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Ahiajoku: Achebe: Achebes parables to Ndigbo, Nigeria
By SOLA BALOGUN
Minutes after he rounded off his 38-minute lecture with a " Thank you" footnote, Professor Chinua Achebe, guest lecturer of the just concluded 2009 Ahiajoku lecture for Ndigbo in Owerri, Imo State capital must have anticipated his audience's yearning for more. In fact, thousands of guests who listened to the literary icon had mistaken the " Thank you" for a pause, believing that the professor has more stories to tell Nigerians, particularly his kinsmen, the Ndigbo.
But quite expectedly too, Achebe explored his literary skills to the fullest by employing the wisdom of an elder and storyteller to relay a powerful message to his people. He chose to speak in parables, dishing out several episodes to address the theme of the lecture; Igbo Intellectualism and Development. He drew the curtain with an excerpt in Things Fall Apart, even as he admonished Ndigbo Echendu's address to his nephew Okonkwo.
Several thousands of Igbo citizens had gathered for the erudite scholar at the Cenotaph venue of the lecture, on Friday January 23. They had come to listen to the man whose classic novel, Things Fall Apart was equally celebrated as part of the yearly Ahiajoku lecture. The government and people of Imo State under the leadership of Chief Ikedi Ohakim had set aside this year's lecture to pay tributes to Achebe who used his classical work of 50 years to tell the story of his kinsmen to the globe.
It was against this backdrop that both the lecture and Achebe's achievements as a writer became the subject of celebration, such that virtually all the guests, old and young, high and low gathered en-masse to pay tributes to their illustrious son.
Although the event was slated for 10 am, it could not start formally until 12,50 pm, when a rather long procession of academicians filed in to usher in the guest lecturer. Governor Ohakim and Professor Dora Akunyili, Minister of Information were in the entourage and the audience immediately gave a thunderous applause as they sighted their hero on wheel chair. Following an interlude of songs and dances by the Omenimo Troupe as well as the Imo State Cultural troupe, Professor Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School presented an illuminating citation of Achebe, describing him as a legend who exhibits humilty even in greatness.
The lecture eventually started at 2,40 pm when Professor Achebe began his story on a note of gratitude to the organizers of the Ahiajoku lecture. He was particularly grateful to Ndigbo for choosing to celebrate his work of 50 years, nothing above all, that Things Fall Apart remains the celebration of the joy and happiness of the Igbo nation.
Apparently underscoring the crucial role, which Ahiajoku lecture has played in the life of Ndigbo, Achebe described his foray into the literary world as personal obsession, which transformed into a societal cause. He disclosed how he wrote Things Fall Apart with the sole intention of writing the story of his people, especially when others had tried to write it wrongly.
Achebe went on to explain that there is no man, community or institution without a story, hence the need by people, especially young Nigerians, to write their own stories lest others write their story wrongly for them. The literary icon also stressed the relevance of creation stories, saying that all over the world, people are fascinated by creation stories. He also relayed the story of Obiejoku in his home town Ogidi, capping it up with the mythical account of Yam (king of crops) in Igboland as well as another story of creation from the Fulanis.
Prof. Achebe drew similarities between creation stories, citing the Biblical story in Genesis as a point of reference. He however reasoned that the Igbo creation story is somehow different, although it equally reflects the constant conversation between man and his creator. He therefore urged Ndigbo to assume the Igbo 'restless' spirit, which makes room for everyone to join in discussions and experimentations, with a mission to make the earth produce more and more for the betterment of humanity.
In the same vein, Achebe addressed the issue of language when he reminded that every Igbo remains an Igbo, only that there may be differences in dialects. He lectured therefore, that no one should condemn the other for speaking particular dialects of Igbo, adding " Igbo people had been speaking their language from ages, without going to war over age and earth. The Igbos lived peacefully until the white men came to find out that there are too many words in Igbo language.''
Achebe also cautioned that it could be wrong for anyone to tell a child who speaks his or her mother tongue that he or she is wrong. He reasoned that no one has the right to dictate how a dialect should be spoken and that " people should deviate for fighting over a non-issue, such as attempting to scold a child who is learning how to speak his or her mother tongue"
Apparently speaking to his kinsmen in parables, Achebe rounded off his lecture with a proverb; Mother is supreme, although father is head of home, which her further illustrated through a passage in Things Fall Apart. Achebe used the analogy of Echendu's meeting with Okonkwo on his arrival at his motherland (after being sent on exile from his fatherland in Umoufia) to relay certain excesses and flaws of man. Thus, Okonkwo, like Ndigbo, receives an elderly advice from Echendu on the virtues of perseverance, tolerance, patience and hope. Achebe ended his lecture on a note of hope, noting, " no one is perfect, but life must continue".
Source: Sun, 27th January 2009.
Achebe Preaches Unity Among Igbo
From Kodilinye Obiagwu and Nkechi Onyedika, Owerri
WORLD acclaimed literary icon, Prof Chinua Achebe, has urged Ndigbo to disregard the inherent disparity in language among them and emphasise those things that unite them in the quest to put the Igbo nation on a new pedestal of development.
Delivering the 24th Ahajioku lecture with the theme, " Igbo Intellectualism and Development," Achebe noted that despite the disparities in dialect, Igbo's are one, adding that Ndigbo have spoken their language for centuries without going to war.
He wondered why differences in dialect should be seen as a barrier in the actualisation of the Igbo project.
He said, " It is a sacrilege to tell a child who is learning to speak his mother tongue that he is not correct, it is wrong for a classroom teacher to rule a child who is learning to speak his mother tongue out of order. Igbo people have spoken their language for so many centuries without going to war."
Achebe stated that the Ahajioku lecture would help the Igbo people overcome the mis-education they received during the colonial rule, adding that there is friendship that Igbo people share, which made them different.
