The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19; Boss Mustapha says that late literary icon, Chinua Achebe “devoted his life and works to issues bothering on the development of African societies in the face of daunting challenges occasioned by colonialism.”
The SGF made the statement at the “4th Chinua Achebe International Conference, organised by the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka in collaboration with Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) held on the 9th of March, 2021 at the Princess Alexandre Hall, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Mustapha, represented by Dr. Ben Nwoye, the Enugu APC chairman said: “Achebe through his epic novel, titled Things Fall Apart, aptly predicted the lingering impact such phenomenon (colonialism) would have not only on the psych of the people but on the culture and trajectory of African development. Achebe’s other major writings; No Longer at Ease, Arrow of God, A Man of the People and The Trouble With Nigeria all continued his treatise on the ills of the African societies due to the erosion of the African values and system of leadership. For instance, in The Trouble with Nigeria, Achebe succinctly placed Nigeria’s developmental challenges squarely on the failure of effective and transformational leadership.”
Nwoye said that, the theme of the Conference, “Re-evaluation of African Values and Culture in the Face of the Crises of the 21st Century” provides “a good opportunity to reflect on the values, culture, leadership and developmental systems that paved way for African solidarity and stability. The jettisoning of these foundational values of Africans and Nigerians in particular has left our communities, nation and continent in economic, political and social disarray. Today, our society is bedeviled by all forms of social vices, which before now were strange to our worldview, especially among the youth who seems to be at loss, perhaps because they have little or no knowledge of their African root and values.
“These have given rise to lack of tolerance, heightened ethno-religious tensions, high levels of crime and insecurity, corruption and lack of accountability, and the likes. There seem to be a complete deviation from the norms and mores which were laid down by our forebears to ensure peaceful co-existence, sense of decency, hard work and high moral standard,” Nwoye said.
He also assured that; “reversing this ugly trend has been at the forefront of the agenda of the present administration in Nigeria.”
“The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has initiated numerous projects and programmes for the betterment of the society. Some of these policies include youth empowerment through the N-power programme, revitalization of the agricultural sector through diverse funding arrangements, improvement of social infrastructure, among others. “
