By Paul T. Liam
Speaking at the third Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu Literary Colloquium in Minna Niger State, the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, before an audience of academics, writers, politicians and students alleged that Nigeria’s contemporary writers have paid little attention to the current social, cultural and political issues that have seized the polity. For a Governor who has done so much for literature and the creative industry, careless comment such as this open and uncalculated assertion speaks in volume of what his purported interest in books and the writing industry is. Or could it just be a Freudian slip?
Nigeria’s writing has never been without concrete purposes. Professors Soyinka and Achebe, perhaps, defined the principles of Nigerian literature through the ideals of their works which majorly cut across cultural renaissance and the discovery of our humanity in a world that constantly seeks to dehumanise us through the stereotyping of what makes us likable to them. Achebe and Soyinka’s definite purposes have confined us to a strategic reasoning that revolves around one predominant theme: Journey to self discovery. Achebe’s novels have not failed to uphold our cultural values neither has Soyinka’s plays resisted the temptations of seeking a path that leads us to the realisation of who we should be or not be.
The Odia Ofeimum-Niyi Osundare and Femi Osofisan-Ahmad Yarima’s generation carried-on the cultural idealizations of their predecessors. Their writings too like those of the others have continued to probe the extent of our cultural orientation and the values we attach to the ethics that make us a people of identity. This cultural activism seeks a re-directive path and focus that would corrugate into what should define the membrane of our literature. Of course, it may appear absurd to say that there has not been very little deviation from that journey, but even where there appears to be such a deviant approach we still end up compromising to the prescriptive form laid by the older generation which leaves our writings whirling within a circle of the same themes.
The contemporary generation spearheaded by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Helon Habila, are clear examples of the adoptive nature of our writing. For instance, Adichie’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ does nothing more than seeking the lost cord of the Igbo tribe that was derailed by the civil war, which knits her closely to Achebe. Is Habila’s ‘’Measuring Time’’ devoid of the social conditions that characterise his characters? Of course, the scenario is still the same today as it was years ago. Such are the realities that cannot be removed from Nigeria and Africa’s writings in a long time. Tade Ipadeola’s ‘Sahara Testament’ traverses regional boundaries to seek a common ground for Africa. And what does he concern himself with other than finding that cultural cord that helps our understanding of who we are? The crux of this inquisition is to make a case that our literature has not been without definite purposes, with special attention to the fresh voices.
The present crop of Nigerian writers and their writings are not lacking in purpose and meaning as I have observed earlier; there is, however, a very great challenge which of cause has nothing to do with technicality or quality but rather of focus. The focus of choice appears to be the big hurdle before the 21st century Nigerian writer which is occasioned by the realities of our time. The contemporary Nigerian polity is so engrossed in modern phenomena and technological obsession that an unserious observer may be tempted to assume that contemporary writers especially the younger generation of the social media age are not doing the needful in recasting the present realities in their writings as the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, whom albeit being a great promoter of contemporary literature was tempted to posit in Minna, during the third Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu Literary Colloquium. According to him, contemporary writers are not engaging in issues of their time. In practical terms, he queried the absence of new Soyinkas, JP Clarks and other older writers whose works are synonymous with activism.
This challenge brings us to what the odds are and they are not farfetched. One may at this junction as well put the challenge to the Governor and several others within his line of thought. How many books by contemporary writers have the Governor and his comrades cared to read? What are the supports for writers provided by government to encourage reading amongst the populace? Would a writer take his book after publishing it from door to door so that the populace can read it? Is it not the responsibility of government to provide structures through subsidy that would aid the production and marketability of books? Whose fault is it if writers don’t get to publish their works and if they do and don’t get readership because of the absence of structure? The governor, perhaps, needs to re-examine himself and his role in aiding the growth of the book industries to see if he has done enough in improving the literary environment for the actualization of the purposes he seeks for Nigerian writers.
I say without equivocation that contemporary writers are very much interested in the current political and cultural issues of their time and they are writing incessantly on the themes. Although the above mentioned challenges are some of the obstacles in the ways of the contemporary writers, they are however, still writing and very active at that. The Governor and his likes need to lay their hands on some of these works: Safari Pants by Gimba Kakanda and City of Memories by Richard Ali. Does the Governor know of the existence of writers like me who have dedicated an entire collection to the event of the fuel subsidy crisis in a collection of poetry? Does he know that Saddiq M. Dzukogi, BM Nagidi, Opeyemi Dedayo, Emmanuel Abdulmasih Samson, Carl Terver, Emmanuel Dairo and many others exist and are writing tireless on these issues? While Kakanda’s poetic persona battles with the political crisis and unjust treatment of the poor by the political class and wishes for ‘’Martyr spring upon the land’’ Richard Ali’s characters busy themselves with the nation’s unity question and the ethnocentric and religious sentiments instituted by the political class.
How about the proliferation of protest literature all over the social media that perhaps has become the easiest platform available for the younger generation to lament the injustices melted out against the masses by the political class? Is the Oil Governor aware of the many writings that seek accountability from the government on the social media? How much does he know of the 1000poets for Change Campaign championed by the Abuja based poet and literary administrator Edwin Eriata Orhibabor? Is he also aware of special sites and social media pages dedicated to literary activism such as Words, Rhymes and Rhythms, Nationwide Anti-fuel Subsidy and others?
It is an aberration for anyone to accuse contemporary writers of not meeting their obligation in terms of capturing the realities of the moments. Despite these odds, writers are still busy writing works that may never see the light of the day because of the aforementioned challenges. Allowing the statement of the Governor to go un-reproached would amount to a great disservice to the crop of young writers who have continued to thrive against all odds. We must correct the errors of our time.
Paul T. Liam is the Assistant Secretary General, ANA Niger
And author of “Indefinite Cravings’’
He can be reached via poulliam@ymail.com
Sent from my iPad
HMO®
BlackBerry PIN: 7B0810F6
Twitter: @HMO4REAL
Skype: hmo4real
GSM: +2347065556604, +2347055593444
No comments:
Post a Comment