Thursday, 17 May 2012
Achebe and The Company He Would Not Keep By Okey Ndibe
Okey Ndibe
Columnist:
Okey Ndibe In addition to being one of the world’s most extraordinary writers, Chinua Achebe – the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor of Africana Studies and Literary Arts at Brown University – has long served as one of Nigeria’s most clear-minded voices of conscience. In a lot of ways, the author of, among other books, the classic Things Fall Apart has become a man of the Nigerian people – a voice for the millions of Nigerians betrayed, debased and dehumanized by the country’s cast of confused rulers, past and present.
In 2004, Achebe spurned a so-called national honor that then President Olusegun Obasanjo sought to give him. He realized that, coming from a presidency that was at odds with the aspirations of Nigerians, the “honor” was tainted. In a letter to Obasanjo declining the bestowal of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), Achebe wrote: “For some time now I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency.” Then he added: “Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence.”
One of the most amazing things about those misgoverning Nigeria is their inability – or refusal – to learn from the past. Had Obasanjo quietly sent feelers to Achebe in 2004 prior to announcing the latter as a recipient of the CFR, he would have learnt that the author was far from impressed. He then would have saved himself the embarrassment of having his undesired gift thrown back at him.
Seven years later, President Goodluck Jonathan and his aides betrayed amnesia. Once again, Jonathan added the author on his list of more than 350 individuals on the 2011 edition of “national honors” roll. Given Achebe’s history of principled repudiation of questionable honorifics, you’d expect that Jonathan – or one of his aides – would have contacted him to ascertain his willingness to be included on the list of recipients.
There’s no question that Nigeria’s national honors register has been thoroughly cheapened, bastardized and drained of meaning. The annual conferral of national honors has become a farce, a charade that should provide great material for resourceful comedians. Each year, the list is dominated by men and women who have worked the hardest to undermine and destroy Nigeria. Many past and serving governors as well as ministers are insouciantly declared “Commander of the Order of the Niger” (CON), as if the Nigerian state stopped short of calling them by their proper names: con artists!
No Nigerian president has had the simple insight to halt the joke called national honors – until the country regains clarity on the distinction between honor and dishonor, heroism and villainy. If all the serving and ex-heads of state, governors, ministers, commissioners and top civil servants had rendered honorable service, Nigeria would not be in its present ghastly shape. So why persist in the mockery of venerating men and women who failed the nation?
Each year, a few truly honorable citizens are sprinkled into the fetid roster of honorees. These admirable recipients carry the burden of lending a smidge of legitimacy and credibility to the otherwise wishy-washy line-up. Still, these few good men and women pay a terrible price. In appearing in the midst of those who have sold Nigeria’s dream for their own profit, the few good ones risk being polluted and smeared. It is, then, akin to accepting a poisoned chalice. A man like Achebe knows better than to keep the company of fellows whose imagination is colored by lucre, and whose aspirations begin and end with primitive acquisitiveness.
In a country where men of questionable conduct and dubious credentials are garlanded, it’s hardly surprising that the Jonathan administration thought that anybody on their list would tremble with excitement. Perhaps it was this reason, or sheer arrogance, that accounted for their failure to find out if Achebe would accept their CFR. They paid for their lack of diligence.
Achebe has the magic flair of speaking volumes with the fewest of words. That attribute was displayed when, on November 12, he rejected Jonathan’s offer. This time around, his rejection letter contained three short, simple sentences: “The reasons for rejecting the offer when it was first made have not been addressed let alone solved. It is inappropriate to offer it again to me. I must therefore regretfully decline the offer again.”
Having received these chastening words, the presidency might have done some serious soul searching. Instead, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati rushed out a statement that combined incoherence and arrogance. Abati let us know that Jonathan still held Achebe in “very high esteem,” as if Achebe needed the imprimatur of presidential regard to retain his place as a patriot, writer and intellectual. Then there was the canard that Achebe’s rejection of the CFR “may have been borne out of misinformation as to the true state of affairs in Nigeria.” And then the spokesman drummed his employer’s alleged achievements as a champion of electoral reform.
