ANA Kano Literati

WALE OKEDIRAN AND EMMAN SHEHU IN KANO

2010-10-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

I was searching my males when I found this historic document and thought it wise to share. It was posted in josanayahoogroup in Septembe 2005. Hapy reading.
Yusuf Adamu

Dear friends, please find below a summary of Drs Okediran's and Shehu's reading visit to Kano. We are working very hard for the success of the convention and we need you to keep us in your prayers. Many thanks.

Dr. Yusuf Adamu

****

Kano 2005: Okediran kick starts campaign

Ali Liman Abubakar

cisse@justice.com

Dept. of Mass Comm., BUK

When during the presidential electioneering in 2003, president Obasanjo was told that he would not win re-election should he fail to win Kano, the retired general did took it serious and spread his tentacles to even far-flung areas of the ancient city. It was only when he realized that even a miracle could not sway Kanawa’s massive votes to his favor that Obasanjo reluctantly ‘sacrificed’ it to another retired general, and what happened after the April 19 elections was and is still a common knowledge among Nigerians.

Last Wednesday, Kano gave a rousing welcome to another presidential candidate, but this time not for the PDP, ANPP or any political party, but for the forthcoming Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA) convention and national election. Apparently spurred, not only by its position as host of this years’ grand occasion for the nations literati, but also by the aforementioned myth, Honourable Wale Okediran, a writer of repute, former secretary general of ANA, and now a member of the federal House of Representatives from Oyo State, was confident of clinching the plum position in Kano come November.

The auditorium at the number 10, Emir’s palace road British Council office was filled to capacity, as writers both young and old thronged to catch the glimpse of the writer-cum-politician and to be inspired by his rich writing prowess.

Accompanied by ANA Kano chairman Dr. Yusuf M. Adamu and returning Chevening Scholar, Isamila Bala Garba, Hon. Okediran made good use of the fine rainy season weather in the ancient city to kick start the monthly literary reading with a short story he titled Baby in the Storm. In plain language and graphic illustrations, using Western Nigerian Muslim characters, the ANA presidential candidate narrated his story, which is about the age-long African tradition of male chauvinism.

Three other reading sessions followed later, with supporting presenters from the ANA Kano members performing and presenting poems and short stories at each session. The title for the other stories presented by the guest reader are an excerpts from a book Sighs of Desire published in 2003, which is about a female character Deola caught in the bug of mass exodus for greener pastures and has to chose between joining her run-away fiancée abroad and tying nuptial nuts with her new found love in her hometown. The other two titles from Okediran were Dog Catcher of Alakia and A memory of Easter, which is inspired by the recent Abuja demolishings. It was the first monthly reading to extend beyond the traditional seven o’clock closing time.

By far the highlights of the event were the question and answer sessions that follow every presentation by the guest reader and four or so supporting readers. Okediran first answered question on how lengthy a short story is suppose to be when he said that a minimum of one thousand to two thousand words is acceptable. However, according to him in the United States nowadays, what is called short short story is now the fashion there, as stories are written in thirty to one hundred words only.

The honorable member then lamented the penchant of the federal government for not giving prominence to writing. According to him, people who are autocratic in nature tend to be suspicious of people of letter, because in whatever situation, they call a spade by its name. Even at the National Assembly Okediran added, people look at members who are writers with suspicion.

It was their desire to make change in the administration of this country that led them to come up with what they call the Forum for Democracy and Good Governance. This forum Okediran said is mainly for writers at the domed chambers who often meet to look at issues before going to the floors to debate it. “It is a pressure group that pushes for issues that are for the good of this country”, he added.

Okediran also said that it is the objective of this forum to see to the signing into law a bill that will ensure federal government giving out grants for art, which he says is still with the Minister of arts and culture. When signed into law, the bill would go along way in elevating creativity and assured that before the end of this year, the bill will see the light of day.

On the Ghana-must-go issue which is a literary concept that has now been usurped by diplomacy and foreign policy as metaphor, Okediran traced the history of the concept to the times when Ghanaians in this country were being deported to their country and they could only then used the sack-like bag as luggage since it was the cheapest available. Being so cheap, the bag became the only luggage available for Nigerians, hence any time heavy things are being conveyed, the bag is the alternative. Institutions in the country took to carrying money in the bag and thus it acquired the metaphorical name.

