Daily Independent (Lagos)
Yemi Adebisi
20 July 2009
Between 2006 and 2009, the present executive of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), expected to hand over by October 2009, has held three colloquia to honour literary legends, both living and dead.
Professor Wole Soyinka was the first beneficiary in 2006 at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 20 years after he became the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Last year, the acclaimed father of African literature, Chinua Achebe, was honoured at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, for the 50 years celebration of his evergreen award winning novel, Things Fall Apart, apart from activities that graced the occasion at various parts of the nation. The last and the most recent was held on July 9, 2009, at Kaduna State University, Kaduna, to honour the renowned Hausa writer and scholar, late Abubakar Imam, who died 28 years ago.
This achievement on the part of ANA, to those who value creative prowess, deserves a loud ovation because it created forum for the assemblage of writers to honour their colleagues, teachers or mentors.
The Abubakar Imam international colloquium did not last more than one day in contrast to past events that spanned through days partly because of the apathy of northern governors to literature and reading as gathered through ANA, the organiser. It is apt to note, therefore, that the snappy event was decent and memorable especially because of the trip made to Tudun Wada, Zaria, residence of the late author where writers had the ample chance to feel the pulse and blood flow of the late legend inside his legendary bedroom and library.
The first attraction was the first Hausa novel written by the author, Magana Jari Ce (wisdom is an asset), published 80 years ago. It was gathered that the book was adapted to stage play and the casts were also in attendance at the colloquium. Besides, the Zaria building at 19-20 Imam Road, Tudun Wada, was an Islamic primary school founded by the author named Randa Tul Huda Primary School. Speaking with Daily Independent in Zaria, eldest son of the late legend, Alhaji Mustafa Imam appreciated ANA and recalled his father's impetus. "My father achieved a lot in his life time and we wish to emulate him. He was an author, politician, editor, and manager of companies, among others. One of his commonest gestures was that he wanted to serve his people and not for his people to serve him. He died a hero," he said.
Also recounting the worth of this northern scholar, editor of his book and one of the leaders of thought in Kaduna, Haruna Adamu, said Imam was a rare enigma that deserves being immortalised.
"Late Imam had PhD in Political Science. His contribution has not been stressed in Nigeria nation unfortunately. The party in power from 1950 to 1966, the Northern People's Congress (NPC) was formed next door to this house, (Imam,s house, Zaria). His deputy editor was the publicity secretary of the party. His newspaper was used to mobilise acceptance for this new party. He was the treasurer for the party. He contested for both House of Assembly, Kaduna, and House of Representatives, Lagos. Every evening, we gathered in front of his house to listen to words of wisdom from him and other northern intellectual and religious leaders. He impacted knowledge. He was the only Nigerian journalist that had more than five hours interview with the then Governor-General of Nigeria, Fredrick Lord Luggard, reproduced into 21-page memorandum some of which are displayed in this library," he said.
At Kaduna State University, venue of the colloquium, eminent scholars and government functionaries were in attendance to pay a post-hummus homage to the late writer.
In his response to Daily Independent, one of the late Imam,s friends, Alhaji Mohammed Jibo, described him as a hardworking scholar, who "lived through books, stayed with books and died in books."
Zonal director of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Lagos, and Imam,s grandson, Mallam Yusuf Yibo, revealed the intention of NTA to annex with ANA to celebrate the works of Abubakar Imam as the station has plans to create four new channels that would oversee specific areas like education, entertainment, sports and news.
Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Professor Ezzeldeen Abdulrahman, declared at the function to name a prize in honour of Abubakar Imam, which would be an annual event in collaboration with ANA.
The theme of the colloquium, Promoting Writing in the Indigenous Languages, attracted leaders of thought and the literary humours of Nigerian writers. One of the resource persons, Ismail Bala from Bayero University, Kano, presented a seminar on the topic, A Note on Indigenous Literature and Literary Translation: The Need for a Synergy. Among other things, he admitted that cultural translation ensured the success of modern civilisation because, according to him, the great wave of both literary and cultural translation from Roman literature and civilisation into romance language was, to a large extent, influential in the development of the Roman Empire.