Abati’s statement exemplified the profound alienation of those in power – a subject Achebe eloquently treated in his polemical book, The Trouble with Nigeria. That Abati and Jonathan would suggest that what happened in April this year constituted evidence of sound elections is disturbing. In retrospect, many Nigerians have come to realize that the ruling PDP simply deployed a new, more refined rigging technology to stun the opposition and befuddle the electorate. If Jonathan is the face of electoral reform, then Nigeria is more doomed than one ever suspected.
Even more scandalous is Abati’s recourse to a supercilious, pedantic tone in his statement. The suggestion that Achebe’s location abroad has robbed the author of correct information and perspective is at once foolish and misconceived. Any Nigerian can stay anywhere in the world – Siberia included – and get a fair measure of the state of affairs in her/his country. As far as information flow is concerned, the world has undergone a profound revolution. Abati must know that a man of Achebe’s stature has many ways of gathering information on any subject. The whole cult of “being on ground” is one of those facile treatises embraced by Nigerian officials who have little or nothing to show for all the nation’s resources at their disposal.
If Jonathan saw and approved Abati’s statement before it was issued, then Nigerians have cause to be deeply worried about their president’s sense of judgment. Rather than suggest that Achebe is less than soundly informed, Abati ought to realize that the globally famous author’s grasp of the text and context of Nigeria’s history far surpasses that of most Nigerians. If Abati is to properly serve Jonathan, he should first learn not to issue statements that come across as ludicrous.
Again, if officials of the government had a sense of history, they would have reckoned that the kind of glib, insolent response to Achebe was bound to backfire. And it did. The pathetic attempt to discredit the writer’s witness drew the attention of the international media. In numerous reports, print and electronic media around the world seized on the government’s reaction to underscore that Nigeria is besieged both by largely unchecked corruption and terrorist violence on a scale never before seen.
The Boston Globe even wrote a short, poignant editorial praising Achebe’s stance. The paper wrote: “The revered Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe says there is a moral obligation ‘not to ally oneself with power against the powerless.’ The author of the 1958 novel Things Fall Apart recently lived up to his words once again by rejecting one of his nation’s highest civilian honors for the second time in seven years as a protest against public corruption. It’s an inspiring example of how an individual can use his fame to hold governments accountable.”
Those are resonant words – but Jonathan may choose to ignore them. Still, he would do well to take a peek for himself at the various online sites that carried Achebe’s rejection of his CFR. If he did, President Jonathan would find that Nigerian commentators on those websites are virtually unanimous in applauding Achebe’s decision to distance himself from the CFR. He would also realize that most Nigerians agree with Achebe’s assessment that the issues he articulated in 2004 had not been addressed.
Follow me on twitter: @OkeyNdibe
Email: okeyndibe@gmail.com
Comments
49 comment(s)
Post a comment
Greed
Submitted by Henry (not verified) on December 1, 2011 - 22:23.
I grew up reading lots of Dr Abati's materials,but the moment he was appointed to assist the Jonathan administration I was looking forward to find out if would go the way of other Nigerians;and he did not disappoint, he became a SYCOPHANT. I am just so disappointed that truth is so hard to uphold in our society.
Kaparak is a capital fool!
Submitted by Jide Adetiba (not verified) on November 26, 2011 - 17:08.
A person who wrote what Kaparak has written attacking Professor Achebe and Okey Ndibe is a fool. So I'm hereby declaring Kaparak a kapital Rat!
I disagree
Submitted by Komolafe Akinwumi SundayAnonymous (not verified) on November 26, 2011 - 07:09.
To say Achebe and Ndibe are a lackey of the west is nonsenseical.Karapaks's reference to Steinbeck,an American and Nobel laurate, is irrelevant vis-a-vis the matter on ground - pauperisation of Nigerian people.The duo shouldnt be excoriated for showing the Nigerian National shame being perpetuated,over years,by our political leaders.