Okediran also added that in the cause of our journey as a nation, we have picked up so many bad habits including corruption “to the extent that the executives were trying to influence house members using Ghana-must-go”. It was rather surprising to him that the name is now in use worldwide to the dismay of Ghanaians themselves where just two weeks ago, a member of parliament there accused him (Okediran) and Nigerians for “spoiling their name”. An excess luggage anywhere in the world is now referred to as Ghana-must-go. But the onus of replacing this name with another Okediran believes rests on the creative minds of writers across the country.

As an honorable member of the House of Representatives, a place that has acquired notoriety for being Ghana-must-go collectors from the executives, Okediran affirmed that since his emergence as honorable member, he has never set eyes on the metaphorical Ghana-must-go.

The guest reader then advised novice writers that publishing is very expensive venture in the country, but the easy way for them is to look for grants from organizations like the Ford Foundation. The attack on young writers by the established first and second generation writers for what the latter call poor quality of output, should not dampen the spirit of the former, for according to Okedaran, when William Shakespeare started, most people then wrote him off, believing he would not last for five years, but Shakespeare did not only live to be good but even in death is a legend in the world of literature and writing.

One distinctive difference Okediran wants established writers to take into account before they crucify the young ones is the theme they write on. “You don’t except somebody of thirty for example to write in the same theme with someone of fifty. When they were writing, their themes were in colonialism, independence etc, but now we see totally different themes” Okediran added.

As someone who sees it all at the National Assembly, the guest had to answer questions that border on the politics of removing the House Speaker as well as the rumor making the rounds about president Obasanjo considering putting the job of his deputy on the line. On the Masari must go declaration by the executives, honorable Okediran said the entire House was solidly behind their Speaker, and on the Jacob Zuma treatment of Atiku, Okediran said that for those of them who do not belong to the ruling party, it was a happy thing that the constitution makes it necessary for such a matter to go to the National Assembly where careful deliberations will be done before anything.

At this point, Okediran jumped to the big one. He first outlined how he was searched by a group of people who wanted him to be the next ANA president but he rejected their move on ground of his being busy at the National Assembly. What made him change his mind according to him was the fact that having rose through the ranks of ANA, first as Oyo state chairman, then National Treasurer, before ascending the throne of the National Secretary General, he believes there could be no better candidate as him who possesses the inside knowledge that will move ANA higher.

He also believes that with a strong team beside him, and the support from the National Assembly that will obviously come through him, raising the writer’s union to another level will not be a cumbersome job. With the declaration of ANA Kano Chairman Dr. Yusuf Adamu to go for the position of the Secretary General, it is clear that this year’s convention is not only writing pack but also politik pack. This declaration particularly drew a feeling of belonging from the Kano writers whose only representative at the National level is the present National Financial Secretary in person of Aisha Zakari.

The visiting writer was then hosted by ANA Kano to a mouthwatering dinner where he expressed his satisfaction with the level of preparation for hosting a big event as ANA national convention and promised to do something from his end in Abuja . Before the dinner, announcement of some donations of books by the writer politician was made.

With about sixty days to the ANA national convention, it is already clear who the serious contenders for the coveted positions are, and that Kano ’s hosting may go a long way as the best in the history of association.

GUEST WRITERS (WALE & SHEHU) IN KANO AND THE POLITICS OF ANA

PRESIDENCY

BY MUTTAQA YUSHAU

myushau@yahoo.co.uk

INTRODUCTION:

The announcement by the branch chairman of the

Association of Nigerian Authors, Kano branch Dr Yusuf

M. Adamu to host two guest writers’ in their

reading tour, has been warmly welcomed by the members.

ANA Kano has distinguished itself from other branches

in the state for being the only chapter with bilingual

sections, namely Hausa and English.

On 31st August and 4th October, the Association

hosted two literary luminaries, namely Hon. Wale

Okediran and Dr. Emman Usman Shehu. Most interestingly

the two writers are presently working in political

helm of affairs, the former been a law maker, and the

latter working with the presidency, these shared

peculiarities prompted ANA members to pose many

questions to them. Especially in their bid for ANA

presidency. In view of this, this piece is

prompted to unearth the literary episode that took

place in the ancient city of Kano , and would most

importantly account for the he writers encounter with

their literary siblings, who happens to be in the

corridor of power.

