A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Prince Preye Aganaba, has described the death of a literary icon, Pa Gabriel Okara as a big blow to Africa
Aganaba said the late octogenarian was an inspiration to many people and an asset to the Ijaw nation.
He, however, said Okara’s passing was a transition to glory and a higher call destined for only those whose sojourn on earth left behind ever green memories not faded even by the relentless passage of time.
He recalled some of his great works sucj as “the Fisherman’s Invocation (1978), the Dreamer, His Vision (2005), and his early novel, The Voice (1964) and the poem, The Call of River Nun, saying they remained the forerunner of African modernist poetry.
Aganaba who prayed comfort for his family and loved ones, urged them to seek solace in the fact that the playwright, poet and novelist, lived a rich and fulfilled life.
Aganaba said the most memorable words of the late poet was still very fresh in his memory when he was asked in a 2014 interview with The Nation to describe the critically acclaimed poem “The Call Of River Nun”.
Aganaba said: “When the question was thrown to him Pa Okara said, ‘The Call of River Nun, may be described as a poem of remembrances, a desire to live freely without any fear, without any enemy’.”
“Those words should be the template of the human race, to make the world a better place for all, irrespective of gender, religion or ethnicity”.
Also Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23, 2019 election, Mr. Peter Obi, on Tuesday mourned the passage of renowned poet, writer and administrator, Dr. Gabriel Okara, describing it as the loss of an African literary giant.
“Gabriel Okara was not just a celebrated poet but, indeed, one of the greatest writers ever to come out of Africa. With his death, the continent has lost a literary giant,” Obi said in a statement issued by his media office.
He described Dr. Okara, who died on Sunday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at the age of 97as a rare breed. “Pa Okara was not just a poet and writer but also an accomplished administrator of men and resources. As Life Patron of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), he played a critical role in molding the present and future generations of Nigerian writers,” Obi said.
He also praised the late Okara’s exemplary life of contentment and incorruptibility, noting that these are qualities needed to be imbibed by the present generation of Nigerians to get Nigeria out of the doldrums.
The former Anambra State Governor condoled Okara’s family, the Bayelsa State Government, the Ijaw nation and the Nigerian literary community, urging them to take solace in his rich legacies of hard work, excellence and probity.
