[size=13pt]How ethnicity, graft, others ruined Nigeria, by Achebe[/size]

Anyaoku, Jesse Jackson, Amaechi on way foward

LITERARY icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe yesterday lamented the nation’s woes, painting a picture of how the Nigeria-Biafra war which was precipitated by the bile of ethnic hatred, created a clique of military class and political adventurers that ruined the country.

He said this ugly development has been made easy by Nigerian academics who have presided over the liquidation of the university system in Nigeria and the rise of a culture of anti-intellectualism in the country.

Achebe made the remarks in a keynote address titled “Literature and Ethnicity” which he delivered at the Garden City Literary Festival taking place at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State. He was represented by his third son, Dr. Chidi.

The renowned professor of literature who spoke to the audience through a recorded video, recalled that though Nigeria is today steeped in ethnic and religious tensions, there was once a time when it was seen as a land of great hope, progress; a nation of immense resources including a great diversity of vibrant people who have not always been on the best of terms, but had collaborated to produce great results for the betterment of all. He said the Nigeria-Biafra war changed all that.

Present at the event were the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, American civil rights activist, Jesse Jackson, Vice Chancellor of UPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, Prof. Molara Ogundipe, Prof. Femi Osofisan, Prof. Nkem Okoh, Prof. Chidi Maduka and other dignitaries.

Achebe said: “Since the war, Nigerians have been subjected to a clique of military and civilian adventurers and a political class that have exploited the ethnic divisions in Nigeria. This group, unfortunately, has been completely corrupted, spearheading the enormous transfer of the country’s wealth into private bank accounts, a wholesale theft of the national resources needed for all kinds of things - health, education, roads. The result has been that the nation’s infrastructure was left to disintegrate unleashing untold suffering on millions of innocent people.”

He noted that what upsets him most is that the entire mess, which Nigeria has found itself today was quite avoidable. According to him, the leadership appears not to really care for the welfare of the country and its people.

Achebe noted that for him, it was such a cataclysmic experience that has virtually changed the history of Africa and that of Nigeria such that he had to rethink all his optimism about the country.

He berated the academia for allegedly collaborating with the military and the civilian authorities to foster a culture of anti-intellectualism and misgoverning the country.

“If a political class, including intellectuals, university professors, and people like that, who have read all the books and know how the world works, had based their actions on principles rather than on opportunity, Nigeria would not have been in this predicament.   But Nigerian leaders, beginning with the military dictators, looked around and saw that they could buy intellectuals,” Achebe said.

He said he despairs over Nigeria daily because of her missed opportunities and the fact that nobody has had the imagination to transcend all the ethnic pettiness and become a leader of modern Nigeria.

“So, let us stop all this nonsense about religion, about tribe and so on. Let us organise Nigeria and make it a working entity so that it can fulfil its mission in the world,” he said.

Achebe tasked Nigerian writers and their counterparts around the world to continue to point out the ills in the society even if it produces headaches in the halls of power.

Patron of the festival, Governor Amaechi, said the choice of literature and politics as the theme of this year’s edition of the festival was informed by the fact that politics permeates every aspect of life.

“From the role of women in our society to the struggles of those who feel their points of view are not clearly heard, to the development of our environment, literature probes every facets of our experience, including those bearings on political matters. This year’s festival offers a forum where writers, public figures, scholars and other citizens can discuss the nature and implications of the relationship between literature and politics. My hope is that at the end of this festival, we will come away with deeper insights and a renewed sense of the vital link between literature and politics.”

Amaechi also urged writers to reflect reality, noting that one of their major roles is to identify problems of the society and provide solutions to them.

Anyaoku who chaired the event, stressed that though education is the gateway to the development of any nation, such development would remain far from being achieved if it lacks a good literary culture.

He explained that if politics is to produce a non-dysfunctional world, politics needs literature because the two reinforce each other for good policy.

On his part, the American civil rights leader and former presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, Revd. Jesse Jackson stated that Nigeria’s stability and growth are huge things to the world, saying that, literacy, as the Garden City Literary Festival is promoting, is the key to liberation and that those who have the strong minds break strong chains.

He stated that literacy and poverty cannot co-exist, thus education is a key to competing into this world and “that thinking enables us to co-exist.”

Festival director, Koko Kalango observed that the GCLF has become a yearly forum for networking and conducting business with books, with intellectual ideas as common denominator.


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yep. the intellectual elite in Nigeria don drop the ball big time. i no blame dem much either becos we all know how military can frustrate your life if you no cooperate. ppl like Wole Soyinka know what i'm talking about.

I was once told that writers have solutions to world's problems. Chinua Achebe is definitely in the league of these writers

velo10:

I was once told that writers have solutions to world's problems. Chinua Achebe is definitely in the league of these writers

Thats true

That's the truth, my dear author.

