the surface of what I want to do
as the chairman of ANA Lagos. Also, one of the things I promised to do which we
have secured provisionally is that ANA Lagos will bring the body of Nigerian
writers and the world to ANA National Convention in Lagos. We are billed to
hold ANA convention in Lagos in 2015, but I am not satisfied because I want ANA
to be able to do publish four lectures namely: the Chinua Achebe Lecture, Wole
Soyinka Lecture, Akachi Ezeigbo Lecture and Otunba Solarin Lecture plus one
international lecture – Kofi Awoonor Lecture.
*Many other states chapters
look up to ANA Lagos as their model, but it seems they are a lot of factions in
ANA Lagos. How far have you gone to re-unite your members in order to move the
chapter forward?
I really don’t know
about factions but I know that there were misunderstandings. Permit me to
mention names. We have Chike Ofili who is seen as an enfant terrible in ANA
Lagos. He is really not. He is just a man who wants to put his opinion across
and if you understand where he is coming from, you will know where he is going.
After my election, the first person to congratulate me was
Ofili and when ANA Lagos put up a partnership with the University of Lagos (Unilag)
for the Kofi Awoonor memorial which was held at the boardroom of Theatre Arts
Department of the University of Lagos, he
was also the first person to send a text message to me to say: “Femi, you are
going in the right direction.”
Blessed Mudiaga is another person that is seen as a very controversial
figure. But the interesting thing is that, in the cause of the arrangement we
made to go to the convention, I think he felt that something new is coming to
ANA. He came on his own. It was nice being together at Akure. There are really
no factions.
Over the years, ANA Lagos went into a state of stupor and people
were doing their things differently. We are trying to bring everybody back into
an umbrella body. You can do your readings but let us gather as one body.
*What other things do you
intend to achieve before the expiration of your tenure?
We want to run programmes and if we get venues, I will be glad.
Venue is usually the problem we always encounter. But we have been able to
secure a space from the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts
Practitioners (NANTAP). For the first time, ANA was able to put up a stage production. It has never happened before. We achieve a lot when people pay their dues.
Practitioners (NANTAP). For the first time, ANA was able to put up a stage production. It has never happened before. We achieve a lot when people pay their dues.
This year we want to do a lot of projects and put at least
40% of its proceeds into our pause. We don’t want to depend only on our dues
this year. When I was a secretary some years ago, ANA was lively and many
people wanted to come. We want to bring the older writers back and encourage
the younger ones to attend. If people like Toni Kan who can afford to donate
N100,000 turns up, things will change for the better in ANA.
Moreover, I will be happy if the costs of books are reduced
so that young Nigerians can afford to buy and read them. I know a little bit
about printing, the cost of publishing books is high. Averagely, printing a
book is not supposed to be more than N300.00 or N500.00, but people sell it at
N1000,00. Who wants to buy a book at high price?
*How are you people coping
with sales since many people find it difficult to read books?
People are reading but sometimes, the prices of books are out
of their reach. The essential thing people try to solve is food, clothing and
shelter before they think of buying books. That is why ANA Lagos is trying to
make sure that people can afford to buy books. The first thing is to bring the
prices of books down so that pirates will no longer have a field day.
*How can you bring the
prices of books down when the cost of publishing a book is high?
Even if it is N100.00 or N200.00, it makes a difference. One
can have two version of a book –high and low quality so that everyone can
afford it.
*How can piracy be
minimised?
All hands must be on deck before it can be checkmate. ANA
Lagos has already reached out to the copyright council. We need people to join
ANA. The annual due is N5, 000.00, which is not too much for an author to pay.
* I interviewed a former
chairman of ANA Lagos, who among other things criticised and described ANA as a
social gathering where writers primarily go to socialise instead of
brain-storming, critiquing and editing books. What do you have to say about
that?
Nobody wants to go to an event and all you do is critique. People
attend events where they are entertained and informed. This executive committee
has created a guild of editors. ANA meeting should not be that serious but we
can make vital contributions.
I think that that former chairman felt he was going alone and
I understand his position. Unfortunately in ANA, we do elections; you will
discover that if nine executive committee members were elected, only three or
four people will be vibrant in running the affairs of the association. I don’t
blame him; all the same, the meetings should not be too serious.
In the past, I was a member of ANA, Oyo State chapter before
I relocated to Lagos and joined ANA Lagos. Let’s us have fun and at the same
time do a great work in the association. We need to keep with time.
*What are your challenges
as the chairman ANA Lagos?
Primarily, it is finance. I have lived all my life not to
allow money to disturb me. We need money. Right now, we supposed to be out with
a conference. We need averagely the sum of N1.7 million naira to execute our
projects.
