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Tag: Elechi Amadi

  • ‘How Elechi Amadi handed over to me’

    ‘How Elechi Amadi handed over to me’

    Adi Wali is a writer, a humanist, someone who has dedicated all his life to literature.  A great advocate of literature as a means to greatness, he was so close to the late Elechi Amadi, author of The Concubine and other great literary works of fiction.  At the just concluded 44th convention of  the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in Abuja, Wali was admitted into the league of ANA fellows.  It is an honour he considers a fulfillment of his life’s dream.  He speaks to Edozie Udeze on this and more.

    Adi Wali is a writer, one of the very firebrand authors from Rivers State.  He was once the chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Rivers State chapter.  A vocal and great advocate of the rights of every writer, he was one of the authors admitted into the college of fellows of ANA at the just concluded 44th edition of the international convention of the association in Abuja.

    As usual, Wali was happy; he was excited to be so recognised and honoured by Nigeria’s  highest body of writers.  And in an interview with The Nation, he made it clear that what he got is good for him and for the people of Rivers State for whom he worked many years to help build and stabilize ANA in the state.

    “I feel good.  It is a very rare honour bestowed on me at this time.  And this is the dream of everything I have worked for all my life, to be among the people who has been writing to shape the nation, to shape the environment and shape myself.  Indeed, it is a thing of joy.  ANA is a formidable association where you find scholars and nationalists like Chinua Achebe and my late uncle, Elechi Amadi.  ANA is a place where you find intellectuals, people of worthy character who have contributed a great deal to make literature great and ensure that the society keeps afloat.  This is why I am happy today to be among these people.  It gives me a great joy to be so honoured by the leadership of ANA.”

    Wali is not only a great leader of people, he is known to have used his resources to touch lives.  He loves to encourage writers the best way he can.  His leadership style is drawn essentially from one of the masters of the Nigerian creative industry in the person of Elechi Amadi.  Amadi belonged to the early generation of Nigerian authors who used simple stories of the people to craft some of the best novels in Nigerian history.  One of them is titled The Concubine.  So, Amadi influenced Wali a lot and helped to shape his worldview about literature, about story-telling, leadership and relationship with fellow authors.

    He said: “Yes, the story of Nigerian authors proves that it is a historic organization.  Today, my uncle in his grave is a happy man, a happy man for his own son is so honoured.  I think he is happy for he worked hard to see me as a great writer.  Before he passed on, he anointed me.  He said, ‘my son, take up the mantle’.  I never knew he was going to die.  Before then, he invited me to his house to a private session.  He now said to me in our local Ikwerre dialect – ‘do you know you will do more than I am doing?’  Keep writing; keep writing.  Never give up.  So even if I die today, I have left a son.  Not just anybody, but a worthy son who can take over the mantle and take it to far places”.

    Wali is therefore on the right track.  To be admitted as a member of fellows by ANA is the highest honour bestowed on a member who has consistently done well for himself, for the clan and for the sake of literature generally.  “Amadi believed that through my works, I will represent him anywhere in the literary world.  He confessed that my works were better than what he did for literature.  He said I shouldn’t relax or allow anybody to stop or disturb me.  And so, here we are today.  It is a glorious moment for me to have lived to see the blessing come true”.

    Read Also: Niger Delta remains Nigeria’s hidden treasure – Adebayo

    Wali had more opportunities of having several other discussions with Amadi that snowballed into greater zeal for him to write without stop.  “You know we had those sessions over and over”, he said with a smile on his face.  “So, I will say over and over again, today is a great day in my life as a writer.  Yes, it is! That whatever happens, I am happy.  I also want to thank ANA for this opportunity.  I also thank my friends in the media who have always been there for me.  It has been a wonderful journey so far.  So far, so good.

    “I want to tell Nigerians like I have always said, that literature should be taken serious.  Yes, it has to be taken serious by everyone.  We grew up with it; it is here and it will continue to be here.  Read.  Find time to read, to see how literature can shape your life.  Literature is our history.  Literature is life.  It is one thing you cannot control or fiddle with.  It is the conscience of the people.  It is time to continue to read, whether you use electronics or whatever means, please keep reading.

