Odoh Diego Okenyodo
12 July 2008
Immediate past chairman of the Abuja branch of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Dr Emman Usman Shehu, has been expelled by the branch for failing to abide by terms of the out-of-court settlement reached between him and the writers' guild. In a statement to Dr Shehu on the signed by chairman, Dr. Seyi Adigun, and secretary, Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor, the substantive branch leadership and dated 8th July, 2008, the Association said the former chairman was holding onto the Association's assets as well as running an organisation intended to undermine the ANA.
"Under our out of court agreement," the statement read, in part, "you agreed to provide us your full financial report at the Annual General Meeting of 10th May, 2008 or failing which you will prepare the said report and send it to the National Secretariat of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). It is on record that the report you purportedly submitted at that AGM was rejected, which means the report has not been submitted. Till date, you have not submitted that report despite reminders."
The branch leadership said they had no intentions of pressing further charges following the expulsion, but warned that they "may also consider the option taking the appropriate legal steps available to us in order to recover our assets currently being unlawfully detained by you."
Dr Shehu, at the expiration of his term last March, had instituted a legal action against the Association at an Abuja court to stop an AGM being organised by some members of the executive. The court had, however, not granted the writer's requests, instead encouraging an out-of-court settlement in which Dr Shehu was mandated to furnish the Association with a financial report. Thereafter, Dr Shehu founded the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF), under which he has commenced readings and other activities. He recently called for entries for a literary journal called Cavalcade with a deadline of October 30, 2008.
The national leadership of Association of Nigerian of Authors could not be reached as at press time, but it is unclear where the serial crises rocking the Federal Capital City branch of Nigeria's foremost association of writers would lead. Dr Shehu, now Director of the International Institute of Journalism, twice contested the post of national President of the ANA in 2005 and 2007. He lost in both instances.
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