Tribute Galore as Jonathan,Ngige,Nnamani pays Tribute to Achebe

More tributes continue to pour in for the late literary sage, Prof. Chinua Achebe as prominent Nigerians gathered yesterday night to extol his virtues and literary strides while he was alive.
At “Day of Tribute in Honour of Achebe,” organised by his friends, top former and serving government officials poured out their eulogies. For many of them, Achebe’s place in history would never be taken by another
. Speaking at the event on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku said, “We celebrate a rare man, an illustrious son of Nigeria and Africa who was also a true citizen of the world. We pay respect to him that told his story and our story. “He told the story so clearly and with very compelling simplicity.
We all heard him. Indeed, the whole world heard him. Achebe was that gifted African child who went all the way from his simple roots in Ikenga Ogidi village to the Olympian heights of his calling. Along the way, he captured our imagination.”
Former governor of Anambra State and Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District urged Nigerians to emulate Achebe’s sterling examples. “After his automobile accident, the doctors told him that he would not spend more than 10 or 11 years,” Chris Ngige revealed. “But he spent another 23 years.
He was a determined man even on a wheel chair. “With him, you can see courage and determination. We’re to be determined like Achebe to salvage our country. There’s poverty, unemployment and insecurity in the land.
The determination to put our country right isn’t here. If Achebe could achieve a lot on a wheel chair, we can do more as Nigerians.
For Achebe, I don’t think he has died,” Ngige added. Former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani said Nigeria needed people like Achebe who could always tell leaders the truth they didn’t like to hear. “I had the opportunity of attending Achebe’s colloquium in the United States.
The people who were present at the event were mostly white. Achebe was an ambassador of Nigeria to the world. Achebe had a great command of respect of people across the world. The type of reasoning his intellectual ability portended made it impossible for people to resist him. “I’m one of those who think that as long as we have people like Achebe who will always tell us what we don’t want to hear, Nigeria will never make mistakes.
Achebe contributed tremendously to the growth of Nigeria abroad. As long as we continue to live by some of the teachings of Achebe, we will continue to remember him,” Nnamani admonished. Achebe’s friend and professional colleague, Prof. Chidi Nwazurike said, “I speak on behalf of millions of UNN alumni who were touched in one way or the other by Achebe’s works.
For those of us who later reviewed his works, we were able to see where Achebe was coming from. “I used to take him to the airport then in New York. The last time I attended his colloquium, it was wonderful to see three distinguished Nigerians sitting side by side. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Achebe and Wole Soyinka were all seated together.

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