By Joseph Akahome
Eminent African novelist and famed author of classic novel ‘Things Fall Apart‘, Chinua Achebe, is getting set to once again rub minds with the academia in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, as the International Conference and Chinua Achebe Annual Lectures holds in January 2012.
The Dean, Faculty of Arts of UNN, who expressed that the development is long overdue, stated that, ‘the non-establishment of such lectures and honour to professor Chinua Achebe by us till now is a huge oversight which has to be corrected with deep sense of apology’.
The lecture, which is titled ‘Emergent Issues in Humanities in Africa in the Third Millennium‘, forms part of events for the inaugural lecture for the emeritus Professor of English.
Chinua Achebe, popularly referred to as the ‘father of modern African writing’ recently made international headlines when in November he rejected the National Honour of CFR conferred on him by President Goodluck Jonathan, citing persisting unresolved political issues. It was the second time he was rejecting such national honour from the government of Nigeria.
5 comments
Nigeria is a blessed country. U ve a great man unlike some of our countries in Africa.
This rejection of CFR AWARD by professor Achebe was to fight against inadequate infrastructures such as education,electricity,poor roads and etc.Therefore,the rejection is nice one
Let give Honour to whom Honour is due. I hope he accepts the Award.
I ve always maintained in different fora that Achebe’s rejection of GEJ’s prize shouldn’t spite Jonathan but spur him.
Those awards are only relevant if they’re genuinely given. Chinua Achebe saw his own as not genuinely given hence he rejected it.