We Didn't Think Chinua Achebe Is A Human Being But Just A Spirits - David Mark

Senate president stated this in deliberations on the death of the literary icon, on a motion,titled “Death of Professor Chinualumogu Albert Achebe”, sponsored by Senator Chris Ngige, ACN, Anambra Central, and other senators.

After various contributions from senators to the motion, Senate President, David Mark,who presided over the plenary, said given the mood of the people on the issue, everybody was delighted to talk.

Mark said: “This is a motion that all of us were very delighted in moving today and it is a motion that all of us would have contributed if I had allowed everybody to contribute. For those who did their West African School Certificate Examination after 1966, they will remember Chinua Achebe very well because I think 1966 was the first year that Things Fall Apart was used for WASCE. “I recalled that before then,
it was Shakespeare and the whole lot and nobody believed because at that time, we didn’t think that Chinua Achebe was a human being. “We didn’t see authors and writers at that time as human beings; we thought they were just spirits or people that imagine things. That was the impact he had on Nigerians and at very early age. That was the level of impact he had on Nigerians. But it is very difficult to pay tribute to a man like Chinua Achebe because there is hardly anything you can say that will befit or you can express that will befit the way you ought to say it. “But nevertheless, this is one of those occasions that we thank many Nigerians and I believe many of us here would have loved to express even much more than what we have done but we are not Chinua Achebe, so we cannot express in very simple term, very vividly the way he used to express things. “He was a role model for the youths and for the elders alike. He was a fearless, courageous and very forthright Nigerian. He was a patriotic Nigerian who took Nigeria to the highest possible level. He lived well ahead of his time. He was as positively controversial as he was progressively controversial.

“His body is dead but his work will live forever. His use of simple language to express those complex situations very vividly has never and can never be matched by any writer in this country.

“He was a detribalized Nigeria, a nationalist to the core and a nationalist to the best. He was a gallant and sincere Nigerian and the most befitting fare-well, tribute or burial that can be given to him is to ensure that things do no longer fall apart in this country and that he is at ease where he is. And he will remain at ease forever.