SYNW National Secretary, Izunna Okafor Wins Best Young Writer of the Year 2019

SYNW NATIONAL SECRETARY, IZUNNA OKAFOR WINS BEST YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR 2019

The National Secretary of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW), Izunna Okafor has added another prestigious feather to his literary status, as he won the 2019 Young Achievers Award as the Best Young Writer of The Year.

This was contained in a press statement issued and signed by the President of the Society, Mr. Wole Adedoyin in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State on Sunday.

The award ceremony which took place at the NAF Headquarters Conference Center, Abuja, and which drew the presence of many dignitaries and other young achievers beating the drum well in their various flanks of endeavours across the country.

Presenting the award to him, the president of the United Youth Leaders for Development Initiative — a non governmental and non profit making organization — popularly known as Global Youth Representatives, Ambassador Okwudili Victor described Izunna as a multi-talented young man who has proved his worth in the field of pen. He disclosed that, though he had not met him in person prior to the day of the award ceremony; he had been following his works and activities online and has also eaten from his pot of knowledge, both as a young novelist, poet, essayist and journalist.

He maintained that the awardee's profile, works and achievements over the years were critically reviewed alongside those of others who were also nominated for the award, after which he was declared the overall best and winner by the juries.

According to him, this was on the ground that Izunna has not only written and published wonderfully in different aspects of writing, both creatively and journalistically; but he perfectly writes both in English and Igbo Languages, which stands him out among he equals.

He further noted that he has also contributed immensely in the promotion of Nigerian Literature in various ways, both through his writing, through coaching of burgeoning writers, as well as hosting and organizing of literary events and festivals, especially the annual Chinua Achebe Literary Festival which he hosts annually in honour of a foremost Nigerian literary Legend — Late Prof. Chinua Achebe — and which he does under the umbrella of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers, which he is the Coordinator in Anambra State.

Responding, Izunna Okafor who is also a Reporter of the National Light Newspaper and lead writer of the Ka Ọ Dị Taa award-winning Igbo Newspaper extolled the organizers of the event for their efforts in discovering, recognizing and rewarding young Nigerians who are beating the drum louder in their various fields, even as he described the award as a call to do more.

Izunna Okafor is an award-winning Young Nigerian Novelist, Poet, Essayist, Journalist, Editor, Translator, Publicist, Igbo Language Activist and an Administrator who hails from Ebenator in Nnewi South L.G.A. of Anambra State Nigeria.

His is the author of 'Ikem's Adventure' published in 2012, during his secondary school; 'The Curse of A Widow' published in 2013; 'The Faithful Children' published in 2014; 'Ajo Enyi (his debut Igbo novel and fourth book published in 2015.

With 'Ajo Enyi', he became the first writer to win the 2015/2016 Nigerian Writers Award as the Indigenous Writer of The Year; the Pita Nwanna Award for Igbo Literature in the 2015 Society of Young Nigerian Writers Award, and also got shortlisted for The 2015 Young Nigerian Writer of The Year

His other books include African Blood (A Short Story), Nzúzù M Egbuo M, (Igbo novel), Educated Illiterate and Teach Me Grammar. He also has numerous articles/essays, poems and short stories to his credit, most of which are published online, nationally and internationally.

He has won and been nominated for a plethora of awards which include:

The Nigerian Writers Award/Indigenous Writer of The Year 2015/2016

Pita Nwana Prize For Igbo Literature, 2015

Nigerian Heritage Icon Award/Best Young Writer of the Year Federal Republic of Nigeria 2016

NYSC Essay Competition 2012

Anambra Campus Award 2017/Campus Writer of The Year 2017

Anambra Exclusive Youth Choice Awars/Youth Writer of The Year 2016

NAPAS Essay Competition 2017

Award of Recognition From Students Union Government, Unizik (2017)

Nigerian Writers Award/Young Writer of The Year 2015/2016

Campus Best Writer/Journalist of The Year 2018

SLAM Hero Youth International Award/Innovative Youth of the Year 2016

Award of Academic Excellence from The National Association of Public Administration Students (2016)

Inspire Award /Outstanding Youth in Academics 2017

NAPAS Academic Icon of The Year 2017

Award of Excellence from The Society of Young Nigerian Writers 2016

Anambra Exclusive Youth Choice Award/Outstanding Youth of the Year 2017

Starlett Entertainment Award/Creative Writer of the Year 2016

Young Author Award, 2018

Creative Crew Africa/ Young Talent of The Year 2018, among others

Best Secretary General of NAPAS (2018)

At the age of 22, Izunna was nominated for The Future Award Africa 2016/African Prize For Education, which is the biggest and most prestigious African Youth Award.

