Cyprian Ekwensi was such a man in our emerging global society. Born at Minna in Northern Nigeria  on September 26, 1921, he later lived in Onitsha in the Eastern area. He was educated at Achimota College in the Gold Coast, and at the Chelsea School of Pharmacy of London University. He lectured in pharmacy at Lagos and was employed as a pharmacist by the Nigerian Medical Corporation. He married Eunice Anyiwo, and they had five children.
 
He entered the world of the Nigerian and African literati through the command of his pen and the style of writing that came to characterize him among Nigerian writers. Many Nigerians or Africans will remember those days of their school days when the words from the novels of Ekwuensi entertained or inspired them. I can still recall the feelings of my friends in such conversations of all the intrigues and sneaky lives of city people. My generation would differentiate him from Wole Soyinka or Chinua Achebe in the way he wrote and the manner in which his characters brought out the romance and mystery of city life. His decision to write English as the English man writes without the linguistic attempts of the likes of Achebe to put English in the service of Igbo thought made him a different man. His twenty books are memories to be treasured all generations of Nigerians and Africans.

Leaving the world at age eighty-six with many children and grandchildren, Ekwensi will continue to attract the attention of many people. Ironically, Ekwensi would be remembered more by those who express themselves in foreign languages such as English than in any African Language or in his native language Ibo. The likes of Ngugi wa Thiongo will not celebrate him as a cultural hero, although his literal production will be appreciated.

As Uduma Kalu, Literary Correspondent, Enugu, puts it:

“Darkness fell again in the Nigerian literary firmament yesterday when veteran novelist, pharmacist and public commentator, Cyprian Ekwensi passed on. He was 86 years old. The author of the popular Jagua Nana series of novels was said to have died at the Niger Foundation in Enugu where he underwent an operation for an undisclosed ailment.”              

In this note of remembrance I wish to say that since the death of Christopher Okigbo Nigeria has seen the rise of many good authors and their numbers have extended into the Nigerian Diaspora. There are now younger men and women developing command of their African languages as well as the other global languages. One thing that would follow us in the future whenever there is discussion of African literary performance is the contributions of the likes of Ekwensi. He certainly came, saw and wrote with joy and power. Nigerians will remember him and his words of description and inspiration would reverberate in the firmaments of debates and jokes.

Another point to make here is that Ekwensi is the literary master of the city in Nigeria and beyond in the larger African continent, however, his reputation is also evident among young people because of the number of books he wrote. Many of us growing up in Nigeria visited his candy store of words and prose. But while the city folks mourn him the the Northern people in nigeria will see their conditions in his works.

Truly, Ekwensi was a man of words and he left a legacy for writers to follow and readers to share. If fufu is the nourishment for the belly and eloquent words food for our minds, then Ekwensi was one of our wordsmiths who has much sauce to give our minds and souls. May he rest in peace.

Robot  Villager

# 1 ://www.sunnewsonline.com/images/ekwensi-03.Cyprian Ekwensi was such a man in our emerging global soci...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 26.09.2008 08:37