 |
| Dr. Wale Okediran, Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo and Denja Abdullahi |
*Organising
committee calls for papers, schedule nationwide literary competition for
students
ADA DIKE
Writers, literary enthusiasts and Achebe fans all over
the world have rolled out drums to celebrate 50th anniversary of Late Professor
Chinua Achebe's novel, Arrow of God.
This was disclosed last week at a press conference held by National
Organising Committee for the Arrow of God @ 50 Celebrations.
The chairman of the committee,
Dr. Wale Okediran, who explained the essence of the
celebrations, hinted that 2014 would be the golden anniversary of the
publication of the novel, Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe.
The prolific writer also revealed
that the organising committee of the Nigerian end of the international
celebrations which comprised professor and former head of the English
Department, University of Lagos, Nigeria, Akachi Ezeigbo, poet and literary
icon, Denja Abdullahi and the Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA),
Lagos Sate Chapter, Mr. Femi Onileagbon, among others, have proposed an
international colloquium comprising symposia spread across five cities in
Nigeria as part of the activities marking the celebrations.
With the theme: Arrow of God @
50: Literature, Leadership and National Unity, scholarly and insightful papers,
according to the organisers, would be entertained at the symposia in five of
the seven centres of the celebration namely: Lagos, Ibadan in Oyo State, Awka
in Anambra State, Sokoto and Otuoke in Bayelsa.
“To allow for a full and diverse exploration
of the book and its relational possibility to the issues under reference, the
following sub-themes are hereby presented as guides to would-be paper presenters:
(A) Conflict Generation and Resolution in Achebe’s Arrow of God. (B) Ezeulu in
Achebe’s Arrow of God and the Post-Independence African Leadership Style. (C) Literature
and the Quest for National Unity: Achebe’s Arrow of God as a Paradigm. (D) Managing
Changing and Transitions in a Pluralised Society: Achebe’s Arrow of God in
Reference. (F) Africa at Crossroads of Development and Good Governance: What has
Literature got to do with it? (G) Achebe’s Arrow of God: The Igbo
Socio-Political Leadership Worldviews and the Lessons for Africa. (H)
Traditionalism versus Modernism in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God, and so on,” Okediran
said.
The former President, Association
of Nigerian Authors (ANA) also revealed that would-be presenters would be
allowed to choose a topic outside the proposed subthemes as long as their
presentations conform to the broad theme and the idea behind the celebration. “At
the end, the papers presented will be further edited and published into a book
that will fossilise the gains of the celebration of the book’s contribution to
the contemporary discourse on Leadership, Democracy and National Unity in
Nigeria.
“Interested scholars and writers
are advised to send abstracts of not more than 250 words for individual papers
to E-mail address: achebesarrow@yahoo.com
not later than February 15, 2014. For more information, they can also visit www.arrowofGod50.com. Also, there would be
nationwide literary competition among selected secondary school students. 10
students will be picked from 10 private secondary schools and 10 students from
public secondary. Copies of Arrow of God will be given to these students to read
for one month before the day of the literary competition which will involve
quiz, reading comprehension and one act dramatic enactment by participating
schools of any part of the book that exemplifies the main conflicts of the
narrative world of the book. Proposed date for the colloquium is April 23 to
May 3, 2014.”
Concerning the global celebration
of Arrow of God, he said that the book’s publication would be celebrated in
more than 70 countries around the world, beginning from India with a conference
at The Maharaja Sayajirao University in January 2014. From there to Bangladesh.
“In February, there are plans to commemorate this milestone in Washington DC,
the United States of America. In March, multiple events will take place in
Asia. Russia in April. Fifth Achebe Colloquium at Brown University will hold in
April. The Kenyans are planning something as well. Later in the year, Great
Britain group is planning two events in London and Southampton. There are plans
to celebrate the book’s golden jubilee in Spain, Italy, Israeli, Turkish
Universities, and universities in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia and Romania, Central America – Mexico, Norway,
Portugal, Australia and New Zealand, among others.”
