Setting The Records Straight: On The Chinua Achebe Statue At Ugwu-Nwasike, Ogidi

There has been a spreading misconception that the statue of our literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, at Ugwu-Nwasike Roundabout was commissioned and built by the Anambra State Government.

 

For the avoidance of doubt: the statue was conceived, funded, and executed by the Ogidi Town Union — Achebe’s community.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, was graciously invited to unveil the monument in honour of Achebe’s towering legacy and its significance to Ndi Anambra and the world.

 

We must not trivialize this thoughtful gesture by Ogidi people for social media traffic. The decision of Achebe’s own community to immortalize their illustrious son is profound and deserves commendation, not needless debate about the sculptor’s interpretation.

 

Anyone who visits the monument will see how deeply Achebe is venerated. Beyond the bust, the base of the statue carries carefully engraved excerpts of his literary masterpieces — “Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, No Longer at Ease” etc — ensuring that even if one misses the face, no one will miss the ideas that made him immortal.

 

This back and forth about whether a statue is “picture-perfect” is a huge distraction from the weight of this symbolic effort. Symbols are about what they represent. We do not measure our reverence for images of Christ, Mother Mary, or the Saints by artistic perfection, but by what they stand for. The same reverence should apply here.

 

It is also important to recall that Governor Soludo had earlier, in 2023, immortalized Professor Achebe by renaming the Anambra International Passenger and Cargo Airport after him. Long before that, Achebe’s statue also stands proudly at the entrance of the Light House, Awka, as one of the five distinguished historical figures of Anambra State.

 

The message is clear: If you respect Achebe, you must respect every sincere monument raised in his honour.

We congratulate the Ogidi Town Union, the Achebe family, and all stakeholders who made this possible.

 

 

 

— Mazi Ejimofor Opara