Promise Adiele
Shakespeare’s play “As you like It” is a creative work that I do not admire much even if I have dissected the text many times before enraptured students. Not because it is established in confusing, non-distinctive styles of human relations, but because the incidents present a choice to humanity where excesses and follies are uncontrolled, therefore immoderate. However, I am always reminded of the play each time someone exists from the world. The lines “All the world’s a stage, and all the men merely players, they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts” constantly remind me of the ephemeral nature of human life with every second drawing us to the inevitable exit point.
We are all on the stage of life and one bright day, someone will complete his assignment and take a bow. Although we may not all exit the stage in the same circumstance, exit is as sure as daylight. On the 8th of January, it was the turn of Nigeria’s celebrated man of letters, novelist per excellence Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike to exit from the stage.
As Shakespeare points out, many men play many parts on earth, yet many also play just a single part in their lifetime. While the parts played by many find expressions in ignominy and disrepute, others play parts that are celebrated by both the spiritual and the physical realms, including the flora and fauna. Chukwuemeka Ike’s life is easily located in the latter category and we must at once do justice to it as a distinguished son of Africa.
Every week, multiple issues in Nigeria compete for critical attention in this column. Many people send emails to me asking me to address one issue or another. While some people write to admire my courage in confronting these anomalies in our country, other people write to advice caution seeing that we live in dangerous times where criticism could become one’s gate-pass to the present government’s gulag. To all those who send emails, I appreciate you all. For your sake, I will continue to write, ‘no retreat, no surrender’ goes a popular cliché. Surely, it is not an easy task to engage the hydra-headed, multi-layered issues that confront Nigeria. Sometimes, thinking about these issues disembowels my being and leaves my thought processes fractured.
At other times, I unconsciously erode my sensibilities trying to paint a picture of Nigeria’s present realities and communicating the same to those who hold all the aces. I must admit I have received emails and phone calls from very powerful quarters reacting to my essays. The humane among them, like the executive government of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will call to appreciate my criticism and promise to make amends while the self-indulging, self-seeking, inordinate ones among them will call to threaten the pen, promising hell and brimstone. Either way, this column is dedicated to pricking the raw nerves of our country, identifying deteriorating aspects in our society no matter whose ox is gored.
With all of the above in mind, it comes as a breath of fresh air to move away from the issues that bedevilled Nigeria and celebrate a renowned son of the soil. It is no news that one of the most eclectic writers from Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike has danced into the night at the ripped age of 88 years. Many people have expressed shock and sadness at his death as we are meant to do in this part of the world for obvious reasons yet, many have celebrated him and are still celebrating him in death. I align with the latter category because the late novelist lived a fulfilled life. He left an indelible mark on the sands of the global literary seashore. I believe in the maxim that it is not how long one lives that matters but how well. Chukwuemeka Ike lived long and also lived well therefore, we should roll out iconic drums and celebrate this distinguished son of Africa whose works touched the lives of many. Ike should be celebrated for many reasons. Besides bestriding the academic world with his interesting novels, he lived an exemplary life which culminated in his becoming the traditional ruler of his village, the boisterous Ndikelionwu, land of courageous warriors and beautiful virgins in Anambra State. Please be reminded that I am not from Ndikelionwu and my wife is not from there either, so the allusion to courageous warriors and beautiful virgins is free from bias.
Chukwuemeka Ike was born on the 28th day of April 1931 to the King of Ndikelionwu, Chief Charles Ezeani Ike, who by several accounts was a disciplinarian of a puritanical hue. Following his impressive showing as a little schoolboy in his village, he sought and got admitted to the prestigious Ife Grammar School, in Mbaise, that land of the brave and clever in Imo state. He eventually went to Government College Umuahia where he honed his literary and writing skills as the editor of the school magazine ‘The Umuahian’. On completing secondary education, he went to the University College Ibadan where he studied English and eventually proceeded to Standford University for his Master’s degree. He started his career as a primary school teacher in Amichi Anambra state from 1951 to 1952. Thereafter he taught at Girls’ Secondary School in Nkwere Imo State from 1955 to 1956. He worked at the University College Ibadan as assistant registrar, University of Nigeria Nsukka as deputy registrar and secretary to council, as registrar and CEO West Africa Examination Council, Director Daily Times of Nigeria, visiting professor in University of Jos, pro-chancellor and chairman of governing council University of Benin, pro-chancellor and chairman of governing council Anambra State University of Science and Technology, Chair of culture sector Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, member of governing board, Nigerian Copyright Council, and as provincial refugee officer in charge of Umuahia province in the defunct Republic of Biafra and so many other distinguished positions in public service. Upon retirement, he was made the king of his village Ndikelionwu, assuming the traditional title of Ikelionwu XI. Until his death, he was a distinguished member of many professional bodies and also had many awards to his credit.
However, his global acclaim as a scholar of repute inheres from his writings as a novelist. He wrote the following novels – Toads for Supper, The Naked Gods, The Potter’s Wheel, Sunset at Dawn: A novel about Biafra, The Chicken Chasers, and Expo ’77. He also wrote The Bottled Leopard, Our Children Are Coming, The Search, To my Husband from Iowa, Conspiracy of Silence and the Accra Riviera (A short Story).
Indeed, this son of Africa deserves to be celebrated all over the continent and beyond. In his lifetime, he achieved what many, those who arrogate the power of intelligence and immolation to themselves, will only dream about. Prof Ike was humble, yet towered so high, he was physically imposing but stooped so low. As this prince takes a bow, let the heavens blaze forth his exit.
Dr. Adiele teaches in the Department of English, Mountain Top University via [email protected]
