Nigerian Newspapers
Unending bickering in the literary house: Between Soyinka and Maja-Pearce
The recent transition and burial of legendary novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe, expectedly triggered old debates in literary circles. One of the controversial issues that came up was whether or not Achebe can be regarded as father of modern African literature, following his records as a great story teller and winner of several scores of literary awards across the globe.
Also the fact that his first and most popular novel, Things Fall Apart, has been translated into over 50 different languages in Africa and beyond is by no means a mean feat.
But in an interview granted Sahara Reporters shortly before Achebe’s burial, Wole Soyinka, Achebe’s contemporary and winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature ruled out the former as father of modern African literature. Soyinka’s argument premised on the fact that there had been great writers across the African continent whose works and their chosen genres had made waves before the generation that produced the likes of himself and Achebe.
Soyinka who cautioned on how titles are being conferred on writers ignorantly also ruled out himself as father of African drama, despite his rare record as the first African winner of the prestigious Nobel Prize. In the same interview however, Soyinka also took a swipe on another writer, Adewale Maja-Pearce, who allegedly ridiculed him (Soyinka) through a negative review of one of his works.
For the purpose of clarity and the benefit of our readers, The Sun’s Literary Review contacted Maja- Pearce to seek his reaction to Soyinka’s comments in the Sahara Reports interview.
The latter promptly forwarded his reaction, detailing the roots of his feud with the Nobel laureate. Maja-Pearce also forwarded his earlier correspondences with Professor Soyinka, in addition to reproducing the copy of his review of Soyinka’s memoirs, entitled You Must Set Forth at Dawn. – SOLA BALOGUN My Original Sin Against Soyinka By Adewale Maja-Pearce I was recently the recipient of what one writer called ‘a devastating public verbal assault’ by Wole Soyinka.
The occasion was an interview with Sahara Reporters, in the course of which I was tagged as a ‘sterile literary upstart’, ‘an inept hustler’, ‘an ignoble character’, and ‘an empty, notoriety-hungry hanger-on and upstart searching for relevance’. My original sin was my review of his latest memoir, You Must Set Forth at Dawn, which appeared in the London Review of Books.
It seems I then compounded matters by what he deemed unflattering references to himself in A Peculiar Tragedy, my ‘ghetto tract’ on JP Clark, which he considered a ‘compendium of outright impudent lies, fish market gossip, unanchored attributions, trendy drivel and name dropping’. Quite a list. I almost feel rebuked by the headmaster at morning assembly. It may be that I am all the things Soyinka says I am, and that my book is as he describes it. Since I am an interested party I must remain silent regarding my many character flaws.
As for the book in question, the reader must judge for themselves. I deplore the temptation to respond to criticism however justified one might feel oneself to be. The job of the writer is to write the book. If it is praise you are looking for, then show the MS to your mother before putting it safely away in a drawer.
That said, the correspondence below might be of interest in establishing certain facts behind all this bile, especially since Soyinka has – ominously – promised more to come ‘in another place.’ ——-Original Message——- From: Adewale Maja-Pearce To: Wole Soyinka Sent: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 9:20 am Subject: Biography of J.P. Clark Hi Wole, My greetings to you. It’s been a long time. I trust you are well. I’ve just embarked on a critical biography of J.P. Clark and am intrigued by your differences over the claim you made in The Man Died concerning his role during your incarceration. I have heard his full side of the story and seen the correspondence with his lawyers.
I would very much like to get your side of the story in order that I do not misrepresent either party. J.P. Clark claims that he was never in Abidjan at the time and that the professor who told you what he was supposed to have said was never named; that, indeed, you claimed, as you wrote in your book, that the unnamed professor merely said it as an aside over a drink in a bar.
He also said that you and Rex Collings had shown him the galleys of the book before it went to press and he denied it but that you and your publisher went ahead and published anyway. I very much look forward to hearing from you.With all best wishes Adewale To: Adewale Maja-Pearce Subject: Re: biography of J.P. Clark Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:16:35 -0400 From: Wole Soyinka Wale, Pity these things have to be raked up. However, JP was right regarding venue.