I disagree
Submitted by Komolafe Akinwumi SundayAnonymous (not verified) on November 26, 2011 - 07:04.
To say Achebe and Ndibe are a lackey of the west is nonsenseical.Karapaks's reference to Steinbeck,an American and Nobel laurate, is irrelevant vis-a-vis the matter on ground - pauperisation of Nigerian people.The duo shouldnt be excoriated for showing the Nigerian National shame being perpetuated,over years,by our political leaders.
Achebe & Ndibe Prefer Company of their Slave Masters Awards
Submitted by KaparaK (not verified) on November 25, 2011 - 23:52.
Paradoxically, Achebe is a caricature of his own fictional character in which a “manly” Okonkwo who disdained his effeminate father only to choose a cowardly way to end his own life when he realized his powerlessness to effect change in his village. In John Steinbeck’s “Of Men and Mice”, one could see how real Men like Obasanjo fought & won battles to glue this disparate country together while accepting defeat of disgruntled Biafran losers like Achebe & Ndibe. These effeminate Mice could only find solace in writing fictional rationale to grumble about worthless Nigerian awards. Whereas Chinua takes delight in more worthless OBE awards from his UK puppet masters, having been sufficiently brainwashed to look down on his own kind for selfish but cheap publicity. With these Nigerian dramatists getting funnier year in year out, who needs comedies with errors?
VINTAGE OKEY NDIBE!
Submitted by Anietie Etteyit-Uyo,Nigeria (not verified) on November 25, 2011 - 21:09.
A famous writer once wrote-'how can the less,the greater understand?'. That is the situation here. Most of our people are no longer reading,so how can they follow Okey's thoughts? Thanks oga,for your thought-provoking piece.
mr speaker of the downtrodden
Submitted by udochukwu chidi (not verified) on November 25, 2011 - 05:03.
mr speaker of the downtrodden nigerian masses,ndewo,dalu & thank you for ur indepth & incisive analysis of prof chinua achebe's peaceful protest against nigerian maladministration,primitive acquisition of unneeded wealth by our so called leaders.my wish is that more achebe's will rise in defence of poor nigerian masses.who would've thort that a former vote president goodluck johnathan,can be so corrupted by nigeria insensitive elitist stand under such short period of time. goodluck johnathan decieved nigerians(to garner their support) by claiming to have not only tasted poverty but lived with it.only people like achebe can wake him up from his deep halucinations of having bettered nigeria.as for ruben abati,the spoils of presidency has beclouded his sense of judgement.peace
NIGERIA's 'HONORS' LIST
Submitted by Dokun Adedeji (not verified) on November 24, 2011 - 15:31.
Prof,there is something you need to understand about many of Nigerian academics-they can lick any boots as long as their bread is buttered.
You will have good sleep if you ignore men like Abati who have since decided that they would rather be a slave to pecuniary accumulation than stand on the measure of their character.
I used to wonder at such depravity until I saw the cravings for the crumbs that fall from the master's table hence the lack of respect for true intellect.
These marauding clan will rather spend money to arrange dubious awards than spend such on our universities! They will rather that these institutions close shop and fill our land with charlatans and dimwits which suit their agenda.
NIGERIA's 'HONORS' LIST
Submitted by Dokun Adedeji (not verified) on November 24, 2011 - 15:29.
Prof,there is something you need to understand about many of Nigerian academics-they can lick any boots as long as their bread is buttered.
You will have good sleep if you ignore men like Abati who have since decided that they would rather be a slave to pecuniary accumulation than stand on the measure of their character.
I used to wonder at such depravity until I saw the cravings for the crumbs that fall from the master's table hence the lack of respect for true intellect.
These marauding clan will rather spend money to arrange dubious awards than spend such on our universities! They will rather that these institutions close shop and fill our land with charlatans and dimwits which suit their agenda.
On National Honors
Submitted by Bede Ivenso (not verified) on November 24, 2011 - 14:56.
