From the creeks of Bayelsa, writers under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) will from tomorrow head for the Eastern heartland, Owerri, for the 26th convention of the association.

For members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and other members of Imo State Chapter, Disney Hotel and Resort, venue of this year’s confab provides a suitable ambience for a fruitful deliberation by members of the pen fraternity, fromThursday November 1, through November 4.

After winning the hosting right at last year’s Silver Jubilee Convention, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, members of Imo ANA have looked forward to the conference with great passion. Actually, Imo met a stiff opposition in Niger State which equally has all it takes to host the confab.

The wild jubilation that followed after Imo was named as host, gave an inkling of what to expect at the writers summit. Daily Sun learnt that the state government, through its governor, Ikedi Ohiakim has made good its promise to support the Local Organising Committee (LOC), with a donation of N1million. Although the amount is like a drop in the ocean, considering what is required to conveniently host such a conference, the organizers believe that Owerri 2007 would leave behind lasting memories aside from the fact that this is an election year.

" Twice, we have visited Owerri to assess the level of preparations, and I can say boldly that we’re satisfied with what we met on ground," Mr. Hycinth Obunseh, ANA’s Public Relations Officer (South) told Daily Sun in Lagos. Speaking ahead of the conference which has as its theme, Literature and Conflict Resolution, Obunseh also revealed that delegates to the conference would be hosted to a Festival of Life; featuring poetry readings, and performances when they they arrive on Thursday. On Friday morning, the conference will be formally declared open by Governor Ikedi Ohakim. The opening ceremonies, the organizer revealed, will be followed by the plenary session, featuring a keynote address to be delivered by former ANA President, and South-Africa-based Professor Kole Omotosho. Expectedly, Friday night the convention drama will be staged.

Already lined up for the following day, according to the image maker, are a business meeting, excursion trip to tourist attractions, while the convention dinner and award ceremony comes up later in the evening.
Being an election-year, it is not unexpected that Owerri would attract more delegates than last year’s outing in Bayelsa. At the close of this year’s confab, the Dr. Wale Okediran- led national executive is expected to hand over to an in-coming administration. Meanwhile, feelers from the writers community have since shown that most members of the incumbent national executive have indicated their interests to return to office, while a few are aspiring for new offices. Unlike the election in Kano, two years ago, Owerri seems not to be generating much heat. The build-up to the election has been calm, and there has been no clear sign of politicking and horse-trading, like it was witnessed in 2005.

According to watchers, the development may not be unconnected with the incumbency factor that is working in favour of the present executive.

According to Daily Sun investigations, the incumbent President, Dr. Wale Okediran, and his deputy, and Minister of State for Education, Dr. Jerry Agada, are going for a second term. With the Secretary General, Mr. Denja Abdulahi also, having a second shot at the office, there seems to be no split in the top hierarchy, and that could work in their favour. There are uunconfirmed reports that Dr. Usman Shehu is having a second shot at the Presidency. The race to the ANA’s national secretariat would not end with the top echelon of power. Daily Sun also gathered that the P.R.O. ( South) Obunseh intends to move up to occupy the seat of the Assistant Secretary General.

Victoria Kankara, who currently occupies the office, has not indicated interest in re-election. Ebika Anthony, current Oyo State ANA chairman is eyeing Obumseh’s job, while the office of the Financial Secretary, currently occupied by Hajia Aishat Zakari is also vacant, the latter, having relocated to the U.S. That members of the old executive would have a smooth ride back to office, is a factor of the performance of the Okediran-led regime in the last couple of years.

Some of the contentious issues that have always featured at each year’s summit include, the problem of funding, membership drive, capacity building for writers, development of Abuja land, and more importantly corporate partnership in the development of literature and Nigerian writings. In all fairness, the outgoing regime deserves kudos in the area of capacity building programmes for its members, via workshops and seminars. Similarly, since the regime came on board corporate involvement in ANA’s programmes have been on the upward swing.

In addition to Chevron and Cadbury Nigeria Plc, which has remained unflinching supporters of the association, Daily Sun learnt that the like of Guaranty Trust Bank ( GTB), Dangote Cement, Union Bank, Lantern Books, have thrown their full weight behind this year’s conference.
Be that as it may, the proposed national secretariat in Abuja is still a pipe-dream owing to lack of funds. Sadly enough, 26 years after, ANA is yet to be financially self-sustaining.

Obunseh told Daily Sun that the out-going national executive already has a building plan which it intends to present to the A.G.M. in Owerri. He also admitted that the association is yet to come up with a comprehensive register of its members across the states due to logistic problems.