The Senior Special to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe has described the late Prof. Chinua Achebe as a rare gem whose death is not only a colossal loss to Nigeria or African but the entire literary world.
The Presidential aide who spoke in his office said Prof Achebe will be missed by all and sundry.
“The death of Chinua Achebe is a colossal loss to this country. He was a colossus among us. A giant in his profession and a very great man of merit. And the nation will greatly miss him very very deeply. We have lost a great man who was a great novelist who has published several books”.
“I recall personally that he has published several books, the very first of one, Things Fall Apart which was published in 1958 with a record sale of over 15 million copies. Not very many Africans can boast of such an achievement. And in recent times and perhaps what we may now call, his passing shot, the last book he did, There Was a Country, though very controversial shows a man with tremendous passion for his people and country. Today we can say Nigeria will surely, surely miss him”, he stated.
Responding to a question, Dr Okupe said though Achebe was in the later part of his life described as a controversial man due to his refusal to pick a national honour, such conduct must not be equated with activism hence it was natural for people of great achievement to look at things in an opposite direction.
According to Dr. Okupe , people who are outstanding professionals “usually appear to us sometimes, at one point or the other as been controversial. These are the people who do not only challenge the society and the system which they belong to. They challenge even themselves because of the overall grand efficiency and dynamism which we are not accustomed to. I’m grateful that he was inspired enough to leave such a legacy. It is food to thought. Controversy always have many sides”.
Dr. Okupe who also said Achebe was a source of inspiration to many generations hinted that though he has read Achebe’s last book, the death of the literary giant has prompted him to once more read the book as a mark of honour and solidarity to the fallen elderstateman.
“Achebe said there was a country and I would like to say there was a great man called Chinua Achebe and I have a lot of respect for him”, he concluded.