The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Dr. Chris Ngige; Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu; and Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, have expressed shock and deep pain over the death of Prof. Chinua Achebe.<\/p>\n
Ngige, who was a former Governor of Anambra State, said in a statement he personally signed that Achebe \u201cwas indeed the eagle on the tallest Iroko.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cHis type is God\u2019s special, rare gift to mankind. It is surely the end of an era. The entire people of Anambra Central are in utter shock and disbelief.\u201d<\/p>\n
Describing Achebe\u2019s contributions to the world as priceless, Ngige said, \u201cHe was n\u00famero uno\u00a0 among his peers in the literary world with his flagship novel, Things Fall Apart, ranking as one of the most read all over the world having been translated into more than 50 foreign languages.<\/p>\n
Ekweremadu described the late novelist\u2019s death as the \u201cexit of a literary Iroko.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Uche Anichuckwu, in Abuja, on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very sad development given that Achebe employed his writing prowess to paint Nigeria proudly on the global map of fame, and as a social critic, he was very courageous and spoke his mind according to his conviction without fear or favour,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Ekweremadu condoled with the professor\u2019s family as well as the government and people of Anambra, and the nation in general over the irreparable loss.<\/p>\n
Obi, in a statement on Friday, said, \u201cAlas, the unrepentant apostle of our age, old but latterly despised and grossly abused ethics and value is no more. A true scholar who has left immortal footprints in contemporary literary history, a great son of Africa and statesman is indeed no more. Things really have fallen apart and the centre will no longer hold.\u201d<\/p>\n
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