PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News Across The Region
Related Articles
The chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA), Mr. Uzo Nwamara has decried what he termed neglect of the writers in the state by governments and corporate bodies.
He made this known during the 2018 ANA Inter-Secondary Schools Poetry Competition/World Poetry Day held at the Port Harcourt Book Centre.
Nwamara who was piqued by the attitude of the state government and other corporate bodies towards writers stated that the North was gradually taking over creative writing in the country through a massive support by the government, adding that “tomorrow when we are left behind, we cry of marginalization”
He said, “Niger and other states in the North have Teen Authorship Centres, but we have none here. And attempts to establish one are frustrated by lack of funding and cooperation by school that refused to host the pilot centre”.
Nwamara equally picked holes with the lack of synergy by his Association and the Government of Rivers State wondering why during the last year’s Golden Jubilee celebrations other groups were involved except the ANA. “Is it not strange that Rivers State celebrated her Golden Jubilee without any input from writers? Was ANA in any of the committees,”he asked, regretting that even Bayelsa State invited ANA for their programmes but Rivers State has not deemed it fit to do that.
“Bayelsa State Government invites us when they have programmes but our own state neglects us. Corporate institutions here only use us to boost their image but never supported our own projects or events. Art is supported in every society be it ancient or modern,” he said.
According to him, if the trend continues, it would portend a grave danger “as the legacies of Elechi Amadi, Gabriel Okara, Ken Saro-Wiwa” among others who he maintained “put Rivers on the cultural World Map are under serious treat.
As according to him, “writers are also part of this state and must be supported like other groups. We aim at re-channeling the abundant and budding energies of the youths into creative and socially beneficial uses” he stated.
He then stressed that government and corporate bodies should be up to their billings and ensure they take up their responsibilities. “Government and corporate bodies in the state must wake up to their responsibilities or reap the destructive dividends of their neglect in high socio-economic costs for not supporting creative writing and authors” he concluded.
