The Eagle On The Iroko: A Tribute To Prof. Chinua Achebe

An Igbo son of immeasurable stature

A Nigerian literary icon

A world citizen of note

Father of African literature

Inimitable wordsmith

Literary giant, legend, luminary and genius

A splendid writer

An essayist and king of prose

Distinguished man of letters

Father and patron of many African writers

Writers writer

Brought honour and pride to Africa via lit       erature

Mailed Africa to the rest of the world

Placed Igbo culture on the cultural map of       the world

The watch dog of the society

The Apostle of good governance

A man of integrity, justice and equity

Distanced corrupt government and politi                     cians

Shunned their rotten species of carrots

From their crooked hands

Things fall apart translated into 50 lan                          guages

Sold over 12 million copies worldwide

Listed as one of the 50 most influential books             of the last 50 years

Better and greater than Noble Prize for Lit      erature, he received not

My literary father and role model

I craved to meet

Craning my neck at all times to behold

Now, no more and never again

My regret, my pains

Has both the Eagle and the Iroko fallen?

No, Eagle still perching on a living Iroko

Chinua Achebe lives on

Through his literary works

An accomplished writer

Eagle on the Iroko

Adieu.

Prince Ike Ogbuehi