From the on set, Honourable Dr. Wale Okederai,

presently a member of the House of Representatives and

erstwhile secretary of (ANA). Has fascinated many

fellow writers for the simplicity of his persona and

concern for the literary enterprises. in his

presentation, namely, the storm, sigh of desire and

DOG Catcher, he has shown his reaction

to the society

where he lives, that is be faced with multifaceted

problems, which complicated social life ,breeds

inequality, kill hope for the future and battered the

destiny of the common man.

Being among those vying for the National president

of

ANA, He vomits the promises he holds, if his dream is

realized as he lamented “my intention is informed, for

being in ANA for a long time. I new it problems, and I

got a lot of encouragement form like minded

individual in order to resuscitates ANA,

however, He

further noted on the death of reading culture due to

the poor economy in the country.

While receiving questions from the floor members, on

what he has done so far in booming literature, as a

law maker, Honourable Wale notified the general

writers that they have passed a bill, if eventually

assain by the president, a large chunk of money would

be devoted in developing the writing enterprise

Coming to the second guest writer, Dr. Imman Usman

Shehu, Imman Usman Shehu has distinguished himself as

one of the unique

Nigeria literary icons that always

combine his reading with performance which always make

the atmosphere to be full with ovations and happiness.

Imman Shehu deploys some native languages in his

English poems, may be in order to appeal to the

emotion of his listeners in his poems he uses things

like Gatanan gatanan ku, which is a tradition in

Hausa story telling

Just like his literary sibling Dr. Wale Okidera, Dr.

Imman Shehu is equally biding for the National

president of (ANA), and equally upholds many promises

to move ANA to the high pedestal. In view of this, He

made the following remarks:

“Any society that did not recognize the relevance of

writing, such a society is deemed to lose its identity

and its own culture.

Emman Shehu urge Nigerian writers to be embarking on

reading tours, because it is a way of interacting with

other writers, across boundary and cultures so as to

appraise their literary skills.

Meanwhile, Emman Shehu responds to many question

especially the politically sensitive one, relating to

his bid for the presidency. He lamented that “joining

ANA presidency with another job is not easy, but only

lies in ones determination, I’m biding for this post

in order reinvigorate ANA because contemporaneously,

one only heard of ANA when there is a National

Convention”.

From the aforementioned, it is suffice to say that,

the development of any literary endeavour, lies in the

ability of great men, with the zeal and enthusiasm to

organize a forum in which various forms of writing,

ranging form poetry, prose, play etc could be read

discussed, and criticize.

Therefore, it will not be out of place to argue that,

the Association of Nigerian Authors Kano state chapter

under the able leadership of Dr. Yusuf Adamu who is

equally biding for the national secretary of ANA, has

been in the fore front .therefore it is imperative for

the writes to have the profile of any contestant

before hand, so as to chose the caliber that can lead

ANA to a promise land.

DAKAR

2009-10-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

By Muttaqa Yushaú (myushau@gmail.com)

When the heart vibrates,
Eager to descend you,
For your urgent call,
As I glimpse at you
Lured by your Paris outlook
Peaceful, calm like mid night,
Dakar reminds me of Africa,
Where route of penury persists,
Is it for its shared history?
Or the colonial fiat,The elite’s mischief
We remain siblings.
Language barrier made us part
The dream to integrate a mirage
Our hearts, far million miles
ECOWAS! CEDEAO!
The challenge is beforehand.

FAREWELL

2009-08-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

(A poem dedicated to JSS3A & SS1 by JSS2A students of Darul Arkam College, Kano, Nigeria )

For the jokes we have shared together,
We laughed, we played, and we fought.
And now you are leaving, farewell we say.

For the time we have spent together,
Chatting, clapping, hugging, and smiling.
And now you are leaving, farewell we say.

We are on intimate terms, our neighbours.
We have shared some secrets together,
And now you are leaving, farewell we say.

For the tears that is coming together,
Going here and there on our cheeks,
For your leaving, farewell we say.

For the stories that we have heard together,
And for the tears of sorrow which filled our
Hearts, for your leaving, farewell we say.

For all the beautiful moments
We have spent together
This poem I dedicated to you
Whole heartedly I say farewell to you
...."Sai wata rana" WE SAY.