According to him, Ahajioku lecture has moved from a mere superficial and academic exercise to something that could be used to provide a new framework to address contemporary development issues confronting the Igboland.
He observed that the novel, " Things Fall Apart" is a celebration of the story of the Igbo people, " It is our story that we are celebrating, there is joy and happiness in our lives and I want us to celebrate our lives. We have the responsibility to make our story known. That is what I felt right from my childhood. We know we have a story and should wage war when someone wants to tell our story, the way that is not true."
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion and the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Chike Edozie called for the creation of Anioma State as a way of enhancing Igbo unity.
He canvassed an annual subvention from all the South east governors to Ohaneze Ndigbo to enable the body perform its job and also called for a central Eze Ndigbo to be known as, " Eze Ndigbo Nile", instead of the present proliferation of Eze Ndigbo in different parts of the country.
The event was over two hours late but few people noticed. At 12.45 pm, the first of the 21 gun salute for Achebe boomed off. And at 2.35 pm he was wheeled onto the podium from the elevated table, which he shared with Prof Edozie, Dr Dozie Ikedife, and Ambassador Ralph Uwechue.
Achebe greeted the people in Igbo language, mixed up the names of some governors from Igbo speaking areas and their states and apologized for the mistakes "because there are many governors and states."
The people started arriving early and by 12.30 there was no standing space inside the air conditioned tent constructed for the event. The struggle to find a seat and be decorous raged between the surging crowd and the security men.
The university dons, decked in their academic gowns were easily mistaken for the choristers.
His voice drawling, his lecture punctuated with long pauses, Achebe cast the image of one of his characters , Uchendu in Things Fall Apart. He read a passage from the book; it was the passage when Okonkwo's uncle, Uchendu, welcomed him to his maternal home.
Achebe ended the lecture and his book reading with a verse," Onye Ka Odiri Nma", meaning (For whom is it well).
The well-attended lecture had in attendance literary giants, politicians, administrators, members of the National Assembly, academics, traditional and religious leaders, accomplished sons and daughters of Igboland among whom are: Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Ike Nwachukwu; former Minister of Health, Prof. A. B. C Nwosu, former Military Administrator of Edo state, Luke Ochulo, Former Minister of Information, Walter Ofonagoro, Anambra State Governor, Dr Peter Obi and his Predecessor, Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Minister of State For FCT, Mr Chuka Udom, Senator Aurthur Nzeribe, Prof. Pat Utomi, literary giant, Prof Chukwemeka Ike, the out going and incoming President Generals of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife and Ambassador Raph Uwechue among others.
The governors of Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi states sent their representatives.
Source: The Guardian, 24th January 2009.
Achebe, worthy ambassador of black race
By VAL OKARA, Owerri
Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim says that literary icon and author of the famous Things Fall Apart, Prof Chinua Achebe, is a man the black race should be proud of.
Speaking in Owerri, with a group of journalists, Ohakim said that Achebe had done much in pricking the conscience of Nigerians with his writings and lectures, adding that the author has made the Igbo race proud.
Ohakim, who hosted the Ahajoku lecture, delivered by Achebe, also spoke on the inauguration of Barack Obama as United States president and what this means to the black race, among other things.
Let me begin by saying that I missed watching the live coverage of the event on CNN due to state functions. I was only able to catch a few footages of the pre-event before I set out for work in the morning. I had to give a talk at the Imo Concord Hotel to flag off the international conference on Igbo civilisation. I wish I really had the time to watch the proceedings because of its monumental significance. I'm not complaining, though (general laughter).
But having said that, I think it was a momentous occasion for the black race in particular and humanity in general. If you remember how the man (Obama) started, all the obstacles he had to scale, and where he is now, then you will appreciate the power of hope or to put it in his own word, the 'audacity of hope.' Five or six years ago, he was a political nobody. Then, the mention of Barak Obama wouldn't have elicited any reaction or raised any eyebrow. His break came when he had an opportunity to give a keynote address at the Democratic Convention with John Kerry as the standard bearer in 2004. He seized it. He spoke the language of change and was able to capture the imagination of the American public. The rest is, as they say, now history.
The man has been described as a transcendental person, that is, one who has been able to unite diverse peoples, different races behind a common purpose. I think I agree with such a characterisation. In him, the famous words of the legendary Martin Luther King Jnr in his 'I've a dream' speech, that, 'One day, my little daughters will be judged by the content of their characters, not by the colour of their skin' has truly found a powerful expression. Obama has truly demonstrated that with determination, nothing is impossible.
When setting out for the American presidency years back, he did not see obstacles ahead, rather he saw milestones. He did not see booby traps. He saw stepping stones. It is a big lesson worthy of emulation in our own individual lives, in our families, in our neighbourhoods, in our communities, in our state and in our country. It is this kind of new thinking, new consciousness that we also are talking about in Imo State . It is the consciousness that drives us in our own modest efforts to cause a positive change in Imo State . It is seeking to invoke the can-do spirit of our people.
Yes, why not? In fact, I will say there are one thousand and one Obamas waiting in the wing in Nigeria , seeking an opportunity to make a big statement. We are talking of politics of ideas, not money. I like to define the Obama thing as merit over mediocrity. It is about allowing our best to come forward to leadership. It is about making sure people's votes count. It is about making sure godfathers do not hijack the political process. It is about creating a new culture of ideals, not deals-making, in public office. I think with the emergence of our party in the 2007 general elections through the popular vote of our people, without the instrumentality of god-fatherism, it has been demonstrated that here in Imo we have already moved ahead.
