ACCRA: African writers, scholars in creative dialogue
By HENRY AKUBUIRO (ifeanyi_mcdaniels@yahoo.com)
Sunday, May 28, 2006

•Ernest Emenyonu (left) with Molara Ogundipe Photo: Sun News Publishing

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“Enjoying myself? Yes, I am. I came all the way from India to be part of this,” said Nandini Sen, a participant at the 32nd meeting and conference of African Literature Association (ALA), which ended in Accra, Ghana, last Sunday. Sen, a senior lecturer in the Department of English, Bharati College, Delhi University, was not the only one having fun at La Palm Beach Royal Hotel, Accra, venue of the literary convergence.

The pick of the literati came from all over the world – the US, the UK, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Japan, China, France, Canada, Nigeria, Cameroun, Cote d’ Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Ghana, Togo, Benin, South Africa, Mali, Senegal, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean and beyond to brainstorm on African literature. They were either students of African literature, scholars, writers and journalists or culture afficionados. Traces of nostalgic afterglow trailed the ending.

Co-hosted by the CODESRIA African Humanities Institute Programme, University of Ghana, and Institute of African and African-American Affairs, New York University, the theme of the ALA meeting and conference was “Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century: Generations in Creative dialogue”, in addition to other sub-themes. African Literature Association is an independent non-profit, professional society open to scholars, teachers and writers from every country.

The American-based association exists primarily to facilitate the attempts by a worldwide audience to appreciate the efforts of African writers and artists, and is committed to holding its annual conference on the African continent at least once in five years. The first time it held in Accra was in 1994.

Of course, the three conveners of the meeting and conference had their hands full for the six days it lasted. There were Professor Kofi Anyidoho, Director of African Humanities Institute and Head of the English Department of the University of Ghana, who was running up and down to ensure that things went on smoothly; Professor Manthia Diawara, Director of the New York University Institute of African Affairs, who, like the former, put his hands on deck to have a memorable outing; and Professor Awam Amkpa, Academic Director of NYU-in-Ghana, who was pivotal to efficient logistics. Their work was complemented by Esi Sutherland-Addy, the daughter of late Ghanaian playwright, Efua Sutherland, who headed the Planning Committee.

The array of guest writers invited by the association to Accra was awesome. They included Ghana’s Kofi Awoonor, Kofi Anyidoho and Amma Darko; Nigeria’s Niyi Osundare and Femi Osofisan, South Africa’s Lewis Nkosi, Kenya’s Ngugi wa Thiongo’, Somalia’s Nuruddin Farah, Cote d’ Ivoire’s Veronique Tadjo, and the Barbadian writer, Edward Kamau Brathwaite.

There was a strong Nigerian presence at the gathering. The foreign legion was represented by Professors Abiola Irele, Biodun Jeyifo, Ernest Emenyonu, Tanure Ojaide, Molara Ogundipe, Onookome Okome, Chimalum Nwankwo, Okey Ndibe, Helen Chukwuma, Marie Umeh, Anthonia Kalu, Tejumola Olaniyan, etc. The bards, Odia Ofeimun and Nduka Otiono, came from Lagos, together with a galaxy of scholars from Nigeria, including Professor Akachi Ezeigbo, Osita Ezenwanebe, Helen Salami, Damian Okpata, Amanze Akpuda, Oyeniyi Okunoyi, Victor Dugga, Shola Olarunyomi, Monica Ekpong, Alphonsus Oritseremi, to mention a few.

Driving through Accra city, the first two things that strike a first- time visitor is its orderliness and cleanliness. There are more cabs, mostly fairly new, in the city than buses. The city is clean, and you hardly see dirt littering the neighbourhood or social miscreants or rude policemen on the roads extorting money from motorists. There is also uninterrupted power supply in the metropolis, and the people are very hospitable to visitors.

