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On Thursday, March 2010, the city of Abuja played
host to a special reading in memory of poet and art patron, the late Major
General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, former Administrator of the Federal Capital
Territory. The fiery soldier was implicated in an abortive military coup and
executed in March 5, 1986 by Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s military regime.

The reading was
organised by the Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors. Chair of
ANA Abuja, Seyi Adigun, explained that the celebration of Vatsa was borne out
of the need to ensure that those who have contributed to the development of
literature are never forgotten. Adigun added that Mamman Vatsa means a lot to
ANA Abuja and so, the need to have the special reading for him. “Mamman
Jiya Vatsa is the Patron Poet of ANA Abuja,” he declared.

Readings were
taken from some of the soldier-poet’s books. The event also featured a rich
discussion on the man, his visions, achievements and most importantly his
writings and contribution to literature and arts in Nigeria.

Vatsa, the
Soldier

Born on December
3, 1944, Mamman Vatsa enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 1962 and was
commissioned on February 9, 1964, at the age of 20. He attended various local
and overseas infantry and staff courses which embraced not only policy and
strategic studies, intelligence and security, but also equitation and physical
training and education.

He served as
instructor in the Nigerian Military School (NMS) and the Nigerian Defence
Academy (NDA) for several years; and was involved in Nigerian internal security
operations from 1965 to 1968, and during the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to
1970.

Vatsa served as
Commander of many infantry brigades, as commandant of the Nigerian Army School
of Infantry (NASI), the country’s premier military training institution, and as
the Quartermaster General of the Nigerian Army. It was in his position as the
Governor (Military Administrator) of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a
member of the Federal Executive Council, that he was implicated in a coup plot,
found guilty and executed.

Vatsa, the
Writer

There is a
diversity of opinion about the quality of Vatsa’s writing, but there is little
doubt he was a prolific one. He wrote many children books in English, Hausa and
Nupe. His books were used in primary schools all over the country. In 1974, he
won the first Prize in Poetry at the then North-Central State of Nigerian
Festival of the Arts; and in 1984, was awarded a gold medal by the Union of
Bulgarian Writers for his contribution to world literature.

Some of his
titles include: ‘Poems of Abuja’ and ‘Reach for the Skies’, two collections of
poems on and about the then budding city of Abuja. The building, the movement,
the beauties and attractions of Abuja were presented in what has become known
as the poetics of Vatsa. There is an unmissable show of patriotism that is
displayed in almost all of his poems. His other publications, numbering over 16
include: ‘Arise, Arise, My Country’ (a collection of poems on Nigeria, its
national symbols and people, as well as the War Against Indiscipline drive of
the Buhari/Idiagbon regime); ‘Back Again at Watergate’, ‘Nupe Children Rhymes’,
‘The Bird that Sings for Rain’ (a poetry collection for children); and ‘Tori
for don get K-leg’, one of his collections in Pidgin English.

Vatsa’s poems
appeared in many national and international journals and magazines; and his
plays have been broadcast over the Voice of Nigeria (VON) networks and the
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Apart from his
military exploits and writing, Vatsa served as a member of three Nigerian
University Councils, and as Chairman of the Army Museum Committee.

Vatsa, the
Art Patron

Aside from his
literary endeavours and successful military career, which culminated in his
receiving the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 1979,
another reason Vatsa remains a cult hero, and especially among writers and
artistes, is his love and support for the art. As recounted by the likes of Dr.
Eddie Iroh, Odia Ofeimun, and Ben Tomoloju at the reading, the late Vatsa’s
support for the arts was unmatchable. Denja Abdullahi recalled that, “As
far back as around the early 1980s, Vatsa made writers have good sense of
belonging. He treated writers like kings by going as far as conveying writers
across the nation in a private jet to and from convention venues. The 1985
convention in Abuja was in itself a memorable one for Nigerian writers who
attended it. Like a fellow writer, he threw his door open to writers across the
nation. Eating, dining and frolicking freely with writers. No military officer
or civilian head of government, for that matter has been that close to writers
[since]. They avoid us like lepers. They make promises and pledges to writers’
bodies that they never fulfil.”

Unarguably,
ANA’s one and only asset today is the 56 acres of land at Mpape, a suburb of
the Federal Capital in Abuja. Currently valued at about ₦4billion, the land was
a gift from the gallantry soldier to Nigerian Authors when he hosted the 1985
convention in Abuja. But for his untimely death, the massive piece of land
would have been developed into a state-of-the art writers’ village, as promised
by Vatsa. The land was only recently returned to the association (it had been
initially revoked for having not been developed for over 20 years) by a former
Minister of the FCT, Aliyu Modibbo Umar.

Today, several
military officers are writers, perhaps thanks to the inspiration of Mamman
Vatsa, who challenged military officers then to document their field
experiences through writing. He was reported to have sponsored the publication
of books by military writers, in addition to the publication of two anthologies
of poems by officers of the Nigerian Army, which he edited. One of such is
Colonel J.I.P. Ubah, author of ‘Song of Lokoja’.

Immortalising
Vatsa

Mamman Vatsa may
be long gone, but his meritorious service to the nation as a military officer,
love and support for the arts has given him victory over death, as he is today
held in high esteem. “We are not interested in the politics of his death.
The truth is that a coup is the very uncertain politics of military
governments. He may not have committed this offence in the first place. And
even if he [did], what matters to us is his contribution to humanity. And for
that, we shall forever honour him. May those who killed him not die
again,” said Abubakar Abdullahi, a writer and senior public relations
officer with the National Library of Nigeria.

For Kabura
Zakama, poet and aid worker, Mamman Vatsa deserved much more honour than
currently accorded him. “If he has done as much as I am hearing now. If we
appreciate his gesture in giving writers an asset worth N4billion, today; if
this man has encouraged the arts this much, then he deserves more… [ANA]
should show its appreciation to this great man in a more elaborate function, to
be held either as a posthumous birthday celebration or anniversary of his
death. I don’t care how, but we must celebrate this man.” Zakama,
popularly called ‘the Fulani poet’, also pleaded that the association contact
Vatsa’s family, and or, the publishers, to re-issue some of his poems and make
them available to the reading public.

Thus, it was
agreed that an elaborate event be organised in honour of the soldier-poet. In
view of these, the National Secretary of ANA, Hyacinth Obunseh revealed that
the association is putting plans together to hold an International Colloquium
in honour of Mamman Vatsa and Ken Saro Wiwa, next year.