ZAINAB ABDULLAHI NASHE (JSS2A)

Binta Salma Mohammed (1969-2009): A tribute

2009-05-17T13:25:00.001-07:00

I don’t know where to start. We lost Malama Binta as she is popularly known by writers Kano. The last time I went to visit her, she was very hopeful that she will recover and me too. Although I was deeply troubled by her condition, I was prayerful that when she recovers, we shall continue with any of our many projects, we have many literary projects, just like those I have with her husband Ibrahim Sheme, he calls them ‘one of those projects’ Although we cannot stop her death, we are saddened by her demise. She was a nice person, a brilliant writer, a generous mother and inspiring teacher. Allah ka jikan Binta Salma Mohammed.
I first met Binta sometimes in 1995 after I joined the services of Bayero University Kano as an Assistant Lecturer. My good friend (then) Adamu Idris Tanko and I were into writing and ANA activities. In our search for fellow writers we stumble upon Binta and from then on we became not only fellows but almost as brothers and sister. We became her brothers, she became our sister. We move together all the time, we eat together, we close work together because then we all live off campus. Tanko has a yellow Toyota Corolla we named ‘old faithful’, he drops her at her home in NNDC quarters and I drop at Gadon Kaya while he drives to Jakara where he lives. We attend her lectures, she attends ours, she attends our seminars we attend theirs. She almost became a Geographer. When we went to the Jos Plateau with her on our annual field course, she walked with us to Pankshin scarpland, Kerang Volcanic Plug, Kurra falls and was greatly inspired and wrote a number of beautiful poems. In fact, it was our influence that decided the title of her first published collection of poems ‘Contours of Life’.
In 1997, when ANA Kano proposed to start its bilingual creative writer’s fora, it was Binta that I turned to for support and advice. While I contacted (then) Dr Saleh Abdu about the possibility of starting Bayero Poetry Society which was suggested by Rajiv Bendre (then director of the British Council, Kano), Binta and I were discussing the possibility of starting a joint forum between ANA Kano and the Department of English and European Languages (then) of the BUK. She was able to convince her department to partner with ANA to submit a proposal to the British Council. Two of us wrote it and sign, she representing their department, I representing ANA, and we became the co-founders and first co-ordinators of the now famous Creative Writer Forum. I can remember vividly how it all began. The first meeting has few of us, Binta, Maigari Ahmed Bichi (then Kano State Deputy Librarian) Tanko and me. We met and read to ourselves what we had. Subsequently we continue to meet on monthly basis, sometimes only three of us, but we still read to each other, after about six months, we were able to attract our friends, students and colleagues and by September 1998, we were a full house. All of us will remember and very much appreciate her contributions to the monthly proceedings.
Binta continued to mentor young poets like Ismail Bala Garba, Aisha Zakari, Zaharadden Kalla Muhammad Kabir Muhammad, Badsha Muktar, Aliyu Abubakar, Umma Aliyu, and a host of others. We attend ANA conventions together and one day while going to Abuja, we branched at Kaduna where we met with Sheme and travelled together to the convention. On the car we started writing a poem which continue to grow as each of us (Tanko, Binta, Malumfashi, Sheme and I) contributed. It was published on New Nigeria’s WriteStuff. It as after that meeting with Sheme a new chemistry was started. We realised that someone is going to rob us. But because he was one of us, when he said to me “I am interested” I said try your luck, he did and he took her hand into matrimony. I can remember that we had a special reading at Royal Tropicana hotel. I compiled the poems and give them a title Contours and Potions combining their two books ‘Contours of Life’ and Sheme’s “Malam’s Potion”‘ Some of the poems are presented below:
‘Contours and Potions’
Edited by Yusuf Adamu

Creative He & She
Yusuf Adamu

Poetically they declared
‘I think I love you’
Like FICTION it seem
To the he & she
Meeting like a SHORT STORY
Making it appear like a PLAY
Stranger than FICTION
It finally became
The creative Sheme
Has taken the Creative Binta
Into a literary voyage
With a social face
A romantic soul
Let’s wait and see
What kind of children that will be
Whether they be just smiling babies
Or wordy babies or both
Muna murna

April 8, 2000 Gandun Albasa

Contours of Life
Adamu Idris Tanko

Contours of life
That’s from the poet’s bride
Yes she caught it right
She caught his
Malam’s portion in good time

Indeed a hopeful beauty
He the gentle kind
I ever know
I pray for a peaceful
Home, a blissful
One for both of you
So many golden seeds
The soil is fertile now
And the season is rainy too
Great you ‘re through
With the downs of life
Now the golden moment begins
8/4/2000 Royal Tropicana Hotel

SALAMATU
Isa Ibrahim

“Love is the fate which draws
Two people together”
So she said in her Contours
And marriage?
“that fate that seals semblance”
So she might say
As her fate brings not
A shame but Sheme
And not a sigh but Salma.
What a well-paired couple!