World renowned literary giant, Professor Chinua Achebe, arrived the country Monday to give a lecture at the Ahiajoku Lecture, which Imo State is hosting. It is a known fact that it is not easy to have Prof Achebe around to give such a lecture. In fact, it is the second time he is in the country in 18 years or so. How did you pull it off?
If I hear you correctly; you are saying how did we manage to convince the respected literary giant to be part of the lecture?
Well, let me say that by coming, Professor Achebe is only making his own contribution towards conscientizing the Nigerian pubic in general and the Igbo public in particular on the need to rediscover ourselves to achieve a more fulfilling existence. We had looked around and realised that there is no better or more qualified person than this literary eagle to come and stir our thoughts, to stimulate fresh debate, to illuminate the road to the future.
In all of this, we need to understand that the old man of letters is not a frivolous person. He is a thorough man of principle and high integrity. He has been at the forefront of the crusade for good governance not only in Igbo land but the nation at large. He is an advocate of good governance and accountability in public office. Don't forget that there was a time when he rejected a national honour bestowed on him in protest of what he perceived as a disturbing political condition in the country then. Though he is based faraway in the United States , the acclaimed father of African literature has a sharp political antennae monitoring what is going on at home.
At some point, he came out with a pungent statement condemning the menace of godfatherism in his native Anambra State.
If you were at the opening ceremony of the programme at the Concord Hotel today (Tuesday) and you listened to my speech, you will recall that I made reference to the fact that Achebe had referred to these political elements as 'renegades.' To him, it was, therefore, improper to accept a national award when the political space was under the assault of these renegades. Don't forget also that here in Imo State, the people had defeated the cabal of political godfathers in the 2007 polls by voting us into power based on what they regard as the hope we represent and not the number of political godfathers lined behind our candidacy. They voted us not because we gave them gold or shared money, but because they believed the gospel of change we were preaching.
Today, I am sure that Pa Achebe is very much aware that in spite of everything, in spite of the avalanche of negative reports on the political situation at home, there is still an oasis of sanity, of true commitment to public service in a few locations.
That there are still a few public officers trying in their own little way to serve the people truthfully. If he was not convinced that it was worth his trouble, he wouldn't not have decided to honour the invitation. At best, he probably would just have given a pre-recorded speech. But because of the undying love he has for the Igbo nation and because of his passion to identify with any effort he considers genuine to further the interest of the Igbo nation as a corporate entity, he graciously accepted to honour our invitation, at great physical inconvenience really. You know, following the motor accident he suffered in 1990, the old man has been confined to the wheel-chair. So, you have to factor in the fact that his physical capability is a bit limited. But his mind is as alert as ever.
He is such a great human being who has continued to carry on without engaging in any form of self-pity. So, for him to accept to come really demonstrates his total love for the Igbo nation as well as the Nigerian nation. You will recall that while giving a pre-recorded lecture at the 25th anniversary of The Guardian few months ago, he reiterated his love for the Nigerian nation in spite of everything. He is a patriot par excellence, one who truly acts it, not just mouthing it.
For this reason, we feel highly honoured that Achebe has honoured our invitation. We are delighted in the sense that our own modest efforts have helped facilitate this all-important lecture. It is all about exploring new possibilities for Ndigbo. It is my belief that the well-being of the Igbo nation is also the well-being of the Nigerian federation.
Well, this is no exaggeration. Professor Achebe is arguably one of the greatest writers living today. It is no coincidence that on this trip back to his native land, accompanying him is a large entourage, including representatives of international media, like the BBC. It is to underscore the consequence of Achebe as a global literary celebrity. To me, it is a thing of pride that he is an Igbo man. He has put the Igbo nation on the world literary map. His 'Things Fall Apart' has been listed among the 100 most influential books of the 20th century. He is regarded as the ultimate father of African literature in the sense that he helped create a new literary movement that gave Africa a voice at a time when the African history was been dictated by western scholars, who liked to think that Africa was a dark continent with even darker history. Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart' helped to tell the African story forcefully. It showcases the richness of Igbo culture and tradition.
At a personal level, I am a lover of the art myself. My passion is, however, not restricted to great books, but also extends to music and dance. I have read a lot of Achebe's works myself and must confess that I find in them a source of inspiration and reassurance that hope is not lost for a renaissance in our culture and society. For instance, there is a lot to be learnt from the courage of Okonkwo in 'Things Fall Apart'. There is also a lot to be learnt from the compromise of Ezeulu in 'Arrow of God'. For us the political class, there is also much to learn from Chief Nanga in one of his political novels.
And talking about culture, thanks to Achebe's writings, the world has been made to realise that the essence of the Igbo tradition is not just about the enchanting sound of the flute in a typical village square, the melody of our folk songs, nor the sheer vigour of the cultural dance. It is about the celebration of the virtues of hard-work, good neighbourliness, tolerance, fair play, charity, faith and high integrity. These are the qualities that defined the traditional Igbo society before imperialism came to derail everything. It is saying that the new labels of 'get-rich-quick' syndrome, disrespect for elders, god-fatherism, money worship etc are alien to the real Igbo character.
Today, we must admit that things are not the way they used to be or how they should be. It is for this reason that we seek the counsel of Achebe to help us reconnect with our glorious past to achieve a better future in the Nigerian enterprise.
For this, among other reasons, I would say Professor Achebe is our biggest cultural export as a people.
To us, there is a synergy between the theme of this international conference on Igbo civilisation and the philosophy that inspires our administration in Imo State . From what I can see, the lecture seeks to chart a new way for the Igbo race to meet the challenges of 21st century. It is an invitation to a deep introspection and taking a bold step forward. I am sold on this message as well. I have given a number of lectures in the last two years canvassing this same position. At the World Igbo Congress in Detroit in 2007, I spoke about the need for the Igbo to stop looking at the past with bitterness but look at the future with confidence. At the Ake Ikenga Lecture, which held in May in 2008, I further canvassed that the Igbo re-brand in order to possess their possessions in the 21st century Nigeria.
