The immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has urged the Federal Government to name a national monument after literary icon, late Prof. Chinua Achebe, in line with the resolutions of the 7th Senate and House of Representatives at their valedictory sessions for him during his burial in 2013.
Ngige also urged the government to rebuild St. Philip’s Central School Akpakaogwe Ogidi, where Achebe did his primary education in fulfillment of the promise of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, and upgrade it to a primary, secondary, and tertiary institution.
The former Anambra State governor spoke while reacting to the renaming of Anambra International Passenger and Cargo Airport after Achebe, which Governor Charles Soludo announced in his speech during the Independence Day Parade in Awka on Sunday.
Ngige in a statement among others, said “We thank Governor Soludo for carrying this through. It is a recognition well deserved. Ichie Ugonabo Prof. Achebe, even though he was not a prized Nobel Laureate in his lifetime, bestrode the world of literature like a colossus.
“Interestingly, the Igbos of Southern Nigeria under the auspices of pan Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, had at the last Igbo Day Celebration on Friday, September 29 at Okpara Square, Enugu, given him an award in “Super Heroes” category for putting the Igbo nation on the world map through intellectualism.
“So, starting from his home state, Anambra and his Igbo brothers, we have announced to Nigeria and the world that this prolific author of “Things Fall Apart”, “There Was A Country”, “The Man of the People” and many other bestselling visionary works of satire, even though bodily dead, is still alive.
“The federal government should also follow suit and name a national monument after Achebe in line with the resolutions of the 7th Senate and House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the valedictory sessions for him and work towards rebuilding St. Philip’s Central School Akpakaogwe Ogidi, where Achebe did his primary education in fulfillment of the promise of former President, Goodluck Jonathan and upgrading it to primary, secondary and tertiary institution.”
