ANA National Exco, LOC Meet On 2018 Convention Today

ANA National Exco, LOC Meet On 2018 Convention Today

By Yemi Adebisi- August 26, 2018 

To ensure that writers have a seamless deliberation at the proposed 37th international convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), the national executive led by its president, Mallam Denja Abdullahi will be having an appraisal meeting with members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Lagos today.

Lagos won the hosting right of the annual convention in 2017 at Makurdi, Benue State and writers across the world will converge at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja Lagos from October 26 to 28 to witness the occasion.

Today’s meeting, according to a communiqué signed by the chairman, LOC, Akin Adeoya will focus on general assessment of the activities of the planning committee, inspection of venues and facilities, possibility of reduction of convention fee, review of convention activities among others.

Chairman, Lagos State chapter of ANA, Mr. Yemi Adebiyi has assured writers to expect the best moment from this convention even as LOC members have been holding meetings and paying courtesy visits to philanthropists, government and organisations for months to add veritable values to the programme. 

In his acceptance speech during the inauguration of LOC for the Convention, Adebiyi hinted that it was a privilege for the Centre of Excellence to be given due consideration after being denied before now to host the convention.

To allay the fear of writers who have been reacting against alleged high convention fee, Abdullahi said his team will look into how to reduce the fee as requested during their deliberation.

“We are meeting with ANA Lagos this week and after the meeting we will come out with measures that may answer some of the outcries about the fees proposed for this coming Convention. I assured you that interest of the members and the future of the Association will prevail, backed by economic realities of the time as it affects the individuals and the Association as a body.”

He also urged all financial members to pay their annual dues and other fees related to the convention promptly to allow early and adequate preparation. He assured members that his leadership has delivered hitch- free and successful conventions in Abuja and Makurdi in the last two years and that the Lagos convention will be top of the range.

Abdullahi, who recently emerged as one of the 11 longlisted authors for the NLNG sponsored Nigeria Prize for Literature (NPL) with his book, The King’s Grey Hair, implored members to cooperate with the LOC and the National Executive Council in some of the forward-looking innovations that may be introduced in delivering a mega-convention in the megacity of Lagos.

https://independent.ng/ana-national-exco-loc-meet-on-2018-convention-today/