I WAS DOCKED BECAUSE OF ANA LAND –
DENJA ABDULLAHI
By Yemi Adebisi Last updated Oct 11, 2019
Mpape,
Abuja is one of the largest slum settlements in the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) fondly occupied by artisans from diverse ethnic regions. Noted for its
hilly and rocky topography, its undulating landscape makes the place a revered
section within the city and known to be a settlement with the highest number of
shanties like Ajegunle in Lagos.
The
slum has survived several demolition attempts from successive governments,
series of court cases, with little or no infrastructural development.
However,
with the level of the ongoing projects embarked upon by the Association of
Nigerian Authors (ANA), the umbrella body of Nigerian writers’ fraternity,
Mpape is about to outshine other cities within the FCT. ANA has commenced the
building of an ultramodern Writers’ Village named after the former FCT
minister, Mamman Vatsa.
It
would be recalled that sometimes in 1985, Major General Vatsa, a poet and
nationalist, donated 60.9 hectares of land to ANA for the purpose of building a
befitting Writers’ Village.
Few
weeks after he donated the land, Mamman Vatsa was executed precisely on March
5, 1986, by the General Ibrahim Babangida-led government, following a military
tribunal conviction for treason associated with an abortive coup.
Today,
the said total has diminished to 36.9 hectares, either through confiscation by
higher authorities in government, reallocation, revocation or otherwise, part
of which was taken by Federal Government to build the MOPOL Barrack beside the
proposed Writers’ Village.
Of
the remaining 36.9 hectares, about five hectares have been set aside for
development, which currently houses the ongoing projects.
The
building project actually took off around August 2017 after an MoU was signed
between ANA and KMVL, the developer.
Two
years after, in the midst of allegations, counter allegations and defense to
clear the rumour that rent the air of the world of the literati, a project
media tour led by the National President of ANA, Mallam Denja Abdullahi and
KMVL, took place eventually on Saturday, October 5, 2019.
In
the company of ANA past presidents, some members of Denja Abdullahi executive
committee, representatives of some media houses, some Abuja based writers and
of course, renowned Senator Shehu Sani, the existing structures (under
construction), sighted during the trip, include the 500-seater auditorium; a
conference centre to be named after late Professor Chinua Achebe; 50-room hotel
and residency chalets.
Some
critics however observed that if the project is properly funded as promised by
the developer, and there is no distraction or unnecessary politicking, the
initiative will change the narratives of Nigerian writers.
In
his address, Abdullahi commended the viable gesture of past administrations of
ANA for laying a good foundation, which according to him, has fast-tracked the
projects to date and also helped in the actualisation of other achievements of
his administration.
“On
January 24, 2013, after surviving a long-drawn four-year legal battle over this
same land, with an erstwhile developer (Home Securities Limited), the
Association did a groundbreaking ceremony and a turning of the soil, under the
auspices of the Remi Raji –led ANA and the current developer, KMVL, to signify
our determination to get things going. That was the state of affair until my
Executive Council came on board in November 2015. My Executive Council
implemented the mandate given by the congress of the Association at the 2015
convention to constitute a Land Development Committee. This was done at our
inaugural meeting in January 2016 in Abuja where we also asked the present
developer to present a brief on the prevailing status of developments on the
land. The ANA Land Committee also met later that year with the developer and
initiated a monitoring system to fast track developments on the land. All these
initial activities of the Executive Council and the Land Development Committee
culminated in a foundation-laying ceremony that was held on Friday, May 26,
2017, to announce to the world that the period of actual development on the land
towards realising the dream of Vatsa and that of all Nigerian writers had
come.”
He
therefore requested for the cooperation of government, individuals and
philanthropic agencies to complete the project.
“The
incoming executive after us needs to do a lot of work to see this project to
the end and will need every support and encouragement from the generality of
ANA members. The Association still needs the Federal and the States
governments, corporate institutions, national and international donor agencies,
individuals and groups to join hands with ANA as it builds a place for
literature and culture in Abuja. The period of being romantic about a land
bequeathed to us by a benevolent poet-soldier is long over; we are in an age
where a hard-nosed business option has to be continually taken to fully build
the land and realise the vision behind the giving.”
Reacting
to accusations that some parts of the land were unlawfully acquired or sold by
some big masquerades among writers, Abdullahi said it was an unjust and
unfounded allegation to the best of his knowledge.
“I
was docked because of ANA land when I was Secretary General. This land is
neither in my custody nor in my possession, but the developer. I have no
authority to give a pinch of this land to anybody. To ensure the security of
the property and maintain good administration, I pay the clerk employed on this
land from my salary every month. This ANA land matter since the inception of
its being given in 1985 up till this moment has been a subject of myth-making,
mindless and unfounded accusations, mostly against its minders in the
successive national executive councils over the years.
This wild tale in broad
daylight has been taken to the dizzying height of arrant falsehood in the
devil-may-care political maneuvering of some persons as they battle others in
the build-up to attain power in ANA at the forthcoming elections in the
Association in November 2019. May I reiterate here that the Denja Abdullahi-led
National Executive Council of ANA has kept a verifiable trail of all its
activities on this land since the first day it took office and has executed its
mandate as given by the ANA congress to the best interest of this Association
in this ANA land matter and all other matters.”
In
his response, Professor Osofisan narrated his relationship with Vatsa and how
the dream of donation of the land came through. Commending the effort of the
current administration, he, however, joined issues with Abdullahi on whether or
not some writers benefitted from the land, saying, “writers are their own worst
enemies.”
Okediran,
the chairman of ANA Land Committee said: “I was reluctant to take up the
challenge of the chairmanship of the committee because of the heat. The
committee was the clearinghouse between the writers and the developer.”
Agada
said it was during his tenure as president that ANA won the case from the court
before the land was reinstated.
Amali
said with the structure on ground, writers can beat their chest of possession
of monumental heritage and invite writers from any part of the world. He warned
the current and future leaders of writers not to politicise ANA land because of
posterity.
Aisha
Vatsa, the only surviving child of the slain soldier expressed her appreciation
of the battle the Nigerian writers have been fighting since the demise of her
father, encouraging them not to give up.
“My
father taught me that whatever you do, speak from your heart. Many people would
have thought this is impossible many years ago, but we are standing here today
to witness it.”
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