That Chinua Achebe was one of the most illustrious sons to have come from Africa is not in doubt anymore.
That he lit up the literary spheres of the African continent and introduced African literature to the world is a no longer news.
That he stood tall as an incorruptible Nigerian at a period when everybody around him was losing their integrity is commendable.
That he stood up to be counted in the political formative years of Nigeria is a very bold move, joining not NPP but PRP.
That he authored so many brilliant books which were bestsellers is an eloquent testimony that he has an astute mind full of glowing ideas.
That he rejected national honors to protest against corruption and bad government is unprecidented in Nigerian political history.
That he abhored conflicts and any type of violence is what stood him out as a man of peace who will love to use his pen to make political changes, not with a gun.

I will like to use this thread to examine some of the ideology as espoused by the late literary icon, formost educator and social justice crusader, Prof. Chinualumogu Albert Acbebe.


(Please, this thread is not meant to draw ethnic and tribal comparisons but to look at the whole picture, this thread is an invitation to intelligent discourse only) Moderators, please be on the alert in case of those of us who loves to disrupt peaceful discourse.

very comical

The problems of Nigeria started early, very soon after independence. Achebe has this to say about the state of corruption and the start of our problems as a country;

"Within six years of this tragic colonial manipulation Nigeria was a cesspool of corruption and misrule. Public servants helped themselves freely to the nation's wealth. Elections werw blatantly rigged. The subsequent national census was outrageously stage-managed; judges and magistrates were manipulated by the politicians in power. The politicians themselves were pawns of foreign business interests"

He continued thus about the way corruption mingled with ethnicism.

"The social malaise in Nigeria society was political corruption. The structure of the country was such that there was an inbuilt power struggle among the ethnic groups, and of course those who were in power wanted to stay in power. The easiest and simplest way to retain it, even in a limited area was to appeal to tribal sentiments, so they were egregiously exploited in the 1950s and 1960s." Chinua Achebe (2012)

^^^

The above is the truth and nothing but the truth

There were notable attempts by well meaning Nigerians to reverse the trend early enough. Writers, and even artists used all in their disposal to right the wrongs which started to threaten the new country, Nigeria. Achebe had this to say about some of these great men and the way they tried to bring the problem to the Nigerian audience who may be oblivious of political happenings through their plays;


"Nigerian artists responded to these events in a variety of ways. The irrepressible Wole Soyinka put on stage a devastating satire, Before the blackout, Which played to packed audiences night after night in Ibadan. The popular traveling theater of Hubert Ogunde and his many wives began to stage a play clearly directed against the crooked premier of Western Nigeria. The theater group was declared an unlawful society and banned in Western Nigeria. Things were coming to a head in that region. Violence erupted after an unbelievable election swindle, as a result of anger and frustration of Western Nigerians. It was in these circumstances that Wole Soyinka was charged with holding up the Ibadan radio station and removing the premier's taped speech!"

The reason I am starting from the early days is because of this proverb left to us by Chinua Achebe;

"An Igbo proverb tells us that a man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body"

Just after the coup of January 15, 1966, this was the thinking of Achebe;

"Nigeria was not ready or willing to face her problems. If her leaders had approached their duty with humility, they all might have realized long before the coup that the country was in deep trouble. Nigeria was rocked by one crisis after another in the years that followed independence. First the Nigerian census crisis of 1963-64 shook the nation, then the federal election crisis of 1964, which was followed by the Western Nigeria election crisis of 1965-which threatened to split the country at its seams. At that point most of us, the writers at least knew that something was very wrong with Nigeria. A fix was long overdue" (by the political class)

And the coup itself, he said;

"Despite my fictional writings I never expected or wanted the form of violent intervention that became the military coup of January 15 1966. I had hoped that the politicians would sort things out for our new nation. Any confidence we had that things could be put righ was smashed as we watched elements from the military take control. The coup was led by a group of junior officers, most of the Igbo, and it would be known widely as the Nzeogwu coup after Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, the ring leader, who was from the northern city of Kaduna. That night of January 15, 1966, is something Nigeria has never really recovered from."

The Politics of Achebe can be summarized in one word

"BITTERNESS"

dayokanu: The Politics of Achebe can be summarized in one word

"BITTERNESS"

for a man to remove the name of one his best friend from the foreword of his already published work.speaks volume about the kind of person this man was.he died a bitter man.go and actualize your dream nation of kidnappers and fraudsters in the great beyond.

dayokanu: The Politics of Achebe can be summarized in one word

"BITTERNESS"

Achebeism, a new subject being introduced in secondary schools by Eze Nyesom Nwike.

eggheaders:


for a man to remove the name of one his best friend from the foreword of his already published work.speaks volume about the kind of person this man was.he died a bitter man.go and actualize your dream nation of kidnappers and fraudsters in the great beyond.