Others awardees at the 2019 Young Achievers Award included the youngest speaker in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Edward Ogundoyin; the youngest Deputy Governor in the country and Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mr. Mahadi Aliyu Gusau; Mrs. Nancy Iloh of African Independent Television (AIT) among 14 others.

SYNW Congratulates Mallam Denja Abdulahi (ANA President) on his 50th Birthday

SYNW CONGRATULATES MALLAM DENJA ABDULAHI (ANA PRESIDENT) ON HIS 50^TH BIRTHDAY

The umbrella body of Young Writers in Nigeria, the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) has congratulated the National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Mallam Denja Abdulahi on his 50^th birthday today, Tuesday, August 27 2019.

In a statement made available to newsmen, issued and signed by the President and Secretary General of SYNW, Wole Adedoyin and Izunna Okafor, described ANA President, Mallam Denja Abdulahi as a selfless and committed leader and wished him a happy birthday.

“We specially congratulate ANA President, Mallam Denja Abdulahi on his 50th birthday. Attaining such milestone is not an easy thing and we thank God for his life and prays that the Almighty Allah will continue to bless him with more wisdom to paddle the canoe of our dear Association (ANA) till the end of his tenure and all his personal affairs.”

The Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) further described Mallam Denja Abdulahi as a unique leader whose enigmatic personality and commitment to the progress and development of ANA must be commended.

While stating that the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has indeed witnessed transformation and development since the beginning of Mallam Denja Abdulahi’s tenure as ANA President in 2015, the Society implored Mallam Denja Abdulahi not to relent in his drive to take ANA to a greater height.

SYNW finally called on all ANA members to continue to support the administration of Mallam Denja Abdulahi which will soon end in November 2019.

Deacon Niran Adebowale exonerates brother, blasts conspirators.

BAYO ADEBOWALE'S BLACKMAILERS: OUR OWN SIDE OF THE STORY (DEACON NIRAN ADEBOWALE)

A lot has been written on Facebook/Twitter, a couple of weeks ago to disparage the person of Dr. Bayo Adebowale, smearing him with the unsavoury allegation of raping five daughters and aborting pregnancies for each one of them on three consecutive occasions. I am Deacon Niran Adebowale, a junior brother to DR. BAYO ADEBOWALE, writing the world now on behalf of the family, to say that this character assassination move is the handiwork of blackmailers and grand conspirators.

My brother, who mentored me from primary to tertiary education level, is a decent, morally upright man; highly focused and disciplined. He has sacrificed a lot to train all of us , inculcating in us probity and uprightness. I am a living witness to how he struggled to bring up all his children. The children are all graduates of tertiary institutions. He loves them all and protects them from harm; never can move near having carnal knowledge of them. Let me unequivocally say here that the great Adebowale Family will not fold its arms and watch this shameless blackmailers go scot free with this. 

I hear that this is how the internet dirty vultures scramble to consume the flesh of innocent people, with the assistance of notorious bloggers and online news media.

We hear that on BAYO ADEBOWALE'S matter they are already in disarray: either retracting their wicked postings, or apologizing, or even fleeing to London, New York and what one of them now calls "Amsterdam on my mind", to avoid the long arms of the law: Sahara Reporters; Linda Ikeji Blog, Femi Gorman, Ekundayo Awe, Mercy Makinwa and the rest members of their cohorts.

I can assure them that law and justice are universal. They will be caught wherever they are hibernating. And what is more, Almighty God, the Omnipresent, the Omniscience and the Omnipotent, is waiting to deal heavy blows on them for this unpardonable sin they have committed against my innocent and peace loving brother, DR. BAYO ADEBOWALE.

Rape allegation: Igwilo defends Bayo Adebowale, calls Sahara Reporters’ Journalists, Monkeys.

RAPE ALLEGATION: IGWILO DEFENDS BAYO ADEBOWALE, CALLS SAHARA REPORTERS’ JOURNALISTS, MONKEYS.

THE GRIEVOUS SIN OF CALUMNY AGAINST ONE OF MY INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL MENTORS

Dr. Bayo Adebowale is a great intellect not properly celebrated in Nigeria. But I celebrate him and his idea that the sound intellect is the moral intellect!

His candor and fatherly advice makes me adore him and respect him immensely!

