₦airaland Forum

Afam4eva: The truth is that, the only reason why people try to compare Soyinka to Achebe is unconnected with the fact that Soyinka won the Nobel prize. Had he not won it, he would have just been regarded with the likes of Elechi Amadi, Cyprian Ekwensi, Ola Rotimit etc.

Wola Soyinka in a literary midget as far as authorship is concerned. As a playwright, WS is recognizable. It will be an insult and overreach to compare Wole Soyinka to an author such as Cyprian Ekwensi.

It is pitiful to read craps posted by certain individuals from a particular ethnicity in Nigeria because Achebe had been referred as “Father of African Literature” by mostly Africans. Yet they make boastful noises over the “Nobel Laureate” awarded to WS by group of KKK members based in Sweden.

sweetcheecks: Do not do exactly what Soyinka spoke of about Nigerians. Do not push your luck. I do not have to know shiiittt about an igbo nigerian writter if his effects never touch my shores. My appology aludes not in any way to my ignorance but to my superiority of being able to say I am sorry when I have made in error in spelling of a man's name wrong which is a light years aways from you on your kind. Back offf!

If you think your ignorance or lack thereof is light years away from my kind, the post by “bestview” with the picture of Mandela and Achebe exchanging pleasantries does not speak good of a goon that postulated Mandela does not know Achebe.

It is wonderful humanity has means to record certain events.

It is very ironic the same people who scorned at the instances of certain Africans calling Chinua Achebe the “Father of African Literature” and bitterly lamented that Europeans did not find the works by D. O. Fagunwa very appeasing are the same goons that will appear in a battle field with arrows-Nobel Laureate among archery equipment provided by the Europeans.

sweetcheecks: Seriously? This was a PR exercise! Are you kidding me you people are gullable. Mandela probably does not even know who or what Chinebe was. Duh!!! Now you sit Boobo sit!! Good dog!

I suggest you stop flaunting your crass ignorance in the public arena.

aribisala0: Firstly I do not not what is meant by "modern African literature" so I cannot say who is or is not a pioneer.Did I say that Achebe is the pioneer of modern literature ,When,where . At any rate is there a law that says there must be ONLY ONE pioneer?

Certainly if by modern African Literature we mean the practise of publishing works in books then those names along with Achebe are pioneers as they are more or less contemporaries. I am happy you mention Fagunwa because it goes to my earlier point of "Must the work be in a European language or validated by Europeand or outside Africa even" In fact is there such a thing as African literature? Does it refer to geographical origin or do any other similariies in form and content exist? . I do not see how a work in Yoruba can be better judged by any other than the Yoruba and so we must ask is Yoruba literature "African enough"

I have chosen, as many others, to call Chinua Achebe “Father of African Literature”. Any fool who does not like my cherished endeavor can simply jump off the cliff.

Ola Johnson: CA can not be said to be the pioneer of modern literature. Where do you place D. O. Fagunwa and Amos Tutuola

These tribal tendencies are approaching the level of sheer madness.

texazzpete: I thank God I am neither Igbo or Yoruba so I can make this statement without being tagged with a tribal brush.

You, my dear, are an imbecilic dolt!
You are one of the ignoramuses WS so aptly described in this interview. What does it matter if 'others' (who WS rightly calls 'misguided' or 'overcome with exuberance')called Achebe the 'father of African Literature'? The man himself never called himself that...nor did any of the major literary icons in Nigeria label him that. So what is this fascination with foisting such a title on him?





Freudian slip? YOU need to get over your jealousy and pettiness.




Nobody would ever call Elvis the 'Father of Rock and Roll'. Michael Jackson has never been called the 'father of Pop'.

What an arrant nonsense. Whether you are Edo, Esan, Urhobo or Itsekiri, you are a known tribal icon on this forum. How does being neither Igbo nor Yoruba absolve you from the image of a tribally biased goon?

