Celebrating him @70, goes beyond the celebration a former National president of ANA whose tenure successfully repositioned the Association for good. As the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA), he has practically made the once docile Association known to more Nigerians and Africans at large. It is a celebration of a personality with a unique capacity of identifying and tagging causes for the ultimate purpose of promoting literature
THE opportunity of joining the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Abuja branch has largely brought me one on one with top writers for which I am forever grateful to God Almighty and the irrepressible Dr. Wale Okediran who has been a silent follower of all I do and for being a worthy guide.
Celebrating him @70, goes beyond the celebration a former National president of ANA whose tenure successfully repositioned the Association for good and as the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA), he has practically made the once docile Association known to more Nigerians and Africans at large. It is a celebration of a personality with a unique capacity of identifying and tagging causes for the ultimate purpose of promoting literature. In this regard, he has organised countless number of literary events and would sacrifice his time and resources to attend literary events in support of different literary initiatives.
In his humility, while I was the Chairman, ANA Abuja, he and his dear wife joined the ANA Abuja bus to and fro Uyo, host of the 2012 ANA Convention, that remains my best ever attended convention. Hosted by a member of ANA Abuja Barr. Ofonmbuk Akpabio to a dinner, Dr. Okediran presented his book – Tenants of the House to her.
In 2016 Dr. Okediran was special guest at the maiden edition of PIN Poets Residency program organised in partnership with Virgin Rose Hotels & Resorts in Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a memorable experience for the Poets in Residence, members of the audience and the PIN brand. For the record, his Ebedi International Writers Residency was an inspiration for the PIN Poets Residency program.
As a die in wool lover of literature and its promotion, his friends are most likely going to find him at literary events, either organised by him or attended. I remember him hosting ANA members at his residence in Abuja. Luckily, we met again at the ANA Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village, Mpape, Abuja in 2019.
In 2021, we met at the International Book Fair in Lagos and the June 2022 PAWA-ANA-NAL Conference which was held in University of Ibadan, Ibadan offered me another opportunity to meet with him.
When I became the President of my Rotary club, he reached out to me to discuss a very important initiative which is in the works. Upon having the privilege of attending a Rotary International event in Accra Ghana last year, I notified him in advance and he braved the odds to honour me with his visit and gifted me books. But for the love he has for me, he wouldn’t have been following up on all I do since 2012. Against the above background , I wholeheartedly salute our own Dr. Wale Okediran, a medical doctor and former member of our nation’s house of representatives who has become popularly known for his writings.
As someone with passion for celebrating others, he deserves to be fully celebrated and given his flowers as I hear these days. However, “na either pounded yam and ogbolo soup or Amala and Abula na im I sabi”
Happy birthday to Dr. Wale Okediran, a practical inspirer of creative and literary endeavours. Wishing him good health and more years of impactful living.
Eriata Oribhabor
President, Poets in Nigeria Initiative
Lagos, Nigeria