    “Those writing, should keep writing.  There is need to impact reading in our society, in the system generally.  Go to physical and not ICT library.  Get hold of books and read.  Get ideas and issues into your head.  Expand your knowledge-base.  Get to see the world through books.  The world out there is in the books people write.  History does not die when you keep it physical.

    “I have always advocated for it.  Literature should be made compulsory at all levels, from primary, secondary through the university.  I have been a vanguard of reading and promoting literature.  This honour will spur me on to do more, to write more, to also advocate more and write more”.

  • Elechi Amadi was captive of conscience, says Soyinka

    Elechi Amadi was captive of conscience, says Soyinka

    •Wike names Port Harcourt Poly after literary icon

    Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has said the late renowned writer, Captain Elechi Amadi, was a captive of conscience, human solidarity and justice.

    In a condolence message to the family of the late Amadi during the burial at the weekend, Soyinka noted that although Amadi was gone, his creativity remained as consolation to the people.

    The playwright-activist said he treasured the intimate moments he spent in the home of the deceased after he was released by abductors in 2009.

    The letter reads: “Elechi Amadi, soldier and poet; captive of conscience, human solidarity and justice. Elechi is gone, but creativity remains as consolation, honouring its faithful servitors and filling us with gratitude for his passage.

    “I recall those enraged, agonising hours when the peace and sanctuary of his home were violated by kidnappers, mulled over the treasured moments I spent with him in the intimacy of his living room.”

    Amadi was born in 1934. The eminent writer died on June 29. He was 82.

    Amadi was buried this  weekend at his hometown, Mgbodo in Aluu community of Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State.

    The late writer’s compound was filled with prominent guests, especially lovers of arts, traditionalists, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) members, traditional rulers and politicians.

    Rivers State Governor Ezenwo Wike described the literary icon as a great man and nationalist, who contributed immensely to human development.

    The governor, who hailed him for his contributions to society, said he perceived the late writer not just an Ikwerre or Rivers man but a great Nigerian.

    He noted that Amadi’s contributions to humanity made the government to give him not only a state but a national burial.

    Wike said his administration would complete the Faculty of Humanity at University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), which was dedicated to the late writer but had not been completed, seven years after.

    Wike said: “Captain Amadi was a great man and a nationalist. He has made us proud. I don’t see him as an Ikwerre man, or a Rivers man, but a Nigerian man. If the state had another university, I would have named it after him.

    “He is everything; he can be honoured with anything. I wanted to name Ignatius Ajuru University of Education after him. But if I do that, some people would begin to see it as politics. But from today, the Port Harcourt Polytechnics has been named after him.

    “Please, I am calling on the family to unite. Captain Amadi was a man we respect so much. He made a good name and anywhere that name is mentioned, people respect it. That is why I’m calling on the family to preserve his good name.”

  • Elechi Amadi: Widows, kinsmen eulogise literary icon

    Elechi Amadi: Widows, kinsmen eulogise literary icon

    The late Captain Elechi Amadi was born in 1934. He died on June 29, 2016 at the age of 82. His one week funeral, which gathers momentum today and tomorrow, began on Monday. Many activities have lined up to mark his exit. PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA, who visited the family of the literary icon reports   

    The burial rites of renowned author, Captain Elechi Amadi have begun in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. As an Ikwerre-born traditionalist, his exit is to be marked with several activities. Such activities include the launch of his biography entitled Kedara on November 29.

    When our correspondent visited the late Amadi’s residence at Mgbodo,  Aluu Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, members of the community were in high spirits to receive dignitaries from all walks of life who will come to pay their last respects to the Aluu chief. Many youths of the community were at the compound working to keep the environment clean.

    The deplorable road linking Aluu community with the late Amadi’s house has been fixed and the family house has also been renovated by the state government.

    His palace where his body will lie in state today and tomorrow has also been renovated. His old pictures are still hanging on the wall of the palace when our correspondent visited the family.