"As Ulli Beier perceptively argues, translating poetry from a different culture, the problem often is that the translated text is inundated with an entanglement of notes to explain either unusual phrases or words or problem of context and unfamiliar references."
He asserted that translators of poetry tend either towards the depressive or the manic. "On one hand lies the anxious, the scrupulous, above all, the literal word-for-word translation from their original language. On the other hand is a more relaxed, more creative approach, which leads to something that is not quite an original poem; not quite a translation either."
Special adviser to the governor/director general, Kano State Directorate of Societal Reorientation, discussed with the writers on the topic, And They Lived Happily Ever After: Soyayayya Novellas in the 21st Century and the Need for a Redirection.
He argued that Hausa had been a written language in the Arabic script long before colonialism, citing instances of Usumanu dan Fodio and his genealogy.
In her own resumes, Dr. (Mrs.) Asabe Kabir Usman, from the Department of Modern European Languages and Linguistics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, maintained that the context of Hausa write-ups have not been appreciated to its fullest as pioneer writers.
"Fictional writing in Hausa Language using the Roman script began during the colonial period, when colonial officers produced reading materials for the growing number of elite in the region. This was said to have started in the 1930s when the then newly created Literature Bureau sent out notices for fictional writing competition to school teachers and other educated elite in elementary and provisional schools to join the contest."
He also admitted that most Hausa authors are great romance writers. "Romance forms the framework upon which most novels in the Kano Market literature is based. This is manifested in their plot, style, language, characterisation, setting and cover design. It is, in most cases, on love, marriage, and power that the majority of stories are focused like: the story of true love between age-mates, thwarted by the intervention of a rich and powerful man who disrupts everything they might had earlier planned to accomplish in life..."
She spoke extensively on the topic: New Trends in Contemporary Hausa Popular Prose Fiction/Soyayayya Novel in 21st Century Northern Nigeria: Some Tentative Observations. She assured that there is no amount of criticism that can kill Hausa literature, stressing that writers should be corrected and not condemned.
It would be recalled that recently, the Kano Censors Board arrested a member of ANA for releasing a song. A source declared that the purpose of the arrest was because the song rained curses on every individual acting contrary to promotion of creativity in northern Nigeria. Reactions from Nigerian writers have established that the action of the censors, board in Kano is something that the government of the day should give an attention to.
Ibrahim Malumfashi of the Department of Nigerian Languages, Umaru Musa Yar,adua University, Katsina, discussed a paper on Abubakar Imam,s Contributions to Literary development in Northern Nigeria. In his analytical detail, he declared that Imam lived a fulfilled life through reading. "At the age of 24, he had mastered three major languages, Hausa, Arabic and English. He grew to become a writer by veraciously reading whatever came his way in those three languages. This helped him greatly because a writer can never be a good writer unless he is well read and versatile. By reading materials in Arabic, English and digesting and assimilating the ideas from them, Imam produced his own."
Okediran remarked that the cooperation of Niger State governor, Dr. Mu,azu Babangida Aliyu, contributed to the success of the colloquium, while lamenting on the lukewarm attitude of other governors to the literati.
"If not for the Niger State government, the Unity Bank, and the Kaduna State University, this event would not have been possible. It is therefore our hope that this tepid attitude by our northern elite and governments to literature will change so that the art of writing will take its proper place in the Northern part of the country."
In an interview with Daily Independent, General Secretary, ANA, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, reviewed the achievements and challenges of the past three colloquia. "The challenges have been basically that of funds and carrying everyone along. For Soyinka colloquium, Globacom without reason, backed out at the last minute after urging us on, but we went ahead to deliver a very successful event. For Achebe, Fidelity Bank came to our rescue and many other government agencies, though Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State is yet to redeem his pledge. The colloquium was world class. The Imam colloquium was one that received less funding with the apathy of northern states governors, individuals and corporate organisations. Niger State governor was the only responsive person. Let us say we have an eye to celebrate landmarks," he said.
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