My position has always been that it is too late to continue to bemoan the pains of the past. While not denying the lessons of the past, I believe we must not become an hostage to the memory of a bitter past, but rather become the soldiers of the future. It is true that Igbo nation has not got their dues in the Nigerian project. We will continue to insist on getting our dues.
But in the interim, that is no excuse for us to be laggards. We must not say because the system has not been fair to us, for that reason we must take to the worship of mammon. Our ancestors were men and women of high integrity and honour. We must seek to re-possess their legacy of industry, courage and high integrity. We must determine to excel in whatever we lay our hands on. That, to me, is the only we can collectively achieve our destiny as a people.
Source: Sun, 24th January 2009.
Achebe laments poor democracy in Africa
From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja
IN his first comment on Nigerian soil, 18 years after he left the country, world's acclaimed literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, has expressed disappointment over the rate of democratic growth and practice
in Africa, stressing that unless the process of succession is made easy and friendly, Africa will still have a long way to go.
Addressing a press conference yesterday evening in Abuja, Achebe, who observed that politics is not a "do-or-die affair", added that the idea of a civilised society is one where power is transferred willingly because the law is there.
He said: "I must express very profound disappointment with what is happening on the African continent concerning elections and concerning succession. Right here in Africa, we still have not learnt, that unless you have a process that makes succession easy and even friendly so that opponents can smile at each other, unless we get there, we still have a very long way to go. Politics is not warfare.
"We have to be convinced; we have to be really determined to make Nigeria work", he said.
Achebe, who also declared that Nigeria is not yet where it is supposed to be, emphasised that until Nigerians decide and determine that it is time for change, Nigeria would continue to go round the circle.
Commending the Nigerian media for celebrating his works, he said he had come not to "make a presentation" but to say "thank you".
He enjoined the press to continue "doing the good work" because "the business of journalism is good work that is how I view it. Do good work and you won't go wrong".
According to the author of the well-celebrated novel, Things Fall Apart,: "You don't retire from writing, you continue writing until you bow down. If you are really a writer and you are alive, don't look forward to a pension, there are some young people who think the older ones should retire, that is not the way it is done. Young, old, medium, we all have work, don't give up writing, don't give up the idea because that is your calling. I do have a new book coming out and when it comes out, you will see it".
Source: The Guardian, 20th January 2009.
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Achebe returns Jan 23 for Ahiajioku lecture
By Johnson Ndukwe
Nigerian novelist, poet and critic, Professor Chinua Achebe, plans to return to Nigeria for the 2009 Ahajioku Lecture, January 23, 2009 in Owerri, Imo State.
A statement by the Chinua Achebe Foundation said the novelist
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whose classic Things Fall Apart opened ways for the flowering of African literature will also attend the first World Conference on Igbo Civilization, organized by the governments of the five south eastern.
Accompanying Professor Achebe on the home journey, the first in nine years, will be members of the international media, including the following: The BBC led by Hugh Levinson, Smita Patel et al; the South Bank Show led by Lord Bragg, which will make a separate trip that is likely to coincide with Achebe's visit and Richard Dowden of the Royal Africa Society.
Achebe's universally celebrated novel, Things Fall Apart, was published in 1958. With this event, modern African Literature was born. The novel was the first in a family of the finest pieces of Literature from Achebe, one of the most powerful literary minds in history.
Things Fall Apart has been translated into over 50 languages and over 10 million copies sold. That makes Chinua Achebe the most translated African writer of all time.
Achebe has published over 20 books - novels, short stories, essays and collection of poetry. He has received over 30 Honorary Degrees and numerous awards in honour of his great accomplishments as one of the world's foremost writers.
Organisers of the festival, Igbo culture, the golden Jubilee Celebration of Things Fall Apart offers us great moment of Festival. This is why 2008 is year of soul-searching, a year of refocusing on the totality of the Igbo life and history, namely, Igbo Civilisation. Hence, the Theme of the Festival is 2008 Festival on Igbo Civilisation.
To say the Festival is also a moment for the Igbo nation to join the world to honour Chinua Achebe, her son, is to state the obvious, for no honour is too much for this world-celebrated icon, the organisers said.
While the international community is celebrating Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, as an accomplished piece of literature, the Igbo nation, whose ancient civilisation forms the background of the plot of Things Fall Apart and whose world has taken a most tragic state in contemporary times is being challenged to search for the meaning of Things Fall Apart in their history and their situation in the world today
For us as citizens of the Igbo nation, therefore, Things Fall Apart is not a mere literary subject. It is an eloquent testimony of the intricacies of pre-colonial classical Igbo Culture and Civilisation, as well as the effects of colonization on traditional Igbo society, presented to the World as a paradigm of ancient African Culture and Civilisation.
This is why, though the impact of Things Fall Apart on African and World literature is inestimable, its fruits are found in other spheres of intellectual activity, namely, philosophy, art, sociology, politics, religion and even science. The novel touches on these various spheres of ancient Igbo Culture and Civilisation.
For Ndigbo, therefore, it is tangential to celebrate Things Fall Apart only as an historical literary episode. Its full import becomes obvious if we treat the great novel as a mirror and window that bring us into a fuller glare of our past, and roots, our predicament and our Civilisation. This 50th Anniversary of Things Fall Apart, therefore, offers us an opportunity to examine our past, our present predicament and our future. Nobody has greater need to do this than the Igbo nation, for whom so much has tragically fallen1. apart, not only as a result of the incursion of colonialism, but more painfully, since the amalgamation of the nation into the Nigerian Federation in 1914.
