EKSU Don Harps on Politics of COVID-19 … AS Ekiti ANA Elects New Leaders

 

A senior lecturer at the Department of English and Literatury Studies of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Dr Lara Owoeye, has exposed the politics surrounding the novel Coronal virus pandemic both locally and internationally. 

Dr Owoeye made this revelation as the Guest Writer at the August Edition of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in Ado Ekiti in a lecture titled: “Literature and Covid-19; The Way Forward in Nigeria”

The former head of department explored the various dimesions to the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic, particularly the reality and politics of the pandemic.

According to her, “Our major concern in literature is society. So, Covid-19 as a feature of our society is of course an issue to be discussed in Literature. The reality of Covid-19 is already here and there is also another dimension, which is the politics of Covid-19.

“The reality is that it is real. While the politics of it is about its widespread as is being portrayed. We have heard so many stories about the politics of the pandemic, such as people getting paid to declare themselves positive, that China created it and others,” she said.

“It has also led to what one would describe as the new normal. It has really come to be part of us. HIV was once a pandemic like Covid-19 before it now became part of us. Now it is Covid-19 that has come and it will also be part of us.” 

Dr. Owoeye observed that, “There is this narrative about Covid-19 being an offshoot of the launching of 5G but it has been quickly denied, but we later noticed that our own spread of Covid-19 in Africa is far, far different from the one in the European nations.

“The pandemic appears like one that has come to effect poor education system in Nigeria, while other developed nations are using online opportunities to continue teaching and learning, everything has become comatose today in Nigeria.”

She stated further that, “There have been works of literature on the impact of Covid-19 on the family life, Covid-19 and culture, Covid-19 and rural/urban life. For the rural community it is as if Covid-19 is a mirage to them because it is not common to them.’ 

”Family life and Covid-19 which is about the fact that most of us were forced to live with our families during the Covid-19 lockdown. This is a very rich area for research. Covid-19 and business is another area of research for writing. It is a very rich field now for research and writing generally. Covid-19 and culture is also a very rich area of research and writing”, Dr. Owoeye concluded.

After the lecture, the Association elected Dr. Sola Balogun, a Lecturer with the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), as its new state chairman.

Dr. Balogun, a former Arts Editor with the Daily Sun newspapers, and ex-National President, Arts and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria (ACWAN), emerged the new state chairman of ANA Ekiti after a keenly contested election between him and Dr. Gbenga Daramola of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti. 

Dr. Balogun had served as Secretary of ANA for three years in the state before succeeding the association’s immediate past chairman and current National General Secretary, Akogun Tai Oguntayo.

The election also saw the emergence of Dr. Gbenga Daramola as Vice Chairnan, Mr Gani Salau as State Secretary and Comrade Demola Atobaba who emerged the Financial Secretary, while Miss Eniola Akinola won the position of Assistant Financial Secretary. 

Other officers include Mr Adeolu Ajobiewe (Treasurer), Femi Oguntayo (Assistant General Secretary), Dr Olaide Nasir (PRO), Miss Toyin Bade-Afuye (Welfare Officer), Mrs Elizabeth Balogun,  (Assistant Welfare Officer), Mr Femi Adeosun (Assistant PRO) Miss Tolu Afolabi (Assistant Treasurer) and Mr. Sunkanmi Adesitan (Auditor).

The new executives of Ekiti ANA now being led by Dr. Balogun were inuaguarated during the 2020 emergency congress meeting and ANA monthly reading held on August 25 at the state council secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State council.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Balogun commended his predecessor who also doubled as the Special Adviser to the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Akogun Tai Oguntayo for laying a good foundation for the association thrive in Ekiti. 

He pledged his team readiness of an all inclusive administration and open door policy, urging all members in the state to support his administration.