Professor Chinua Achebe’s recent heroic visit to his motherland, Nigeria after a decade of absence may have come and gone but the memories of that visit still lingers in our memories.
While I commend the government of Imo State for ensuring that the Eagle on Iroko visit Nigeria this year, 10 years after the last visit which he made 10 years after he left the shores of Nigeria, I will not hesitate to express my displeasure at the way the founding father of the Association of Nigerian Authors was treated.
Association of Nigerian Authors made frantic effort to bring the father of Modern African Literature home last April for the month long celebration of his classical novel Things Fall Apart (which was replicated in other parts of the world) but to no avail. As a member of the organising committee for the Abuja event, I am aware that ANA was better prepared to give him all the best of attention, care and memorable stay than what I saw played out during this last visit. In fact, one of our would be sponsors had promised to bear the cost of giving him all the necessary comfort, even if it mean flying him into Nigeria form the US in a private jet but the aged Groit humbly declined to come on health ground. Many were disappointed but we have to respect his decision. We also made effort to have him speak live from the US to the special reception organized in his honour at the Cyprian Ekwensi Center in Abuja but technology also let us down as we were unable to establish link with him on the D-day.
Thus, when I read a story by Uduma Kalu in the Vanguard Newspaper edition of Sunday 18th that Professor Achebe will be arriving Nigeria the next day by 5.30am for the Ahajioku lecture, I did not believe it because I thought he may not come, until I got a call from my President, Honourable Dr. Wale Okediran later that night asking me to be at the airport to cover his arrival for NEXT. He had invited other journalists as well arguing that “Professor Achebe is too much a personality to be allowed to sneak into Nigeria unnoticed after such a long time abroad, even if he’s arriving at 1 or 2am.” Even when I tried to explain the difficulty of been able to make it to the airport for as early as 5am because of the distance between my place of residence in Kubwa to the airport, he suggested that I relocate to town that night so I can leave for the airport early the next morning and that exactly was what I did.
However, I was served my first dose of disappointment that morning when on arrival there was so much disorganization among the organizers, a situation which immediately angered the first son of Achebe, Chidi who in turn become so over protective of his father and almost did not want anyone to come near him, including the press except for the ANA President who incidentally was the first person to arrive at the airport. The two representatives of the Anambra and Imo State did not arrive the airport early enough to have been accredited to go into the Tarmac to receive their guest because according to them, their driver did not turn up early enough. “Cant they get behind the steering and drive down to the airport?” I was told he Chidi Achebe later apologized for his attitude at the airport but I think that was belated because it was not necessary for him to have been that tempered in the first place because Achebe stopped being his father since he wrote that book in 1958 – he is our father!. But then, why should anyone blame him for being that protective when his father’s contemporary, Elechi Amadi, Author of The Concubine was only recently abducted by militants in the Niger Delta.
As if that was not enough, watching our literary giant been smuggled into one tight lexus gave me cause to worry. I wondered why the organizers did not think it necessary to make provision for special car that will make his movement much comfortable. It took more than ten minutes to figure out how best to get him into the car. That I am sure must have added up to Chidi’s uncontrollable temper, being a Medical Doctor and heir of the Achebe dynasty who knows too well that such car is not convenient for his father because of his condition. I personally spoke to one of the organizers about the inappropriateness of the car. “That type of car you are talking about is not available here my friend” he replied and I chose to let him be because I know that was not true. I am aware that such cars for wheelchair bound patients are available in this country. The national hospital and Abuja Clinic have them. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Madukwe was the first to bring Professor Achebe back home. That was in 1999 during his tenure as Minister of Culture. To ensure his comfort, the organizers make sure that he came in with a special van and medical attendants from the US. To even think that he was subjected to having to be driven through the death traps we call roads in this country, from Abuja to Owerri and them Anambra is unheard of. More sickening is the excuse that they have to take him through the rigour of road travel because they cannot trust any of the airlines for safety. How pathetic?