In Igbo culture, Festivals are moments of re-enactment and refocusing on the totality of the people's life, culture and history; or some aspects of them. The Golden Jubilee Celebration of Things Fall Apart offers us great moment of Festival. This is why 2008 is year of soul-searching, a Year of refocusing on the totality of the Igbo life and history, namely, Igbo Civilisation. Hence, the Theme of the Festival is 2008 Festival on Igbo Civilisation.
To say the Festival is also a moment for the Igbo nation to join the world to honour Chinua Achebe, her son, is to state the obvious, for no honour is too much for this world-celebrated icon.
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Ndigbo Plan For 50th Anniversary Of Things Fall Apart
From Nkechi Onyedika, Abuja
IN commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of the classic, Things fall Apart, the Igbo
nation is organising a festival to honour Prof. Chinua Achebe, who would be in Nigeria on January 19.
The chairman of the Planning Committee, Prof. T. Uzodinma Nwala, who spoke to The Guardian about the event, said the celebration was being organised from the point of view of the Igbo society, having witnessed many other groups across the world organise events to commemorate the literary achievement of Achebe.
According to him, Things Fall Apart, which has its main plot located within traditional Igbo society, has exposed readers world over to the dynamics, culture, religion, sociology, philosophy and the world view of the Igbo society as a paradigm of traditional African society.
The event, described as renaissance of civilization, therefore, is to re-examine the cause of the decline in the traditional culture of the Igbo people with a view to resuscitating the rich culture captured in Things Fall Apart.
He said: "We are not only honouring Chinua Achebe, the great literary icon of Africa, Nigeria and the Igbo nation, we are also using the occasion as a period of introspection to look into ourselves to find out what is happening to our society today.
"While the international community is celebrating Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, as an accomplished piece of literature, the Igbo nation, whose ancient civilization forms the background of the plot of Things Fall Apart, and whose world has taken a most tragic turn in contemporary times, is being challenged to search for the meaning of Things Fall Apart in their history and their situation in the world today.
"For us as Ndigbo, therefore, Things Fall Apart is not a mere literary subject, it is an eloquent testimony of the intricacies of pre-colonial classical Igbo culture and civilization, as well as the effects."
To that end, Nwala said there would be intellectual analysis of where the Igbos are coming from, where they are, and where they are going to be in the future, using the event as a moment of introspection to project knowledge and the achievement of Achebe.
The event will feature art and film exhibition in Enugu, as well as cultural festival and rally in Awka.
Achebe is expected to deliver the Ahiajioku lecture in Owerri on January 23. Also expected to grace the occasion is Philip Emeagwali, winner of Gordon Bell Prize in Computing (the Nobel Prize for computing) for his design of the fastest computer in the world. Emeagwali, a native of Onitsha in Anambra State, lives in the United States where he has been in the last 35 years. His visit for the Achebe ceremonies will be his first homecoming since that time.
Source: The Guardian, 17th January 2009.
Achebe wins global literature prize
By Uduma Kalu
NIGERIA'S literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, was yesterday morning named winner of the 2007 Man Booker International Prize.
Achebe, who was called "the father of modern African Literature by one of the judges, celebrated writer Nadine Gordimer, the second winner of the prize.
About N15million (?60,000) Man Booker International Prize is awarded once every two years to a living author for a body of work that has contributed to an achievement in fiction on the world stage. It was first awarded to the Albanian writer Ismail Kadar? in 2005.
Achebe defeated a list of top contenders Britain's Doris Lessing, Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, as well as Ireland's John Banville, and two Americans Philip Roth and Don DeLillo.
The others were three Canadians: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro and Michael Ondaatje, and the dissident Israeli Amos Oz. Achebe is probably best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart, written in 1958 and Anthills of the Savannah, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 1987. Things Fall Apart will be officially 50 next year.
The prize's three-judge panel including Gordimer, a South African, honoured Achebe for inaugurating the modern African novel, citing the many writers inspired by his depiction of how colonialism influenced culture and civilisation on the continent.
The award marked the second honour bestowed on a Nigerian novelist in a week. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction on June 6, receiving ?30,000 for `Half of a Yellow Sun, her haunting look at the defunct Biafra's struggle in the late 1960s to break away from Nigeria.
Achebe who is the Charles P Stevenson Jr. Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College, Annandale, New York State, told the organisers immediately after hearing of his winning. "It was 50 years ago this year that I began writing my first novel, Things Fall Apart. It was wonder to hear that my peers have looked at the body of work I have put together in the last 50 years and judged it deserving of this important recognition. I am grateful."
Adichie in her reaction said of Achebe: "He is a remarkable man. The writer and the man. He's what I think writers should be."
Achebe's conviction is shown by his refusal for many years to allow his novels to be translated into Igbo, which he still considers a bastardised missionary version of authentic village dialects. However, Things Fall Apart has been translated into 50 other languages and sold 10million copies.
His other most influential work - discussed in classrooms worldwide - is the essay: 'An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness' (1975), which accuses Conrad of dehumanising Africans and rendering their continent as "a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognisable humanity, into which the wandering European enters at his peril".
Achebe was once asked which authors had told the story of Africa well. Hundreds, he said, "including many we don't normally talk about and regard as literature - the oral tradition", the village storytellers who had been active long before colonisers introduced pen and paper. "Humanity," he said, "will always attempt to create a story."
The Man Booker International Prize is unique in the world of literature in that it can be won by an author of any nationality, providing that his or her work is available in English language. An author can only win the award once. It is also different and distinct from the Man Booker Prize in that it is for a body of work.
One of the panel's members, Elaine Showalter remarked:
"In Things Fall Apart and his other fiction set in Nigeria, Chinua Achebe inaugurated the modern African novel. He also illuminated the path for writers around the world seeking new words and forms for new realities and societies. We honour his literary example and achievements."