    One of such pictures is a group photograph showing Nigerian soldiers in 1964; with Brig. Ademulegun, Maj. Gen. Welby–Everard, Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon and others. Another picture on the wall is the group photograph with Rotimi Amaechi, the former Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Tele Ikuru and Dr. Alex Ekwueme.

    There is also a photograph of his late father with other Aluu chiefs exchanging pleasantries with the first Military Governor of Rivers State, Commander Alfred Dapapreye Diete-Spiff (rtd). There are also other memorable photographs on the wall of the palace.

    Speaking on her closeness and the last encounter with the late Amadi, the third wife, Dr. Priye Elechi-Amadi whom many described as the late traditionalist’s handbag, said the literary icon actually told her goodbye but it was very difficult for her to accept his goodnight wave.

    Dr. Elechi-Amadi said she knew that he was going to die but she didn’t know it was going to be soon because there were serious health challenges which he survived in the past.

    “In 2009, he was very ill. We had to fly him to the United Kingdom.  I am a member of Eckankar. I told God that one thing I want from Him was to go back with my husband to Nigeria. He went into the theater three times.  That was why when he fell ill this time; I thought it was not as serious as the previous one. If he had survived that one, this one was no case. I know that his soul lives on, the signs were there that he was going to die but I found it difficult to accept the reality.”

    On the day her husband died, she said it took her two weeks to realise that he was gone. “I wasn’t conscious of myself  two weeks after, because it was a big shock to me. I didn’t lose a husband; I lost a friend and a lover. His death created a big vacuum in my life. He was a very patient man and good listener.

    “Actually, I was privileged to be with him in his private moment. He really opened up to me. You know he loves poetry. While he was ill, there was a reading programme organised by Total Plc. Then I said to him, but for this sickness, you would have gone for this event and he said, “No, you can go for both of us. Please, go and represent me.’ The next morning he was the one that reminded me to go for the event. I went there and gave a speech on his behalf and came back and met him in the hospital.  I think that was a goodbye. He was a true artist to the end.”

    Continuing, Priye, who is a lecturer at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rivers State, said: “He was honest and romantic; he wooed me for about two years. Our relationship started in a very critical note. We worked together on a book, that book entitled Kedara has been published; that was what brought us together.

    “But there was no thought of marriage at all at the initial time. Because of our interactions, we discovered that we were soulmates and intellectually compatible. I think it is natural that we ended up together as husband and wife. We stayed together for 26 years as husband and wife and 30 years together as friends. The best thing I will do for him is to preserve his literary legacy. As a matter of fact, I collaborated on his biography work before he passed on.

    “It was launched on Tuesday, November 29, this year. The biography centred on his personality, lifestyle, work and others. What informed my marriage to him was that he was genuinely lovely, sincere  and kind-hearted. I had two children with my late husband.”

    The second wife of the late writer, Mrs. Rose Elechi-Amadi, who responded in Ikwerre dialect, said her late husband was a good father to their children.

    She said one thing she would miss was his caring attitude.

    “He was one of those men in Ikwerre that know how to marry wife. I’m going to miss his caring attitude. All of us are going to miss him and I have been praying that God should grant him eternal rest.”

    The first wife, Mrs. Dorothy Elechi-Amadi would died last year, but one of her daughters, Pastor Karen Elechi-Amadi said her father was a member of  Ikwerre Language Committee where he assisted the group to translate the new and old testaments into Ikwerre language.

    “Of course, he is part of the Ikwerre Language Committee where he assisted to translate the Bible into Ikwerre language. They have already translated the New Testament; they are still proofreading the Old Testament. He had a dual personality; while he had his eyes on tradition, he also did things that were positive in the eyes of God.”

    “We loved him and respected him; wherever he went, he ensured there was peace and harmony. His area of specialisation was Mathematics and Physics but later he started writing and today he turned out well as a literary giant before he passed on.

    “He taught me how to read even books that were beyond my age. Not just me alone, the rest of my siblings, bringing us very close to books had actually helped us.  He told us that reading is power.”

    We will miss him.”

