At this point of his recollection of how ANA Bendel came into being, of how ANA Bendel came into its being-ness, the rememberer cannot but remember Martin Heidegger’s philosophically and poetically thoughtful and truthful words, to wit: “He who thinks greatly must err greatly.” The history and discussion of how ANA Bendel came into its being-ness was or is intended by the raconteur as a guide to some historians in future who will want to attempt what this glimpser who is more than a glimpser has so far done – in organising his thoughts.

Rightly or wrongly, he intends his literary remembrance as a guide to some maps of the recollective terrain – or he assumes that it will illustrate different ways in which thoughts about the specimen of some kind of literary recollection such as his (or such as this) can come into being no matter the tasks employed or applied in the organisation of the realisation.

In doing what he has done – or he is doing – this rememberer who is more than a rememberer has found – or is finding – the brightest path to take his own peculiar bearings and discover his own distinct voice. How greatly right or how greatly wrong is he or can be?

In one of his messages on the ANA Bendel series to me, Professor Sunny Awhefeada, the current Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, Delta State University, Abraka, remarked as follows: “Good Evening, Sir. I just finished reading this and I didn’t want it to endoooo…. Thank you too for being so generous in acknowledging Sunny Awhefeada again and again. The essay will be a significant corpus in Nigeria’s literary history. Thank you Sir.”

Professor Gbemisola Adaoti, a past Dean of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, in his own reaction, noted as indicated hereby: “The very heart and liver of poetry still reside in your pen. Wishing you long life, to savour the joys of memories and remembering.” 

Professor O.O, poet and critic, shall not go unnoticed and unquoted: “Memory in literature is not just any area of research, my Ph.D extends to psychoanalytic studies. This memory study in “ANA Bendel on my mind” displays not only the episodic angles of creating past scenes, it also combines the present called working memory to re-invent your memories from the November 2025 ANA International Conference in Abuja. Memories of these figures: W.S., Tunde Fatunde, Odia Ofeimun, Ogaga Ifowodo, Atabo Okoh, Ada Ugah are on my mind, TA the TA.”

Let us stretch our readers’ patience a little more by quoting three lines an Abuja-based poet, journalist and publisher, Bob Majiri, sent the owner of this remembrance with specific reference to Part 4.” Again Prof., this na poem not prose.

Excellent writing which will need an again reading. The un-tutored will find it a task to navigate.” These respective inventive practitioners are helping this preserver to recreate a lived experience which he is striving or has striven to rescue from his mind’s exile over the years. And his thinking itself is in his style as his style is in his thinking.

striver and rescuer remembers Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), the German poet and philosopher again:
“In thinking all things
become solitary and slow.

Patience nurtures magnanimity.”

Patiently, I magnanimously recollect ANA Bendel’s very first official meeting at Institute of Continuing Education, Benin City in 1987. Mr John Agetua and seventeen other persons, all males, were present. Add the recollective striver and the number would read above eighteen persons. Festus Iyayi was not there.

Tunde Fatunde was not there. Odun Balogun was not there. Was Ogaga Ifowodo there? The rememberer’s memory cannot grasp the answer. Because we were racing against time, some crucial decisions after inaugural formalities were unanimously agreed on.

What were they? Readings/meetings would be forthnighly and on a Saturday at 200pm regularly; officers – Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary to run ANA Bendel up to its inauguration at least were elected (I presided as the Chairman of the meeting and was requested to be the substantive chairman. I politely declined, and I recommended that Odun Balogun, my senior colleague, who was not present at the meeting, be accepted as Chairman in abstentia, and I promised to persuade him to come on board.

In the unlikely event that he declined the chairmanship I would honour the gathering by accepting to lead ANA Bendel. It was also agreed that in the event that Odun Balogun accepted to be the Chairman, I should automatically be his vice (his executive vice chairman as I suggested). John Agetua was Secretary. Odun Balogun agreed to come on board after his skeptical questions provoked inspired responses from me.

Festus Iyayi and Tunde Fatunde were fully in support of the official ANA Bendel. And be it noted that for strategic reasons we did not agree to create other offices, although any member could be co-opted to perform assigned tasks from time to time as we eyed Inauguration Day.

We also unanimously agreed to have patrons/trustees of ANA Bendel, although it was not until our third or so meeting that the following persons – all now late, were named and contacted: a prominent High Court Judge, Justice Rufus Ogbobine of the very popular ANA, Benin NTA “The Assizees” series; Barrister Stephen Giwa-Amu, a popular senior lawyer in Benin, Mr. S.M.O. Aka, a well known secondary school Vice Principal who authored several English Language and Literature books for essentially secondary school certificate examination students, and Mrs. Winifred O.O. Onyeonwu, a Permanent Secretary in the Bendel civil service, who later on owned a high brow bookshop near the main Uniben Ugbowo Campus.

How to fund our meetings, readings and sundry activities was a critical subject, but John Agetua, myself (and later on Odun Balogun) were of the notion that the officers of ANA Bendel would take care of the financial responsibilities of the Association until at least it received the expected nod of the founder of ANA and the national officers.

In agreeing to fund our activities we were merely borrowing a leaf from Festua Iyayi who more or less single-handedly funded the hostings of ANA National at different times when our aforementioned ad hoc ANA Bendel held sway.

Rich memories! Precious memories! Inventive memories! Keep on swimming to my conscious mind in its state of being and beingness!

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.