Literati Knot
Nura Ahmad
(for Sheme & Salma on their wedding day 8th April 2000)

It’s not a meet’s
between egg and stone
Rather between paper and pen
Whither the pen without paper
Paper without pen?
What a literati knot

The Bride on her wedding Day
Isma’ila Bala Garba

Poetry so bold like April Sun
It flashes across the room
A ball of light in the night
Leaving behind a trail of words:
Confetti of poems showers on every head
It patches every face
Like a perpetual smile
Of a bride on her wedding day
It whirls loudly in the room
And we all rise up chanting
Singing
Laughing
Oh, marriage is nothing
But the poetry of the mind
Being read at
A wedding day

Happy Wedlock
Obinna Ezenwanne

Beauty accompanied Brains.
Icon of Knowledge and feminity
Nourishing us-comforted in our gains
Thawing up our icy mentality
An inspiring you are our minds

The D-Day
Aisha Usman Bugaje

I have to be there
I got to be there
Sun and rain will not stop me
Neither do chemistry
The wedding of the millennium
The literary union
I cannot afford to miss

The charting and laughing
The eating and drinking
The congratulations of
Friends and well wishers
I have to be part
Part of the celeberation

8/4/2000.

TWO OF A KIND
John Jekpe

Wedding bells for a duo tolls
Two of a literary kind they are
The malam’s Potion reacts
With the Contours of life

“Richard Burton Weds ‘Liz Taylor”
An “Hassan-Tom” marries “Fatima Usara”
A dramatist takes on a poetess
To plaugh and to plunder?
To date and dirt
Almighty has joined
Woe unto him who undo
Union of literary titans

OUR BINTA
Kabiru Umar Gano

Our fear, our pride
Our jewel in the dust
Our choice

Our poetess
Our love
Our Bint

The sea you light
The heart you light
The throat you clear, are you the tea?

This day forever
Ogbu S. Ode

This day your beauty
Has found a home
This day your joy forever
Is born
This day I wish
You all I want
This day I give nothing
But dry leaves, dead wood
And words
But
This day, these are to me
Mightier than the General’s smite
This day was my first, I ask
To share elegance
This day, this scribbling nightingale
Perched on Sheme
This day, will mean HAPPINESS
For you BINTA and SHEME evermore
As the ALMIGHTY GOD hear us

A LOVE FULFILLED
Jibrin Baba Ndace

Today, Beauty, Intelligence
Nobility, Tolerance, Aura
Melting into a soul
Today a soul is reaching
Out to a soul
Today, a spirit is reaching
Out to a spirit
Today, she is drawn to
Him like a bee to a flower
Today, innocent beauty,
Unique beauty, holy beauty
Is bewitched by a soul
Today, an Oasis in the desert
Is discovered by a thirsting traveller
Today, the beauty spot of the
Jungle is discovered by a
Brave hunter
Today, a healthy palm tree
Is discovered by an acute
Observer
Today, a pleasure dome is
Discovered by a conquering emperor
Today, love is manifestly
Consummated

A NIGHT TO THE WEDDING DAY
(for Binta & Sheme)
by
Aisha Zakari

Fourteen hours to the wedding
It was then I reached a painful decision
That is when I made a final decision
After long duration of prayers and analysis
After hectic hours of long discussion
After painful discussions
Now my thinking is at its zenith
No going back I promise myself
Binta’a wedding is such a marking stone
In her life and in my life
On her part ‘cos its her wedding day
On my part ‘cos I reached certain decision
Decision of what I really want
I stretch my hands for I am taking it
It has been waiting for me for quite sometime
Now I am here to claim it as mine
I thank the lord for showing it to me before it is late
I bow down to the Most High for making it mine

BEHIND THE VEIL
IBRAHIM DAUDA ALI

BEYOND PROFANITY
UNSPOKEN REALITY
BEHIND MORTALITY
UNWRITTEN ACTUALITY

CANT EXPLAIN
ALOOF THE MUNDANE
CAN EXPERIENCE
WITHIN THE MUNDANE

BEHIND THE VEIL

BENEATH THE UNVEIL

GOLDREN SCROLLS
GLOWING SOULS

WISDOM NAY NUDE
WHELM TO THE TIMULTITUDE

I am unable to publish this collection until this day, but am glad that I kept it for all this while. During her life time we shared knowledge and creativity and I always respect her as a person because of her humility, open mind, friendship, maturity, modesty, chastity, purity, brilliance, consideration, and humanity.