The environment where the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel is located in Accra, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, provides a crumb of paradisiacal comfort. As early as 6.30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17, participants had already started trooping to the venue. By 7 a.m. registration exercise had started, and it went concurrently with other events scheduled for the day. The official opening ceremony took off at 8 a.m. Kofi Anyidoho, one of the conveners, introduced the chairman of the occasion, Prof. N.C.B. Tagoe, acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana, who made a brief acceptance speech. Afterwards, Prof. Yaw Nyarko, Vice Provost read a welcome statement for Global and Multicultural Affairs, New York University.

In her statement, the outgoing ALA President, Prof. Debra Boyd, expressed delight to be back once again “in the aromas of our ancestor for a season of intellectual and cultural enrichment.” She reaffirmed the association’s commitment to pan-Africanism and to the power of literary art as a miraculous weapon in the struggle against oppression, just as it holds fast to the dream of a free and prosperous Africa where genocide and pestilence are no more.

Speaking on the theme, “Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century: Generation in Creative Dialogue,” she noted that it “provides an opportunity for the return of African intellectuals, scholars and writers who have been dislocated through diverse forms of exile to return home.” Besides, it was a realization of a dream for many of the African diaspora’s children who have longed to be reunited and reconnected to their roots.

The Ghanaian government was represented by Prof. Adzei Bekoe, Chairman, Council of State and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana, who, in his official opening address, highlighted the charms of literature, its sheer exhilaration and beauty of self-expression and its amazing capacity to carry the deepest of feelings and thoughts. He said further that the theme of this year’s meeting and conference resonates in Ghana on the eve of the country’s 50th independence anniversary in 2007. The pan-Africanist thought of Casely Hayford, he said, was influenced by the pan-Africanist thinking of Edward Blyden, W.E.D Dubois, among others.

“As the 21st century stretches ahead of us and Africans find themselves in various locations, their relationship with the continent and with one another would seem to read, more than ever, the metaphors of a shared vision and new identities offered us through the generous creativity of our orator, story tellers, dramatists and poets,” he said, hinting that perhaps “what remains is to take definite policy measures to bring the tremendous body of philosophical and literary thought to the attention of the peoples of Africa in order to engage the generations in a truly empowering dialogue.”

Plenary sessions
The first plenary session, entitled “Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century: The Long View of History”, which preceded the opening ceremony in the morning, was rhapsodic. The panelists were renowned Ghanaian writer, Kofi Awoonor; Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Ecowas Executive Secretary (who failed to turn up); and Veronique Tadjo. But the fireworks exhibited by Awoonor and Tadjo were adequate consolations as the amiable Manthia Diawara moderated with passion.

The award-winning Ivorien writer, Tadjo, in her speech on pan-Africanism, remarked that Africa has never been so divided before, with conflicts raging on in many countries and with strong, dividing ethnic components. She identified the linguistic factor as an obstacle to African unification. “We have failed to tap into the factor of unification because the linguistic order inherited from the colonial power does not correspond with the natural order.

Therefore, we have missed opportunity to better trade and economic link within Africa. We have to accept the fact that English and French, the two major languages, have divided the continent along Anglophone and Francaphone,” she said, submitting that pan-Africanism was based on solidarity and unity, but it would be a tall dream unless African leaders put their houses in order.

The genius of Awoonor and his genial, baritone tone took the session to another exciting level. He traced the origin of pan-Africanism to the descendants of African slaves in the West and the challenges along the way, affirming that the construction of an independent Africa through its universities, journalists, various institutions – economic and cultural – have become a single objective which must push pan-African ideals beyond 1956. He lambasted France for the disuniting West African, saying, “The betenoire for West African disunity and confusion is the Republic of France,” and he cited the currency charade it perpetrated at the borders between Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana as an example.

He enlightened the audience that late Kwame Nkrumah’s first push for a unification programme was not for any Anglophone Africa, but with Guinea and Mali, before it blossomed. Thus, he flayed African intellectuals who have fallen to the Anglophone-Francophone dichotomy, describing the division as frivolous. In his words, “This is a real piece of nonsense.” Awoonor also faulted the feudal authority we have in Africa, stressing that no people stand with such phoney political configuration.

