For the second time in seven years, Nigeria’s literary giant, Professor Chinua Achebe, has rejected his home country’s honor medal of Commander of the Federal Republic, saying that the outstanding issues of leadership and structural ineptitude raised before as grounds for his earlier rejection of similar awards remain unaddressed.
Sharpedgenews.com learned from authoritative sources that the historic icon of letters, Achebe, was never directly informed of the award, which was billed to be presented to the awardees later in the month. There were confirmations that Achebe on Friday sent a brief ‘Thanks but no thanks’ rejection note through Professor Adefuye, the country’s ambassador to the United States.
In 2004, Professor Achebe told President Olusegun Obasanjo his mind on why he did not need the medal. This year, however, Achebe has honorably rejected the award which conspicuously leaves out deserving hardworking compatriots like teachers, journalists, doctors, bus-drivers and others. Instead, brigands, notorious looters and executives are some of the awardees.
“The situation is getting worse and worse,” Mr. Achebe said back in 2004, saying that President Olusegun Obasanjo bears primary responsibility for the state of affairs in the country.
“Nigeria is a country that does not work,” he said: “Schools, universities, roads, hospitals, water, the economy, security, life.”
Achebe said he hoped that rejecting the Commander of the Federal Republic – Nigeria’s second highest honor – would serve as a “wake-up call”.
“For some time now” Mr. Achebe stated in his then letter to former President Obasanjo, “I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency.”
“Forty three years ago, at the first anniversary of Nigeria’s independence I was given the first Nigerian National Trophy for Literature. In 1979, I received two further honors – the Nigerian National Order of Merit and the Order of the Federal Republic – and in 1999 the first National Creativity Award.”
“I accepted all these honors fully aware that Nigeria was not perfect; but I had a strong belief that we would outgrow our shortcomings under leaders committed to uniting our diverse peoples.”
“Nigeria’s condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honor awarded me in the 2004 Honors List.”