In fact, we are no longer at ease as things are falling apart.

When I think that men like achebe has to live abroad in his old age it really pains my soul. He is right about the academics selling out over the years. If all the professors and other leaders of thought had kept their pockets untainted, the military wouldn't have been able to break our psyche the way they did. I recently visited what is left of the ajaokuta steel complex and I almost broke down. This country was supposed to be great, instead what are we talking about boko haram, secession and almajiris. Smh

Pardon the typos I'm using a phone. @lagcity - I blame them o ! Academicians are supposed to devote their lives to ideals and their calling is to impart virtue to future leaders. When THEY can be corrupted then u have a rotten society

He said he despairs over Nigeria daily because of her missed opportunities and the fact that nobody has had the imagination to transcend all the ethnic pettiness and become a leader of modern Nigeria


THAT SUMS IT UP BRILLIANTLY

OAM4J:

[size=13pt]How ethnicity, graft, others ruined Nigeria, by Achebe[/size]
Achebe said: “Since the war, Nigerians have been subjected to a clique of military and civilian adventurers and a political class that have exploited the ethnic divisions in Nigeria.

Almost all educated Nigerians know this but one still wonders why it happens.

OAM4J:


[size=13pt]How ethnicity, graft, others ruined Nigeria, by Achebe[/size]


He noted that what upsets him most is that the entire mess, which Nigeria has found itself today was quite avoidable. According to him, the leadership appears not to really care for the welfare of the country and its people.

This too is correct, but Nigerians have the hope of making it by singing the praises of those in Power.

He forgot to add the Kings, chiefs, and so called elder statesmen, who come on air to tell lies of governors achievements

I remembered some royal highness coming on air singing gov peter odili's praises of provision of pipe borne water for the whole port harcourt city when no taps were running. and so many others.

ehie:

He said he despairs over Nigeria daily because of her missed opportunities and the fact that nobody has had the imagination to transcend all the ethnic pettiness and become a leader of modern Nigeria


THAT SUMS IT UP BRILLIANTLY

AMERICA IS FULL OF RACISM,IN WHAT  WAY HAS IT IMPACTED  ITS GROWTH AND ADVANCEMENT? SERIOUSLY, WE NEED TO STOP THIS TRIBALISM AND ETHNICITY EXCUSE.


Ethnicity is going no where ,let us look at ways to develop our dysfunctional system that is blatantly corrupt and unworkable.Why is Achebe (with due respect) so fixated with the issue of ethnicity?, he hardly says anything without mentioning it.

Ufeolorun:

AMERICA IS FULL OF RACISM,IN WHAT  WAY HAS IT IMPACTED  ITS GROWTH AND ADVANCEMENT? SERIOUSLY, WE NEED TO STOP THIS TRIBALISM AND ETHNICITY EXCUSE.


Ethnicity is going no where ,let us look at ways to develop our dysfunctional system that is blatantly corrupt and unworkable.Why is Achebe (with due respect) so fixated with the issue of ethnicity?, he hardly says anything without mentioning it.

In America, you can live and work anywhere, contest for elections, etc. A. Schwarzenegger is an Austrian, If i remember correctly Madeleine Albright is also not an American indigenous citizen, but she was one time secretary of state. even a nigerian had held political office, all manner of people are employed into the government service over there.

But in Nigeria we have quota system, region, etc.

If you arrest a high profile politician it is tagged as witch hunting of an ethnic group, obasanjo wants a yoriba speaker otherwise it means the yoribas are marginalized.

Ufeolorun:

AMERICA IS FULL OF RACISM,IN WHAT  WAY HAS IT IMPACTED  ITS GROWTH AND ADVANCEMENT? SERIOUSLY, WE NEED TO STOP THIS TRIBALISM AND ETHNICITY EXCUSE.

Fact: Racism in America has arrested the growth of a significant minority, right from the time of slavery through to the present.

Ufeolorun:

Ethnicity is going no where ,let us look at ways to develop our dysfunctional system that is blatantly corrupt and unworkable.Why is Achebe (with due respect) so fixated with the issue of ethnicity?, he hardly says anything without mentioning it.

The good prof is echoing the same view expressed about racism when he makes it known he despairs over Nigeria daily because of her missed opportunities and the fact that nobody has had the imagination to transcend all the ethnic pettiness and become a leader of modern Nigeria.

You do not think we need to “. . . stop all this nonsense about religion, about tribe and so on. [and] organise Nigeria and make it a working entity so that it can fulfil its mission in the world", as advised by the prof?

One Nigeria is a mirage.

Why did he not come physically? What is with the recorded video thing? not even a live stream - smh, that is why i love the Nobel laureate.

