TITLE: Denja Abdullahi: New Perspectives
AUTHOR: Ezekiel Fajenyo
PAGINATION: 700
PUBLISHERS: Orpheus Literary Foundation
REVIEWER: Dr Haruna Penni, FIPA, FIMC, fANA
Perhaps, the dramatis personae himself puts it more succinctly when he described Ezekiel Fajenyo’s review of his works as ‘a compendium of critical annotations of my literary offerings from the first book in 2001 to the latest which came out in 2019, while also examining my critical thoughts and praxis in the arts and culture sector.’
This intellectual incursion into Denja’s literary praxis from Fajenyo’s New Perspectives, could not have come at a more opportune time than now that he is indeed winding and transiting from all his administrative positions into a renewed perspective. He is going back to research; teaching and community service after his cessation from both the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) were he held forth as the Jagaban of the arts for decades and FGN Director of Performing Arts.
This dedicated work by Fajenyo on Denja’s oeuvre therefore gives us a refreshing and dynamic insight into his creative impulse while at the same time celebrating the rich tapestry of his imagination, Truly, poetry as Denja’s first love has the unique ability to capture the creative spirit of the human mind and its condition, while softening his existential dilemma through ideas from within as observed by UNESCO.
Canonising Denja to the literary pantheon, Emeritus Professor Femi Osofisan noted that otherwise, Denja needs no introduction in the world of Nigerian literature, but his fame rested more on his activities within the Association of Nigerian Authors. He then pointed out that because ‘not much has been written before now about the real essence of Denja’s contribution as a creative writer or as a thinker in the field. His status and achievements as a literary craftsman have been somewhat dimmed by his activism and not subjected to sufficient serious critical assessment. That is why we must welcome Ezekiel Fajenyo’s Denja Abdullahi: New Perspectives.’
The work captures all the books written by Denja Abdullahi (excluding the latest love poetry titled Love Songs in a Pandemic during his 55th birthday cum literary soiree held on 24th August 2024 at Adam Pages Bookstore, Abuja. Fajenyo added his presentations as well at conferences, seminars, workshops, in newspapers and magazines and contributions in anthologies. All of them number over 350 interviews, features, literature, arts and culture talks.
Some of the works, Fajenyo covered in his critical analytical reviews includes Mairogo: A Buffoon's Poetic Journey Around Northern Nigeria(2001) Abuja Nunyi: This is Abuja(2008) The Talking Drum(2008), A Thousand Years of Thirst(2011) Hajj Poems(2014) Others are The Road to Bauchi and Other Poems(2019), Death and the King's Grey Hair(2016) Truce with the Devil(2014) and Fringe Benefits(2014).
No doubt, Denja’s ascension despite coming from a state polytechnic teacher tucked in faraway Birnin Kebbi in the 90s attest to his unwavering commitment and profound determination to create a niche in the field of poetry, play, ANA leadership, and NCAC directorate. It is a further testament to the strength of his indomitable soul as he had succeeded in navigating the murky water to conquer all the various man-made and natural challenges placed on his path to stardom.
As it is, we are three of a kind. There is a rather interesting poetic rendezvous between us – the author, protagonist and the reviewer. Fajenyo introduced me to ANA in 1994 during an arts personally programme with the Newsline Newspaper of Niger State, while I registered Denja into FCT ANA in 1998 when he assumed duty in the NCAC Hqrs in Abuja, though his ANA activism started when he founded a chapter of ANA in Birnin-Kebbi in the mid-90s. Fajenyo and I both hailed and domiciled in NRC quarters Minna, while Denja and Fajenyo are both Second Class Upper, English Degree B.A. certificates holders from prestigious Nigerian universities after their secondary school studies in Ilorin.
Denja also happens to have taught in my alma mater - the former Polytechnic of Sokoto State Birnin-Kebbi decades after I finished my higher school studies there. And Fajenyo is my brother in a way as we are both family friends back in Minna, especially now that he is away in Lagos. I feel I’m responsible for his family’s placement. As for Denja, I goaded him in the 2001 ANA National Election Convention in Port Harcourt, into ANA leadership, after B.M. Dzukogi turned down my overture to him saying he was bidding his time, He too is a family friend in Minna.
No doubt, all reviewers of this Denja’s collection unanimously agreed that Fajenyo paid the utmost concentration on Denja’s Magnus Opus from the first book, Mairogo which earned him Honorable mention in the ANA/Cadbury Poetry Prize in the year 2001. This was followed by the play Death and The King's Grey Hair which had been performed in several theatres and universities across the country and was a finalist of the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2018. It is worthy that this writer was the first person to review and publish on Mairogo in the Ibrahim scheme edited literary pages, Writestuff, of the New Nigerian Newspaper of those days
I quite agree that nothing can stop anyone from writing except self-doubt and indiscipline as everyone has an innate creative spark, and creativity is ninety percent perspiration. Fortunately, this is not a quality that is wanting in Ezekiel Babatunde Fajenyo as his only impediment is the pressure of time. It is the fear of that interval that drives Fajenyo to stretch himself day and night to write in very great details on subjects after his heart. No wonder, this literary excursion on Denja Abdullahi flows from his admiration for the dramatis personae’s writings.