The pertinent question is: [Indeed] "If all the serving and ex-heads of state, governors, ministers, commissioners and top civil servants [who had received these so-called honors in the past] had rendered honorable service Nigeria would not be in its present ghastly shape. So why persist in the mockery of venerating men and women who failed the nation?"
YEYE DOCTORS
Submitted by Igbiki (not verified) on November 24, 2011 - 01:56.
Dr Jonathan, Dr Abati, Dr Arabo, Dr Damages everybody na Doctor. I think dey buy it for Orile or Toronto because the Clueless One and his chief protocol no go school at all at all. Just see as dey yeye dem sef for world.
The Boston Globe even wrote a short, poignant editorial praising Achebe’s stance. The paper wrote: “The revered Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe says there is a moral obligation ‘not to ally oneself with power against the powerless.’ The author of the 1958 novel Things Fall Apart recently lived up to his words once again by rejecting one of his nation’s highest civilian honors for the second time in seven years as a protest against public corruption. It’s an inspiring example of how an individual can use his fame to hold governments accountable.”
This is quite a good write
Submitted by Chiedozie Ukaigwe (not verified) on November 23, 2011 - 21:18.
This is quite a good write up.
Okey you are back in form
Submitted by Alexco (not verified) on November 23, 2011 - 14:52.
This is the lingo we used as youths for soccer players who made improvements in their game after a downslide. Prof., this is why I read your articles religiously. I hope days are gone when you write with bias and uncourtly manner about Gov. Peter Obi and others. This article is well written and full of common sense anologies that an average man can comprehend.
Links
Submitted by TrutH (not verified) on November 23, 2011 - 13:23.
nigeria is nothing, no human being should be call a nigerian. we ought to chose our various ethnic groups as our nationality and identity. this passport belongs to a citizen of the republic of IGBO.
Abati, and Adesina of Guardian Newspaper
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 23, 2011 - 02:43.
Dear all:
My information came from a very reliable source, which indicated that Reuben Abati, Debo Adesina of Guardian and other journalists in Nigeria received substantial amount of money (dollars, pound sterling, houses, land, Rolex wristwatches, cars, trips abroad etc.) from Alamesigha, the former disgraced governor of Bayelsa State.
Abati is just another corrupt Nigerian. What do we expect? The man is a thief. Period.
Nigeria is truly a failed state.
National Commedy Award and the rest of us
Submitted by Lucky (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 20:17.
Do our Rulers discountenace the word MERIT in determining awardees? To the best of my knowledge, Steve Jobs the former CEO of Apple never got a national award from the American Government. I pustulate that the so called achievements of over 90% of this year's recepients if put together cannot equal the creativity, inovation and global impact of Steve Jobs who will be remembered for all times. Rueben Abati talks of happenings in Europe, U.S.A, South Africa, Lybia etc with so much authority as if he's a resident of those countries. Why can't Acebe do same with Nigeria? He should remember the replies Nnamdi Azikiwe gave to both Ukpabi Asika and Chuba Okadigbo. Time the great judge of men will tell.
@Omoaholo Imogirie, you wrote........
Submitted by Jude Morah (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 20:05.
"Why do Nigerians cast stones against the Igbos?" ."Igbos are capable to be President of Nigeria."
_________________________________________________________________________
If I may ask you, what is the difference between the minds set and/or thought process of those other Nigerian tribes that cast stones against the Igbos and those white men that wrote the segregation law in the USA?
Not much I guessed. That is why whenever I hear some Nigerians trashing the Whiteman, I always keep my cool.
Thanks for speaking out. Cheers!
But why did jona give IGP
Submitted by segun (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 19:55.
But why did jona give IGP Ringim award? I just couldn't believe our president did that. Am really sad to call him our president.
But why did jona give IGP
Submitted by segun (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 19:45.
But why did jona give IGP Ringim award? I just couldn't believe our president did that. Am really sad to call him our president.
