The passing of Chinua Achebe is a great loss not only for Nigeria and Africa but also for the world at large. I send my condolences and those of my brothers and sisters in The Gambia to our brethren of the great nation of Nigeria on the occasion of the death of the doyen of African literature, the most learned Chinua Achebe, “Towering Man of Letters” as the respected New York Times would call him. The loss of an icon and a repository of knowledge saddens us.

The Gambia has been mourning as well as celebrating Chinua Achebe during the past few weeks. We mourn his passing and yet are relieved and compensated by the wealth of knowledge and inspiration he left us. We are crying but we are also happy and we gladly celebrate his legacy. I guess this paradox of tears and laughter to mark his death was somehow foreshadowed by the doyen himself because a reviewer of his works once said that Achebe “makes you laugh and then catches your breath in horror.” I, the one who has been labeled The Gambia’s Pen, could not have been left behind in the mourning and celebration of Achebe. So when our national TV anchor Ebrima Baldeh (a student of African literature) sought me for an interview that was meant to be a tribute to Achebe. An 11-hour day at the office and its fatigue would not be enough to stop me from paying due respect to a deserving son of our continent. I left my office at 7 PM and drove straight to GRTS Headquarters in Kanifing.

The provocative journalist in Mr. Baldeh showed from the get go as he started his interview by quoting a jester who said that at the ripe age of 82, Chinua Achebe left the pitch of a football match eight minutes before the end and the game is incomplete. Surprised as I was at such a lighthearted way to start an interview that was meant to be a tribute, I smiled and answered: Well Chinua Achebe himself has answered this satirist of a jester. Chinua has not passed away he merely passes on from one state of being to another. His legacy lives in his books and teachings.

His legacy and his life continue in me as one inspired by Achebe’s works. Incidentally, our main national newspaper published an article of mine on the day of this interview titled “Wisdom from Our Mothers” that explained the significance of proverbs I learnt from my mother, the wise Kaddy Jammeh of Lamin Village. I connected this article to Achebe’s assertion that in his career he sought to write down the eloquence of Africa. I further quoted Achebe to say that the man who is credited with retelling the story of a continent that was largely written by outsiders has himself become a story because in his bid to write the story Achebe’s life has become a part of the story. And this is what Achebe said about the story: “… [I]t is only the story that can continue beyond the war and the warrior. It is the story that outlives the sound of war-drums and the exploits of brave fighters. It is the story […] that saves our progeny from blundering like blind beggars into the spikes of the cactus fence.

In my desire to convey the general mood of Gambians on the demise of Chinua Achebe, I sampled a few Gambian writers and this is what they have said about him:

Dr. Cherno Omar Barry lauded Achebe for the role his books played in African schools. The above quote from Achebe’s works was taken from Mr. Barry’s thesis. Making reference to James Miller Dr. Barry said that Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” “became the first novel adopted as a required text for African secondary-school students throughout English-speaking Africa. By 1965, his works were already known by a significant number of students and adults in most of the African societies.”

A renowned Gambian researcher, author and Curator of our national museum said this: “Chinua Achebe was to African literature what Herodotus was to history: Achebe removed African literature from the arcane crannies where it laid almost undisturbed to the centre stage of world attention, appreciation, respect and acceptance. Achebe was the ultimate colossus of African literature not only by his numerous books, but also through his editorship of the famous African Writers Series from 1960 to 2000, where he helped to expose over 100 African writers to the world.”

In the above statement, Hassoum Ceesay, who is also Vice President of The Gambia Association of Writers summed up my admiration, debt of gratitude and respect for Chinua Achebe because going through high school the only books I read apart from the required academic texts were titles from the African Writer’s Series. And having never sat in a literature class throughout my education, his editorship of the AWS qualifies Chinua as my teacher in the art of literature. Truly the icon has left an indelible mark in the minds of Africans like me.