Gordimer, on her part, said: "Chinua Achebe's early work made him the father of modern African literature as an integral part of world literature. He has gone on to achieve what one of his characters brilliantly defines as the writer's purpose: 'a new-found utterance' for the capture of life's complexity. This fiction is an original synthesis of the psychological novel, the Joycean Stream of Consciousness, the post-modern breaking of sequence - thereby out-dating any prescriptivity. A joy and an illumination to read."
The third panel member Colm T?ibin was no less effusive in praises. He said: "Chinua Achebe has been one of my heroes since I read his book Things Fall Apart. This book manages to capture an essential moment in the colonial drama; it dramatises momentous change with clarity, sympathy and astonishing fluency and ease. His other books, especially A Man of the People and No Longer At Ease have worked with a mixture of tones, from the satiric, to the prophetic. Anthills of The Savannah manages a variety of voices and cadences with the skill and deep insight of the real master of the novel form."
Born on November 16, 1930, Achebe attended the Government College, Umuahia and the then University College of Ibadan. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the London University in 1953 and in 1956 studied broadcasting in London at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Company in Lagos in 1954, later becoming its Director of External Broadcasting. During the Civil War, he worked for the Biafran government service. After the war, he was appointed Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, of which he is now Emeritus Professor of English. He has lectured at many universities worldwide and is now Charles P Stevenson Jr Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College, New York State, Annandale.
Achebe's work is primarily centred on African politics, the depiction of Africa and Africans in the West, and the intricacies of pre-colonial African culture and civilisation, as well as the effects of colonialisation on African societies.
His classic novel, Things Fall Apart, is considered among the finest novels ever written. Having sold over 10 million copies around the world, it has been translated into 50 languages, making Achebe the most translated African writer of all time. He is the recipient of over 30 honorary degrees as well as numerous awards for his work.
In 2004, Achebe declined to accept the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) - Nigeria's second highest honour - in protest of the state of affairs in the country.
Paralysed from the waist down in a 1990 car accident, he is married to Professor Christine Chinwe Achebe, with whom he has four children. He has lectured at many universities worldwide.
Chinua Achebe has written over 20 books, including novels, short stories, essays and collections of poetry.
Source: Guardian, 14th June 2007.
Another prize for Achebe
By Reuben Abati
"The Supreme Court has done it again. Their Lordships have once more helped to solve a riddle. They have offered a landmark interpretation of the Constitution in the Anambra matter. This is another prize for Chinua Achebe."
" Chinua Achebe? I just hope there won't be any further trouble in Anambra after this."
" Achebe is from Anambra state. I guess the logic of the Supreme Court ruling in the Peter Obi case is simple enough: a Governor's tenure begins to run from the moment he is sworn in. If Obi won an election, and the wrong man, Ngige, is sworn in, and he, the right man is later declared winner by a competent court of law, it would amount to a miscarriage of justice to deny him the complete fruits of his legal victory".
"So, it means Peter Obi will now be Governor of Anambra State till 2010?"
"That is what the Supreme Court has said. And that is the position of the law."
"But what happens to the Governorship election of April 21 in that state, and Governor Andy Uba who has since assumed authority, and the election petition tribunal sitting over the April 21 election."
"Elementary law, my brother. As Lord Denning put it, you cannot put nothing on nothing, it cannot stand. What the Supreme Court is saying is that there was no basis in law for conducting the Gubernatorial elections in that state on April 21. The Court specifically tongue-lashed INEC."
"And the three years that Governor Ngige spent as Governor of Anambra?"
"That was Ngige's luck. He benefitted from sheer illegality. In law, you could say the Ngige government is not recognized.."
"Does that render everything that Ngige did a nullity?"
"More or less."
"Including the roads that he tarred? The hospitals that he built?"
"Leave Ngige out of this. His government is a good illustration of the effect of electoral fraud."
"I am trying to understand the implications of the ruling."
"I think the Supreme Court ruling is another wake up call for Nigerians, especially INEC and the politicians."
"My fear is that the Courts, at this rate, will start running the country."
"I think I prefer the rule of law, to the rule of brigands. But the point I am making is about learning the right lessons from the Peter Obi case. One, it pays to have faith in due process. Peter Obi will now go down in history as one man who stood by the law, and kept faith. Two, the Anambra debacle would probably not have occurred at all; if the election petition on the 2003 elections in Anambra had been determined before May 29, 2003. This is why I think the Electoral Act must be amended to ensure that election petitions are resolved early enough."
"Do we ever learn in this country?"
"If we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat mistakes. And in 2007, we are repeating old mistakes."
"There is something I still don't understand."
"What is that?"
"The Andy Uba angle. He was a necessary party in the case, and yet he was not allowed the benefit of making his own representation."
"Who is a necessary party in law? That is the question you are asking. That matter was properly defined in Green v. Green. But you don't have to worry yourself. Andy Uba was properly joined in the case as 5th respondent."
"He was not joined."
"He was. You want to teach their Lordships the law? You think the Supreme Court would overlook such a critical angle to the case?"
"I am only trying to look at the matter beyond the law. The politics of it is as important as the law. You are praising the Supreme Court, for example. But think about the conduct of the Federal High Court, Enugu and the Court of Appeal in the same matter. The High Court ruled against Peter Obi. The Court of Appeal ran away from the case claiming it lacked jurisdiction. Will it be correct to say that that those other judges do not know the law?"
"That is your opinion. Others would say the apex court ruling is all that matters in this case. Once again, the PDP has been put to shame. The PDP created the crisis in Anambra in the first place."