Actually, it may not have been easy for both of them as the duo are English literature graduates and authors. I can imagine the efforts and time it took the celebrant to put in his own updates to this work. They were both Institute of Authors (IOA) recipients of the 2022 World Poetry Award for promoting the genre as a means of communication across borders and cultural barriers.
Fajenyo’s work on Denja compliments the 2021 published festschrift in honour of Denja edited by Ezechi Onyerionwu et al titled Of Foot-Soldiers and Hybrid Visions in which this reviewer also featured. The festschrift written by over 65 persons contrast sharply from Fajenyo’s work in the sense that Fajenyo’s single-handedly concentrated and covered all the books published by Denja which traverses periods, genres, locations and characters. These include Denja’s foray into poetry, play writing, festivals curation, speech-making and conference paper presentations as well as fiction which were all written in his 32 years career in Government and NGO services.
Also writing the Foreword, Prof Joe Akawu Ushie of the University of Uyo stated that, Denja Abdullahi: New Perspectives is a welcome addition to the further elucidation of the “mystique of Denja Abdullahi.” This he did by positioning Denja as an accomplished creative person, poet, playwright and as one of the writers that define the third generation of Nigerian writing, which he did due to his overarching and somewhat larger-than-life image as a literary activist. He further lauded the Author’s overriding objective of throwing sustained critical light on the works of authors like Denja Abdullahi towards canonising and establishing their places within the context of a flourishing literary tradition,
Giving a bottom line of Fajenyo’s excursion on Denja’s oeuvre, the eleven chapters are devoted to a close analysis of each of Denja’s texts, unpacking the poetry collections for their thematic exploration and literary style, and examining the plays in the areas of characterisation, technique and mood. Thus, as a result of this magnifying glass approach by Ezekiel Fajenyo, the texts are made simple and accessible to the readers and the writer’s ideological stand and unique literary style are cleaned of all ambiguities.
Ezekiel Fajenyo in the book presents Denja Abdullahi as a model for other members of the third generation of poets and playwright. Even his co-authored, recently released e-novel, Luckdown: Eros, Cupid and Other Things in The Time Of The Coronavirus Pandemic, which has recently transmuted into Lovesongs in a Pandemic is gainsomely experimental and far reaching in the aesthetic marriage of fiction and poetry. It is hoped that more critical attention will be paid to the many significant works being untiringly produced by members of the third generation of writers. Denja Abdullahi has indeed blazed the trail to make all of us very proud.
Displaying his gratefulness Ezekiel Fajenyo acknowledged the full support of the protagonist personae in supporting the project in view of his total loyalty to its fruitful execution as well as his partners such as Paul Liam, Yabagi Abubakar Akota, Sunday Inubiwon, Ezekiel Agbadagri and Benjamin Olugbenga, Professor Samuel Atechi, Patrick Iwelunmoh; and to Mike Ekunno for the editorial work on the manuscript. He also lauded this reviewer for being the first to expose him to Denja’s writings.
He dedicated the work to Professors Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare, 'Lanrele Bamidele, Mabel Evwierhoma and Dr Wale Okediran for the touch of grace. Professors Dapo Adelugba, Samuel Asein, Harry Garuba, Kayode Anifowose, Dr Stella Oyedepo, Chief Wale Ogunyemi, Chief Uche Ezechukwu, Mr and Mrs Ransom Akale, Usman Idris Gwarjiko, Simeon Oguntominiyi, Jide Fashikun, and Sunday Abraham Peters,r Mohammed Kele, Mohammed Sani Yusuf and Abdullahi Ismaila.
In the blurb Prof Osofisan congratulated Ezekiel Fajenyo for this exciting pioneering work, while Prof GMT Emezue of Carnegie Corporations of New York believed that the work captures the ethos of contemporary Nigerian society through the evocative lens of Mallam Denja Abdullahi. As critic Ezekiel Fajenyo rightly observes, the unbridled pathos that underlies most of Denja’s thematic thrusts are foregrounded in the emotive images as well as stylistic maneuvers that he deploys towards the treatment of all his subject matters.
In my assessment in the blurb, I pointed out that the book is also an attempt to deconstruct the works of a former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors, who has been the most celebrated and misunderstood but had at the same time enjoyed a robust regime of literary excellence in the authors’ body, while Dr. Olatunbosun Taofeek, says “ From the creator of one of the best in the third generation of Nigerian writers comes a compendium of aesthetics and literary exigency on Denja Abdullahi’s odyssey spanning across decades.”
Ezekiel Fajenyo is an award-winning, Lagos-based Nigerian poet, novelist, literary critic, journalist, editor, essayist and short story writer. He has, over the years, performed also as a media consultant and public affairs analyst. His published works include novels, textbooks, biographies, critical works, poetry and stories in anthologies. These includes Night of the Godmothers (1990), The Bandaged Candles (1991), The Writings of Abubakar Gimba (1994), Golden Footprints of a Mandarin (Co-authored, 2002), Abubakar Gimba: Perspectives on His Writings and Philosophy (Co-authored, 2008), Rasheed Gbadamosi: The Man and His works (2009), A Critical Study of Dzukogi’s Writings (2010The Writings of May Ifeoma Nwoye: A Critical Literary Analysis (2019)
Dr Haruna Penni, FIPA, FIMC, fANA is the founding father of FCT ANA. He is on 08034299585, [email protected]
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