My publisher Mohammed Hassan Loum CEO of GUELWAAR Publishers said this: “I grew up reading Chinua Achebe. Achebe’s novels for me chronicle African history. Of his books, I’ve read and enjoyed “A Man of the People”, “Anthills of the Savannah” and “Things Fall Apart”. Things Fall Apart was one of the first African Literature novels I read in School, loved and still do enjoy. The striking themes in this particular novel taught me the dynamics of culture, the struggle between change and tradition, and the quest for dominance. What I found particularly appealing is Achebe’s use of language by integrating traditional Igbo words in “Things Fall Apart”. Such usage of traditional language is also evident in Sabally’s wolofisms and Mandinka aphorisms. The demise of Chinua Achebe is indeed some things falling apart for African Literature.”

Well said there Mr. Loum, but the passing of Achebe is actually a turning point for Things falling in place. The legacy is a gold mine and writers like me will continue to grow and build by feeding from the wellsprings of his deep and rich legacy. Indeed his passing and the eulogy that the New York Times did on him were so remarkable that it has impacted my psyche. I do not think that it is a mere coincidence for me to be finalizing my first text in fiction at the time of Achebe’s demise. In his works, he has left perpetual instructions for us young ones on the way forward for African literature. And we shall follow his path. As I told Mr. Baldeh during our interview there is a Wolof proverb that says “an elephant clears the path purposely for her young ones to follow through”. In his trailblazing works Achebe has truly cleared a path for us and we shall follow all the way through to heights he would be proud to see us reach.

GRTS’s Weekend Spectrum Anchor and literary critique Ebrima Baldeh has this to say about Achebe: “Having carefully crafted his novel, Things Fall Apart, Achebe’s world was supposed to be united, but a union that was based on solid personal achievements nothing less, nothing more. Indeed, an anatomy of Achebe’s life will certainly take us to what he described as the misstep he took when he left the Faculty of Allied Sciences for the Faculty of Arts – in others words, Achebe as a first year student, knew he would be a teacher of light as Sallah and Iyeala describe him in their book “Chinua Achebe: a teacher of Light”. He did spread the light and his act was recognized by no less an authority than the great Simon Gikandi, the thoroughbred English Literature professor at Princeton University who once called him the father of African Literature. But isn’t it too sad, to see, the father of African literature departing without getting the Nobel Prize for literature? Better still, critics may ask: What’s so special about the Nobel, does it make you the best? Rest in peace Achebe, the battle has just begun.”

What a story! Rest in peace Chinua Achebe, Africa remembers and we will never forget you.

Momodou Sabally is of the Gambia’s Pen



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/the-gambia-mourns-chinua-achebe/

Iheneme

How husband allegedly slaughtered his wife in Lagos

• Deceased’s father narrates family ordeal

ENDURANCE Agbobonye-Ajisegiri, a native of Uro Ivrogbo Iri in Isoko South Local Council of Delta State was enjoying a blossoming career in Speech Writing.

In fact, she had concluded plans to pay for a Sports Utility Van (SUV) at the car dealer’s place as a surprise gift for her husband, when the same man sent her to her early grave with a knife, which he used to slice her throat.

But for the quick intervention of the Medical Doctor of the hospital who prevailed on the police from Shasha Division to arrest him, her husband, the prime suspect, who is now in the cell of the homicide unit of the State’s Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba Lagos alongside his mother and sister, would have escaped the wrath of the law, when Endurance finally gave up the ghost at the hospital.

Unaware that danger lurked ahead, Endurance, who left her husband’s home following a feud between the duo, had innocently followed his spouse’s friend to make peace with the man she loved when the said man suddenly turned against her the next day and allegedly sliced her to death.

Endurance’s father, Elder Johnson Agbobonye, who is very distressed over his daughters’ demise, told The Guardian that he was yet to believe his daughter, whom he described as “the breadwinner of my family” has been sent to the great beyond by a wicked husband.”

Elder Agbobonye narrated how the feud between Endurance, a Speech Writing Consultant and Managing Director of Speech Transition Company Limited and her husband, a native of Kogi State, began.

According to the 68-year-old man: “ I was not at home when it happened. I was at the sea side, and so they called me.

On Saturday April 13, a friend of my daughter’s husband came to our house to come and carry Endurance, my daughter so that they could go and meet the husband for settlement over the quarrel between them. He did not meet her in our house here; he had to go to her office to carry her to the husband’s place. My daughter quarrelled with her husband, which we settled. The following day, the young man sent me a text telling me he was not satisfied with the settlement. Immediately, I called my daughter to stay away from him, because the content of the message he sent to me showed that he did not love her and did not want her.”

