PORT HARCOURT—RIVERS State Government has confirmed the outbreak of cholera in Andoni Local Government Area of the state, saying that about 20 persons have so far died from the disease.

This is a true story. A close friend was driving on a fairly busy road on Lagos Island when he was stopped by a traffic light. He looked right and his eyes caught a nine or ten year old child crying uncontrollably by the side. The sight so moved him that he parked his car and got down to see what was making the child so distraught. It turned out that the figures didn’t add up for the poor child.

Finally, the story ends. The story teller has gone to sleep. He has gone with his stories – a bagful. But then another story begins. It is telling the story according to the story teller. It is the story of Chinualumogu Achebe and his stories. It is also about the stories of Chinua Achebe, the man with the stories. Ugo belu n’enu oji – the eagle on the iroko. It is a story that thrills, enthralls and captivates – both sides of it.

On March 22nd this year 2013, the World lost one of its greatest story–tellers and Africa one of her most strident voices for liberation, freedom and equality. Chinua Achebe known in childhood years as Albert Chinualumogu Achebe of Nigeria is no more. We are here at the invitation of the African Leadership Institute USA and Wright State University, to celebrate his life and pay tribute to the enormity of Chinua Achebe’s accomplishments.

It would have been difficult if the burial of Chinua Achebe had passed without any controversy.

Apart from the fact that the dust his autobiography, There was a Country raised was yet to settle, the announcement of his death started another round of controversy.