"You mean Obasanjo? Or you mean Chris Uba? Because if Ngige had not fallen out of favour with Aso Rock and his Godfather he probably would have been protected. Only God knows how many Governors completed their tenures between 1999 and 2007 using a stolen mandate."
"A precedent has now been established in law. The Supreme Court has offered a clear and unambiguous interpretation of Section 180 of the 1999 Constitution. It is a triumph for democracy."
"Suppose the Yar'Adua government refuses to obey the ruling."
"The Supreme Court has spoken. Yar'Adua wouldn't dare intervene."
"What if he seeks a political solution?"
"To what effect?"
"But you know, of course, that the matter is not yet over. Even if Obi returns..."
"There is no such thing as even if..."
"Okay, but the House of Assembly in Anambra is PDP-dominated. Peter Obi could be impeached within two weeks of his assuming office again."
"That was not the matter before the Supreme Court."
"And if it happens that way?"
"Then Obi's Deputy takes over."
"And she is also impeached?"
"Then her Deputy takes over."
"Then the PDP House of Assembly will impeach both Governor Peter Obi and his Deputy, and the PDP will take over the state again. You see, there may be no end to the Anambra debacle."
"I hope not."
"I foresee a lot of problems ahead, all the same,, not just in Anambra, but in other states as well. The Supreme Court looks very determined."
"A determined and judicially activist Supreme Court is the best thing to have happened to Nigeria in the last 20 years."
"But what did the Supreme Court say on Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State. Is he also going back to his office?"
"No, his own case is different."
"How?"
"He took oath of office in 2003."
"But he was impeached, and was later reinstated by the Supreme Court."
"Yes. But he wasn't sworn into office a second time. He simply returned to his office; and he collected all his outstanding salaries and allowances. In his case, it was as if nothing happened, and the Court cannot give what it does not have."
"I see. The law is sometimes convoluted."
"It is straightforward if you look at it closely enough."
"There is something I still don't understand. Suppose Governor Andy Uba refuses to hand-over to Peter Obi?"
"The Inspector-General of Police knows what to do. He and his men will be expected to do their job."
"Which Police are you talking about?"
"The Nigeria Police Force."
"Come on. But you know this is a police organisation that has been declared the most corrupt public institution in Nigeria, perhaps in the whole world"
"I read that. If I had a say in the matter, I would recommend that the Nigeria Police should be disbanded. And if not, then the entire top hierarchy of the Police should be fired."
"Oh come on. Don't throw away the baby with the bath water. The only man who is in the eye of the storm is the former Inspector-General, Mr. Sunday Ehindero."
"In my view, it is the entire police command that has been exposed, dragged in the mud, its integrity completely rubbished."
"No. It is Ehindero you should condemn. The man promised "To Service And Protect With Integrity". But look at the kind of stories we have been reading about him. These are stories being released by Police Headquarters, not even by any outsider. The whole thing stinks."
"I agree. No wonder the entire police is so undisciplined. When the rank and file read about money being hidden in toilets, television sets, and nylon bags in Police Headquarters, why won't they feel encouraged to collect bribe from the public?"
"I like the way the details are being released."
" I read that the former Inspector-General of Police has many palatial houses. There was also something about the purchase of one of the houses of former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun. Then a missing N2.5 billion Police Cooperative Fund and N300 million meant for kits and uniforms"
"Tafa Balogun must be having a good laugh wherever he is."
"I hear the Acting IG Mike Okiro is Tafa's man, and he is helping his former boss to deal with Ehindero who is Tafa's arch-rival. It is the clash of the police bosses."
"I am not interested in any conspiracy theory. What I think is that Sunday Ehindero should begin to speak up. He has a right to defend himself."
"What do you expect him to say?"
"You mean he has nothing to say?"
"Well, the public is listening? Who is the owner of the N21 million that was found inside the toilet, nylon bags and old television set at Police Headquarters? Who bought the IG's House? What happened to Police Cooperative Funds? When did Police Headquarters become a bank?"
"Nigerians have no respect for money at all. That is why the Naira is losing value. Imagine how those policemen were moving money out of Force Headquarters as if they were moving household appliances?"
"But is it only the police? Look at the new class of lawmakers at the Federal level. The Yar'Adua government is giving them lorry loads of money, money meant for settling themselves down in Abuja."
"We had discussed that before, didn't we?"
"That was before the entire list of allowances was published. It is nauseating. The Federal Government is even taking loans from the banks."
"It is a bribe."
"It is a crazy bribe. It is going to cost the Federal Government N3.7 billion per annum."
"For a part-time political assignment? Where then is the idea of service?"
"You are asking me? Each Senator is getting N8.1 million to buy any car of his or her choice, members of the House of Representatives, N7.9 million each, and for Senators N126,650 to maintain the car monthly while Representatives will get N124,075 monthly for the same purpose."
"What kind of car maintenance is that? A brand new car? It doesn't even cost that much to maintain a helicopter in a month."
"You have bought one before?"
"When something is unreasonable, it speaks for itself. Nobody spends N126,000 to maintain a car in a month."
"Every lawmaker will also get a tidy sum as Constituency allowance."
"Constituencies that they do not visit once the election is over?"
"Wardrobe allowance."
"Are they going to the National Assembly for fashion parade?"
"Annual utility allowance also to cover their bills for electricity, gas, water, telephone, refuse disposal."
"You now see why we may never have free and fair elections in this country? That N3.7 billion that is going into the pockets of Federal lawmakers can be used to subsidize petroleum prices, for the benefit of all Nigerians. It can repair some roads, or buy hospital equipment."
"Nobody is thinking along those lines."
"But this is a new government. Yar'Adua should wake up. He is rather slow."
"He has just asked all the people paying solidarity visits to him to stop coming around, so he can start doing some work."