Commenting on the linguistic barriers to pan-Africanism, the celebrated poet said that there is nothing wrong in using English language as a medium of communication in Africa, harping on the fact that we must come to terms with the reality that English is a unifying factor in Anglophone Africa.
According to him, “In a creative process, we must concede that the European visitation, as inimical as it was, has also changed the paremetres of our self-perception and the realities for us. We are no longer what our great grandfathers were.” He caused uproar when he condemned the view of Ngugi wa Thiongo’ that Africans should write in their indigenous languages, noting that it would lead to the alienation of many readers not literate in the local language being used in writing.

A great debate ensued thereafter on the issues raised by the panelists. Nigerian scholars dominated the debate, with eleven out of the fifteen that indicated interest, taking to the floor to make their points. Professor Kofi Anyadiho, Awoonor’s countryman, rose to contest the view by his elder brother on the use of indigenous language in writing literature, citing Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Okot p’ Bitek as writers whose mastery of their local languages has impacted on their mastery of literature in English.
Professor Niyi Osundare gave every Nigerian in Accra a cause to be proud to be a Nigerian.

As Soyinka is hardly seen in literary functions nowadays, Osundare seems to be stepping into his shoes. The manner he marshalled his points drew great applause from the audience. He attributed Africa’s inability to achieve a perfect pan-Africanism to the inability of the peoples of Africa to solve their internal problems. “If you don’t have unity in your country, how can you then go on to espouse continental unity?” he asked rhetorically. His view on the language question is that “Ngugi’s idea may sound idealistic now, even chaotic, but this is how good ideas always come.”

Professor Femi Osofisan was another remarkable Nigerian writer who upped the ante as the Achebes would. He attributed the retreat from pan-Africanism to the concentration of African states to build their nations after independence, “as opposed to the larger ideals of pan-Africanism”. Odia Ofeimun carpeted African leaders for being myopic and paying little or no attention to language policies of their countries, which has made indigenous languages to be subordinate to foreign languages.

If Africans must perpetrate their indigenous languages, according to Prof. Molara Ogundipe, they must write first in indigenous languages and then translate into European languages. Onookome Okome charged the literary community to take African popular literature seriously, especially African films. Monica Ekpong, in her contribution to the language question, emphasized the unity in our mother tongue, citing the similarities between Akran language in Ghana with Igbo, Efik, Ejegam and other Nigerian languages. John Muran from Sierra Leone, in his contribution, stressed on the need for parents to direct their children on cultural norms, the cloths they wear and the music they dance in order to impress on their children to respect African culture and pan-Africanism.

The second plenary session on Friday, May 19 entitled “Re-current Predicaments of the African Global Family” was another bang. The panelists included eminent guest writers, Niyi Osundare, Lewis Nkosi and Ngugi wa Thingo’. The Kenyan stuck to his gun on the ingenious language paradigm, berating the conspiracy of Africans in wholeheartedly patronizing foreign languages to the detriment of theirs.

He said, “The predicament of Africans is the loss of their languages. I have never seen a place where the loss of language is celebrated by those who educate users of those languages. The predicament of the African problems is that we actually celebrate the loss of our languages imposed upon us by the West.”
Osundare, speaking on the question of remembrance being selective in African literature, stated that “remembrance is subjective, and because it is subjective, it is also partial. One of the problems of Africa is that so many authors, ethnographers and Hollywood have misremembered the continent. That’s the basis of racism. Misrepresentation and misremembrance go hand in hand.” He averred that for Africans to employ language policy successfully, they must have to cultivate the people, noting that our problems are not insolluble.

Concurrent Sessions and side attractions
There were readings by eminent writers, film screenings, caucus meetings, ALA Executive Committee meetings, annual business meetings and round tables as the conference progressed. The multiplicity of sessions made it difficult for participants to attend all of them. Professor Akachi Ezeigbo of the University of Lagos was often seen running from one hall to another to catch up with different sessions.
Femi Osofisan, Abena Busia of Ghana and Chimalum Nwankwo took part in the first of the special readings on Thursday. Osofisan, in particular, was outstanding with his use of Yoruba folklore and he made sure he carried the audience along, to their admiration. Odia Ofeimun made some scathing criticisms on the delivery of some of the poets after the readings. On Thursday May 18 the poet, Tanure Ojaide, Nana Ama Danquah from Ghana and two young writers from Ghana who won the Young Writers Club Prize in Ghana, Nana Ashifia Gogo and Ama Frempong, read from their winning short stories.

