Thursday, December 31, 2015

USA Africa Dialogue Series - Memo to the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA): Further on the issue of the $1 million budget to the Pan African Writers Association

 
Dear Rem Raj and Denja Abdullahi, greetings!
I am doing some research on Nigeria's 2016 Budget which includes this curious item:
"PAYMENT OF COUNTRY CONTRIBUTIONS TO PAN - AFRICAN WRITERS ASSOCIATION (PAWA) 208,000,000"
That is an annual contribution of approximately $1 million for a relatively unknown writers' association. It seems steep. I have been asking upandan why the Federal government footing the bill. The federal government has refused to respond to my inquiries. Past President Wale Okediran was kind enough to provide a respond thusly:
"PAWA is actually the creation of the African Union (former OAU) to which Nigeria is a signatory. Each country member is expected to pay an annual due. From my investigation, Nigeria has not paid any contribution since the inception of PAWA in 1989. The N208m in the 2016 budget is therefore to clear the backlog of unpaid contribution by Nigeria and not an annual contribution."
The problem is that PAWA is NOT a creation of the OAU. The PAWA website makes it very clear that it is not a creation of the OAU, but got support from the OAU and UNESCO. There is no legal requirement by Nigeria to pay this body any thing. I would hope that lawyers vet these line items.
I asked Dr. Okediran more questions thusly:
Why would Nigeria pay a backlog? For what purpose, I wonder? Don't you think this is a lot of money given our circumstances? What is the benefit of us being in this organization? Do you know how many countries are members of PAWA? What is the annual contribution? What do we get in return? Do you happen to have a list of the officers and contact email?
In response he gave me the address of PAWA's Secretary General, Prof Atukwei Okai who may be reached at PAWAHouse@gmail.com. I wrote to him requesting clarification/pporting documents that show that Nigeria is legally obligated to pay these dues. I am yet to hear from him. I have written to Shehu Garba, Femi Adesina, Laolu Akande and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce. I am yet to hear from anyone. I also shared information on Nigeria's literary listservs and no one said anything.
This is where I need your help; in 2015, ANA President Remi Raji's score-card 2011-2015 stated the following as wins:
• On May 4, 2015, ANA endorsed the film adaptation of Wale Okediran's novel, Tenants of the House, stating that the project will "contribute to the enhancement of the nation's cultural and tourist potentials".
• Represented by its Vice President, Alhaji Denja Abdullahi, ANA formally renewed its cooperative ties with PAWA, the Pan African Writers Association, based in Accra.
• ANA secured a grant of 40,000 USD from PAWA. PAWA released the grant in recognition of ANA's commitment to the growth of literature in the country.
What is ANA's position/views on this issue? Given that the NLNG prize was not awarded this year, and there is a shortage of funding for literary activities in Nigeria, is this a good use of our resources? Why the seeming silence on this matter by Nigeria's literary establishment?
Again I ask these questions: Why would Nigeria pay a backlog? For what purpose, I wonder? Don't you think this is a lot of money given our circumstances? What is the benefit of us being in this organization? Do you know how many countries are members of PAWA? What is the annual contribution? What do we get in return? Do you happen to have a list of the officers and contact email?
I await your responses.

Doxology.

- Ikhide
 
Stalk my blog at http://www.xokigbo.com/
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