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Why Prof. Pius Adesanmi Shouldn’t Be In Minna To Attend Governor Babangida's Annual Int’l Literary Colloquium

October 31, 2014

‘A reputation for good judgment, for fair dealing, for truth, and for rectitude, is itself a fortune.’ Henry Ward Beecher

Dear Prof. Pius Adesanmi, for the know, I am presently an undergraduate student at the Federal University of Technology; Minna, Nigeria and yourself a professor at Carleton University; Ottawa, Canada. It’s obvious sir; we do have something in common – learning!

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A recent look at your facebook wall confirmed that you are presently on course to make a seemingly irredeemable mistake of all time, and like you know and it is the academic tradition all over the world, it is my humble duty and responsibility both as student and disciple to call your attention to it,  just like you call mine during our usual intellectual discourse.

What is this all time mistake you’re about to make? – acceptance to attend, grace and even present a paper at the 4th Edition of "Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (MBA) Annual International Literary Colloquium" slated for Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna, the administrative capital of Niger State of Nigeria from 10th–13th November, 2014.

Prof., I shall do for you a favour of laying the facts and figures as I see them and thereafter leave you to decide if cancellation of your flight booking(s) from Canada to Nigeria will be much more rewarding and creditable considering that it might even have been paid for by the Niger State government!

Meanwhile Prof., if you’re to ignore the wisdom in this cautionary missive (which I pray you don’t) and visit Minna by November 2014; you are bound to encounter these absurdities and disasters, First, you will be met by members of a literary cartel; Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and lastly, sycophants of the an agency; Paperback Destruction Agency (PDA).

Did it ever concur to your consciousness that  precisely on December  11th 2012; during 2nd Edition of Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (MBA) Annual National Literary Colloquium, Professor of English Language and Nobel Laureate – Wole Soyinka – was similarly invited down and consequently present time here in Minna to teach us how, where and when national unity coincided with literature; the gangsters above were there present and consequently too opted to ignore the guidance of the Nobel Laureate and acted surprisingly different during this particular class session right in front of the Nobel Laureate – what did they do? – they mischievously siphoned, shamelessly embezzled and illegally alloted N10 Million to themselves under unsuspecting guise of floating a dubious, fake, imaginary and unrealistic writers’ scheme – Nigerian Writers Series (NWS); of course, Prof, this brand should sound just very familiar to your ears considering that it drew plagiaristic roots and unoriginal inspiration from African Writers Series (AWS); a graceful legacy of English Professor and Booker-Prize Winner, Prof. Chinua Achebe. Unfortunately and up until now Prof, I have not been able to tell the Nobel Laureate what I am now telling you because he’s been overly elusive for reasons owing to the nature of his schedules personally, I have been too busy, trying to reduce the number of typical ‘Made-In-Nigeria’ carryover syndromes I have to cope with over here.

‘Count it the greatest sin to prefer mere existence to honor, and for the sake of life to lose the reasons for living.’ -Juvenal 

Prof., kindly endeavor to crosscheck Sunday Trust newspaper  of December 16 2012 for an article captioned: ‘ANA NIGERIA PLC: The Incorporation of Sycophancy’ or simply punch it on the Google home page of your computer and see what I have for you.

As if that’s not enough Prof. The Destructor-General of the Agency (Paperback Destruction Agency (PDA)) that is to host you when you eventually arrive Minna, bagged his appointment for dubious errands ran during Soyinka’s visit and to make matters worse with fraudulent academic qualifications in addition to ensuring that the 10 Million Naira loot is well shared and divided among the baby-gangsters and sycophants available.

Sir, the story became much more fascinating when I dare remind the gangsters in person of the 'Destructor-General' a year after this publication in one  Nigeria’s widely circulated and leading newspapers and also on facebook page ‘Ana Nig. Plc’  that the 10 Million Naira siphoned; embezzled and pilfered from Niger State people through the aforementioned gangsters under guise of floating a dubious; fake and imaginary writers scheme (NWS)  is yet to be utilized and accounted for; Prof., you won’t believe what you will hear now. But it is the truth! The Destructor–General and his agents at the PDA – litigated against the publication with claims averaging about 200 Million Naira.

‘Honour is like a match: you can only use it once.’ -Marcel Pagnol

Without any sentimental reservations, considering that I had detailed this letter in the little way and manner my elemantary intellectual capacity can afford; strongly believes that if you eventually decide (which I pray you don’t) to grace this invitation by attending the event, implications are thus:

That Prof., you might no longer be a delight to Sahara Reporters readers anymore as this intending august meeting portends a grave danger of presenting you as nothing more than a hypocrite & sycophant; in that you will now project a personality and interest appearing to find company and comfort in personalities (DG-PDA) notorious for extension of extraneous aggression on innocent persons and individuals aided through machinations of unsuspecting official subjects and inferiors alongside embezzlement crookedly, of funds originally meant for people and government of Niger State of Nigeria.

Your intending visit (which I am very-well aware is healthy for intellect ) has a fractured, faulty and failed setup because your presence here in Minna would permeate precipitation of huge sums of Niger State’s government funds supposedly budgeted for capital and recurrent projects for Fiscal Year 2014 and diversion under dubious guise of boarding, feeding, lodging, clothing & even walking and talking of (un)invited guests, delegations and contingents – a niche you’ll occupy during period of visit to this needless august event!

That Prof., struggles and hustles of young folks like myself, which yourself, through your writings inspire and influence to do that which is right would be a total waste as your presence would give credence and approval to the looting, pilfering and embezzlement that is characteristically the norm with typical Nigerian public office holders and its international agents/collaborators.

And lastly Prof., I believe so strongly that this graceful rants won’t fall on deaf ears because up till the time of forwarding this letter to you, you by actions and writings refused to be called either or all of these - typical Nigerian ‘Politician’ and/or ‘Political Office Holder’.

Thank you sir, Prof. Pius Adesanmi!

‘Humility is not a peculiar habit of self-effacement, rather like having an inaudible voice, it is a selfless respect for reality and one of the most difficult and central of all the virtues.’ -Iris Murdoch 

Amusa Tajudeen Lasisi is of the Federal University of Technology, Minna and can be reached via Amusa.tajudeen1gmail.com and facebook page ‘ANA Nig Plc’.