My next line of disappointment was the fact that we still have not learnt how to honour our heroes in this country. Professor Chinua Achebe is one of Nigeria’s greatest Ambassadors and yet there is not a single top government functionaries say like the President, Minister of Education, Minister of FCT, Minister of Culture, Minister of Information, nor were any of the two governors who invited him home at the airport to receive him. I am utterly disappointed. It remains a fact today that those drawing attention to Nigeria today are those in the field of arts and may be sport. It is people like Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Helon Habila, Chimamanda Adichie, Chika Anigwe, Mabel Segun, Niyi Osundare, Gabriel Okara, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ahmed Yerima, Teju Cole, Kaine Agary and their likes that drawn the best of positive attention to Nigeria than any politician and yet they are treated like strangers.
Excuses they say are the nails used to build the house of failure. I heard someone saying in defence (though his own opinion) that the Federal Government should not be blame as they possibly are not aware of his visit. My immediate response to that is why? How possible is that? Even if we agree that they were not officially informed of this impending visit, don’t they read papers or watch television? Without prejudice to the organizers, especially Imo State Government and Governor Ohakim, there was enough publicity of the Ahajioku Festival. The FCT government for instance should have without prompting from the organizers or any other quarters mount a guard of honour for him for the simple fact that he is passing through Abuja and is meant to stay here for two nights before moving on to the east. FCT should have (like it used to do for some elements of lesser commercial value to Nigeria and some institutions whenever they hold conferences in Abuja) undertake to sponsor a dinner in honour of this great son of the soil. I was at the reception in honour of Professor Achebe by the organizers was held in one obscure corner of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The Sokoto room venue of that reception is meant for only 20 persons. The Journalist alone at that reception numbered up to sixty. So much so that other guests hardly have a place to perch.
While I don’t want to talk about the Ministries of Education and Culture for not thinking that it was necessary for them to be part of Achebe’s visit even though to some extent he falls within their purview more than every other person. I will want to say that I am utterly disappointed too that my ‘Nigerian Female Government Official of the Year’ the former DG of NAFDAC, Professor Dora Akunyili’s Ministry of Information and Communication did not also find it necessary to accord Professor Achebe some state respect. This is a man you don’t see often. He’s not the Professor Wole Soyinka that is always available. He comes in when he likes and leaves when he pleases. Not to forget that since he left the shores of Nigeria twenty years ago in the event of his accident he has only visited twice, ten years ago and this year (making his visit a ten yearly routine) and only God knows when next to expect him before he answered the glorious call. To think that the Heart of Africa Project of the Ministry had Achebe’s pictures on their website, buses and other public places as one of Nigeria’s literary icon and yet are busy doing nothing that they could not cease this great opportunity to give honour to whom it is due. Dear Professor Akunyili, I wish to therefore suggest to you that to make up for this unpardonable offence, your Ministry should get in touch with the Association of Nigerian Authors to start making plans to bring Professor Achebe (and other Nigerian Writers and Artistes in Diaspora) back to Nigeria as part of activities marking Nigeria’s half a century years of Independence from the brutish British colonial rule in October 2010. Failure to do this will amount to gross misplacement of priority on the side of the Ministry and its Heart of Africa Project if consideration is not given to the real image makers.
Even though it was obvious that the author No Longer at Ease is very happy to be back home and very willing to speak to the press, he was not allowed to and the journalist and other well-wishers who had defied sleep to be at the airport almost revolt but for the timely intervention again of Dr. Wale Okediran and veteran broadcaster, Eugenia Abu of the NTA. Though it is the Igbos that invited him home but I wish to say here with all sense of Nigerianess in me that Achebe has gone beyond the Igbos. Since that day in 1958 that he picked up his pen and papers as propelled by the muse to tell that unique African story which has been translated to over fifty world languages, he has ceased to be that ‘Igbo’ boy given birth to in Ogidi, Anambra State. He has since become the soul of Africa nay Nigeria and that the Igbos should learn to live with.
