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.
