Published: 2013 May 18 11:22:00 (5928 Views)

As organizers put finishing touches to the burial arrangements of novelist, Chinua Achebe, a serious controversy has blown open over the decision of the late writer's family to hand over the programme to the Nigerian federal government as well as those of Anambra and other states in the South-east geopolitical zone.

Some of Mr. Achebe's family members, contemporaries, associates, friends and fans accusing the late writer's wife, Christy and her children, of surrendering Mr. Achebe's corpse to the government for pecuniary gains.

The family wouldn't comment on the allegations.

While alive, Mr. Achebe, who died on March 22 at 82, was a consistent and vociferous critic of the Nigerian federal and state governments who he repeatedly accused of monumental corruption, ineptitude and misgovernment.

In protest against the way Nigeria is run, the revered novelist, in 2004 and 2011, rejected national honours awarded him by the federal government.

But the federal and state governments that Mr. Achebe criticized and kept at bay while alive have now been handed leading roles in the burial of the globally acclaimed novelist, a development that has irked some family members, contemporaries, fans and associates.

"We can't understand why Achebe's wife and kid are taking steps that are contrary to what the good man stood for," a contemporary of the late writer said via telephone from the United States.

"They are doing the opposite of what their father would do." He requested not to be named for fear he might be accused of trying to derail his friend's burial.

Another family source claim this won't be the first time Achebe's wife and children would betray him.

She recalled that back in 1990 when the writer had the accident that left him paralysed from the waist down, the family accepted a gift of 75,000 pounds from an emissary of then head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.

Mr. Achebe, the source said, was still in coma when the emissary arrived with the money. One of the late writer's son, Ike, who reportedly warned the family against accepting the gift, was shouted down by other family members who were quoted as saying "Achebe should be allowed to chop Nigeria's money for once".

"Some of us are ashamed that Prof's family members are the ones betraying him, offering his corpse to government in return for favours," the family source said.

When contacted, one of Professor Achebe's son, Chidi, declined comments, saying the family had decided not to grant interviews until after the burial.

But another family member, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said the family cannot stop the government from participating in the burial because Prof. Achebe's remains "is an ozu Nigeria", meaning a dead body belonging to Nigeria.

"The family can't stand in the way of government because Prof was a national figure," he said. "He transcended local politics and anyone who wants to be helpful during his burial should be free to do so."

- PremiumTimes

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