Assin Godstime is a man of many parts: an inventor, a writer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PEN-DIGITAL NIGERIA PUBLISHERS with head office in Benin City, Edo State. His publishing firm boasts of well received literary works that have received approval of ministries of education in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Lagos states for use in schools.
Also the publisher of the seminal book of Urhobo, Urhobo Current Affairs, the Benin-based writer shared his publishing and writing trajectories in an interview with Henry Akubuiro.
You are a creative writer, tell us about your books.
I have lived much of my life as a creative writer. My first book was published in 2005, and I have been consistently writing since that remarkable encounter. My first book, A Dance to the Golden Vision, has sold over 500, 000 copies. My other books include: Generation of Mad People, Oduduwa, Holy Sinner, Beautiful Nonsense, The Crying Hospital Bed, A Bird in the Hand, When Warri was Warri, Lust for Wealth, and a host of others. I have also written quite a number of biographies. I co-authored Effurun-Otor People of the Niger-Delta with HRM Johnson Duku of Effurun-Otor King, who is now late. I am currently rounding off with a book on Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and Sir David Ikutegbe. My literary background has helped me to broaden my horizon.
Interestingly, your books are on the reading list of schools in different states in Nigeria, how do you feel with this feat?
Writing needs patronage reward to keep the fire burning. Without patronage the zeal with which an author keeps writing is discouraging. For me, I was privileged to know about the government approved list of books through the states’ Ministry of Education and I took advantage of it. I started with Edo State, moved gradually to Delta, Lagos, Bayelsa and Rivers. My books have received wide readership in both public and private schools in these states, particularly in Delta State. I have enjoyed high patronage and popularity. Beyond the financial reward, I am fulfilled that I sell my ideas to the public. Writing has made me a household name. It has also networked me with people that matter in the society.
Which of your books is your favourite and why?
It’s difficult to determine my best book, because what seems to be my best may not be for others. But then, I remember my father saying that two people cannot own one thing. Perhaps I will gun for Generation of Mad People based on the fact that it tackles societal ills ranging from bad leadership, kidnapping, armed robbery and the latest virus –yahoo. The main focus of Generation of Mad People is to discourage yahoo-yahoo and give hope to our youths.
You publish your books yourself, are there advantages that go with self-publishing and self-marketing?
I self-publish my books to reduce costs. I am the owner of Pen-Digital Nigeria Publishers with head office in Benin City. I supply my books to schools and bookshops myself. I also have sales representatives across.
How has the rising dollar rate affected publishers like you?
The inflation in dollars has done quite a lot of harm to the publishing industry, because we now find it difficult to purchase papers and ink for printing. The cost of impression, pin and other relevant materials needed to achieve a book had doubled. The reason for this is that our papers are imported and tied to dollar rate. We claim to have forests with enormous woods but lack factories to manufacture papers. Nigeria seems to be lucky but unfortunate and, sadly, authors and publishers are victims of this.
You are the publisher of Urhobo Current Affairs, what’s the idea behind the publication? What vacuum were you trying to fill?
First is that I was born and raised outside Urhoboland. My father was a scholarly mind. He was one of the first sets of Urhobo scholars. He was able to nurture my brother and I on the path of history, though we were in a remote village called Eghudu, where we were born. Returning to Urhobo in 2011, I was troubled by the lack of information about my people. The few books available were on the origins of Urhobo and its migration; therefore, I decided to invent what seemed new to everyone. At this stage, I was lost with what I wanted. But, soon after, I ran into the publication of Professor G. G. Darah in The Guardian Newspaper of 2004. I was impressed with his position on historical facts of Urhobo nationality, and, from that moment, I conceived Urhobo Current Affairs. The aim was to rebirth Urhobo history with backing and dates. Through Urhobo Current Affairs, I rebranded the history of Urhobo nationality.
What teething problems did you encounter trying to publish the first edition of the book?
Urhobo Current Affairs is a book printed in hardback and cream papers. The challenges I encountered trying to achieve Urhobo Current Affairs was majorly finance, because I had little or no money at its takeoff in 2013. Being a new project, I needed money to move around, entertain aged people whom I needed information from and, possibly, lodge in hotels where I could not round off research on time. I was faced with funding, because no one actually wanted to key into my vision, especially when I had not made a name at the time.
Nigeria is a country where people believe in big names and not credible works. Rich people pay for names and not who can do it better. Those whom I solicited their support turned me down on the grounds that I had no name. Some said there was no relevance of the Urhobo Current Affairs to the Urhobo people. In all, I was not discouraged, I sold my books and invested it on the project and then took it to social media to get the attention of a wider audience. With time, I became popular on the social media space and started getting patronage, and the rest is history.
How do you and your team decide on what goes into the book?
Deciding who comes into the publication is simple to arrive at. It’s not a monetary decision. The work is strictly on first in every field, such as Urhobo first university trained graduate, first female university trained graduate, first male and female lawyers, first Urhobo male and female PhD holders, first journalist, first male and female medical doctors, first Engineer, first vice chancellor, first nurse, first male and female police officers, etc. The work also treats the totality of towns and villages in Urhoboland. Areas such Urhobo senators, ministers, Urhobos who have been deputy governors, ambassadors, Urhobos who have been members of the Delta State House of Assembly and other technical issues are treated. To enter subsequent publications is easy, create a record as the first. There are also areas of notable Urhobo people in the work to accommodate those who have made significant contributions to society.
What’s the reception like?
Every good work sells itself. Urhobo Current Affairs had marketed itself. It’s today one of the most sold compilations or books on Urhobo people. At home and abroad, it’s received wide readership, and its patronage has been a little bit above average. However, we are hopeful that we will get to our destination within a short time.
Who finances the publication?
In the many years that I have run its research and publication, I have been responsible for its funding. I have, at different times, gotten support from some philanthropic and patriotic Urhobos who saw that what I was doing was in the interest of Urhobo. The likes of Sir David Ikutegbe, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Engr. Godstime Emonena and a few others gave me a helping hand, but I majorly bear the burden of research and publication. Our people, are in most cases, difficult to approach for scholarship especially when it has no political relevance to them.
What distinguishes this book from other regional publications in Nigeria?
Although it’s called Urhobo Current Affairs, it’s important to state that it’s written in English with the sole aim of promoting or projecting the largest ethnic nationality in Delta State. The content cuts across: Urhobo first university trained graduate, first female university trained graduate, first male and female PhD holders, first male and female lawyers, first male and female police officers, Urhobo kings, Urhobo military and civilian governors, ambassadors, ministers, Urhobos who have been Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Urhobos who have been university vice chancellors, Urhobos who have been senators, first female commissioner of police, first Urhobo female professors, Urhobo towns and villages, Urhobo kings & their designations, Urhobo first university vice chancellor and other technical issues not in other books. This makes it the first of its kind. It’s the first on an ethnic nationality in Nigeria.
The Urhobo Current Affairs is a yearly reviewed publication. However, due to financial implication and lack of sponsorship, I have decided to make it a three or four year publication beginning from next year. Its content is rich, superb and cohesive.
What’s your target audience?
Every Author of a book has a market audience in mind. Urhobo Current Affairs is primarily for the eight local government areas of Delta Central, that is, Urhobo division, researchers and lovers of history who have keen interest in Urhobo historical facts.
What’s your projection for Urhobo Current Affairs five years from now?
In the shortest time, Urhobo Current Affairs would have been digitized. I am currently working on the video version in a country where the reading culture seems to have been hospitalized. I am looking at creating an app for it beyond the video and, with God on my side, this is achievable.