    Some of his kinsmen said their late brother’s beliefs, lifestyles and his contributions to community development made him a legend, adding that the late Amadi  immortalised himself before he died.

    The younger brother to the late litrary icon, Elder Valentine Amadi said his brother had made a good impression on earth that would last forever, stressing that he was not sick or weak until the day he died.

    He said those were the qualities of an upright man in Ikwerre ethnic nationality. He called on the people to live a life worthy of emulation; since man does not know the day he would die.

    “You can see the atmosphere, the great man in the community is gone. All we are doing now is to  celebrate his achievements and what he believed in. He was a great man, he trained me and seven others. He ensured that we were enlightened and now he is gone.

    “He was a free man. Despite the insecurity in the community, he was not afraid to move around. He was a community man because he participated fully in the community development. He interacted with both old and young. One thing about him is that he preferred living here than outside the community,” he said.

    A resident of Aluu community, Mr. Chris Oji, said the late Amadi, through his literary works, had immortalised himself.

    Oji said:  ”The burial ceremony of Elechi Amadi is not a platform for people to cry. We are celebrating his greatness. We can sympathise with members of the family on the death of a great man who had left this sinful world and to also inform them that we are glad to join in celebrating the literary icon.

    “When you mention the Mandela of our area, then you are talking of the late Elechi Amadi. He had done everything he needed to do.  He had made a lot of progress and trained a lot of people.”

     

     

  • Ode to Elechi Amadi: Officer, gentleman

    Ode to Elechi Amadi: Officer, gentleman

    Founder, Rainbow Book Club and Project Manager, UNESCO World Book Capital 2014, Mrs Koko Kalango, writes on the life and times of one of Nigeria’s notable writers and novelists, Captain Elechi Amadi, who died on June 29. In his honour, the Rainbow Book Club is reading his last book, When God Came, as Book-of-the-Month for July.

    In the 70s, when Port Harcourt could have claimed its title of Garden City, my late father, Justice P.O.E. Bassey, would take us to the theatre in the old township of the oil city to watch plays. There, one grew aware of, and enjoyed the city’s rich literary heritage to which writers, like Elechi Amadi, Gabriel Okara, Ola Rotimi and Ken Saro-Wiwa, had contributed immensely. Their words were enacted on stage by the likes of Barbara Soky, Doye Agama and Comish Ekiye.

    Over two decades later, when I returned to Port Harcourt, divided between study life, work life and marriage, I wanted to recreate the Port Harcourt I grew up in and that was one of the inspirations behind the ‘Get Nigerian Reading again!’ campaign which the Rainbow Book Club launched from this city in 2005. As we prepared to kick off I went in search of our Port Harcourt writers, to enlist their support and participation. I traced Elechi Amadi to his home town of Aluu, shared the vision with him and invited him as a Guest of honour. He was gracious enough to not just respond but to let me know that he appreciated the work we had embarked on and we could count on his help anytime. This was an invitation I would fully exploit and he would always oblige me.

    Elechi Amadi was born in Aluu, near Port Harcourt, in 1934. He was a product of the famous Government College Umuahia (GCU) where other renowned authors such as Chinua Achebe, Chukwuemeka Ike, Gabriel Okara, Christopher Okigbo, Chike Moma, INC Aniebo and Ken Saro-Wiwa also schooled.

    In Achebe’s last book, Home and Abroad, he told of how two of their teachers at GCU, Revd Robert Fisher and W.C. Simpson, introduced and encouraged, respectively, the ‘textbook act’ which was a period between 4 and 6pm daily where all the students had to drop their text books and read fiction books. Achebe and Amadi both agreed that this habit played a definitive role in the emergence of notable writers amongst the students from Government College, Umuahia. Although he studied Physics and Mathematics, Amadi went on to become a prolific writer, publishing 15 books of various genre; fiction, non-fiction, poetry, play and essays.

    Amadi, who attended the University College, Ibadan, was an intriguing storyteller, whose colourful and detailed descriptions of the village life of his Ikwerre people (the setting of his early books), reflected the beliefs, customs and religions of Africans prior to Western influence. His renowned trilogy, The Concubine, The Great Ponds and The Slave are loved by readers the world over.

