ACHEBE COLLOQUIUM: Excitement
as ANA Exco visits Nsukka
By DENJA ABDULLAHI
Sunday, February 17, 2008
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•Achebe
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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A couple of months left to the the start of 50th anniversary
of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the National Executive
Council of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), led
by its president, Dr. Wale Okediran, has visited the university
town of Nsukka, Enugu State.
Before the visit, which took place late last month, the office
of the Vice Chancellor, had responded to the request from
ANA to host the two-day International Colloquium scheduled
to round off the nationwide celebration of Things Fall Apart
@ 50 in April, 2008.
The visit to Nsukka was thus to pay the normal courtesy call
to the authorities of the university and set the ball rolling
for the forthcoming colloquium. ANA’s man in Nsukka,
Greg Mbajiorgu, an ex-officcio member of the National Executive
Council and a lecturer in the Theatre Arts department of UNN,
had paved the way for the arrival of the visiting team, made
up of the General Secretary, Denja Abdullahi; Asst. General
Secretary, Hyacinth Obunseh; Financial Secretary, Maryam Ali
Ali; the Auditor, Chief Charry Ada Onwu; and a representative
of the marketing firm engaged by the association for the celebration,
Tony Ojubuonu (Maclemms Communication), had a good time drinking
from the fountain of UNN’s hospitality.
The evening of arrival saw the visiting team fraternizing
with the doyens of the university community in a hilltop resort
called La Vie with a breathtaking view of Nsukka town. Prof.
Ossie Enekwe, former ANA Vice President and ANA judge, and
editor of the literary Journal, Okike, founded by Chinua Achebe,
was at home reliving his experience as the organizing secretary
of the First ANA convention, convened in Nsukka in 1981 by
Chinua Achebe.
Other individuals, such as Prof. Damian Opata, the HOD English
UNN, were around to share in ANA’s dream of celebrating
Things fall Apart @ 50. The Nsukka dons showed their passion
for the achievements and contributions of Chinua Achebe to
world literature, and the forthcoming colloquium gave them
a sense of de javu since they were all there during the Eagle
on Iroko conference in Nsukka, which marked Achebe’s
50th birthday anniversary years back.
The following day was a day of several courtesy calls for
the visiting team as they paid homage to key personalities
in the university associated with the proposed project: the
HOD, Theatre arts, Mr. Felix Egwuda; HOD, English, Prof. Damian
Opata; and the Dean of Faculty Of Arts, Prof. Uyoku, who all
received the team in their offices. The Dean of Arts later
led the group to the conference room of the Vice Chancellor
of UNN, Prof Chinedu Nebo, where they were received by the
Director, Academic Planning, Prof C. C. Agu, on behalf of
the VC, who traveled to Abuja.
The reception at the VC’s conference room was very warm
with the university expressing her readiness to host the colloquium
and support whatever ANA is planning to celebrate and honour
Chinua Achebe who they consider one of their very own icons.
Interestingly, Achebe’s office in the Faculty of Arts,
Room 126, still stands next to that of Prof. Ossie Enekwe.
The team later retired to a meeting at the HOD English office
with the LOC, where the specifics of organizing the colloquium
were thoroughly discussed. The LOC members include the following:
Prof Ossie Enekwe (Chairman), Prof. Damian Opata (Vice Chairman),
Prof Nnaemeka Ikpeze (a relation of Achebe), Prof Nicholas
Akwanya, Dr Sam Onuigbo, Mrs. Stella Ugwu, Mr. Felix Egwuda
and Greg Mbajiorgu (Secretary).
With the business of the day done, the visiting team and the
LOC went down town to an Ugba “joint” where the
visitors were lavishly entertained with local delicacies and
flowing palm wine and foreign liquor – a foretaste of
what to expect at the colloquium proper in April. Later in
the evening, near the Students Union Building (SUB) on campus,
Prof. Ossie Enekwe hosted the team to a dinner at Osmonds,
an eatery managed by his spouse.
As it stands, Nsukka, the spiritual home of the Association
of Nigerian Authors (ANA was established there) is ready to
welcome back home members of the ANA and others who will be
coming for the International Colloquium on Things Fall Apart
@50. |
