Accra, July 4, GNA- The Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) has honoured President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his contributions and support towards the development of the Association.
It also honoured Nigeria’s President, Muhammed Buhari and Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo for their support for the Association.
The Awards, which were in recognition of Ghana’s support for PAWA since it was founded 30 years ago, were received on behalf of President Akufo-Addo by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr John Agbeko.
They were awarded at the 2022 General Assembly, a statement issued and jointly signed by Mr John Rusimbi, President and Dr Wale Okediran, Secretary General of the Association, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said The conference, held on June 24, 2022, under the theme — “LITERATURE SINCE MAKERERE 1962: The African Writers’ Pan African Agenda for Peace, Security and Cultural Development,” was in collaboration with the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) and the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), it said.
The statement added that it was attended by National Writers Organizations from Liberia, Togo, Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Zambia, Niger, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Gabon, Cameroun, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Chad, Benin, Guinea, Burundi and Mali.
It said apologies were received from National Writers Organizations from Somaliland, Djibouti, South Africa, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Angola, Tunisia and Lesotho.
Other awardees at the event were Mr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, three Nigerian State Governors, the CEOs of Ford Foundation and MTN Nigeria among other dignitaries.
The Association also conferred the Esteemed Patron of the Arts Award on literary giants, including the pioneer PAWA Secretary General, Professor Atukwei Okai, with a posthumous award for Professor Femi Osofisan, Professor Dan Izevbaye, Mr John Rusimbi, Professor Egara Kabaji, Professor Anate Koumealo, Dr Lance Nawa, among others.
Receiving the award on behalf of the President, Mr Agbeko expressed Government’s happiness at PAWA’s success story in its 30 years of existence, adding that the government would continue to support the Association.
Meanwhile, in a communique released at the end of the General Assembly, PAWA reiterated its commitment to the Association’s ideas and principles, including the defense of freedom of expression for all Africans and the material and spiritual interests of African writers and their Associations; promotion of literacy and the eradication of illiteracy in Africa and the encouragement of the inclusion of African literary works in the curriculum of educational institutions.
The rest are; promotion of African languages and the translation of African literature into African languages; the promotion of research into recording and retrieving of lost or undiscovered African heritage whether on the Continent, in the Diaspora or in museums and libraries of the world; the promotion of peace and understanding in Africa and the world through literature and inclusion of literary activities for young writers in all PAWA’s activities.
The Association also called on the various African Governments to urgently fulfil their financial obligations to PAWA in order to enable the Association to fully actualise its mandate as laid down by its founding fathers.
In line with PAWA’s constitution, the General Assembly elected the following Writers into its Council to steer the affairs of the Association for the next three years.
These are: Mr John Rusimbi, President; Dr Wale Okediran, Secretary General; Mr Elfatih Hamadto, Vice President (North Africa) and Madam Imela Oyono Anyigono, Vice President (Central Africa).
Others are: Prof Koumealo Anate, Vice President (West Africa); Prof Egara Kabaji, Vice President (East Africa) and Ms Monica Mpambawashie, Vice President (Southern Africa).
