Achebe’s body received by large crowd at Enugu Airport

Chinua Achebe will be buried in his home town, Ogidi in Anambra State on May 23.


The corpse of the late literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, arrived at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and was received by a large crowd of people from his home town, Ogidi in Anambra.

The body, which arrived at about 12.36 p.m. aboard a private aircraft, Overland Nigeria, with registration number 5N-BPE was accompanied by Mr. Achebe’s wife, Professor Christy Achebe, and their children.

The body was received by his elder brother, Augustine Achebe, and other family members; the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Amechi Okolo; some Enugu State commissioners; and different cultural troupes from Ogidi.

In an interview, Mr. Okolo, who represented Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, said the deceased would be missed by both the state and the nation at large.

“We are mourning Achebe today because he was part of the state,” he said.

The President of Ogidi Union Nigeria, Obi Okaro, said Mr. Achebe exhibited true leadership qualities, adding that the community would soon unveil plans to immortalise him.

A university don, Ike Ndolo, who also came to honour Mr. Achebe, suggested that a national monument be named after the literary icon.

The body of Achebe is expected to be taken to the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where he would be honoured before leaving for Ogidi, where it would be buried on Thursday, May 23.

(NAN)