Chinua Achebe, I repeated to the man who informed me. Let me sit down first!
There are issues we cannot handle as human beings – standing on our feet. The news of Achebe’s transition hit me with such reality defying savagery. I needed to gather my bones and senses – into one bowl of recovery.

Even Mohammed Ali, had the genius to banter over the knockout punch  that occasionally happens in boxing.  And that famous Greek Philosopher Heraclitus who spoke about “you can never step   into the same river twice”.  Like all people across the world since yesterday’s breaking news over  Chinua Achebe; it is now time to stand up – again; to a world that has finally changed and closured over a cultural frontier – forever!

What does life after Achebe mean? And who is he – to play on the Judicial plank?  The easier ones come quickly that he is the author of Things Fall Apart; a novel he admitted recently as being more famous than himself – worldwide. And that he nearly 30 other works across almost every genre of literature. But like James Joyce, belongs to  the few coterie of writers who every book they published became masterpieces or canons in their faculty and trade.

Chinua Achebe

Achebe share a happy celebrity with his fellow country man and colleague over this rating across the world on foreign shores. Readers respond to the question of who is the greatest Nigerian writer – easily with this answer: Wole Soyinka. And what novel did he write? With Things Fall  Apart!  All parties win in this kind of Divine slot. And the eminent actors themselves relish their abiding endowment.

However, this short tribute needs to highlight a not so common statistic. Things Fall Apart has actually been translated into more than 61 Languages worldwide; this came from the authority of Professor Emmanuel Obiechina in 2006; and has sold much more than the stunted 10 million copies supplied my Heinemann which also led to the tearing into two of their cheque to Ayi  Kwei Amah – in some years past.  Achebe himself changed his publishers to Penguin international in his latest book – There Was A Country which has been officially declared as having sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

The politics of production, and compensation is grave and enters the canonization process in the very end of all endeavours. As a biological man Chinua Achebe is among the greatest novelists of all times. He had a standing ovation on entering The American Congress;  a rare applause accorded few mortals in that nation’s history ….

Note: 

We have all read the tributes of political leaders , academia, socio- cultural groups and  public figures. Vanguard, in its usual manner is giving its numerous readers an opportunity to celebrate this icon –  the person and life of Chinua Achebe, his legacies and how he has touched their lives-  with his works.

Send your tributes to:  citizenreport@vanguardngr.com