Nigeria President, Goodluck Jonathan has praised the virtues of late Nigerian novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe, who died on Thursday night at a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
According to Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president received news of the passing away of the “globally acclaimed writer, scholar, tutor, cultural icon, nationalist and artist of the very first rank” with immense sadness.
Abati said President Jonathan joins Achebe’s family, his friends, colleagues, past and present students, admirers and all who have learnt indelible lessons of human existence from his award-winning works of literature in mourning the legendary author.
“As he mourns however, the president is consoled by the knowledge that Prof. Achebe will live forever in the hearts and minds of present and future generations through his great works, which brought him enduring international fame and countless honours,” he wrote in a statement released at the weekend.
“The President believes that Prof. Achebe’s frank, truthful and fearless interventions in national affairs will be greatly missed at home in Nigeria because while others may have disagreed with his views, most Nigerians never doubted his immense patriotism and sincere commitment to the building of a greater, more united and prosperous nation that all Africans and the entire black race could be proud of.”
Jonathan recalled that with maturity and global stature, Prof. Achebe fearlessly spoke the truth as he saw it and became, as he advanced in age, a much revered national icon and conscience of the nation who will be eternally honoured for his contributions to national discourse as well as the immense fame and glory he brought to his fatherland.
He extended heartfelt condolences to Achebe’s family and prayed that God Almighty will receive his great soul and grant him eternal rest from his outstanding earthly labours.
Also at the weekend, Brown University, where he was Professor of Africana Studies until his death, described his death as shocking and devastating. According to Darlene Trew Crist, the university’s director of news and communications, the university will always miss him.
Corey D.B. Walker, associate professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies, said Achebe was more than just a colleague, faculty member, and teacher at the university.
“He was a gift to the world. We are very privileged to have had him with us for the last four years and even more so for allowing us to get close to him and his family, Walker said.
“At a time like this, we could draw many words of wisdom and comfort from the deep wells of various African cultures and traditions to honour him. The most fitting is the simple and elegant phrase, A great tree has fallen.
“Indeed, the passing of Chinua Achebe is an event of global significance. The entire faculty and staff in the Department of Africana Studies share in the celebration of the great life that is Chinua Achebe.
Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, Anani Dzidzienyo paid tributes to Achebe for his time at the department.
“His presence in the department affirmed our intellectual mission and strengthened our commitment and dedication to Africana studies. Indeed, his presence was powerful. When he was first appointed, a friend told me we had captured history and planted it in Churchill House.
“He brought the whole history of contemporary African writing to Brown from the time when he wrote Things Fall Apart to the present. His name symbolizes the themes and issues that characterize African societies and cultures. His presence at Brown is something we could not have imagined before it happened. He was an inspiration to us and our students. As a student remarked, ‘it is incredible that he is here with us.’
“In the spirit of Ghanaian proverbs, and by implication African proverbs, I leave these words for contemplation: ‘The path crosses the river and the river crosses the path. Which came first, the path or the river?’ May you travel well, Professor Achebe.’”
According to President of Brown University, Christina H. Paxson Chinua Achebe would always be remembered for his colloquium on Africa, which he organised annually.
“Among his activities at Brown was the annual Achebe Colloquium on Africa, an international gathering of scholars, policy makers, elected officials, writers, and others with a shared interest in current-day African affairs.
“The colloquia he organized at Brown attracted a grand array of guests and effectively demonstrated how the humanities can build understanding by drawing from and encouraging a variety of perspectives. We were honoured to have him among us.
He recalled that the late novelist successfully convened four colloquia:
the inaugural 2009 Achebe Colloquium that addressed the problems and prospects of the 2010 Nigerian elections; the 2010 Achebe Colloquium, which focused on three African nations (Rwanda, Congo, and Nigeria) and the crucial issues impacting them, the continent, and the world; the 2011 Achebe Colloquium, which explored the Arab Spring and the crisis in Darfur; and the 2012 Achebe Colloquium that focused on the security situation throughout North, Central, and Eastern Africa, ethno-religious insurgency and regime change in West Africa, and peace-building efforts taking place in Southern Africa.
In his own condolence message, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described Achebe as an icon of unmatched integrity and conviction, praising his brilliant literary outputs and writing style.
Atiku recalled how Achebe condemned the July 2004 political crisis in Anambra State during which thugs attempted to remove a democratically elected governor on the orders of a godfather.
He recalled, too, how Achebe rejected a national honour fromFormer President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan, saying only few Nigerians would have followed the courage of their conviction and reject national honours because of the fear of losing favour from those in power.
While Nobel laureate and Achebe’s contemporary, Prof. Wole Soyinka simply said he was devastated and short of words, Governor Adams Oshiomhole described the death as a great loss to the country.
“With Achebe’s death, Anambra and indeed Nigeria has lost a major personality who played a unique role in its modern history. Even as an intellectual giant, his voice resonated with clarity and authoritative distinction on matters of national interest,” Oshiomhole said.