He continued: “I warned her not to go to him. It was this friend of my daughter’s husband that put pressure on her and carried her to the man on Saturday, April 13 when I was not at home, at about 2.00p.m., on the ground that they wanted to settle the matter. The next day, I received a shocker from the husband, who called to say we should come to the hospital that Endurance had killed herself. Immediately, I started coming from Ibeju Lekki Local Council. Before I got here, the Doctor had already called the police from Shasha Police Station to arrest the suspect.”

“The doctor saw that it was a pure case of murder because my daughter’s throat was sliced. They took me to where my daughter’s body was laid and I started crying. I wept uncontrollably, I could not control myself. The father of the man who killed my daughter is from Kogi State, he is a son to a professor,” Endurance’s father lamented.

Explaining the details of the quarrel, which his family was trying to manage, the elder said: “There was a woman at the centre of this whole quarrel. She was a staff working for my daughter. My daughter brought her up in her company Speech Transition Limited and this same lady started having a carnal affair with her husband, so my daughter sacked the lady from the company. It was the sack that led to the hatred by her husband.”

“My daughter usually trained speechwriters for companies and schools. She brought her husband into the business. She left her husband’s place and ran to her sister’s place since the man turned her to a punching bag because of another woman. She was the breadwinner of our family. Her 57-year- old mother cannot sleep even as I am talking to you now. What will make me feel satisfied in this matter is for justice to be done . I want the man and his family to feel the pain my family and I are feeling now,” he said.

Her elder sister, Mercy Amadi told The Guardian that she was yet to believe that her sister was dead.

“I cannot accept that. I am yet to believe that someone my sister calls her husband has taken my sister’s life. She was a vibrant and intelligent young lady. When my sister saw a cockroach in the bathroom, she would run out of the house, that was the person they had killed. I refuse to accept that! Look at her three-year-old daughter, she is with me now.”


http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120246:how-husband-allegedly-slaughtered-his-wife-in-lagos&catid=3:metro&Itemid=558

So what you are saying is the op is not normal. Like madness. Ok

Abeg story to long. I will remain with mtn. They are not all that bad.

I think you got that from 1961 record book

chiover: With public fund I guess.

hw much is he paying

you go fear canopy now!

This a welcome development. I hope they come out with a good resolution

Go and reconcile with you mum joor. Then make ur chioce, forget nobody will die .

MEND VS MEND . Ok now

Story! Then u collected the 3Billìon from okorocha to impeach his deputy. First why did you go to Awka. Greedy politicians

FRSC should do something. This is happening too often. Rip to the dead.

This is a scam

Op show us video. Cant beleive this photoshoped pictures.

This is 2face

pls any link where i can watch this match online

Ngwakwe: I can't see any terms they stated from the article.

fake bh

Na craze dey worry am.

Nightshift: Lagos state is rich enough to put smiles on the face of its pensioners. It's a shame that this is happening in Nigeria's richest state. Gov. Fashola, pay your state's retired senior citizens, please! They must not die in penury after working hard for the state for many decades.

Apc is working

otokx:

The same thing observed in the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Aluu, Alakahia, Rumosi, Rumuekini, Rumualogu, Ozuoba, Mgbuoba and the adjourning areas.

same with rumukrushi,rumudara,elimbu

Neddy ogu: what dignity does a woman with 3 kids from 3 different men have?

a lesson for corpers that specializes in eating bushmeat and bush vegetables

I will do just that

This pple always like to disgrace us.

Thank God for saving us

O ga eme gi voom na anya

Aritobo: All of u are political robbers, killers, looters etc becus the human composition of this parties are still same. I hate all of u

if inec registers APCN. No qualms. Tinunbu shuld choose PDPN. Yes thats the part PDPN i like the name.

Hw much are they going to pay. I missed the oil subsidy money. But this one shall not pass me by.

I wrote their test last nov. Can i apply?

THIS MAN AND HIS FAMILY HAS SUFFERED FOR UNA HAND. OYA MAKE UNA COME FEED HIS FAMILY

GEJ is building one in otueke, and Ekweremadu just built one. Are they trying to bribe my father