When ANA Kano members visited her a few days before she left for Cairo, I was introducing some of the members to her and then introduce her to some of them saying ‘kin san wadannan sababbi ne’ she smiled and said to me ´Yaya Yusuf (as she fondly call me) most of the new members do not know me, especially those who write in Hausa’ we joked about her only short story in Hausa which she wrote in 1998, about the death of a head of state, which she said we discouraged her from publishing, saying, it was her only work in Hausa language. We enjoyed visiting her as a group and she was so happy to see us. It was a memorable visit. We prayed for her and present some gift from the Association.

When I received the news of her demise, I was confused and saddened, so was and is everyone who knew her. We posted the news on the writer’s yahoo groups (josana and dandalin marubuta). Instantly members send their condolences, some called me and hundreds emailed and text Ibrahim Sheme, her husband. I produced a selection from josana below;
Salam,May the Almighty lord ease and relief her soul of this world's burden. Shower her with bliss, forgive her and bestow her eternal peace ameen.May her husband, Dr. Sheme, her three children, her family and friends be blessed with the fortitude to bear the loss ameen.When our time comes may we go in peace and be remembered as those members of the society who works hard and be positively productive like her ameen.Aisha Zakari

Yusuf,Pls extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Binta. She was one of those who genuinely love the arts and displayed so much to the best of her abilities. I can’t recall all the great and memorable encounters I have had with her: she remains very fresh and evergreen as an honourable woman.
Remi Raji

Dear Ibrahim, pls accept my condolence. Allah gave and Allah takes. Who are we to question the timing, or even the decision. May the departed receive pardon and the coveted prize of paradise. Amin.
AHMED MAIWADA
I am sincerely sorry to learn of Binta's passing. We were together in a writers' workshop years ago (I believe 1995?), and we never met again. I didn't even know she was married to Sheme, like Binta a distinguished friend I came to know many years later. My heartfelt condolences go to her husband Ibrahim Sheme, their children, and their entire family members. May Allah in His infinite mercy grant her eternal rest.
Obiwu
We have lost a gem, a friend, a mother, a wife, a teacher, a mentor, a poetess, a generous human being and a dear colleague. What we must do is to continue to pray for her and her kids. We hope, Sheme will ensure that all her unpublished works are published and as fellow writers ensure that we keep her memory alive. I will finally close with one of her poems I love very much.

GRANT, GOD

Grant, God
A clear release from pain
From enemy and from those that envy
And destroy while they build success
Over our misfortunes
Grant, too, friendship and love
Grant, God
A release from this anguished cry
From this loneliness and helplessness
From wild winds crying out against us
From life’s stillness and stones without juice
From robbers who strip us of our laughter

Yearning to be a poet

2009-03-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

I yearn to be a poet
Strung on letters to form words
To follow like a stream
Like the poets does
When I read a poem
I marvel in amazement and wonderment
On how letters ride on to words
To give meaning and peace

As you read on all through
Yet could not fathom
How they do it all
Yet yearn to be a poet
So as to capture moments in time
Translate moments in words
For mind and eyes to remember
How do they do it?

Despite the wonderment
I still yearn to be a poet
And one day I shall be a poet.

Zaynab Tukur

ANA Kano Elects New Executives

2009-03-04T08:30:00.001-08:00

The ANA Kano AGM/Elections took place at the Murtala Muhammed Library Kano on Sunday March 1 2009.

The event which was well attended by Kano ANA members, two former ANA Kano Chairmen and Dr Bala Muhammed who is one of the Patrons took off about 12 noon.

After all the reports had been presented, the house agreed that since the current Exco had already exceeded its official term of two years by one year,a Caretaker Committee be put into place for the next one year.
Subsequently, the following members were elected into the Caretaker Committee;

1. Dr Yusuf Adamu....... .. .Chairman
2. Ismail B. Garba ........... Vice Chairman
3. Zaraddeen I Kalla....... ... Secretary
4. Zulkifilu Dakata ........... Asst Secretary
5. Muhammad Lawal Barista..... ..... Fin Secretary
6. Aminu Sadisu Giginyu Treasurer
7. Kabiru Yusuf Anka PRO Hausa
8. Muhammed B Sango PRO English
9. Sa'adatu Baba Ahmed Legal Adviser
10.Rabi Talle Maifata Welfare
11. Malam Lawal Giginyu Auditor 1
12.Auwalu Garba Danbarno Auditor 2
13. Ado Ahmed Gidandabino Ex Officio.
14. Fauziyya D Suleiman Non Official
15. Abdullahi Yaron Malam Non Official
16. Ilyasu Umar Non Official

The new Caretaker Committee which will be in office till March 2010, will be expected to carry out an accredittation of members and set up the machinery for conducting a new election in 2010.
The committee is also expected to bring together all the bickering parties in the Chapter and restore ANA Kano to its past glory.