“He was a remarkable personality, and will always be remembered for his forthrightness and incisive contributions to national issues. He could not be ignored or taken for granted on any matter, even by those who disagreed with him. His death evokes nostalgic emotion in the minds of all who read his books.”
Theodore Orji of Abia state expressed grief, saying he was yet to come to terms with the news of the death. He said Achebe made positive impact on humanity through his novels, and that he would be remembered for standing up for Ndi Igbo at all times in spite of all odds.
In his tribute, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga tweeted: “I send my condolences to the people of Nigeria and the family of Chinua Achebe. We have lost a great son and the `Father of African Literature.”
Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi stated that although Achebe had earned immortality through his works, he should be further immortalised.
“Achebe, through his writings, was one of the first to capture the leadership problem with Nigeria and today, it has become prophetic as Nigeria stumbles through leadership issues,” Utomi said.
Spokesman of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mr. Tonnie Oganah demanded that a national monument be named after the late icon.
Also, President of Igbo Youth Congress (IYC), Mr. Bright Ezeocha called for three days of mourning for the late don in southeastern states.
Mr. Yinka Odumakin, spokes man of Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere lamente that Nigeria did not tapped into his wisdom and knowledge.
Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu said young Nigerians have a lot to learn from Achebe’s courage and convictions, as he was a voice against corruption, mediocrity and ignorance, and expressed his opinion no matter whose ox was gored.
Nigeria’s first female Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams recalled that she and the late Achebe were classmates at the then-University College, Ibadan, in 1949.
“We got our first degree in 1953,” she said. “It was wonderful to be a classmate of a hardworking man like him, who put Nigeria on the global map.”
To National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Isa Fagge, Achebe’s death is a colossal loss to the academic community.
Mr. Mike Omeri, director-general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) described the late literary icon as a symbol of Nigeria’s rich human resource from which the whole world benefited.
“The death of Achebe is shocking; to hear that such a man whose wealth of knowledge, experience and insight that would have benefited the nation more at this transformational moment is no more is a great loss.”
Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said he received news of Achebe’s death with great sadness.
“He was the conscience of the nation whose words and deeds mirror those of his countrymen and women,” Tambuwal said. in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mallam Imam Imam.
“Achebe would be remembered as a very decent man of great integrity whose passion for the progress and development of his fatherland served as inspiration for his literary works and political commentary.
“He did his best to uphold and propagate the ideals of a profession he loved and lived for. The death of the professor is a colossal loss to Nigeria in particular and the whole world in general. Our country will forever be proud of giving the world Chinua Achebe.”
Similarly, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha described the death as a devastating blow to the country, saying a titan of incomparable proportion has been lost.
“Nigeria has lost a true national hero and a towering titan of inestimable proportion whose works, words, and lifetime continue to prick the conscience of a nation in search of fairness and equity for all and sundry,” he said.
“Prof. Achebe lived a spartan life that mirrored some solutions to the challenges that Nigeria encounters as a nation. His lasting legacies however provide us with a consolation and incentive to put in our individual and collective best at all times to ensure the fulfillment of the dreams of our founding fathers and heroes past including the departed Achebe.”
Similarly, Former Governor of Lagos State and National leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu described the death of Achebe as the loss of yet another national treasure who died unfulfilled in his dream to see a better-governed, fully democratic and united Nigeria.
“Achebe’s words were like the arrows of God penetrating the fortresses of our leaders and striking their hearts to do good. Unfortunately not many hearkened and that is why we remain stuck as a people and a country,” he said.
“Notwithstanding his exploits on the literary stage and his world acclaimed status, Achebe had one regret and that is the failure of successive Nigerian leadership to birth a new country and liberate Nigerians from abject poverty and want.
“Chinua Achebe lived an exemplary life of sacrifice and excellence. He was a critique-general who, through his writings, offered lucid suggestions and advice on how Nigeria’s problems can be tackled. We are able to glean from his writings a burning desire for change and a crushing devotion to the emancipation of the larger society.”
Tinubu recalled how Achebe’s life and writings touched many and mentored several. “In my personal encounters with him, his simplicity, his forthrightness and his engaging personality struck me.
“Achebe and his writings were one and the same. He breathed what he preached. Though he elicits different reactions from different people, Achebe’s love for his people and his patriotism was unquestionable. His devotion to creating a better society was resolute.”
Also, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon (Engr.) Victor Ochei described Achebe’s death as a colossal loss to Nigeria and the galaxy of global literary fraternity.
“His death has created a vacuum in the chronicle of avowed patriots whose contributions have offered the needed diverse but constructive suggestions, in navigating Nigeria through the complexities of nationhood,” he said.
“His achievements as a foremost harbinger of African literature placed Nigeria on the global literary radar, which invariably acted as the catalyst in propelling his compatriots and continental acolytes to nurturing African literature to universal acceptance. “
Ochei counseled the biological and professional families of the late icon to find solace in the timeless treatise of America’s Ralph Wado Emerson (1803-1822) that death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows old.
