UNN receives 30 academic abstracts for Achebe’s anniversary
The Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, has so far received about 30 academic abstracts for the celebration of the fourth anniversary of the deatg renowned author, Professor Chinua Achebe on Tuesday, May 23.The ceremony which would be chaired by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, would witness the dramatic recreation of Achebe’s book, Arrow of God, with the title of When the Arrow Re-bounds. The Director of the Institute, Professor Emeka Nwabueze, who spoke in a telephone interview with the South East Voice in Enugu said that local and international scholars, including Achebe’s daughter, and Chimamanda Adichie will present papers at the anniversary..According to him, among Nigerians expected at the event include Major General Ike Nwachukwu, retd, former Minister of Health, Prof. Ihechukwu Madubike, Prof. Adetokunbo Pearse, Prof. Ikeogu Oke, the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi.Others include the governor of Anambra, Chief Willie Obiano; Rivers, Nyesom Wike; Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi ; and Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, among others.Nwabueze said that Achebe’s office at the UNN which had not been opened since the last 15 years when he left for the United States of America, USA, would be re-opened and re-named Achebe Centre for Critical Thinking during the ceremony. According to him, a former Vice Chancellor of the University had tried to re-allocate Achebe’s office to another officer of the institution but academic staff of the institution resisted the move by throwing away the keys to the office so that nobody would ever find them.Nwabueze had earlier explained that it took the UNN four years to organise a befitting programme on the his life and times of Achebe “because four years in Achebe’s novels represents four market days in Igbo tradition including Oye, Afor, Nkwo and Eke.“When he died, it was just a matter of some people in the Faculty of Arts holding small events for him or even for some members of the academic community travelling to Obosi, his home town even though most of them could not find their way to the place.“This time, we have decided to re-enact that very important incident that Achebe’s death symbolises because of its ability to crystallise… our culture. “We are mindful that in his Arrow of God, he used the death of Ezeulu’s son in the process of helping a family friend as a rallying or turning point in the novel and his concentration for our unity and togetherness also shows the type of his person as a grassroots man. We have plans to film the Arrow of God,” he said.