We have over 10,000 writers in Lagos and if you multiply it
with N5, 000.00, we will not need state or federal government to do anything
for us, in fact, the corporate organisations will be begging to sponsor our
programmes. ANA has a right as a constitutionally recognised association.
*How come ANA is not
pulling weight in the country like other constitutionally recognised
associations?
We are too individualistic. We live in our own world,
literally. Chimamanda Adichie is not a registered member of ANA. Professor
Akachi Ezeigbo pays her dues regularly. We have many authors who are making
names from writing. If you are not doing it for yourself, do it for the
association under the notion that the body needs help. If few of them donate
N50,000.00 each, we won’t even need help from any organisation. ANA supposed to
have four readings in a year. The Vintage Wine and Fresh Blend supposed to come
up every month.
To the Chimamandas, to the Habillas, whether you like it or
not, ANA is your own.
*Shortly after
President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Anti-Gay Law, someone wrote on the
social media that he knew why he was frustrated out of the writers association
and added that he knew most of its members were gay. What do you have to say
about that statement?
I definitely know about the Anti-Gay Law. I have been very
active in social media. My position is that, though the law has been passed,
there are other pressing needs President Goodluck Jonathan supposed to look
into; roads are bad and electricity supply is not regular.
*So what is your view
about the Anti-Gay Law?
Though it is wrong for somebody to marry the same sex, I was
expecting Mr. President to tackle other pressing needs.
In Nigeria if anyone comes out and says “I am gay,” his own
family will disown him. It is just like saying: “I am an armed robber or a
kidnapper,” so there is a need for a law on that in the constitution. The law
is okay but all I am asking is: “why do you put the cart before the horse?” I
pay N3, 000.00 per month for electricity I don’t use; every month, I pay
another N5, 000.00 to buy fuel for my generator.
I don’t like gays and I grade them like men that are into
internet fraud or kidnappers. There was a time I read on social media about a senator’s
marriage to a 13-year-old girl. There is an allegation that he has dumped that
one and married another 13-year-old girl. That senator sits in the senate where
laws are made. That means we are a country of pretenders.
*If you were not a writer,
what vocation would you have been into?
I would have become an international footballer. I played
football up to my youth service level. I also love table tennis, but I love
literature which has been part of my life.
*What did you study in the
university?
I studied English at Olabisi Onabanjo University and
graduated in 1999. I write full time. I have Onileagbon Theatre Group, manage
events, compose songs and I am also a theatre director.
I would have been a battery charger or a plumber if I was not
doing all the things I mentioned above. When I was growing up, my father took
me to learn battery charging and I was there for three years till when I was
about writing my secondary school certificate examination.
*Do you have any regrets being
a writer?
The only regret I have is that I did not start early enough.
I had an uncle who made me to love Don Williams and I bought a lot of Don
Willaims’ works when I was in secondary school, without knowing it was part of
poetry. I would have been happier if I had started writing from that time.
Apart from that, I have no regrets because God loves me. I
never expected to be the chairman of ANA Lagos. When I was a member of ANA Oyo,
we regularly talked about ANA Lagos. So when some of my professional colleagues
heard that I was elected as the chairman of ANA Lagos, they were happy. They
called and congratulated me. So whatever regrets I have, has been washed away
by my current position.
*What is your greatest
achievement?
My greatest achievement is writing and publishing. No matter
what anybody says, the joy of marriage is having children. The greatest joy of
an author is publishing. I aspire to win the Nobel Prize.
*How many books have you
authored?
I have published four books including: Igbangaladi –The Enemy
Within, Stirring Melodies and so on. I have 22 others that are ready.
I am trying to put funds together. I want to publish 22 books at the same time and
do their presentation the same day like Acholonu.
*You said that the joy of
marriage is having children. How many children do you have?
I have two daughters from two women. Before I decided to get
married, I used to think that people who got divorced or separated were wayward
people. My first and second relationship did not work out then I decided to
have a break. My first daughter wants to
be a teacher while my second daughter drums. I will soon remarry and have five
more children.
*In terms of fashion, how
do you define style?
Style is what suits you and what is acceptable. I naturally
like native attire, I find it more comfortable.
I go on casual a lot. I don’t like Agbada or suit. I hate
sagging because it disgusts me. Fashion is an individual thing. For example, I
can decide to leave my beard, that is my style.
*What is your advice
to young writers out there?
First, let me give advice to the old writers. It is time for
us to come together as a body. If government can budget just N10 million naira
for ANA, we would do a lot project and even help young writers to publish their
works.
For the younger ones, don’t worry, money will come. Soyinka
got a million dollars in 1986 when he won the Nobel Laureate. I have not made money
but people are inviting me to give speeches at events and they are paying me
for it. Write a page of a novel or a poem every day to develop your skill.
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