    Even though he had attained global acclaim by the power of his pen, Amadi remained a ‘Port Harcourt boy’. When I interviewed him in 2014 he explained that the city had been the inspiration of much of his writing. He reminisced some of his fondest memories such as the yearly Accra Dance, described on page 75 of his fourth novel, Enstrangement,  when several hundreds of youths, dressed in colourful clothing with frills, wearing masks and  brandishing koboko whips danced wildly while the drums beat. His plays Pepper Soup and Dancer of Johannesburg were both based in Port Harcourt.

    But Amadi also experienced the pain of some of the city’s most trying times such as when he was kidnapped in 2009 and the tragedy of the ‘Aluu 4’ (where four young men were bludgeoned and burnt in his home town of Aluu in 2012). Amadi used the platform of the Garden City Literary Festival 2012 to speak out against this hideous act.

    An officer, he served in the 3rd Marine Commandos of the Nigerian Army during the Civil war. This experience formed the content of one his biographical works; Sunset in Biafra.

    A gentleman, he had the temperament of a diplomat. I recall a time when there was a misunderstanding between the state chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and the Rainbow Book Club. I asked him to preside over a meeting of both parties to resolve the knotty issues.  His towering moral standing, as well as his dispassionate and objective nature made him the perfect mediator.

    For over 11 years I have had the privilege of relating personally with Elechi Amadi in the course of the work of the Rainbow Book Club including the ‘Get Nigeria Reading again!’ campaign (since 2005), the Garden City Literary Festival, now the Port Harcourt Book Festival, (since 2008) and the Port Harcourt World Book Capital project (2014/2015).  Over the years I have been touched by his simplicity, his deep humanity and his encouragement for education, literature and the general wellbeing of his people.

    When we were putting in the bid for Port Harcourt to be World Book Capital I informed him and he encouraged us to go ahead. Amadi expressed to a trustee of Rainbow Book Club that he had full confidence in the club’s ability to deliver on the World Book Capital project but his only concern was the government. He was speaking prophetically!

    Today, we are proud we had the best of him through Port Harcourt’s tenure as UNESCO World Book Capital 2014.

    We named each day of the week-long Port Harcourt World Book Capital (PHWBC) opening  after a notable Nigerian writer, kicking off with Amadi Day on April 22, 2014. On that day, we had Amadi in conversation over his works. The discussion was moderated by Victor Ehikhamenor and the panel who interviewed Amadi comprised  two much younger Port Harcourt authors, Kaine Agary and Ifeanyi Ajeabo, as well as Eghosa Imasuen.

    In May 2014, when he turned 80, his book, The Great Ponds, was the PHWBC book-of-the-month. As part of the effort to generate discussion over the book and make it popular for public consumption, we had it adapted for stage and performed (by students of the University of Port Harcourt, where Amadi was writer-in-residence).

    On this occasion, he was interviewed (this time by Daniella Menezor) and the audience of almost 100 literary enthusiasts engaged him in robust interaction.

    In his honour, the Rainbow Book Club is reading his last book, When God Came, as Book- of -the- Month for July 2016.

    When we were approached by the organisers of the UK-based Hay Festival to collaborate with them on the ‘Africa 39’ project to commemorate the PHWBC year, we reached out to Amadi, yet again.

    The ‘Africa 39’ programme selected and celebrated 39 African writers under the age of 40, and published an anthology of their writing, under this title. We needed three judges to whittle down the 243 entries that came from around the continent to a longlist of 120 and the final 39. Amadi agreed to chair the panel of judges. He was ably assisted by Tess Onwueme and Margaret Busby.

    I interviewed Amadi in 2014 for Port Harcourt By the Book, a publication Rainbow put together to commemorate the PHWBC year. My last question to him was ‘At 80 years, what do you know for sure?’ His answer came: “First, that Shakespeare was right when he said: ‘All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players. Secondly, that the most satisfactory life is one spent largely in the service of one’s society. Thirdly, on the accumulation of wealth and material possession, I can declare with certainty in agreement with the preacher that: Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

    Amadi has served his society, played his part and left the stage of life. His footprints, particularly  the literary arts, would remain a treasure to Rivers State, Nigeria and Africa. He was, indeed, an officer and a gentleman.

