I have just heard about Professor Achebes passing and my prayers are with his loved ones at this time.
It all makes sense now, It is very clear !....In Chinua Achebes book 'There was a country' Achebe, lamented on the fact that his publishing company the Citadel Press had not published the manuscript given to him by Major Ifeajuna, on his account of the January 66 military coup. Achebe felt the account was highly exaggerated, but no doubt he regretted not publishing it- for one reason, by the end of the Nigerian Civil war the main plotters had been killed...and dead men can't talk.
The 82 year old knew his time was coming to an end and as an ultimate griot who new his duty to his people he knew he had to pass on his version of events.
Knowing what researchers of history face in our nations national archives he put into words what only he could, HIS OWN ACCOUNT of what he experienced - For posterity's sake !
National archives are meant to give us a glimpse of history and depending on the author of the document or the angle the photographer took, it will always be a VERSION that could be seen in so many different ways.
For all those who believed Professor Chinua Achebe's book 'There was a country' was personal (tribal) attack. It wasn't - it was his contribution to our deficient archival system.
He gave us his version of events and that's all he could have done FOR POSTERITY'S SAKE.
"Things fall apart" , "No Longer At Ease" "Arrow Of God" "Man Of The People" "Anthills Of The Savannah" books that take pride of place on my book shelf and has taught me so much about my heritage.
Thank you Sir. You have left a beautiful legacy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
It all makes sense now, It is very clear !....In Chinua Achebes book 'There was a country' Achebe, lamented on the fact that his publishing company the Citadel Press had not published the manuscript given to him by Major Ifeajuna, on his account of the January 66 military coup. Achebe felt the account was highly exaggerated, but no doubt he regretted not publishing it- for one reason, by the end of the Nigerian Civil war the main plotters had been killed...and dead men can't talk.
The 82 year old knew his time was coming to an end and as an ultimate griot who new his duty to his people he knew he had to pass on his version of events.
Knowing what researchers of history face in our nations national archives he put into words what only he could, HIS OWN ACCOUNT of what he experienced - For posterity's sake !
National archives are meant to give us a glimpse of history and depending on the author of the document or the angle the photographer took, it will always be a VERSION that could be seen in so many different ways.
For all those who believed Professor Chinua Achebe's book 'There was a country' was personal (tribal) attack. It wasn't - it was his contribution to our deficient archival system.
He gave us his version of events and that's all he could have done FOR POSTERITY'S SAKE.
"Things fall apart" , "No Longer At Ease" "Arrow Of God" "Man Of The People" "Anthills Of The Savannah" books that take pride of place on my book shelf and has taught me so much about my heritage.
Thank you Sir. You have left a beautiful legacy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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