"If you don't like my story, write your own" Chinua Achebe.

van bonattel:

"If you don't like my story, write your own" Chinua Achebe.

like the story from the propaganda radio station.lols.

~Bluetooth:


The same old devil that couldn't live in Nigeria but chose to stay in the US.Even ojuku had more respect for returning home despite running away during the war.

politically,ojuku is more recognized than ashebe though for the bad side of history.

Fine, every Nigerian who choses to live abroad is a devil according to you?

van bonattel:

Achebeism, a new subject being introduced in secondary schools by Eze Nyesom Nwike.

OK on a serious note, what is Achebeism in a short and precise definition ?

You see op you come across as an unserious fellow. LOL

WHAT IS ACHEBEISM

alj harem: You see op you come across as an unserious fellow. LOL

WHAT IS ACHEBEISM

My friend, it seems you are swimming in an ocean of iberiberism

van bonattel:

My friend, it seems you are swimming in an ocean of iberiberism

I beg wetin be iberiberism, another achebe's work ? LOOL

unfortunately for the bigoted and tribalistic coward mod, you can only hide behind your mod rubbish while you perpetrate your tribalistic agenda, you can not dictate to me how to spell or pronounce anything because of your your own and your kinsmen's low self esteem since it doesn't bother me how your kinsmen basterdize other people name everyday in every thread, the insecurity over name is yours and never shall be mine.

Back to topic, again, the only relevant recognition as far as NL is concerned is the hall of shame recognition. Period.

Also again, it was cowardly to sit in a foreign country while fanning hatred, bigotry and doom and gloom against your own country and countrymen. That was his was legacy.

eko ilee: unfortunately for the bigoted and tribalistic coward mod, you cam only hide behind your mod rubbish while you perpetrate your tribalistic agenda, you cam not dictate to me how to spell or pronounce anything because if your your own and.your kinsmen low self esteem since it doesn't bother me how your kinsmen basterdize other people name everyday in every thread, the insecurity over name is yours and never will be mine.

Back to topic, again, the only relevant recognition as far as NL is concerned is the hall of shame recognition. Period.

Also again, it was cowardly to sit in a foreign country while fanning hatred, bigotry and doom and gloom against your own country and countrymen. That was his was legacy.

Nice bitter comment.

By the time the soldiers and mobs started cleansing Igbos from the north and West, Achebe had this to say;


"I was one of the last to flee Lagos, I simply could not bring myself to accept that I could no longer live in my nation's capital, although the facts clearly said so. My feeling toward Nigeria was one of profound disappointement. Not because mobs were hunting down and killing innocent civilians in many parts, especially in the north, but because the federal government sat by and let it happen"

And........

"The problems of the Nigerian federation were well known, but I somehow had felt that peharps this was part of a nation's maturation, and that given time we would solve our problems. Then, suddenly, this incredible, horrific experience happened-not just to a few people but to millions, together. I could not escape the impact of this trauma happening to millions at the same time. Suddenly I realized that the only valid basis for existence is the one that gives security to you and your people. It is as simple as that"

van bonattel: By the time the soldiers and mobs started cleansing Igbos from the north and West, Achebe had this to say;


"I was one of the last to flee Lagos, I simply could not bring myself to accept that I could no longer live in my nation's capital, although the facts clearly said so. My feeling toward Nigeria was one of profound disappointement. Not because mobs were hunting down and killing innocent civilians in many parts, especially in the north, but because the federal government sat by and let it happen"

First achebeism means nothing. He had no political views while alive. Political view is different from ethnic/tribal view on which he built his life. He should have left Lagos on the first day for what did he do or say when his people were killing leaders from the north or south west? When he Ironsi refused to prosecute the coupist, what did achebe do or say?Nothing! No wonder he could never get over his bitterness for he and his folks got really served!

van bonattel: By the time the soldiers and mobs started cleansing Igbos from the north and West, Achebe had this to say;


"I was one of the last to flee Lagos, I simply could not bring myself to accept that I could no longer live in my nation's capital, although the facts clearly said so. My feeling toward Nigeria was one of profound disappointement. Not because mobs were hunting down and killing innocent civilians in many parts, especially in the north, but because the federal government sat by and let it happen"

Same way the people of lagos could not believe that the people they welcomed and showered with hospitality could turn around and bomb them in the middle of the night like ungrateful and mean spirited cowards, the same man whose kinsmen men showered the people of lagos with evil joined the same perpetrators to later invade their land. Maybe the old man forgot all about that because of amnesia or old age got to him, either way , he was not only a bitter and troubled man, he was a coward, mean spirited and bitter man.

One of your people said something about the dangers of single stories, but unfortunately, you people eat, drink and get high on the same single stories