  • Amaechi to pick bill for Elechi Amadi’s burial

    Amaechi to pick bill for Elechi Amadi’s burial

    The Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has promised to pick the bill for the funeral ceremony of the late literary icon, Captain Elechi Amadi.

    Amaechi, who was the immediate past governor of Rivers State, gave the promise at the weekend when he paid a condolence visit to the family of late ElechiAmadi in Mbodo, Aluu community in Obio /Akpor local government area of the Rivers State.

    Amaechi said his decision to sponsor the burial of the late literary giant was to reciprocate the late captain’s sterling contributions to the success and development of

    Ikwerre ethnic nationality in particular and Rivers state in general.

    Amaechi, like the late Amadi, is from the Ikwerre ethnic group in Rivers State.

    To achieve this, Ameachi said, he would set up a burial organising committee with his wife to liaise with the deceased’s to give the late literary icon a befitting burial.

    According to him: “I was taken aback when I heard that captain is dead. We had a very special relationship. He was a father to me.

    “There are a lot of things I had discussed with captain that I needed to put in writing concerning Ikwerre. Unfortunately, I didn’t sit down with him to put those things in writing before his death.”

    He added: “My wife and I have agreed to put our committee of friends together to take the responsibility of burying captain, one hundred percent.

    “He was a writer before he died and because most writers are complex, very complex people, what I intend to do is set up a committee to liaise with his family.

    “We would obey and comply with all that captain said he wants in his burial, whatever he said.”

  • Elechi Amadi (1934 – 2016)

    Elechi Amadi (1934 – 2016)

    •An icon of letters

    Elechi Amadi’s 1960s novel The Concubine is what easily comes to mind when his name comes up. His debut novel, described as “an outstanding work of pure fiction,” earned Amadi a writer’s immortality. Set in a pristine African village unaffected by Westernisation, “the story concerns a woman ‘of great beauty and dignity’ who inadvertently brings suffering and death to all her lovers…and “portrays a society still ruled by traditional gods, offering a glimpse into the human relationships that such a society creates”.

    Indeed, perhaps the greatest tribute to the novel and the novelist was an observation by poet laureate Niyi Osundare: “I say this all the time that if Things Fall Apart had not been published, The Concubine would have been in its place.”  This comparison with Chinua Achebe, a giant of African fiction, was striking.

    It is a testimony to its rating that The Concubine was made into a film, written by Amadi and directed by a Nollywood director; the film was premiered in Abuja in March 2007. The film version was a reflection of the writer’s versatility.

    Amadi was remarkable for his stylistic simplicity, which established him as an outstanding storyteller. But his oeuvre also included drama and poetry.  His play The Woman of Calabar was turned into a 13-episode TV series in 2009, another evidence of the adaptability of his writing.

    It is noteworthy that Amadi came to writing from a science background. He studied at the University of Ibadan (1955 -1959) where he earned a degree in Physics and Mathematics. Amadi taught at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria (1963 – 1966), served in the Nigerian Army during the Civil War and retired as a Captain. His 1973 autobiographical non-fiction, Sunset in Biafra, a record of his personal experiences in the Nigeria-Biafra war, was said to have been “written in a compelling narrative form as though it were a novel”.

    An indigene of Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Amadi later held various positions with the Rivers State government: Permanent Secretary (1973–83), Commissioner for Education (1987–88) and Commissioner for Lands and Housing (1989–90). He was also writer-in-residence and lecturer at Rivers State College of Education, where he became Dean of Arts, head of the literature department and Director of General Studies.

    His teaching functions meant that he had a chance to do mentoring in writing. This was an important role, considering Amadi’s place among the country’s pioneer writers whose writings influenced the literary direction of subsequent generations. In a tribute, celebrated dramatist Femi Osofisan described Amadi as “this man whose books were among the ones that taught us how to write”.