On Friday May 19, Niyi Osundare was in a class of his own as he dazzled the audience with his poems, alongside Veronique Tadjo of Cote’d Ivoire and Benjamin Kwakye of Ghana, winner 2006, Commonwealth Prize for First Book in Africa. The audience sympathized with Osundare after listening to his Hurricane Katrina ordeal in the US last year, which swept away all he had toiled for. Later in the day, there were readings by Kofi Awoonor, Lewis Nkosi and Ngugi wa Thiongo’.

The 32nd ALA meeting and conference was not all about literary discourse. The welcome reception at W.E.B. Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture at 21 1st Circular Road, Cantonments, Accra, afforded participants the opportunity to behold the beautiful scenery of the city and also dance to Ghanaian highlife music. Femi Osofisan enthralled the audience with deft dance steps. Odia Ofeimun, Niyi Osundare, Molora Ogundipe, Eustace Palmer, Kofi Awoonor, Charles Larson, Kwabena Abusia, and others had a swell time in the dancing binge, with the Americans, Europeans and Asians wriggling their waists to the alluring African rhythm. There was a dramatization of the late Efua Sutherland’s The Marriage of Anansewa on Thursday night at La Palm Beach Royal Hotel.

On Friday evening, participants were taken to PAWA (Pan African Writers Association) House, venue for the Fonlon Nicholas Prize Award ceremony. Chaired by Professor Atukwei Okhai, Secretary General of the association, Femi Osofisan of Nigeria was awarded this year’s prize for his contributions to African literature and human rights. Professor Tejumola Olaniyan of University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA, who read his citation, described him as the best dramatist from Africa after Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus. Music interludes by Wolomei band livened the night, which also featured readings by Ghanaian and international poets, as well as the presentation of the first ever edition of African Literature Today by the editor, Professor Ernest Emenyonu, and the publisher of the African edition, Heinemann Educational Books, Ibadan, Nigeria.

The Vice-President of Ghana, Ali Mahatma, was the special guest on Saturday night at the conference banquet. With the Sappers Band providing highlife music, participants danced freely with the unassuming vice-president. The event marked the end of the one-year tenure of ALA President, Debra Boyd. The Sierra Leonean scholar, Eustace Palmer, was sworn in as the 32nd president of the association with a traditional pomp.

The last day of the literary gathering was marked by a one-day tour of Akosombo, with a Volta Lake Cruise with buffet on the Dodi Princess. Like the previous ALA meetings and conferences, Nigerians dominated events. But what is surprising is that the country, the powerhouse of African literature, has yet to host this biggest literary gathering in Africa. Morocco, Egypt and Ghana have all hosted ALA, Ghana even twice. The reason for this discrimination, it was learnt, has to do with alleged security threats in the country. But Odia Ofeimun objected vehemently, “There is no country in the world that doesn’t have a bad side. Nigeria is overdue to host ALA meeting and conference. We have places in the country that can host it.” Many Nigerian scholars in Accra echoed Ofeimun’s view.

The mistake by the Western world is that they often use Lagos and Warri to judge Nigeria. To an extent, Lagos is chaotic, especially when compared to Accra, what with the nuisance of area boys and policemen on the roads. But Nigeria does not lack peaceful and beautiful cities. Places like Abuja, Calabar and Owerri are capable of hosting any event in the world without disgracing visitors.

The memories of the ALA 32nd meeting and conference would remain indelible just like the film screenings of Manthia Diawara. Among others, it offered visitors the opportunity to interact with likeminded people, participate and patronize rare book exhibits and brainstorm on peculiar fields. “I will be happy to meet you again,” said Michael Koltoh, a research officer with TV/Video Production and Multimedia Solution, Accra, on the eve of departure. The geniality of his smiles drove home the message.