Perhaps, my greatest disappointment should be the attitude of Mr. Peter Obi and his entire Anambra State government to the Achebe visit. I cant understand what on earth Governor Obi sat back in Awka doing that he cannot in the company of his commissioner for education and other top state functionaries come to keep vigil at the airport to await the arrival of them gem of our fatherland. It is almost unbelievable to think that Professor Achebe is from that state and have been so treated. This reminds me that in 2006, when the ANA celebrated 20 years of Wole Soyinka’s Nobel Prize, in the absence of the Governor, the Deputy Governor was at hand to receive Kongi while the Alafin of Oyo sponsored a dinner in his honour. Though, unlike Achebe, Wole Soyinka has always been around and quite accessible to Nigerians, there was stiff competition for him. The state government wants to accommodate him, so is the Alaafin. To settle the matter Professor Wole Soyinka opted to stay right in the campus, according to him, “to mix up with the people who have come from all over the world to honour him”
Governor Obi’s sin was no just his failure to show up at the airport but for allowing the ‘fast thinking’ governor of Imo State to take the glory of Achebe’s visit off him. What this implies is that if Governor Ohakim and his advisers or whoever was responsible for the idea of bringing home Achebe for the Ahajioku festival had not taken up this challenge or ‘hijacked’ it as an image laundering project for the state, we would not have had the opportunity to see our Achebe. Rumours actually have it (this is not hard to believe considering the Governor’s disposition to release of funds for activities. He possibly must have seen this as avenue for some people to line their pocket) that it was difficult getting Governor Obi to release funds for some of the activities planned for Awka as part of the visit thus preparing ground for Imo State to take all the glory. It is important to remind us that Ogun State last year wrote to ANA and insisted they want to be part of the ‘TFA @ 50’ celebration. They requested for one of the activities lined up for celebration to be held in the state because they know what that meant to them because of the person of Achebe and not because they don’t know what to do with the money they would have spent on such activities.
I don’t have much to say about Governor Ohakim except that I think he should also have been at the airport to welcome his guest. If the President or his Vice or some other political bigwigs were to be visiting Imo State, I can be sure that the Governor, his wife and other top officials will be falling head over heels to be at the airport to pay there ‘eye service’ Achebe is far much more than that.
Surprisingly too, in spite of the kind of concern shown by reporters who besieged the airport and the reception held in honour of Achebe later in the evening. None of the papers gave the report a pride of place. No paper gave the Achebe visit front page coverage. This of course has become a worrisome trend for a long time now as art and literature has found it extremely difficult to make the front page in Nigerian dailies for a long time now as it use to be in those glorious past. Politics has become the order of the day. If a politician coughs, it will dominate the headlines the next day. I had expected that the visit of Professor Chinua Achebe would make the difference but that was never to be, instead we promote mediocrity over unequalled excellence that Professor Chinua Achebe represents.
In rounding up this review, I wish to say here that Professor Chinua Achebe deserves much more than we gave to him on his recent visit to Nigeria. We do not have to wait till our heroes are dead and gone before we start appreciating and honouring them. Such attitudes only show us as being anti-intellectuals. Achebe is an institution which deserves all we can give to him in appreciation of what he has done and the honour he has brought this country, much more than the hundred of sycophants, politicians, pretenders and jokers that we sing their praises and immortalize for raping our future. That this living legend is living outside the shores of this country and only come home once in ten years, is in the first instance an embarrassment to this nation. The government of Nigeria or any of the states in Nigeria can afford to, as the Bard College is doing put Professor Achebe in any of our higher institutions, not to teach but to serve as inspiration for millions of young Nigerians who have read his book or heard about it.
Professor Chinua Achebe, 79 (born November 1930) is a hero, our hero and should be treated as such appropriately and not half hazzardly as was done during this recent visit to Nigeria. This is an ample opportunity we have missed and if care is not taken we may not have the opportunity of seeing him again or lets say until another 10 years when he would have advanced further in age (he will be approaching 90 years of age by 2019 and 100 by 2030) and coupled with his health condition may not be disposed to another visit. Should he accepts to I am afraid the children may not approve of it.
