To students and fans of the celebrated author, Chinua Achebe who thronged the two venues of the final lap of the 50th Anniversary of the novel, Things Fall Apart, at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, and the University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsukka, Wednesday April 23, and Friday, April 24 were great days. Like pilgrims desperate for a chanced meeting with their messiah, they earnestly asked whoever cared to listen, " Is Chinua Achebe inside the hall?

Is Nelson Mandela, present? Those questions flew round, as the crowd thickened outside the main auditorium of UNIZIK, Awka, which hosted the Night of Griots, on Wednesday.
The mood was not different at the UNN where the grand finale, of the celebration, the international colloquium took place. You could imagine the disappointments written on their faces, when they realised that none of the great icons earlier billed for the events made it. Nsukka, being the spiritual house of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) founded by the master-storyteller, 27 years ago as a lecturer in the University was unarguably, qualified as host.

By the time the president of the writers’ body Dr Wale Okediran mounted the podium to declare the colloquium opened, last Friday, he assuaged the youths’ frustrations when he sermonized that Achebe was with them in spirit.

Welcoming guests to the programme, which drew scholars, writers, journalists, students and lovers of literature, the president blamed Achebe’s absence on old age and his fragile health. However, he implored the understanding audience to take solace stressing that although he (Achebe) was not there physically, his spirit abided with the gathering.

Adorning a black traditional cap of the Ibos, on a white native dress, Okediran recalled the journey so far in the three-weekends-long anniversary which was flagged-off in Lagos, on April 12. He gave reasons for the absence of its notable dignitaries especially, Nelson Mandela, Jerry Rawlings, and General Yakubu Gowon (rtd).

According to him, their absence was not unconnected with Achebe absence. While he noted that the author and the novel are inseparable, Okediran lamented that most people failed to appreciate that the work was being celebrated, not the author. Rather than identify with the work, the writer bemoaned how its major sponsors backed of the event at the last minute, upon knowledge that Achebe would not come. He said but for courage and commitment, the organizers would have dropped the idea.

The former Reps member who earlier led ANA delegates on a tour of Ogidi, Achebe’s ancestral home, urged top government functionaries to emulate the Chairman, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra, who promised to name a library after the literary icon. The President who led other members of the executive on a celebrative itinerary to Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Akwa, believed his work should be made lighter by a constituted local organizing committee, led by Professor Ossie Enekwe. But the host school’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu O. Nebo had the singular honour as chief host, to formally welcome visitors to the colloquium. Represented by his deputy (Administration), Professor F.I. Ndike, Nebo described ANA’s gesture as inspirational. Having taught at the school for so many years, apart from making Nsukka, the Mecca of Nigerian writers, he declared that UNN cannot but identify with Achebe’s productive literary career.

With encomium pouring on Achebe in torrents, the Don described him as a trailblazer in his field; an individual who had worked consistently to improve the lots of the people around him. As if he responded to Ambassador Segun Olusola’s earlier call on writers to celebrate one another while alive, the V.C announced that the institution’s plan to build a center for research and creativity and name it after Achebe. According to him, the gesture will buoy UNN’s motto of ‘restoring the dignity of man.’

Before the representative of Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state, Mr Chuks Illeagbuna mounted the rostrum the audience were entertained by restless literary artiste, Ebika Anthony, and the University band.

Obi, who was relishing the global attention the golden jubilee anniversary of the icon brought to the state disclosed there are on-going talks on the possibility of flying-in the novelist (Achebe) into the country for a state reception.

The Governor’s representative who chipped-in that the state reception will not undermine the writers’ efforts and hopes to return to the U.S. soon to continue the discussions.

Meanwhile, the moment the gathering had waited for, came with the keynote speech by Professor Ernest Emenyonu of the University of Michigan-Flint. The scholar who adorned a cream colour lace, sewn in Yoruba-Agbada, exhibited his closeness to his roots inspite of several years of sojourn overseas. With the eloquence of a smooth-talker, the scholar restored life into an already drab hall. After acknowledging the presence of the literary giants, especially his fellow sojourner in the U.S, Professor Emmanuel Obiechina, he announced a little alteration in the title of the paper. Emenyonu, who is an alumnus of UNN, stated that rather than the anniversary theme, Things Fall Apart: Telling the World the African Story, he preferred, Things Fall Apart: Chinua Achebe’s Mustard Seed.

