ANA Benue Report - 2016 Yusuf Ali Literary Awareness Campaign

ANA BENUE REPORT ON THE YUSUF ALI LITERARY AWARNESS AND READING CAMPAIGN IN BENUE STATE

 Upon receipt of the 2016 Yusuf Ali grant, ANA Benue immediately commenced advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders, with a view to garnering support and securing more funds to carry out the 2016 literary awareness and reading campaign, as charged by ANA President, Denja Abdullahi, during the annual chairmen and secretaries meeting in Illorin. One of such visits include a courtesy call on the governor of Benue state, Dr Samuel Ortom and another, on the commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Professor Dennis Ityavyar. ANA Benue also paid similar courtesy calls on the director generals of NTA Network Centre, Makurdi, Mr Terkimbir Mayam; Harvest FM, Makurdi, Mr Akange Nyagba; and Radio Benue, Mrs Espi Ushe Uba, among others. All stakeholders visited by ANA Benue decried the poor reading culture among the youths in the country and lauded the reading campaign project of the association, saying it is a timely intervention, while also pledging support for the success of the campaign. ANA Benue especially enjoyed enormous support—financial and otherwise—from the Benue state government, without which the success recorded during the campaign would have been impossible.

With the theme Towards Building a Nation of Readers: The Task Before the Benue Writer, ANA Benue flagged off its campaign on the 4^th of August, 2016, at the Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies (ATCAPS). The choice of ATCAPS as the venue of the flag off of the campaign was to honour the immediate passed Tor Tiv (IV), Alfred Akawe Torkula, who has the institution named after him and was a prolific writer while alive. The campaign was flagged off under the chairmanship of Mrs Ngunan Adingi, member representing Buruku State constituency at the Benue state house of assembly Makurdi. Other dignitaries at the event included: Dr Samuel Ortom, represented by Bem Meladu Esq, acting secretary to the state government, as distinguished quest of honour; Denja Abdullahi, ANA President, as special guest of honour; Chief Sule Abenga as royal father of the day; Professor David Ker, paper presenter; Dr Tyotom Keghku, rector, ATCAPS, and Charles Iornumbe, ANA Benue Chairman, as chief hosts, among others. The award winning Benue theatre troupe entertained at the event, while readings were taken from members of ANA Benue and students of ATCAPS and a paper was presented by Professor David Ker, former vice chancellor of Benue State University. Later that same day, another reading was held at the residence of Professor David Ker. Those present at the reading included: Professor David Ker, Professor Jerry Agada, Dr Maria Ajima, Mrs Edebi Adoga, Denja Abdullahi, Charles Iornumbe, Maik Ortserga, Sueddie Agema, Regina Nege, Debbie Iorliam, Hope Enyi, Paul Ugah, Ene Odaba, Aondosoo Labe, Pever Aondofa, McConnel Mishin, to mention only a few.

After the flag off on the 4^th of August, in Makurdi, ANA Benue took the campaign to other parts of the state. Each of the three geo-political zones of the state were visited. On the 9^th of August, ANA Benue campaign team was at College of Education, Lessel, in zone A, with well over three two hundred students in attendance. College of Education Oju in Zone C followed on the 17^th of August, with at least eight hundred students in attendance. It was the turn of zone B when Gboko College of Education received the campaign team on the 22^nd of August. At least four hundred students were in attendance. Two days later, 24^th of August, ANA Benue campaign team returned to Zone A for the closing ceremony of the campaign. This time, the team was received at College of Education Kastina-Ala, where the George Akume hall was filled to capacity with well over one thousand two hundred students. At each of the schools visited, papers relevant to the theme of the campaign were presented, while members of ANA Benue and students of every institution visited presented their works after an interactive session. Also, a book club was inaugurated in each institution visited and books were donated to them.

Besides the reading campaign, ANA Benue embarked on a state-wide short story writing competition. Entries were received via email from students of institutions of higher learning across the state, for a period of one month—from 1^st to 30^th August 2016.  The panel of judges which included, Regina Nege, Maik Ortserga, Sueddie Vershima Agema and Pever Aondofa, released a shortlist of four stories. The shortlisted stories included: Howling in the Hostel by Shalom David; Reality of a Dream by Bem Dooga; A Days Gloom by Ene Odaba; and When Frank Ajoko Becomes an Adult by Msonter Anzaa.

On the 17^th of August 2016, Msonter Anzaa was declared winner of the short story writing competition. According to a statement received by the judges, Msonter’s story, When Frank Ajoko Becomes an Adult, “is simple, unadorned, yet entertaining and skilfully rendered”. Msonter has since received the prize money of # 20,000, while consolation prizes have also been presented to Ene Odaba and Bem Dooga, first and second runner ups, respectively.

In a closing remark at the closing ceremony of the 2016 ANA Benue/Yusuf Ali Literary Awareness and Reading Campaign in Kastina-Ala, the state chairman of ANA Benue, Charles Iornumbe, noted with satisfaction, how the literary awareness and reading campaign has impacted on the youths in Benue state positively and called for sustenance of the programme, whiling thanking Yusuf Ali Esq, for his magnanimity, and Dr Samuel Ortom, Professor Dennis Ityavyar, Denja Abdullahi and several others who have in one way or the other contributed to the success of the 2016 ANA Benue/Yusuf Ali Literary awareness campaign.