FAMILY WRITERS BRINGING TO YOU MEMORIES OF BIAFRA HEROES AS WE ARE IN COUNTDOWN TO MAY 30TH HEROES REMEMBRANCE DAY
DAY 5 - WED 17/5/2017 (LATE PROF CHINUA ACHEBE IN FOCUS)
In this day 5 of Family Writers memories of Biafra Heroes, Family Writers memories of Biafra Heroes Eagle is perching on Prof Chinua Albert Achebe of blessed memory. Born in 1930 at his hometown in Ogidi, Anambra State in Biafra, he had his secondary school at Government College Umuahia and had his University at University College Ibadan in Western Nigeria.
Late Prof Chinua Achebe was an erudite educationist. He is one the most intelligent men born in Biafraland as he is still recognized as the father of African Literature. Prof Chinua Achebe is extra-ordinarily ingenius. His like comes or passes once in millennium.
Family Writers is aware that many people may be asking how come about featuring Late Prof Chinua Achebe in the memories of our Heroes. Prof Chinua Achebe was the charismatic and resolute Minister of Information of the short-lived Biafra govt from 1967 to 1970 when the genocidal war ended. That is to say that he is the Biafra Minister of Information during the heat of the war. He astutely and articulately managed information dissemination in Biafra govt during war because he was already working with Radio Nigeria Lagos before Gen Gowon declared the genocidal war against Biafrans.
Prof Chinua Achebe's history is mainly chronicled around literal works and when he is mentioned, what comes to mind is literature. He wrote the following books where placed his footprint for generations to come:
1. Things fall apart (1958). He used this book to counter so many lies of wetern world against Africans. He put record straight that Africans are not people bereft of cultural heritage, critical thinking, leadership structure and intellectual bankrupt as western world made us to look prior to the book. Although he dwelt much on Igbo-Biafran cultures as he butress his points.
2. No Longer at Ease (1960): Prof Achebe used this book to call on Africans not throw away their identity because of western world civilization mounting pressure on our creed and norms. He made clear that in pursuit of western life, Africans have lost their identity and can never truly be Europeans.
3. The Man of the People (1962): He used this book condemn the alarming rate of corruption in Nigeria govt and its civil service. In the book He used one Mr Ema Enanga a case study of a man who acquired education in London and was known as an upright man but immdiately he returned and joined Nigeria corrupt civil service, Mr Enanga become involved in bribery and corruption.
4. Arrow of God (1964): Prof Achebe used this book to analyze the tragedy & devastation of colonnial enslavement to Africans. In this book, he listed evils of colonnial masters in Africa.
5. Gales at War (1973): He used this book to condemned the survival of the fittest and general feudalistic system in Nigeria occasioned by selfish elites which led to the past genocidal war levied against his people and went ahead to suggest remedies which nobody regarded.
6. Problem with Nigeria (1984): He used this book to analyzed serious problems bedeviling Nigeria to includes tribalism, nepotism, bigotry, marginalization and chauvinism. But those in the helm of affairs never care to listen.
7. Anthills of the Savannah (1989): Prof Achebe used this book to show displeasure on how some elites converted the common wealth of the nation to personal belonging through the instrumentality of brutal force and bereaucratic placement. He described it as the height of corruption in Nigeria society.
8. There was A Country (2013): Prof Chinua Achebe used this book to bid farewell to literal world because he release the book few months before his death. He used the book to bring back the memories of the genocide jointly committed on Biafrans by Nigeria and Britain. As the Minister of Information of Biafra who has first hand information on what happened during the genocidal war, he listed 5 arch genocidists that must be prosecuted in #ICC for genocidal war on Biafrans. He listed as follows:
1. Gen Yakubu Gowon
2. Gen Murtala Mohammed
3. Gen T Y Danjuma
4. Col Benjamin Adekunle
5. Gen Olusegun Obasanjo
6. Chief Obafemi Awolowo
These are people who should be dragged to ICC according Prof Achebe in the book "There was a Country".
Gen Olusegun Obasanjo invited him to come and recieve Nigeria national honour of CFR in 2004 with which to mock him for demanding Biafra in the past, but he rejected it. Dr Goodluck Jonathan also invited him in 2011 for the same national honour, he also rejected it. In each occasion, he will always say "I reject it because the war is still on against my people".
In a summary, Prof Achebe is progressively controversial and his books remain relevant at all times. At this point we bring to the end analysis on Prof Achebe. Keep a date with Family writers tomorrow.
Onyebuchi Eze
Media Analyst FWP.