True creative writer preserves culture

Professor Yakubu Nasidi: In fact, I was employed and was due to leave and teach at the University of Virginia, but just about a week before my departure, Prof. Nayaya Mohammed who was then vice chancellor sent people to me that I should not go anywhere and made me the Director of Nigeria Cultural Studies. That was why I stayed back. My families are there up till today. My wife and three of my children are there. So, I would have been part of the brain drain but for some act of destiny I did not go to the United States. I would have gone there. But I don?t really think that it is the best thing. It is very easy to leave this country and go and join in the task of building other peoples? country which you call Nigerians in the Diaspora. That is what you are doing and there is nothing really heroic about it. You go and join in building other peoples? country and then you give yourself an attractive title, Nigerians in the Diaspora. I think that people should stay back here and I am very happy I didn?t go anywhere. Inspite of the problems and the crisis, I am happy I stayed back and this is where every Nigerian belongs. Frankly speaking, I think we should all be here.
I am happy that the National Assembly is doing all that they can to attract these Nigerians back to their country so that we can join heads together in building this country up. When I was in the United States, I had what is called Teaching Assistanceship. I did not apply for it. One day, I just saw my name that I was to work with one Prof. Braithman who w our professor in Comparative Literature. I worked with him for one semester and e kind of questions the white students used to ask me were very funny questions. Then I said "look, I have no business being here" and that was when I made up my mind. I did well, but after one semester, I gave it up myself. But, it is a curious thing for you to be there. People have developed their country and you are there pretending to know more than they know. So, after my PhD, I came back to this country and I am still here.

It would basically mean comparing the literature of two or more nations; or two cultures or two people and that is why you have to be somewhat bilingual or multi lingual. It also means an emphasis on theory which you don?t have in traditional literary studies. In comparative literature, the emphasis is on theory, being rigorous with your category on knowing the multi disciplinary perspectives of the discipline itself. That is the difference. It is more comprehensive and more multi disciplinary than traditional literary studies.

I think there is a basic problem here. Generally, I read some of these pieces. But right now, emphasis have shifted to the newspapers and a lot of critical works are now to be found in the newspapers. It is in the newspapers that you now find short stories and other critical works. I wish that people could write in our native language. That is what I spent a lot of my time in the United States wondering about. That you are writing in someone else?s language and then claiming to be creative. Do you see the paradox there? The true creative writer must help in the preservation of culture and the way to preserve your culture is to write in your language. I was listening to the BBC the other day and the rate at which languages are disappearing the world over is quite alarming. If you look at the world generally, it is becoming mono-cultural and that is what they are calling globalization and I think it is a terrible thing. Read the Quran and the Bible and you will see that God made different people so that we can understand ourselves. The world was not meant to be the same.
Globalization is nothing but the triumph of the West. They are stamping their identity on our culture and the rest of the world and using the term globalization. I think that the true creative writer must help to preserve his people?s culture. By writing in English language and French and calling it African literature doesn?t help. I think that the young people should be brought to an awareness of the dangers of this problem. That is where creativity will start.

Tweet