The faceless devils at Sahara Reporters in their usual penchant to peddle lies and calumny have smeared the personality of Bayo Adebowale and they have steered the honest nest!

Sahara reporters abandoning all ethos of journalism are in the business of appropriating the mores of fake news and we read them and laugh! But to now spread fake news on such a literary figure as Bayo Adebowale is the Devil’s play!
They accused him of having carnal knowledge of all his daughter begetting children from the unions and then aborting the children in a ritualistic orgy!
This accusation is clearly designed to destroy, to calumniate through fake news, the main art of Sahara reporters.

As a person who has known Dr. Bayo Adebowale, I attest that the accusation is sheer STUPIDITY! All of Bayo Adebowale’s Children are well loved by him and they are all married. A person who wishes to know the truth can easily contact these children and ask after their father!
The writer in Bayo Adebowale must be weeping at the irony of it all. The very thing he condemns in his many Novels and poem and journals is what he is calumniated about!
His writings are always about progress! Progress as a moral idea, about transforming self and transforming society through the resuscitation of positive aboriginal culture!
His book African Melody is full of poems about progress, about valor, about morals, about beauty, respects, togetherness, forgiveness, love, children, music, Africa, strength, etc. That book represents his moral rigor and his intellectual candor!
His other books, Lonely Days, The Virgin, Out of his minds, The River Goddess, Perdition, Talent and other writings of short stories and hundreds of poems bear testimony to Bayo Adebowale’s support for human progress especially for moral soundness.
His huge UNESCO recognized Library in Adeyipo village, just outside Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria, stands out as a testimony about the extent of his generosity!
He personally invest his resources to hold this library to offer unbridled African studies to ANYONE who may need serene country atmosphere to study, write and think! His library holds volumes we thought are extinct. He opened that library to help bridge the gap between the city and the village! This library remains a shining light for intellectual discussions and development and the monsters of gossip do not like this?
Who is angry about this and thought that calumny is a way out? These faceless bigots of morality will regret their actions!
We the intellectual children of Bayo Adebowale testify to his moral sense and refuse to be intimidated by wickedness of the faceless!
We invite ALL well-meaning Nigerians and friends from abroad to disregard the wickedness of this accusation and go ahead to continue to celebrate Bayo Adebowale, as usual, as a father of African literature and a Father of many children!

Long Live Bayo Adebowale, Long live African Storytelling and SHAME on the Monkeys at Sahara Reporters as they swallow back their poisoned banana!
By Malachy Igwilo, intellectual Son of Bayo Adebowale

Press statement by Bayo Adebowale's eldest child, Titilayo Olaleye (Mrs)

PRESS STATEMENT BY BAYO ADEBOWALE'S ELDEST CHILD, TITILAYO OLALEYE (MRS)

For the avoidance of any doubt, my name is Titilayo Olaleye (Mrs) (nee Adebowale, the eldest daughter of Assiciate Professor of Literature, Bayo Adebowale.

Yes, I am the eldest daughter of the great man, a wonderful father, a great family man respected and adored by millions of people across the world for his contributions to scholarship, literature and the good of humanity.
Let me also quickly state that I am also a successful wife to MY OWN husband, to whom I am happily married and with whom I happily live with our loving children. 

I need to emphasize these facts because of the blasphemy some people have been saying about my father, Associate Professor Bayo Adebowale. They said one accursed man raped all his daughters. To the greatest surprise of my siblings and other members of the family, the wicked people, who want to incur the wrath of God Almighty, linked this to my own father, especially on social media.
This has terribly saddened us, his children, because the allegation is false, callous and unspeakably debasing. 

Well, on the issue on the internet. I mean the false accusations to the father of all fathers, Our loving Dad, Our adorable Dad, a man of honour and integrity, Our Excellent Dad, Our Precious Dad, My able Dad, This man you are insulting is so dear to me and to all of us his children. Anybody who smears his name and reputation will see the other side of us.

The man you are accusing is my father. I'm his eldest child and therefore qualified to speak on behalf of the other children. In fact, I can confidently say that I am closer to him than any other child. I know my father more than anyone. He confides in me on all he does and he is never a kind of person who will contemplate an unholy and ruinous relationship with his children.

I was busy in the hospital taking care of him when this rumour was being peddled on Facebook, that was why my reply came late. I affirm to the public that we are all happily married. Our lawyers have swung into action on this rape accusation and soups soon get to the likes of Sahara and Femi Gorman and the bastard child they alleged could be involved.

Because they have declared war on our family, this is the beginning of the WAR.