It was not Solely on account of that single error in location, the fault of my recollection, not the professor friend, I deleted all reference to the incident in the next edition.
You may check. Repeat, the venue was wrong, but not the story. The galleys were indeed shown to JP, on my instructions.The offer to JP was as follows: This is what you are alleged to have said.. Anything you wish to state in connection with it will be published in the book side by side with this story, which I absolutely believe. His response was: “Since you’ve gone this far and you obviously believe the story, go ahead and publish”,. Rex Collings and I discussed it, and we decided to go ahead. JP NEVER denied the story. Years later, JP’s lawyers wrote, and threatened to sue. I told them to go ahead. My informant, who is still alive said, “Are you telling me he wants to deny it?” He was more than ready to testify in court..
I expect he still is, having even become a Born-again and a preacher. You may also wish to ask JP to tell you what he had to say about WS during his incarceration that nearly resulted in Chinua Achebe and he coming to physical blows. Or maybe talk to Chinua Achebe. All in all, my recommendation is that this affair of WS/JP should be laid to rest. My instinct was that he wanted very much to do this when he sought me out in Abeokuta to join him and Chinua on the Vatsa mission.
I think it would be wiser of him to refuse any further commentary on that unfortunately chapter, Some things are best left alone to die with the passage of time. I’m rather glad you made contact because there was something I’d been saving for whenever I next ran into you. I learnt that you applied for one of the Schaeffer Writer fellowships at UNLV.
You should know that I found myself compelled to recuse myself from participating in the selection, and refused any assessment of your candidature.
This was because, from so many directions, I learnt of your review of my You Must Set Forth at Dawn, and always with the question: “What’s with you and Adewala Pearce.’ Or ‘Have you read such-and-such review? Anyone you know?’ ‘Is there a history between you and the writer of that review?’ and variations thereof..Solely concerning your review, no one else’s.
I found that curious. I haven’t read the review and do not intend to. Just want to advise you to be sure to have resolved your real motives in embarking of JP’s biography. Wole Soyinka From: Adewale Maja-Pearce To: Wole Soyinka Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 3:05:35 PM Subject: Re: biography of J.P. Clark Dear Wole, Many thanks for your response.
As a trained historian, my own belief is that mattersof public record should not be left to die with the passage of time – how can they, given that they are a matter of public record? – but should be vigorously debated. My concern, as I said, was to be fair to all parties, which was precisely why I sought your own side of the story. It would be curious if a critical biography of JP omitted any reference to what, after all, became a huge issue in literary circles, tied as it was to the civil war, itself a defining event in Nigerian history.
Regarding my review of your latest book, it’s a pity that you have not read it and, as you say, do not intend to read it. It seems to me that if one is going to form an opinion about a piece of writing then it is incumbent on the person to actually read what was written before doing so and not simply rely on the opinions of others. That said, I disliked the book intensely and said so, as was my fundamental human right. I’m not, and never have been, a cheerleader for anyone, WS and JP included.
The related idea that I might be embarking on the JP book in order to attack WS, which you seem to imply, is not merely absurd but, I might say, insulting, although perhaps you did not mean it to be so. At any rate, my time at INDEX taught me that censorship takes many forms, and that any attempt to stifle vigorous intellectual debate, especially by those who insist on it for themselves, is in many ways worse than the overt variation practiced by the likes of Stalin and the apartheid state – to say nothing of Abacha.
As for you declining to participate in the selection for my application to UNLV, I can only wonder why you bothered to tell me. If the reason was that you do not think me a good enough writer, then I must thank you for not standing in my way; if it was because somebody said that I wrote a negative review of your book, which I do not want to believe is the case, then I must remain silent, a la Wittgenstein: What cannot be spoken about must be passed over in silence – or something to that effect.
However, I am no philospoher, just a writer, or trying to be one. To end on a more positive note. I was the one who edited a book of essays on WS for his 60th birthday because of my regard for your achievement as a writer. The record is there for all to see. I stand by what I wrote then in the preface because I believed it then and I believe it now, just as I stand by my review of your latest book because I believe that, too. Kind regards Adewale
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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