In shedding light on the new title, the scholar explained that TFA is like the biblical mustard seed which is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, the novel which at conception was a long-narrative, stretching into many pages had today given birth to many off-springs. Exploring images of fecundity, the professor of literature described Achebe’s productive pen gave birth to TFA, after that, No Longer at Ease, Arrow of God, Anthill of the Savanah, The Trouble with Nigeria among others. The scholar who recalled his days in UNN with nostalgic pointed out, the euphoria of the celebration will not be complete without reflecting on the rock like skeptism of Europeans and Western scholars and, the publisher Heinemann of London, who are today’s striking heroes.

At inception, the lecturer disclosed that Heinemann printed only 2000 copies in hard cover, believing the novel would eventually end in its ledger of bad debts.
Contrary to their expectations, today, the TFA has been translated into more than 50 languages, and earned the author, a legion of honourary awards.

Also evident of the book’s success, are scores of hard and paperback edition, selling in millions the world over, Emenyonu explained but more significantly to the celebration, the don disclosed were virulent attacks on Achebe for his audacity in deconstructing the Eurocentric pessimism of Africans by colonial scholar. Emenyonu identified who led the offensive.

He chided his teacher in his under graduate days, Dr Austin J. Shelton for publishing a series of articles, ostensibly to set the pace for the criticisms of modern African literature, and Achebe’s fiction in particular. He also recalled how a British woman foully castigated Achebe for daring to suggest that things fell apart at the British advent into Africa early in the 20th century. In all these, including a recent controversy sparked-off by a Kenyan, David Kaiza in an article published in The Nation, a Kenyan Newspaper entitled Achebe: Why he was no literary genius.

According to the Kenyan, the success of a single novel (TFA) is not enough to confer on the author, a patriarchal status in African writings. Kaiza, buoyed by a false sense of patriotism, tried to compare his countryman, Ngugi Wa Thiongo with Achebe, stressing that the latter cannot be father figure of modern African literature, over Ngugi, Wole Soyinka. Ayi Kwei Armah, Okot P Bitek or any other.

To puncture, Kaiza’s argument, Emenyonu quickly added that the Kenyan critic missed the point by focusing his argument on the person (Achebe) rather than the work. " The celebration is simply about a fifty-year old African novel which classic eminence has endured the best of time: translated into more than 50 languages and sold more than twelve million copies," the lecturer corrected him. He challenged Kaiza to present another novel with such stature and worldwide appeal fifty years after and it shall be celebrated".Although, the don pointed out that the occasion was not to compare frontline African writers, he deemed his reply to Kaiza’s exuberance, auspicious.

Meanwhile, the keynote speaker blamed Federal government’s indifference to the celebration’s galore. He noted that by identifying with TFA at 50, perhaps, the FG would by that gesture atone for few instances of enormous savagery of military dictators towards Nigerian writers and African literature. He described the action as a disservice to creativity. Emenyonu who also reminded the audience about the loss of the original manuscript of TFA, appealed to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, to lead the mission for the repatriation of the manuscript, which is believed to have been lost to a Camerounian. He noted that the cursory of the literary super-eminence of Achebe will remain incomplete until the original manuscript adorns a museum or archives somewhere in Anambra State.

On Achebe’s denial of the Nobel Prize for Literature over the years, Emenyonu recalled an interview given by the author (Achebe) in 1985. The lecturer revealed how Achebe lashed out at one of the most powerful members of the Swedish Academy, who had earlier said something that angered him and his refusal to apologize to him, against much pressure.

The colloquium, which was spiced with literary performances, drew members of the literary community among the states, notably, Professors Sam Ukala, Provost, Delta State University, Asaba, Dr. Salihu Bappa, Department of Performing Arts, ABU, Zaria, and Professor Charles Nnolim of the University of Port-Harcourt. Also featured in the three-day celebration were seminars, award presentations, and dinner.