Chinua Achebe is one of those epically unique individuals whose lives have been so full, so purposive and so impactful that we begin to pray that they will never die. But who doesn’t know that that is mere wishful thinking? To be sure, the Eagle on Iroko didn’t die young, but he left when we still need him urgently and acutely. He has gone, but he left so much of, by, himself behind…

The passing away of Chinua Achebe at 82 years on Friday March 22 reminds us of the African saying that it is advanced age we all pray to attain; no one can escape the final submission to the authority of death. Achebe burst into literary fame with the publication of his first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958. The title became an undying image and symbol of confrontation with and resistance against European nations that invaded the African continent to colonise and exploit.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Sunday paid tribute to Prof. Chinua Achebe, describing him as a global icon of all time.

…Dickson, Okorocha, Akunyili, Senators, ACN, NLC, others pay tributes
OGIDI, the headquarters of Idemili North local government area of Anambra State and home town of deceased literary giant, Professor Chinua Achebe, was quiet, Sunday, even as members of his kindred said they would convene a meeting this week to formally announce his death to the people.

Nigerian youths in Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday in Abidjan described the death of Nigeria’s literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, as` `a loss to Africa’’.