IN recognition of his distinguished scholarship and services to the Literary Society of Nigeria (LSN), the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University (KWASU) Malete, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah has been inducted as a Fellow of the Society (FLSN).

 Professor Na’Allah was inducted alongside a literary giant and editor of the prestigious African Literature Today, Michigan-Flint University, United States, Professor Ernest Emenyonu, during the society’s 2014 International Conference recently held at the Banquet Hall of the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.

At the conference, which was in honour of Emenyonu who served as the society’s President between 1982 and 1984, another literary giant who bagged the LSN Fellowship Award in 2010, Prof. Romanus Egudu was specially recognised and presented with his Fellowship certificate and medal by the society’s President, Dr. Adeleke Babatunde.

 Adeleke, who acknowledged the support Na’Allah gave to the society during its 2012 national conference, which KWASU hosted, described Na’Allah as a rare vice chancellor and an accomplished literary giant.

  Emenyonu, described Prof. Na’Allah as “a rising star” and “a very quiet achiever,” in his address, noted that for Literature and writers to have the required impact in Nigeria, they must be recognised and empowered.

   He advised that young literary scholars should familiarise themselves with the process and pay attention to minute details when they write even as he challenged them to make efforts to publish their works especially in international journals.

 The former LSN president, who informed of the introduction of the Nigerian edition of the African Literature Today, emphasied the need to uphold academic standards, integrity and discipline in the Nigerian university system for a better tomorrow.

  Earlier, Professor Egudu had challenged the LSN to strike a balance between what he called “intellection and integrity” in order to accomplish its set goals, explaining that part of the aims reasons for establishing the society in 1979 was to initiate, encourage and support scholarship and literary research.

  According to him, the heartbeat of the society, which is the oldest body for literary scholars in Nigeria is its journal which he said must not be allowed to die.