Only a fool with jealousy symptoms gets twisted out of human form by simple phrase ordinary folks used to refer to individuals.

philfearon: Why do i get this Feeling that all those against Achebe in dis Thread are Yoruba People? I gues u pple r unhapy it was nt ur Sole Woyinka dat is being labelled as "Father of African Literature" right? I dnt blame u pple anyway...OTher Writers r nt Crying Foul abt it,So why ir Wole Soyinka beggin 4 atention?i wil tel u dis Wole nd ur Yoruba suporters,u guys Suck...kip cryin like Kids 4 all i care...CHINUA ACHEBE'S "THINGS FALL APART" is stil d greatest novel 4rm Africa,nd is even publishd in Ova 15languages worldwide....can u beat that til u die @WOLE SOYINKA?

Certain cretins in Nigeria are known to subject everything in the country through the prism of tribalism. They will scorn at what phrases few African had chosen to represent those who have contributed to certain growths in the continent of Africa. In the other hand, they praise and cherish the craps such “Nobel Laureate” Europeans have tossed toward Africans for perpetuating the disdainful status blanketed over Africa by individuals such as Joseph Conrad and his “Heart of Darkness”.

ROSSIKE: How far did Shakespeare's work travel in his day? How many Chinese, Indians, and Africans read Shakespeare in his day? Was it not after colonel invasions of territories in the 20th century that his work became popularised outside England? Chances are without the colonial invasions, we wouldn't know a thing about him. So popularisation of your work across the globe can be caused by many factors and is not a barometer of your excellence. It's like saying that because Christianity and Islam are the two most popular religions, then they must be the father of all religions, or the best or only true religions. Meanwhile those two faiths are only popular because of the willingness of their inventors to spread the message through widespread violence, invasions and bloodshed (crusades, jihad etc).

Granted the popularization of certain works could be achieved by many factors such as colonial forces, one wonders what engendered such popularity in Achebe’s work besides excellence. Nigeria never colonized anybody and never exuded the qualities endearing to outsiders to attach interest to something Nigerian.

Nonetheless, Achebe’s work grabbed global attention per sheer excellence and erudition. Achebe’s works became larger than a continent that spurred discriminatory tendencies among Nobel committee members in Sweden.

Africans can not stop to amaze me. Whether confirmed illiterates chose to call Achebe the father and grandfather of African literature or the son and grandson of African literature, how do such personal choices become subjects of intellectual exercise bordering on imbibed jealous and tribal jingoism?

There were wars, including wrestling matches, yet somebody decided to tag a recently concluded war as “mother of all wars”. If such a joke was called mother of all war, what shall we call Kiriji wars, grandfather of all wars?

WS is a man I held in high esteem but he disappointed me in the interview allegedly given by him especially where he referred to CA is a “storyteller”. Anyway, WS is qualified to have an opinion. However, I must say there is great difference between literature and theater arts. I can safely say that WS is a playwright or dramatist not an author.

It is an act of foolhardy for any Igbo person to expect political patronage destined to make Igbo land economically viable from a president of Nigeria who is of Yoruba descent.

[quote author=~Bluetooth]Take it from me,no alliance can stand between the yorubas and biafrans.There is a fine line between light and darkness ![/quote]Please convey your sentiment to Yoruba Unity Forum. You seem to be old fashion. People on the ground are talking about Republic of Igbo land and you are still yarning about issues of yesteryears. Sniff a coffee for a change.

[quote author=Dudu_Negro]Thank God his corpse is going to Abuja and not Lagos. Good for him.[/quote]Lagos does not matter much these days. Have you ineptly forgotten that Abuja supersedes Lagos within the realm of importance?

[quote author=~Bluetooth]The yorubas know who represent them and I find it hysterical for any true representative to sit with secessionists to discuss about a country they fought to divide.[/quote]It is equally hysterical to gauge the instances that spurred Yoruba Unity Forum to think of hosting the so-called Southern Nigeria People Assembly. Did they consult Babalowo on this crass endeavor?

noblezone: Please, let us not close the door completely.

Let us hear them out.

Bros, I have already heard from them loud and clear.Contemplating airtight doors is not out of reach for a wounded soul.

@OP

These political grand standings by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi are mere hogwash. There is no template for Nigeria to occasion the development the Sanusi tends to preach. Nigeria was created to fail and it shows.