‘Writers in ANA Niger State divided against themselves’

In this interview with the press, the current Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Niger State Chapter, Mrs. Farida Mohammed, speaks on the cause of leadership crisis rocking the state chapter.  Ada Dike writes.

How long have you been in ANA?

I registered as an ANA member in 1994, that is over twenty one years ago. 

What type of literary genre do you write in terms of prose, poetry and drama?

I started my writing career with poetry. But for now, prose and my drama are still lying in my drawers.

How many books have you written that are published?

I have published four books namely: A Dance With The Ocean (2009), Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta—Footprints Of A Democrat (2009), The Breath Of A New Dawn (2012) and Sand On The Foot of a God (2014).

I have several manuscripts yet to be published. You know we have challenges of getting published in the developing world.

How have you been coping as an Urhobo woman married to a Nupe man from Niger State?

The people of Niger State are hospitable, and I have never felt any form of discrimination among us. 

There has been news making the rounds that ANA Niger is engrossed in leadership crisis. You are a member of ANA Niger, what is your take on the leadership crisis brewing in your chapter and how did it start?

The tussle started when my vice chairman Mr. Muhammed Hassan, started working with a certain man in ANA Niger called Mr. Baba M. Dzukogi, at the Cyprian Ekwensi Library which has been changed to Niger State Book Development Agency, through Dzukogi’s manipulative scheming.

You said one Mr. Dzukogi, a member of your chapter has been discriminating against your position as the current legitimate Chairman of ANA Niger. Why has he been antagonizing you?

The problem of antagonism is multi–dimensional. It started during the era of my predecessor, Almamum Mallam, when I went to government house to solicit for funds for Annual Schools Carnival of Arts and Festival of Songs (ASCAFS) designed by ANA Niger State, as the vice chairman then. Baba M. Dzukogi accosted me and told me that ANA Niger should stop sourcing for fund and that he is the only one who can ask government for money. He made this declaration in the presence of Messrs Paul Liam and Sulay Nsubong. I was elected chairman in November 2012, and I started encountering serious problems from Dzukogi after a year into my tenure in November 2013.

 One Amusa Lasisi, from Ekiti State, who is also a member of ANA Niger, attended our meeting and Dzukogi said I should have sent him away because he had an issue in court with him. Amusa is requesting that Dzukogi should account for the10 per cent of the ten million naira that was given to ANA national by the Chief Servant of Niger State. Two million that was given by the Chief Servant’s wife Hajiya Jummai Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu for the publication of teen authors, but Dzukogi did not give ANA Niger their share even though he gave two or three states one hundred and fifty thousand naira each and this made some members angry as they felt that ANA Niger was entitled to share in the money. The sum of five hundred thousand naira was given to ANA Niger for the ASCAFS 2014. I asked my vice to call the treasurer so they could deposit the money into ANA Niger’s account, but Dzukogi gave a contrary instruction to Mohammed Hassan my vice chairman to deposit the money into Niger State Book Development Agency account and up to this moment Hassan has refused to account for that money.

Moreover, we collected books from writers for the ASCAFS, and I gave Hassan to sell to schools –Rampaging Silence 50 copies from Nnenna, Imo State; Tragic Story Of A Young Girl 50 copies from Nina Anighoro, Niger State; 30 copies of Sand On The Foot Of A God– Farida Mohammed, Niger State; Blow Of Fate -Yahaya Dangana, 50 copies; and 50 copies of Honourable Usman Gwarjiko: totaling N67, 000, yet to be accounted for by Hassan.

Apart from that, I approached Niger State Sure-P for financial assistance and the sum of three million was given to writers in the state by them (Niger State Sure-P) for the publication of writers’ books. The money was given to Dzukogi because I was away in Zaria, but Dzukogi did not dispense the money to ANA Niger members.

In my series of interaction and contacts with him, I realised that he is a tribal and religious bigot, a spoiler, and hater of the success of others.

You would recall that Prof. Remi Raji, current ANA president, and Head of English Department, University of Ibadan, was commissioned by Niger State as a consultant for the Printing, Publication, Documentation Unit (PPDU) created by the Niger state government, but Dzukogi plotted for his removal and eventually took the position.

The money that was earmarked for some non-indigenous writers within the state, from the state government was never given to them. For instance, Mr. Amaechi Odimeze and Ezekiel Fajenyo were denied their funds because of Dzukogi’s discrimination. Ezekiel Fajenyo’s case is pathetic as he is Dzukogi’s reviewer.        

The preponderant of people working with him at the Niger State Book Development (Cyprian Ekwensi Library) are all his cronies.