While I commend the government of Imo State for ensuring that the Eagle on Iroko visit Nigeria this year, 10 years after the last visit which he made 10 years after he left the shores of Nigeria, I will not hesitate to express my displeasure at the way the founding father of the Association of Nigerian Authors was treated.
Association of Nigerian Authors made frantic effort to bring the father of Modern African Literature home last April for the month long celebration of his classical novel Things Fall Apart (which was replicated in other parts of the world) but to no avail. As a member of the organising committee for the Abuja event, I am aware that ANA was better prepared to give him all the best of attention, care and memorable stay than what I saw played out during this last visit. In fact, one of our would be sponsors had promised to bear the cost of giving him all the necessary comfort, even if it mean flying him into Nigeria form the US in a private jet but the aged Groit humbly declined to come on health ground. Many were disappointed but we have to respect his decision. We also made effort to have him speak live from the US to the special reception organized in his honour at the Cyprian Ekwensi Center in Abuja but technology also let us down as we were unable to establish link with him on the D-day.
Thus, when I read a story by Uduma Kalu in the Vanguard Newspaper edition of Sunday 18th that Professor Achebe will be arriving Nigeria the next day by 5.30am for the Ahajioku lecture, I did not believe it because I thought he may not come, until I got a call from my President, Honourable Dr. Wale Okediran later that night asking me to be at the airport to cover his arrival for NEXT. He had invited other journalists as well arguing that “Professor Achebe is too much a personality to be allowed to sneak into Nigeria unnoticed after such a long time abroad, even if he’s arriving at 1 or 2am.” Even when I tried to explain the difficulty of been able to make it to the airport for as early as 5am because of the distance between my place of residence in Kubwa to the airport, he suggested that I relocate to town that night so I can leave for the airport early the next morning and that exactly was what I did.
However, I was served my first dose of disappointment that morning when on arrival there was so much disorganization among the organizers, a situation which immediately angered the first son of Achebe, Chidi who in turn become so over protective of his father and almost did not want anyone to come near him, including the press except for the ANA President who incidentally was the first person to arrive at the airport. The two representatives of the Anambra and Imo State did not arrive the airport early enough to have been accredited to go into the Tarmac to receive their guest because according to them, their driver did not turn up early enough. “Cant they get behind the steering and drive down to the airport?” I was told he Chidi Achebe later apologized for his attitude at the airport but I think that was belated because it was not necessary for him to have been that tempered in the first place because Achebe stopped being his father since he wrote that book in 1958 – he is our father!. But then, why should anyone blame him for being that protective when his father’s contemporary, Elechi Amadi, Author of The Concubine was only recently abducted by militants in the Niger Delta.
As if that was not enough, watching our literary giant been smuggled into one tight lexus gave me cause to worry. I wondered why the organizers did not think it necessary to make provision for special car that will make his movement much comfortable. It took more than ten minutes to figure out how best to get him into the car. That I am sure must have added up to Chidi’s uncontrollable temper, being a Medical Doctor and heir of the Achebe dynasty who knows too well that such car is not convenient for his father because of his condition. I personally spoke to one of the organizers about the inappropriateness of the car. “That type of car you are talking about is not available here my friend” he replied and I chose to let him be because I know that was not true. I am aware that such cars for wheelchair bound patients are available in this country. The national hospital and Abuja Clinic have them. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Madukwe was the first to bring Professor Achebe back home. That was in 1999 during his tenure as Minister of Culture. To ensure his comfort, the organizers make sure that he came in with a special van and medical attendants from the US. To even think that he was subjected to having to be driven through the death traps we call roads in this country, from Abuja to Owerri and them Anambra is unheard of. More sickening is the excuse that they have to take him through the rigour of road travel because they cannot trust any of the airlines for safety. How pathetic?