@POST

Ethnicity is the cornerstone of the colonial contraption called Nigeria. One can not discuss the socio-political developments in Nigeria without heavy dosage of tribalism. I guess one of my mentors in Achebe did not forget tribalism and academia officially shook hand in 1965 through the courtesy of Richard Akinjide then minister of education.

otokx:

Why did he not come physically? What is with the recorded video thing? not even a live stream - smh, that is why i love the Nobel laureate.

Why should he be there physically.
Are you the only one that does not know of his health condition.

Ethnicity is going no where ,let us look at ways to develop our dysfunctional system that is blatantly corrupt and unworkable.Why is Achebe (with due respect) so fixated with the issue of ethnicity?, he hardly says anything without mentioning it.

I think Achebe is right to point this out. Afterall 75% of NL discussions are based on ethnicity - other trbes are bad mine is good , isn't it?

nagoma:



I think Achebe is right to point this out. Afterall 75% of NL discussions are based on ethnicity - other trbes are bad mine is good , isn't it?

It is the truth. Nigerians just like dancing around the truth to suit them

nagoma:



I think Achebe is right to point this out. Afterall 75% of NL discussions are based on ethnicity - other trbes are bad mine is good , isn't it?

I would not use NL as  benchmark for a lot of things ( the career section is great though).The way people go about it,its like if tribalism go away then naija will become great.If we look properly rather this simplistic assessment of issues we will see that Ethnicity really is not the issue with Nigeria,its pure greed and a dysfunctional system that continues to fuel it.Flipping helllike! why should we have 35 governors,why?

Bookmarked

eGuerrilla:

Fact: Racism in America has arrested the growth of a significant minority, right from the time of slavery through to the present.

Fact;it hasn't  stopped the monumental progress the country has made and still making.

Ufeolorun:

I would not use NL as  benchmark for a lot of things ( the career section is great though).The way people go about it,its like if tribalism go away then naija will become great.If we look properly rather this simplistic assessment of issues we will see that Ethnicity really is not the issue with Nigeria,its pure greed and a dysfunctional system that continues to fuel it.Flipping helllike! why should we have 35 governors,why?

^^^ I beg to differ with the bolded: ethnicity is the primary cause of our woes in Nigeria today. The 'greed and a dysfunctional system' you mentioned as being the main issues are the effects of ethnicity.

It's ethnicity that makes people be appointed into positions they're not qualified to man; it's ethnicity that makes dolts in government loot and steal from the commonwealth as they believe they have no stake in Nigeria but rather owe primary allegiance to their ethnic group; it's ethnicity that makes dolts in government care less about socio-economic issues emanating in places other than where they're from, thus allowing such issues to fester, get worse and become intractable (in the south east for instance: Ibeto cement; Innoson grp; gully erosion manace; bad federal roads; having less number of states than other zones; lack of a int'l airport until recently, etc); it's ethncity that causes conflicts like the one we're seeing in Plateau today; it's ethncity that kills merit being recognized as the primary consideration for gaining admission to tertiary and other institutions in Nigeria; it's ethnicity that makes criminals in government get away with 'murder'; and finally, it's probably ethncity that has made you to be not as bright as you could have been, b'cos you're waiting for quota-system, federal character and 'na my papa land syndrome' to give you a leg up in life rather than rolling up your sleeves and trying to get whatever you're looking for based on bloody hard work.

Ka ji kwo?

PROUD-IGBO:

^^^ I beg to differ with the bolded: ethnicity is the primary cause of our woes in Nigeria today. The 'greed and a dysfunctional system' you mentioned as being the main issues are the effects of ethnicity.

It's ethnicity that makes people be appointed into positions they're not qualified to man; it's ethnicity that makes dolts in government loot and steal from the commonwealth as they believe they have no stake in Nigeria but rather owe primary allegiance to their ethnic group; it's ethnicity that makes dolts in government care less about socio-economic issues emanating in places other than where they're from, thus allowing such issues to fester, get worse and become intractable (in the south east for instance: Ibeto cement; Innoson grp; gully erosion manace; bad federal roads; having less number of states than other zones; lack of a int'l airport until recently, etc); it's ethncity that causes conflicts like the one we're seeing in Plateau today; it's ethncity that kills merit being recognized as the primary consideration for gaining admission to tertiary and other institutions in Nigeria; it's ethnicity that makes criminals in government get away with 'murder'; and finally, it's probably ethncity that has made you to be not as bright as you could have been, b'cos you're waiting for quota-system, federal character and 'na my papa land syndrome' to give you a leg up in life rather than rolling up your sleeves and trying to get whatever you're looking for based on bloody hard work.

Ka ji kwo?

my brother, if you like shout it from the rooftops nobody majority will not agree with you. but it is the simple truth.