Providence, RI January 16, 2010: Professor Chinua Achebe has called on the Nigerian and South African governments (two of the largest economies on the African continent) to more vigorously join the international community - particularly the remarkable and admirable example of the United States and the European Union - and provide much needed funds and other forms of aid to the people of Haiti for disaster relief.
The legendary author of Things Fall Apart and other African masterpieces, also called on the International powers to allow ousted former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, now exiled to South Africa, to return to his country of birth and join the efforts there to rebuild that Caribbean nation at this time of greatest need.
He lamented the state of affairs in Nigeria today and blamed decades of political ineptitude and corruption amongst several other ills, on Nigeria's inability to emerge as an important global economic, political, and in this case humanitarian player; even though the country had earned over half a trillion dollars from petroleum since independence.
He called on all eligible Nigerians to participate in the democratic process, insist on free and fair elections and choose competent leaders as a first step in addressing this decline.
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