My next line of disappointment was the fact that we still have not learnt how to honour our heroes in this country. Professor Chinua Achebe is one of Nigeria’s greatest Ambassadors and yet there is not a single top government functionaries say like the President, Minister of Education, Minister of FCT, Minister of Culture, Minister of Information, nor were any of the two governors who invited him home at the airport to receive him. I am utterly disappointed. It remains a fact today that those drawing attention to Nigeria today are those in the field of arts and may be sport. It is people like Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Helon Habila, Chimamanda Adichie, Chika Anigwe, Mabel Segun, Niyi Osundare, Gabriel Okara, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ahmed Yerima, Teju Cole, Kaine Agary and their likes that drawn the best of positive attention to Nigeria than any politician and yet they are treated like strangers.
Excuses they say are the nails used to build the house of failure. I heard someone saying in defence (though his own opinion) that the Federal Government should not be blame as they possibly are not aware of his visit. My immediate response to that is why? How possible is that? Even if we agree that they were not officially informed of this impending visit, don’t they read papers or watch television? Without prejudice to the organizers, especially Imo State Government and Governor Ohakim, there was enough publicity of the Ahajioku Festival. The FCT government for instance should have without prompting from the organizers or any other quarters mount a guard of honour for him for the simple fact that he is passing through Abuja and is meant to stay here for two nights before moving on to the east. FCT should have (like it used to do for some elements of lesser commercial value to Nigeria and some institutions whenever they hold conferences in Abuja) undertake to sponsor a dinner in honour of this great son of the soil. I was at the reception in honour of Professor Achebe by the organizers was held in one obscure corner of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The Sokoto room venue of that reception is meant for only 20 persons. The Journalist alone at that reception numbered up to sixty. So much so that other guests hardly have a place to perch.
While I don’t want to talk about the Ministries of Education and Culture for not thinking that it was necessary for them to be part of Achebe’s visit even though to some extent he falls within their purview more than every other person. I will want to say that I am utterly disappointed too that my ‘Nigerian Female Government Official of the Year’ the former DG of NAFDAC, Professor Dora Akunyili’s Ministry of Information and Communication did not also find it necessary to accord Professor Achebe some state respect. This is a man you don’t see often. He’s not the Professor Wole Soyinka that is always available. He comes in when he likes and leaves when he pleases. Not to forget that since he left the shores of Nigeria twenty years ago in the event of his accident he has only visited twice, ten years ago and this year (making his visit a ten yearly routine) and only God knows when next to expect him before he answered the glorious call. To think that the Heart of Africa Project of the Ministry had Achebe’s pictures on their website, buses and other public places as one of Nigeria’s literary icon and yet are busy doing nothing that they could not cease this great opportunity to give honour to whom it is due. Dear Professor Akunyili, I wish to therefore suggest to you that to make up for this unpardonable offence, your Ministry should get in touch with the Association of Nigerian Authors to start making plans to bring Professor Achebe (and other Nigerian Writers and Artistes in Diaspora) back to Nigeria as part of activities marking Nigeria’s half a century years of Independence from the brutish British colonial rule in October 2010. Failure to do this will amount to gross misplacement of priority on the side of the Ministry and its Heart of Africa Project if consideration is not given to the real image makers.
Even though it was obvious that the author No Longer at Ease is very happy to be back home and very willing to speak to the press, he was not allowed to and the journalist and other well-wishers who had defied sleep to be at the airport almost revolt but for the timely intervention again of Dr. Wale Okediran and veteran broadcaster, Eugenia Abu of the NTA. Though it is the Igbos that invited him home but I wish to say here with all sense of Nigerianess in me that Achebe has gone beyond the Igbos. Since that day in 1958 that he picked up his pen and papers as propelled by the muse to tell that unique African story which has been translated to over fifty world languages, he has ceased to be that ‘Igbo’ boy given birth to in Ogidi, Anambra State. He has since become the soul of Africa nay Nigeria and that the Igbos should learn to live with.