    The awards he attracted showed the acknowledgements he enjoyed: Rivers State Silver Jubilee Merit Award (1992); honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Education, given by Rivers State University of Science and Technology (2003); Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Education (2003); Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) (2003).

    Amadi nevertheless remained modest and unobtrusive. He belonged to the category of writers who let their works speak for them without extra-literary interruptions.

    When in a moving tribute Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka called Amadi “a soldier and poet, captive of conscience, human solidarity and justice”, it gave a greater insight into the life of the notable man of letters who died at the age of 82 on June 29.

    Till his death, Amadi remained true to his literary passion, and was reportedly “a regular face” at the annual Port Harcourt Book Festival, a literary celebration which was a major factor in the branding of Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State, as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Book Capital in 2014.

    Regrettably, Amadi’s passing has further depleted the country’s loop of so-called first-generation writers of literature in English.

  • Elechi Amadi (1934 to 2016)

    Elechi Amadi (1934 to 2016)

    Renowned novelist Elechi Amadi, who was a former member of the Nigerian Armed Forces, died on June 29. Born on May 12 1934 in Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, he was author of plays and novels that are generally about African village life, customs, beliefs and religious practices, as they were before contact with the Western world.

    Amadi was a former Commissioner in Rivers State, and was educated at the Government College, Umuahia and the University of Ibadan where he bagged a degree in Physics and Mathematics.

    Until his death, the late Amadi was a regular face at the annual Port Harcourt Book Festival organised by Mrs. Koko Kalango’s Rainbow Book Club and Rivers State government.

    Among his publications are The Concubine (1966), The Great Ponds (1969), Sunset in Biafra (1973), Isiburu (1973), Estrangement (1986), The Slave (1978), Ethics in Nigerian Culture (1982), Collected Poems (2004), Pepper Soup and the Road to Ibadan and Dancer of Johannesburg, The Woman of Calabar, (2002) Speaking and Singing (2003).

    The Concubine, one of his classic novels of modern African literature, has been adapted into a film. It was written by Elechi Amadi and directed by the accomplished Nollywood film director Andy Amenechi.

    Also in December 2009, Elechi’s The Woman of Calabar, was performed in a 13-episode TV series set in Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Calabar. The production tells the intriguing story of a young Nigerian graduate surveyor, Eme, who falls in love with Adia, a ravishingly beautiful girl of Efik extraction in Calabar. The TV series paraded popular and budding artistes, such as Ngozi Nwosu, Tina Mba, Toyin Osinaike and Omobogogo Ombo.

    Interestingly, Amadi’s last daughter, who was 18 then, starred in the screen adaptation and acted Egechi. The Woman Of Calabar was produced by Mrs. Victoria Emamouzo Ajayi.

    In celebration of Amadi, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Rivers State Branch, held a conference in 2004 to mark his 70th birthday. And from that conference arose a book, Critical Perspectives on Elechi Amadi edited by Seiyifa Koroye, a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt. It updates Elechi Amadi @ 55, did in 1994, an earlier celebratory collection edited by Willfired Feuser and Ebele Eko. The book is a major new landmark in the critical discourse on the versatile and intriguing writer. It covers all phases of his work to date, including the two books he published since 1989 conference; The Woman of Calabar, (2002) a play and Speaking and Singing (2003) a collection of essays and poems.

  • Jonathan mourns Maduekwe, Amadi

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has lamented the death of the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ojo Maduekwe and foremost writer, Elechi Amadi.

    Jonathan, in separate messages of condolence to the families of the deceased, described their exit as a sad loss for the country.

    He emphasized that both men made significant contributions to Nigeria’s growth and development.

    The ex-President, in a statement issued by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Ezeh, described Maduekwe as a nationalist, foremost administrator and intellectual giant who contributed so much to the task of nation building.

    “In service to fatherland, Maduekwe, at different times, held critical leadership positions where he made significant contributions to Nigeria’s growth and the evolution of the nation’s democracy.