COMMENTS;
1. Members of the CC should not lose tract of what they are supposed to do. Their duty is to heal all wounds in the Chapter rather than forment new ones.
2. They should remember that they are just Members of the CC and not real Exco and so, should know their limits.
3. They should try and carry everyone along and respect the past Exco.
4. The former Exco should try and cooperate with the committee and give them all the necessary assistance.
5. ANA Kano should be commended for the peaceful manner and maturity with which they were able to resolve their differences.

Maryam Ali Ali, ANA National Financial Secretary.
Representative of the ANA National Exco at the AGM.

BLOODBATH IN JOS

2008-12-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

Your natural landscapes are painted red again
Your cool and fresh weather heated by hatred
Your once open hands of brotherhood amputated
Your loving heart for love mutilated
Only hatred is sprouting from your once green soil
You have massacred women and children
As your leaders shamelessly watch with an approval nod
Their hands are full of blood of the innocents
Oh Jos! Oh Jos!! What befell you?

I heard that you hate settlers
But if I may ask the older settlers of the Plateau
Where were they when the settlers came?
Where were they when they settled?
Where were they when the settled toiled robustly at the mines?
Where were they when they built your so-called capital?
Were indigenes on the hills busy drinking burkutu?

I heard that you are becoming puritanical
I heard that what you want is a purely Christian State
Where no other creed or belief shall flourish
Could you be self sufficient in a nation of multiple faiths?
Can you afford to be isolated by other Nigerians who share other faiths?

The nation is sensing the shadow of puritanical paganism looming
The professed faith is loosing its clasp of your hearts
The love preached by Christ is gradually being battered by hatred

Oh Jos! You cannot go on like this
Those heartless butchers must be brought to book
And the spirit of those murdered shall keep them awake for eternity
Never again! The settlers have spoken!

December 13, 2008
© Yusuf Adamu 2008

THE CARNAGE ON THE PLATEAU

2008-12-06T15:13:00.001-08:00

The Devil walked up and down,
Thinking deeply, reflecting,
On where best to land,
And so he studied the list,
Of possible places and decided at last
In his pestiferous way, to land on the Plateau.

He looked around, along with a band of his fallen angels,
At the cheerful faces of the people,
Walking around with their cherished ambitions
And decided to select among them,
Who best to anoint with his deadly fingers,
He dicided at last, to anoint the people living on the Plateau.

He orchestrated the chaos, and perpetrated it
At its cresendo, men, women and children,
Where all running up and down,
In a frenzied situation, and peace was then
A strange word, in the ears and minds
Of the people living on the Plateau.

People kept scrambling, hiding,
Prisoners they turned themselves, in their houses,
Eyes dazed with horror, some crouched in bushes, and in ditches,
Neck outstretched, they looked and corked
Their ears, only to scrambled at the cry of ''they are coming!''
Pouncing on the people living on the plateau.

And when all was over, after six days from,
That fateful Friday that has no weekend,
The seventh of September it was, a sunny day,
"Perfect" said the devil, in his scurrilous way "Well, almost perfect,"
He observed, as he studied the anguished faces,
And counted the heap up bones of the people living on Plateau.

As far as he is concerned,
It was an odyssey. But it was in fact
A carnage. For he did turned his back,
Along with his fallen angels, and retired to the hills,
Nay, to the dormant volcanoes, happy with himself,
With this wrapped up anguish, death and despair,
He brought as his 'Godly Seasons' Gift to the people living on the Plateau.

Men walked around, and women too,
Picking the broken pieces of their
Once happy, prosperous and peaceful
Heritage. With scowling faces they now
Looked at the once cheerful faces of thier neigbors and friends
The people living on the Plateau.
"Happy survival'' is now the greetings
That replaced the "hello" and ''good morning''
That was only yesterday, the salutations
That graced the lips of the joyous people,
The fun loving, friendly and ever busy people,
The good people living on the Plateau.