Perhaps, my greatest disappointment should be the attitude of Mr. Peter Obi and his entire Anambra State government to the Achebe visit. I cant understand what on earth Governor Obi sat back in Awka doing that he cannot in the company of his commissioner for education and other top state functionaries come to keep vigil at the airport to await the arrival of them gem of our fatherland. It is almost unbelievable to think that Professor Achebe is from that state and have been so treated. This reminds me that in 2006, when the ANA celebrated 20 years of Wole Soyinka’s Nobel Prize, in the absence of the Governor, the Deputy Governor was at hand to receive Kongi while the Alafin of Oyo sponsored a dinner in his honour. Though, unlike Achebe, Wole Soyinka has always been around and quite accessible to Nigerians, there was stiff competition for him. The state government wants to accommodate him, so is the Alaafin. To settle the matter Professor Wole Soyinka opted to stay right in the campus, according to him, “to mix up with the people who have come from all over the world to honour him”
Governor Obi’s sin was no just his failure to show up at the airport but for allowing the ‘fast thinking’ governor of Imo State to take the glory of Achebe’s visit off him. What this implies is that if Governor Ohakim and his advisers or whoever was responsible for the idea of bringing home Achebe for the Ahajioku festival had not taken up this challenge or ‘hijacked’ it as an image laundering project for the state, we would not have had the opportunity to see our Achebe. Rumours actually have it (this is not hard to believe considering the Governor’s disposition to release of funds for activities. He possibly must have seen this as avenue for some people to line their pocket) that it was difficult getting Governor Obi to release funds for some of the activities planned for Awka as part of the visit thus preparing ground for Imo State to take all the glory. It is important to remind us that Ogun State last year wrote to ANA and insisted they want to be part of the ‘TFA @ 50’ celebration. They requested for one of the activities lined up for celebration to be held in the state because they know what that meant to them because of the person of Achebe and not because they don’t know what to do with the money they would have spent on such activities.
I don’t have much to say about Governor Ohakim except that I think he should also have been at the airport to welcome his guest. If the President or his Vice or some other political bigwigs were to be visiting Imo State, I can be sure that the Governor, his wife and other top officials will be falling head over heels to be at the airport to pay there ‘eye service’ Achebe is far much more than that.
Surprisingly too, in spite of the kind of concern shown by reporters who besieged the airport and the reception held in honour of Achebe later in the evening. None of the papers gave the report a pride of place. No paper gave the Achebe visit front page coverage. This of course has become a worrisome trend for a long time now as art and literature has found it extremely difficult to make the front page in Nigerian dailies for a long time now as it use to be in those glorious past. Politics has become the order of the day. If a politician coughs, it will dominate the headlines the next day. I had expected that the visit of Professor Chinua Achebe would make the difference but that was never to be, instead we promote mediocrity over unequalled excellence that Professor Chinua Achebe represents.
In rounding up this review, I wish to say here that Professor Chinua Achebe deserves much more than we gave to him on his recent visit to Nigeria. We do not have to wait till our heroes are dead and gone before we start appreciating and honouring them. Such attitudes only show us as being anti-intellectuals. Achebe is an institution which deserves all we can give to him in appreciation of what he has done and the honour he has brought this country, much more than the hundred of sycophants, politicians, pretenders and jokers that we sing their praises and immortalize for raping our future. That this living legend is living outside the shores of this country and only come home once in ten years, is in the first instance an embarrassment to this nation. The government of Nigeria or any of the states in Nigeria can afford to, as the Bard College is doing put Professor Achebe in any of our higher institutions, not to teach but to serve as inspiration for millions of young Nigerians who have read his book or heard about it.
Professor Chinua Achebe, 79 (born November 1930) is a hero, our hero and should be treated as such appropriately and not half hazzardly as was done during this recent visit to Nigeria. This is an ample opportunity we have missed and if care is not taken we may not have the opportunity of seeing him again or lets say until another 10 years when he would have advanced further in age (he will be approaching 90 years of age by 2019 and 100 by 2030) and coupled with his health condition may not be disposed to another visit. Should he accepts to I am afraid the children may not approve of it.
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