    “He was urbane in his disposition to politics and was blessed with an uncommon clarity of mind and thought which he freely deployed in the search for answers to the nation’s developmental challenges.

    “Whether as a lawyer, politician or diplomat, Maduekwe was deeply committed to the process of building national and international bridges, for which he will always be remembered,” he stated.

    Speaking on the death of the literary giant and renowned journalist, Jonathan said: “Amadi was a renowned writer and patriot who served his country meritoriously, through his literary works and exemplary performance in public service.

    “As an author, his works helped change the story of a continent, by rendering accurate accounts of profound African life and traditions as a counterpoise to inexact stereotypes.

    “A man of many parts, Amadi equally acquitted himself as a soldier, educator and dedicated administrator who was committed to the path of peace, unity and progress.”

  • Buhari mourns Madueke, Tobi, Amadi

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the families, government and people of Abia, Delta and Rivers States on the death of their illustrious sons, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Nikki Tobi, and a literary icon, Elechi Amadi.

    A statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the President received the news of the prominent Nigerians’ death with profound sadness.

    In all his years of service to Nigeria as a diplomat, minister, politician and ambassador, President Buhari said Maduekwe was an ardent believer in the unity of Nigeria and gave all to that pursuit.

    As Nigeria’s foreign minister, the President affirmed that Maduekwe’s relentless call to citizen diplomacy and for Nigerians to be treated with dignity across the globe will continue to inspire other patriotic people to promote a positive international image of the country.

    Paying tribute to Justice Tobi, he described him as a brave jurist who served Nigeria creditably and brought his many years of training, knowledge and wisdom to the Bench.

    The President also joined the literary and academic community in mourning Amadi whose writings and postulations as a novelist, poet and playwright introduced many generations of the world to the vibrant Nigerian culture.

    In paying homage to the Man of Letters, visionary and venerated elder who dedicated his life to values of peace, equality, dignity and the reading culture in Nigeria, the President believed that the passing away of Amadi is as much a loss to Nigeria and Africa as it is to the world.

    He affirmed that the outpouring of grief and tribute across Nigeria and beyond is a testament of the high degree of respect and acceptance Amadi commanded around the world.

  • Renowned novelist Elechi Amadi is dead

    Renowned novelist Elechi Amadi is dead

    Literary icon, Captain Elechi Amadi is dead.

    He was 80.

    His wife represented him yesterday at Total Exploration and Production (E&P) Nigeria Limited’s Port Harcourt District’s 2016 Book Reading, with the theme: Knowledge is an Edge, organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Education in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike expressed sadness over Amadi’s death.

    The governor described his passage as a loss to the country.

    In a condolence message to the family, people of the state and the country, Wike noted that Captain Amadi’s contributions to the development of the nation were legendry.

    He said his literary works promoted Rivers State, the Niger Delta and the country, hence he would be celebrated by the state and lovers of literature across the country.

    Wike said the late Amadi was a consummate patriot, a great literary icon, a soldier’s soldier and development enthusiast.

    He prayed God to grant his family the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

    Wike said Amadi’s achievements in various areas of national life would always be remembered.

    Also, the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, described Amadi as a patriot and literary icon who lived a good life.

    He said: “Today, we mourn the passage of a globally acknowledged literary icon and role model who lived an exemplary life.

    “Captain Amadi certainly was a man of many parts, who touched lives in many ways. He will be remembered for good by many people who met him physically or through his books. He was a well known author, publisher, soldier and statesman who was concerned about a better society.

    “My generation will definitely remember him more for his great books, such as The Concubine, The Great Ponds, Sunset in Biafra, Estrangement, The Slave and a collection of poems.

    “It is regrettable that Amadi passed away at a time when Rivers, our dear state, is still far away from the aspirations of its founding fathers, like him and most sons and daughters of the state. There is no doubt that Elder Amadi and other founding fathers will be weeping in their graves at the state of Rivers State.

    “Nigeria and the international literary community has lost a creative giant.

    “The departed patriot, no doubt, had a remarkable life and he will surely be remembered for serving humanity with literature and his interventions.”