"You mean he has been busy receiving visitors since he got to Aso Villa?"
"He said so himself. And may be he has been playing squash too."
"And the same government will not meet with labour officials and ASUU to resolve lingering industrial disputes.?"
"The Federal Government is meeting with officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress today."
"Only today? They had to wait for Labour's 14-day ultimatum on the increase of the prices of petroleum products and VAT to expire before agreeing to discuss the issue? Is that the new style in Aso Villa?"
"Take it easy. You know our friend, Segun is the President's spokesman. You sef. You too dey do."
"And what has that got to do with the price of petroleum products? Candidly, I think labour should go ahead with the strike. Shut down the country. Force the government to reverse the unfair increases. Teach the Yar'Adua government a lesson about priorities, and the value of being pro-active."
"I agree with you. The man should wake up. Sleep-walking cannot be a leadership style."
"In Nigeria, you never know...."
Source: Guardian, 15th June 2007.
Celebrating Achebe's Things Fall Apart
THINGS Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe's literary masterpiece is 50 years old this year. Across the world the literati have aptly rolled out the drums to celebrate this classic which had so poignantly
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captured the colonial encounter between the Igbo and British, between one culture and the imposed ethos of a 'conquering civilisation'. Indeed, the novel was and is a metaphor for displaced identities and the crucial reaction of the African to the onslaught of colonialism. Reverberations from the thematic concerns of the novel and its cultural interrogations are still debated in contemporary literary discourse. This underscores the significance of the novel: its ability to speak to all generations using the platform of the colonial encounter.
Achebe himself has become an icon, a living legend and a testament to the abiding tenacity of the human spirit. To date he has written 21 novels, short stories and collections of stories. His works have won international acclaim. Arrow of God had won the New Statesman Jock Campbell Award. Christmas in Biafra was the joint winner of the First Commonwealth Prize. Anthills of the Savannah was a finalist in the prestigious Booker Prize in England. Last year, he was the winner of the 2007 Man Booker International Prize for Fiction. Significantly, Achebe rejected a national award which the Obasanjo administration bestowed on him at the peak of the political crisis in Anambra State. This was an expression of his moral objection to the mishandling of the political debacle between the then governor, Dr. Chris Ngige and gadfly Chief Chris Uba, in his home state at the time.
Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart at the age of 28, after his graduation from the then University College, Ibadan. Since then he has written other works which have faithfully captured the nuances of African culture and the aesthetics of the African imagination. No Longer At Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), Anthills of the Savannah (1987), are some of his literary works. His pamphlet The Trouble with Nigeria put the issue of lack of development squarely at the doorstep of poor leadership. Achebe's visionary prowess was uncannily displayed in A Man of the People, a novel that predicted the intervention of the military in Nigerian politics. Achebe taught for many years at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka before he relocated abroad upon retirement from that university.
Currently based in the United States, Achebe has oftentimes intervened in national debates, an indication that though he is in the Diaspora, his attention is riveted on the dynamics and challenges of Nigerian politics. Exile has not separated him from home, the source material for his enormous literary output. In spite of the serious injury which he sustained in a road accident during one of this visits to Nigeria, he has remained active, giving important lectures around the globe. Indeed he is a worthy cultural ambassador for Nigeria, Africa and the Black world.
Things Fall Apart, originally written in English, has been translated into some 60 languages. Okonkwo the central character is as familiar as the major characters in important novels anywhere in the world. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) once dramatised and serialised the novel directed by David Orere. The novel is a recommended text in English and Cultural Departments across the world. Africans in the Diaspora have organised a series of literary activities to mark the silver jubilee. The Library of Congress in the United States of America plans to honour Achebe and his work on November 14, that is, shortly before his next birthday. The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has also organised seminars, talk shows and lectures in Lagos, Ibadan and Nsukka, to celebrate the epoch-making novel. This is in order.
We must learn to celebrate our heroes. In the bleak atmosphere that the nation currently finds itself, the worth and place of Things Fall Apart give cause for optimism. We cannot divorce Things Fall Apart from its author. As we celebrate the novel, we pay tribute to this great man of letters and wish him many more years of fruitful living and literary activity.
However, there are disturbing signals in the book or publishing industry in Nigeria. The cost of raw materials is highly prohibitive, thereby placing the cost of books out of the reach of the common man. Real publishing which produced the likes of Achebe is virtually dead in the country. Publishers complain about their inability to sell literary works. Vanity publishing is the order of the day. Heinemann, which published Things Fall Apart, and many other African novels, has since discontinued the African Writers Series. There is also the decline in reading culture. People do not or cannot afford to buy the books in the market. Also, there is a sense in which the national ambience is hostile to reading. Power outages and the sheer demand of grappling with existential questions make reading a hazardous enterprise.
Besides, creative writing is not often supported by the State as it is in other parts of the world. Writers struggle to be heard in the general din in the land. It is instructive that most Nigerian writers who have won international prizes in the last decade are in the Diaspora. Creativity should be encouraged at home. We need to replicate the efforts of our past heroes by creating an environment conducive to writing and reading. This will be our final tribute to and recognition of the place of creative writing in forging an ethos for the sustenance of our national consciousness and identity.
As we congratulate our own Professor Chinualumogu Achebe, poet, novelist, social critic, and celebrate the silver jubilee anniversary of Things Fall Apart, it is apposite to observe that it is curious that the Nobel Prize for Literature has so far eluded this great, monumental writer of Nigerian descent. It is hoped that as an active and dynamic literary personality, the Nobel organisers would ultimately give him due recognition. It is also hoped that the example of Achebe would stimulate the powers-that-be to enunciate policies that could change the fortunes of Nigerian writers.
Source: The Guardian, 15th May 2008.
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