Are these allegations verifiable or mere fiction?

All past chairmen can attest that I am not the only chairman that Dzukogi has been troubling. All members can also attest that he causes disunity and acrimony among us in ANA Niger. He spoils and hates the progress of members.

You are married to a Nupe man from Bida, Niger State. Why is he discriminating against your leadership as chairman of the state chapter?

It is because he is a tribalist and does not believe up to this moment that I am a Nupe woman by marriage. He does know the process of naturalisation. May be someone should ask him to go back to school and probably verify his credentials, if he truly went to school at all. It beats my imagination that he is indoctrinating the youths wrongly and causing disunity and acrimony that thwarts progress.

At the 2014 international convention that took place at University of Ibadan, one Mr. Muhammed Hassan introduced himself as ANA Niger Chairman, though you said you are the authentic chairman?

 I don’t know if you are aware that I have a master degree in Public Administration, and I am also doing a second masters in Teaching English as a Second Language in ABU, Zaria. So, my vice went to represent me at the 2014 Ibadan Convention and I was surprised to hear that he paraded himself as chairman of ANA Niger. ANA has credible writers and I am happy to hear that at the convention, he was shouted down in Ibadan. What pains me most is that, these are the boys we are editing their books at the ANA Niger bi–monthly writers’ spell.

What moves have been carried out so far by your state chapter to resolve the division among your members?

 They defied all the moves by the council of trustees, council of past chairmen, and elders. I don’t know how often you are online on Facebook. But it would be recalled that in July, 2014 Dzukogi was on Facebook with the youths, trying to disparage the council of trustees, council of past chairmen demanding for their scrapping. Prof. Remi Raji witnessed that. It would be recalled that on March 2, 2014, Dzukogi sent thugs to molest me. So, I sought for a court injunction to restrain them from molesting me and Dzukogi appealed. We are still at the appeal level.

What has the ANA National Executive body done to resolve the crisis?

 There is something that we Nigerians do not know, that corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of many things in the society. That is why we talk of change and we expect change in all ramifications. Dzukogi was opportune to make a little money from the largesse of Niger State government; and he used this to create a faction at the national level.

Would you relinquish your chairmanship position to Hassan since you were constitutionally elected by the state chapter?

No, of course! You have said it. I am constitutionally elected. I have many supporters, the council of trustees, council of past chairmen. Only one or two of them are not supporting me.

         

Do you think Dzukogi is antagonizing you because of religious antecedents of northern Muslim men underrating women in line with the religious and cultural beliefs and practices of many northern fanatical men oppressive to their women?

No! People are well enlightened and educated here in Niger State and elsewhere in the North. Niger State is a beautiful place and women are well respected. We have woman who is a minister. There are others that are senators, commissioners, permanent secretaries, director generals, directors, special advisers, special assistants and so on. There is no such thing in Niger State, at least.

Do you think he is trying to use his religious overzealousness to undermine your position as ANA Niger chairman because you are a woman from Delta State married to a Niger State man?

 Only Dzukogi can answer that.

Is it written in the ANA constitution that any Nigerian from anywhere cannot hold the position of chairman in a state where he or she did not originally hail from?

No, it is not, at least to the best of my knowledge.

Are Dzukogi’s actions you have mentioned so far, capable of causing disunity and hatred among ANA members nationwide if allowed to have his way by discriminating against you as you said he has been antagonizing you because you are married to a Niger state man, while you are originally from Delta state?

That is Dzukogi’s business. The outgoing governor of the state does not discriminate against the people. The Nupes, Gbagyis, Hausas and others are nice people. Dzukogi does not represent any tribe in Niger State.

Does your husband support your membership of ANA and the position you hold? If yes, what has he said as a form of advice to you concerning the crisis of leadership rocking your chapter?

Yes, he does. I know it will surprise you that I never told him about the crisis except recently. And he said, “dat one na una wahala, you writers are troublesome people.” He said that I am undergoing leadership training through the crisis.      

The outgoing Governor of the state, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has been very supportive to ANA Niger. Now that his party, Peoples Democratic Party, lost out in both the recently concluded state and senatorial elections in the state, do you think he would still continue to support your state chapter of the association?

Of course, he will. He is an intellectually-oriented person. I pray that God continue to give him good health.

Do you think the incoming administration of APC in Niger state will follow up from where Aliyu’s literary gestures for ANA Niger have reached?

As to whether the incoming government will take over the legacy of Governor Aliyu, I would say yes, because Niger State is striving to become an Intellectual Capital of Nigeria.  Government moves in tandem with the aspiration of the people.