MAIWADA’S DEBACLE IN THE QUEST FOR ANA THRONE BY BABAYEMI OPEYEMI
For many who must have
read “OPERATION THUNDERBOLT, THE ENTEBE RAID" a successful counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of
the Israel
Defense Forces. I likened the hijack of ANA and
recovery to the same case
Since the rift that broke
out in the Association in November 2019, a lot has transpired which had left
the Association vulnerable to the hands of power hungry usurpers and silent
power brokers, a result that was unpalatable for all well meaning members of
the noble Association.
I recall at Enugu when a
set of those who ordinarily refer to themselves as learned colleagues decided
to rise and rouse the minds of their likes to disturb and disrupt an ongoing
election of the noble Association of Nigerian Authors. Initially, I thought the
group was fighting for a course; I took my time to informally seek the opinions
of few of the agitators who wanted the election disrupted at all cost. I found
out that all was for self contentment, not in the interest of the Association.
I saw as the power lords
silently used the self acclaimed learned men to openly thug-show themselves. In
quest for power, greed for personal gains and cheap popularity, the learned
colleagues sold their pride, barter their integrity and relinquished all sense
of educational maturity to the dictates of the power lords
The results was not
palatable for the beautiful Association that has carried her integrity all
through the country and beyond she weaves her tails and tentacles of pride and
erudition world wide
In March 2020, the
sequence of drama that unfolded among the desperate power usurpers baffled me
as few seven swung to action to hijack and subject our noble Association to a
ridiculous state. Hence, the seven man convention, election and deceptive power
take over from the handlers of the noble Association. These few claimed to have
conducted election and took over power against the public opinion and interests.
I must air my
disappointment at the behaviours of two well respected members of the
Association in the persons of Mallam Maiwada and Tai Akogun, two that are
supposed to be learned fellows, they rather put their knowledge into negative
use. They led a coup that hijacked the Association. In their knowledge of law
and order,they disregarded the rule of law and discountenanced the organs that
works the Association; they brought themselves to an imaginary power table, yet
use their meagre knowledge of the law to turn things upside down.
My untended pain is the
utmost and out show of disrespect that
Maiwada and Akogun Tai melted on the elders of our Association. Elders who have
carried the Association on their shoulders and nursed her to a noble feat, a
time when Akogun and Maiwada certainly were still seeking for a stepping stone
in their quest for good life. Ironically, Maiwada will come to the media and
refer to the likes of Professor Jerry Agada Professor Remi Raji, Dr Wale
Okediran and a host of them as "irrelevant” I was most pained by this
singular act of indecency on the parts of Tai Akogun and his boss Maiwada.
I remember vividly that Tai
Akogun said at Enugu convention that he found himself in the camp of Maiwada
but helpless to help himself. It suffices to say that, the learned Akogun lost
self esteem and sold himself out for cheap popularity and a 2 year position.
Those with good religious knowledge will remember the case of Esau-Jacob and
the porridge saga
Maiwada and cohorts hijacked
the Association and threaten her with lawsuits?
They used the roots and the strongholds of the Association, I see it as
an intention to outrightly uproot and oust the elders of the Association from
any form of relevance. This behaviour brought the question to my mind. “Who then would be the parent of the noble
body. Maiwada? Tai Akogun? or the silent
Lord BMZ?
I am happy to be among the
delegates that attended the Benue Emergency General Meeting, I was happy at the
eventual turn of events. I followed as events unfolded. The threat released by
Maiwada asking all to ignore and discountenance the scheduled meeting as he
believed it won’t hold, because of his contact with the state commissioner of
police. I must at this juncture, I respect the power and reach of Mr Maiwada if
he could actually sit in his northern state and initiated a whole commissioner
of police in Benue State to action. I really acknowledge the power and
influences. But I must be frank here, influence killed influence at Makurdi as Professor
Jerry Agada out shined Maiwada. Power they say pass power.
While the EGM progressed,
Professor Jerry Agada was actually summoned by the commissioner of Police to
hear his version of the matter on ground.In the same vein, police officers were
detailed to barricade the supposed venue of meeting which was not actually
communicated. Unknown to the Maiwada and his cohorts, the resolutions and
election already held a day before the open date.
Ignorantly Maiwada’s press
secretary still released a falsehood, claiming that the EGM was disrupted by
the police and Professor Agada in police detention. But they were most
surprised when they saw the pictures of Professor Agada and the state police
commissioner in a romantic posture. The long and short of it is that the EGM
and election held successfully.
I was most stunned by the
speech of professor Agada who later came in to address the delegates, when he
said. “Let the newly elected executives be magnanimous in victory” meaning there’s
always aroom for any repented prodigal son. The speech of Professor Remi Raji
was mind blowing. It was a time bomb waiting to explode at the right time, and
it did hit the target audience in its full capacity
Following the successful
conduct of the EGM that ushered in a new set of executives to the threat of
Maiwada,Akogun and cohorts, Maiwada has also since released a trending threat
to sue the Association and teach her what lawsuit is. I have also read in a
post where the silent lord BMZ encouraged members to discountenance ANA and
focus on other writers forum. I want to categorically say here that Maiwada’s
threat is likened to the last kicks of a dying horse, aimed at somebody but
targeting nobody.
I hope Maiwada and Tai
Akogun would be able to give answers to these questions
1. Who are the founding
fathers of the ANA led Association?
2. Who are the elders of
their own ANA led Association?
3. Who are their successor
executives that handed over power to them as could be seen at the proper hand
over to Camilus Ukah?
4. After hijacking the
secretariat at Mpape, what ANA documents are they able to operate with?
5. Who and who attended
their said meeting and election, a video,
photo and minutes of meeting will do
6Since Maiwada claims to
be the president of ANA, can he or his treasury give a financial state of the Association.
7Who really are their
members, can they call a convention, who will attend?
These are seven in one
questions meant for the seven man hijackers of our noble Association. I hope they
will be able to pick one by one
The one million questions
is, having lost out in their own battle in front of their father’s house are
they ready to play the penitent? let the prodigal boys return home to father. Indeed,
“there is more joy in heaven over a sinner that repents....”
Now that the Association has found its feet/feats
again, I suggest an immediate swing to action, no delays in the NEC meetings, immediate
plan toward the 2020 convention if there will be any. No more the wasted
breeds.
Babayemi Opeyemi is a registered and card-carrying member of
ANA Kwara