Okey has once more made my
Submitted by Franklin Ngobili (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 18:34.
Okey has once more made my day today with the very beautiful 'lash' he has just dished out to Abati and his employer. Jonathan should ask himself question(s) on how history wil judge not his ascendancy to d top but what he made of it.
I think our leaders need to
Submitted by akdeni (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 18:00.
I think our leaders need to watch their back. Should someone give them public humiliation before they understand that nothing is hidden anymore in the world? I thought we danced because now, for the first time we have an intellectual leadership? So long for that anyway!
My appeal to our leaders is to look into what will make Nigeria and the people comfortable rather than spending our hard-earned money for national political gallivanting-in the name of confering honour on people who ill-deserved it.
Prof Ndibe. Thanks for your
Submitted by akdeni (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 17:59.
Prof Ndibe. Thanks for your candid assessment. National honour in Nigeria is like dressing up for a pig and expecting it to look very well. No amount of dress up can give Nigeria a good image when majority of our people are suffering untold hardship in the midst of plenty. Few cabals corner the nation's wealth, doling pittance to those who can kowtow to their illusionary majesty.
The idea that those abroad are ignorant of happenings in Nigeria is at best ludicrous, and at least laugh-worthy. The world is a global village and nothing happens in any corner of a nation that cannot become public show all over the world. It takes just someone with an internet-enable or Wi-Fi capable phone to show the humiliation of Ghadafi or the beheading of Saddam Hussein.
Abati
Submitted by Bond (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 17:55.
I am seriously disappointed in Abati, whom I personally enjoyed his constructive criticisms. Little did I know that he was jostling for the 'government mouthpiece' job.
What a shame!
Okey dalu rinne.
Poet Chinua Achebe is a man of honor and integrity
Submitted by Dr. Ekeke (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 17:24.
Poet Chinua Achebe is a man of honor and integrity. Men like him are very rare in our society. Thanks Prof. Okey Ndibe for your excellent piece as always.
Poet Chinua Achebe is a man
Submitted by Dr. Ekeke (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 17:23.
Poet Chinua Achebe is a man of honor and integrity. Men like him are very rare in our society. Thanks Prof. Okey Ndibe for your excellent piece as always.
achebe i know
Submitted by KEN (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 15:20.
he would not mess up his image for just ordinary award which for him is barberic and non pririty to nigerian problem, the guud nigerian would think twice b4 taken such honour
I am surprised that people
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 14:35.
I am surprised that people are disappointed in Ruben Abati. Pls, guys go and reread his articles and read between the lines. You will find out that he was just bidding time to SchoP the whole time. I started doing this after the Abuja-Land-scandal broke out and found out that he is just one of the numerous riff-raffs though educated waiting for his turn to get his share of the National cake. NB show me in a very succesful person in Nigeria and i will show u a thief.
Achebe and the company He would not keep
Submitted by Anonymous Godfrey (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 13:40.
Okey, this is a master piece; the unfortunate thing is dat we are in a country where including d president has adopted d idea and method of rewarding eXpertise in stealing, failure and empty praise singing at d expense of hardwork, quality leadership and contribution to d growth of development and sustainance of peace. I am sure senator Ndume and Amodu sherif will make d next list of awardees. Kudos to you okey.
ACHEBE & THE TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA
Submitted by Ade (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 10:53.
Somebody needs to organise a retreat to explain this write-up to President Jonathan,Obasanjo, PDP, the looting assembly members, the so-called asiwajus, godfathers, godhusbands, etc who have raped Nigeria to the point of death. We can spare a few billion naira for the contract for such a retreat; Abati should be able to recommend the best tender.
@ Alabi
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 22, 2011 - 10:08.
Alabi, you can do all you want to hide and defend the clueless govt of Goodluck Jonathan, Nigerians have found out that he will go down in history as one of the worst Presidents of our time. He sent excess security to Bayelsa State because he wants to impose DICK as the governor, while innocent citizens are being killed and maimed by Boko Haram. Shame on GEJ
