Jonathan Administration Sabotages UNN Conference In Honor of Achebe
Posted: January 25, 2012 - 13:06


President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has sabotaged an international conference and lecture series designed to honor Professor Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s leading novelists and a major voice for the Nigerian people in their quest for a just, democratic order.

Sources in Nsukka and Abuja told SaharaReporters that the University of Nigeria International Conference/Chinua Achebe Annual Lectures had to be postponed to April after the Jonathan administration not only suddenly reneged on its pledge of financial support but also pulled away from participating.

The conference organizers had earlier secured the commitment of the administration that President Jonathan or his representative would be available to kick off the conference which was scheduled for January 30 to February 3, 2012. Until the government’s decision to pull out, a presidential aide, Akachukwu Nwankpo, had been acting as Jonathan’s liaison to the organizers.

“The University of Nigeria Nsukka is too cash-strapped to fund a conference of the scope that we planned,” an official of the university where Professor Achebe used to teach disclosed. He added: “The moment the president’s liaison told us that they would not provide the funds they had promised, we had no other option than to postpone.”

In addition to scholars from Nigeria and other parts of the world, the French ambassador to Nigeria was also scheduled to speak at the now aborted conference.

Achebe, the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, reportedly incurred the wrath of the presidency when he released a three-sentence letter he sent to Mr. Jonathan rejecting the award of a national honor. More recently, Professor Achebe, who is putting finishing touches to a major non-fiction book, denounced the Nigerian government’s unpopular decision to sharply increase the price of fuel.

SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Nwankpo recently made it clear to officials of UNN that the Jonathan administration was no longer keen on providing financial support for the conference or participating.

Reached by phone, one of the would-be participants said he was “thoroughly distressed” by the Presidency’s action. “Look, as an academic before he went into politics, President Jonathan should understand that critics like our revered Professor Achebe are his best friends. They criticize him because they want him to succeed. His real enemies are those advising him to alienate himself from the generality of Nigerians.”

He added: “The government’s decision to pull out is not going to affect Achebe who already is a giant in the literary and intellectual world. Instead, it is our premier indigenous university – which is a shadow of its former self due to severe funding shortages – that is being punished.”

An EU diplomatic source told SaharaReporters that Achebe “is one of Nigeria’s greatest symbols whose writing has earned acclaim and followership globally.”

A source close to Professor Achebe told SaharaReporters that the novelist had not planned to be physically present at the Nsukka but was going to send a message.

The conference organizers had earlier secured the commitment of the administration that President Jonathan or his representative would be available to kick off the conference which was scheduled for January 30 to February 3, 2012. Until the government’s decision to pull out, a presidential aide, Akachukwu Nwankpo, had been acting as Jonathan’s liaison to the organizers.

A source close to Professor Achebe told SaharaReporters that the novelist had not planned to be physically present at the Nsukka but was going to send a message.

@Negro_ntns, so Gej has given up on BH or what exactly are you trying to say?

Koolking:

I stopped taking SaharaReporters & WazobiaReporters seriously. Until this is confirmed, I reserve my comments for now.

PointB:

Sahara misreporters again. Lol

Koolking:

I stopped taking SaharaReporters & WazobiaReporters seriously. Until this is confirmed, I reserve my comments for now.

Negro_Ntns:

First,  

. . . .they postponed Ojukwu burial from Feb 3rd to an uknown future date so there will be no conflict with attendance at this event, and now this event is also postponed. . . ?   Ezioku?  

 

. . .ooh!!  Then why the hullaballoo


At a time when boko has its tentacles out there fishing for trouble and upset at western education principles, you want representatives of western education ideologies to come to Nigeria for a conference in which the honoree himself has stayed away for self-preservation.  Really??  

Its a waste to pump money, oil money for that matter, and support into a conference in which the only people in attendance will be Uwazuruike and his MASSOB folks, and then they turn literary conference into Biafran rally,  . . . Kwenu!

If the story is true, then the govt should be commended for doing the right thing!
You cannot reject a national honours from a govt on grounds of the non - performance and still rely on the same govt to sponsor an event in your honour. Indeed, if Achebe was aware that funding was to come from the govt and did nothing to stop it or withdraw from the event, then his decision to reject the national award is political and not based on principle.

LEXYLOV:

Hummmm !! Interesting drama, brother against brother. I thought GEJ was an ndigbo immediate brother. How come

Upright750:

This trend of Nairaland will soon be close by Government Authority because there so many lies and lack of respect for Mr President . If the president accept it all same you people will come here to start posting rubbish to say  why is he doing this kind of thing when the whole Nigeria is shaking with Boko haram and co. Nigeria need to learn how to speak of President for him to have confident in us. Same Our president that supposed to Travel to Swizz cancel his trip because of the problem at hand which is the killing of Nigeria by Boko's  for now i guess it's not right to host anything internationally in Nigeria until we get our Bottom together in your security aspect . So let leave Presdo alone. and see him as our President. he is number one citizen and deserve respect from us. I think i read here when one guy said that Mr president invited Achebe to the villa and he refuse to go and see President. now he need president help. even if your the one what will you do.

diluminati:

You just blowing hot air. Anumpam

PointB:

The intention of this poster is to rouse ethnic sentiment. It's good to know that no one is falling for this childish prank!

And Gbawe keep descending into the abyss of bigotry! A pit of no return!

PointB:

The intention of this poster is to rouse ethnic sentiment. It's good to know that no one is falling for this childish prank!

And Gbawe keep descending into the abyss of bigotry! A pit of no return!

jason123:

Whether this is true or not, please guys, respect OUR president!

How? Are you that silly? (it's a question)