It was indeed a sad September
And October, November and December
But who will bring back that lost Amethyst
Called Peace that was snatched away so suddenly
From the people living on the Plateau?

© MARYAM ALI ALI, 2009
(I wrote this poem after the September 2001 Jos massacre, and it was published in the JOSANA anthology Echoes of The Rock. We thought we have seen the end of it, but it appears that the devil was still lurking around)

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

2008-10-11T17:31:00.001-07:00

The unseen but your shape and image
Beyond the creation of the mind
A cause of serious ailment,
Yet cure is no where save in you.

No heart so hardened beyond your
Penetration and no heart so hard to
Destroy you.
The young, the old, the men, but
The women need you most.

Many souls are tempted be them
In sadness or in joy. Let them be
In agony, let them cry or rejuvenate,
No soul can play odd so far you exist.
It’s so ridiculous to make a ‘boohoo’ cry.
A soul at forty behaves the same.

© NURA AHMAD 2008

THE HEARTFUL MINDS

2008-10-11T17:30:00.001-07:00

I have been told by my mind
Truly I need you
Surely I’ll have you
Not only to keep you
But also to love you
Not only to love you
But also respect you
Surely I need you
Truly I love you
It takes two to love

Love is blind
It takes two to ride in tandem
To be happy along together
To love is to hurt
Never to hate
To love is to care
Forgive and forget
To love is to have in
To be ready to give out
We have a good time together – Together we belong!

28/6/’99

© AWWAL B. A. DANGODAYI 2008

PLAYBOY

2008-10-11T17:25:00.001-07:00

Old in every inch
Young at heart
Lydia call you “sweet Daddy”
Maria “uncle Joe”
You dress in fine Safari
You dress velvety dress
You ride your sleek Ferari
A white velvety dress
You ride you sleek ferari
A beautiful ltalian breed
Your scares and strategem
Begin at evening times
A programme
Running almost by the day
“I get them young”
Has become a recurring sentence
In your prayer book .

© ALIYU ABDULLAHI JIBIA 2008

ABUNDANCE

2008-10-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Look upon me with love
I implore you
Caste your imperial eyes on me
With love in abundance

Your sweet laughter is all
I want to hear
Echoes of my hearts desire
Are what your words tell

Wake up with me and give me
The little of Queen of your heart
Bring out from me
The beauty of cupid’s words

Whisper into my searching heart
Tell me you’ll never leave me.

© NANA SHEHU BAYERO 2008

AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT

2008-10-11T17:19:00.001-07:00

The amber, then the red light
Raised their invisible hands
Persuading me to stop, I did

Looking and searching on both sides
I stole a glance
Of that glorious face of hers
By instinct she turned and stole a glance
We exchanged some orphaned smiles
Just then the amber, then the green light
Impatience from behind noise build up

She turned right
I without choice turned left

Who owned that radiant face?
Where was she going from there?
I wonder!
I wonder….

© YUSUF ADAMU 2008

A CRY IN AGONY

2008-10-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

CRY IN AGONY
(For the Corp members that died recently on a motor accident)

After hard moments of seeking admission
the hustles of registration
years of frustrations
long hours of lectures and practical
the mad rush for a seat on the bus
the shanty taxi spaces

the agony of dirty toilets
the strategic 101 formula
the beating of the rain
the heat of the merciless sun
the trial of missing tests and missing results
the tragedy of failure

the hour of glory came
just a second to the launching pad
all these sufferings came to naught
the young graduates were destined by fate
their bus crashed and went ablaze…
..few survivors …all others dead and mutilated
unidentifiable at death
what a tragedy for our nation

what an indictment for the State
‘we will stop night journeys’
is all they said after shading crocodile tears

what about renovating the roads
expanding them and making them safe
God bears witness in the burnt flesh of the victims
Of the corrupt nature of the system

May those who perished be forgiven by God
May they be compensated with His bliss!

© AISHA ZAKARI 2008
September 2003

WHY THIS BLOG?

2008-10-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

This blog is intended to publish literary works by the members of the Association of Nigerian Authors Kano State branch. It is also going to publish news and announcements about what is happening in Kano's literary circles. A Hausa version of this blog is being run by Ado Ahmad Gidan Dabino. I run this for those who write in the English langauge.
Happy reading.