The Bayelsa State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has elected a new executive, with Dr. Ernest Weridougha emerging as the new Chairman at the association’s Bi-ennial State Convention held on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at the New NLC/TUC Secretariat Complex Conference Hall in Yenagoa.
Dr. Weridougha, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts at the Niger Delta University (NDU), was unanimously elected by delegates at the convention. He is also a published playwright, best known for his dramatic work Dark Arrow. In his acceptance speech, he pledged to reposition the association for broader literary engagement and meaningful partnerships that will enhance the promotion of literature in Bayelsa State.
Chairing the three-man Electoral Committee (ELECOM), Professor Blessing Igwesi—author of the acclaimed novel Victims of Stigmatization—declared the results and charged the new executive to uphold the values of the association. She was joined by two other erudite scholars from NDU, Professor Odingowei Kwokwo and Associate Professor Rudolf Kansese, in conducting the election.
Other newly elected officers include Mrs. Joy Oyobuere Ifidi, a respected broadcast journalist and poet (My Father’s Medicine Bag), who was elected Vice Chairperson; Mr. Tortivie Abasi, a lecturer at the University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT) and prolific writer, emerged as Secretary General; and Mr. Egbo Izibetome, poet and author of Echoes of Sanity and Other Poems, was elected Assistant Secretary General.
Also elected were Mr. Wilberforce Okilo as Financial Secretary; Mrs. Komonibo Etebu, a traditional Izon griot, as Treasurer; and Mr. Yambozibe Egemuze, author of A Snake in the Dark, as Auditor. The roles of Public Relations Officers went to Dr. Potency Owei (Electronic and Print Media) and Mr. Victor Oroyi (New Media), while Barrister Gibson Gbalimore was elected Legal Adviser.
The convention featured a special segment to honour renowned poet and veteran academic, Chief George, popularly known by his pen name “g. ebinyo ogbowei,” who clocked 70 on July 19. In a keynote lecture titled “Power, Politics and Identity in g. ebinyo ogbowei’s Poetry,” Prof. Odingowei Kwokwo analyzed the poet’s works including let the honour run, march boy and other poems, and the wounded river. He described Ogbowei’s literary style as rich in metaphor and rooted in the environmental struggles of the Niger Delta, with strong political undertones.
Members of ANA Bayelsa celebrated Ogbowei’s literary contributions through poetry readings and tributes. Many described him as a father figure, mentor, and trailblazer whose work had earned him multiple shortlistings for the NLNG Prize for Literature and a lasting legacy in the teaching of Niger Delta literature, especially during his tenure as Head of Department of English and Literary Studies at NDU.
The event concluded with the swearing-in of the new executive by ELECOM Chairperson Prof. Igwesi, with support from her colleagues on the committee. The convention was attended by 43 members, including five former Chairmen of ANA Bayelsa: Dr. Laye Julius (2023–2025), Dr. Amatare Mozimo (2023, Acting), High Chief Adolphus Munamuna (2021–2023), Dr. Akpos Adesi (2019–2021), and the celebrant, Chief G. Ebinyo Ogbowei (2006–2008 and 2012–2014).
The event ended on a high note with book exchanges, refreshments, and group photographs. The atmosphere was one of warmth, unity, and renewed passion for literature as the association looks forward to a new chapter under Dr. Weridougha’s leadership.
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