He briefly gave an overview of the
book by saying that: “Arrow of God is a 1964 novel by Chinua Achebe, his third
novel after Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease. These three books are
sometimes called The African Trilogy, as they share similar settings and
themes. The novel centres on Ezeulu, the chief priest of several villages in
South Eastern Nigeria, who confronts adversaries to his office, colonial powers
and Christian missionaries in 1920s.
“Set in Eastern Nigeria in the early twentieth
century, Arrow of God is a political and cultural novel that captured the clash
of two cultures and their inability to contend peaceably with their
differences. Achebe portrays the disrupting effect that externally imposed
power system (The British) has on an internally imposed power system (African
tradition and customs). He portrayed the true colour of colonialism as it
walked over existing traditions, destroyed age long customs and shattered norms
and lores to institute its authority. This succinctly x-rayed conflicts within
the Igbo society which the external forces capitalized on to invade the
traditional society. It also explored the resultant disaster for the Igbo
society which disintegrates and fizzles into nothingness as the missionaries
took over with their arm of Christianity. This reorientation will lead not only
to the assimilation of Western values and beliefs, but also to the eventual
loss of the Igbo cultural identity and by extension, the political identity of
the Nigerian nation at large,” he said.
He explained further that However,
the main thrust of the book, which many readers and critics have adjudged the
most intricate and most accomplished of Achebe’s novels, is its exploration of
the question of power and leadership as exercised by the elites of a community,
reflected in the character of Ezeulu and his equally powerful antagonists in
the book. The choice of the community is left with at the end of the book which
arose out of the power play between Ezeulu and his adversaries is very
instructive to Nigeria of today and Africa with regards to presence or lack of
development as a result of inappropriate exercise of power and leadership. This
book is also relevant in the contemporary Nigerian discourse on leadership,
democracy and national unity.
“It will therefore be very
auspicious to use the opportunity of the 50th anniversary of the
publication of the book to re-examine the concepts of power, leadership,
responsibility and good governance in Nigeria and Africa as derivable from the
vagaries of Ezeulu and his confederating communities in the Arrow of God.”
He reiterated that: “Amidst the
seemingly obdurate challenges of globalisation, this conference presents an
appropriate foray to use the story in Arrow of God for inward search and
necessary projections on the past, present and future of our shared community
experiences especially in the areas of leadership, democracy and nation
building.
“The colloquium, in the spirit of
the proposed National Conference in the country will also negotiate the
ever-deepening social divides and increased alienation among sub-sections of
the Nigerian society by unravelling the democratic fabric on which the future
stability and legitimacy depends. It will pursue the argument that citizens in shared
communities must forge the path, and exemplify strong, vibrant partnership to
meet up with the demands of national unity and globalisation.”
Prof Akachi Ezeigbo led some members of the organising committee
to unveil the logo for the celebrations.
Ezeigbo also spoke concerning the celebrations and said
that Arrow of God is regarded by many as the most intellectual work. All
Achebe’s works, according to her are landmarks and classic. We are happy to be
celebrating Arrow of God which is a landmark publication. Achebe is a literary
icon and we are lucky to have him. In spite of his challenges, he remained
focused and contributed not only to the development of Nigeria but contributed
to global leadership. He is a writer whose legacy will endure, even though he is
dead physically, he still lives in his works,” Akachi added.
Also speaking, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)
National Vice President, Denja Abdullahi said that the Association of Nigerian
Authors solidly participated in Achebe’s burial. He assured everyone that from
the national executive council of Nigerian authors, “We will work to make the
celebrations successful.”
The organising committee said Achebe’s family is solidly
behind them and stressed that they have contact the book’s publishers. Some
individuals and organisations, according to them, have indicated their interests
to support the celebration. They therefore craved the indulgence of individuals
and corporate organisations to support the project.
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