TWO days from now, the fantastically corrupt Nigeria will clock fifty-six, with nothing corporeal to make merry about. Fifty-six years of arrested development! Just as the iconic poet, Elder J.P. Clark puts it creatively thus, since when the neocolonialists took over the helms of affairs in 1960, "nothing works" in this fantastically wealthy Nigeria, and this has bred nothing but abject poverty in the homeland, and this harsh reality thus engendered the uprooting of Nigerians from their homeland to "All places that the eye of heaven visits" and making virtue of necessity. Despite this poor outing of Africa's giant state, the endeavour that has remained altruistic, truly altruistic and has been attempting to redeem the situation on ground is our national literature, Nigerian literature. It is a literature that has commendably reflected and refracted since 1960 the nation's epic chequered history, disillusionment, and proffered regenerative, sometimes revolutionary solutions out of the cul-de-sac. The regenerative poetics that are inherent in creative works, plays, prose and poems are exposed by literary critics. This yeoman work they have been doing, and doing very well.
Perhaps, I should go on with this birthday tribute by giving a kind of roll call of some of the redoubtable Nigerian literary critics: Abiola Irele, Michael Echeruo, Oyin Ogunba, Emmanuel Obiechina, Daniel Izavbaye, Bernth Lindfors, Romanus Egudu, Kojo Senanu, Theo Vincent, Donatus Nwoga, Kalu Uka, Charles Nnolim, Ime Ikiddeh, Dapo Adelugba, Joel Adedeji, Omafume Onoge, Isidore Okpewho, Chinweizu, Onwuchekwa Jamie, Ihenchukwu Madubuike, Ernest Emenyonu, Sunday Anozie, Simon Umukoro, Chikwenye Okonjo-Ogunyemi, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Biodun Jeyifo ( Marxist critic of Theatre), Omolara Ogundipe-Leslie, Obiajuna Wali, G.G. Darah, Steve Ogude, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Samuel Omo Asein, Ebun Clark, Sam Ukala, Ropo Sekoni, Olusegun Adekoya, Chidi Maduka, Mary Kolawole, Chioma Opara, Juliet Okonkwo, Cathereine Acholonu,. Others are Isidore Diala, Remi Raji-Oyelade, J.O.J. Nwachukwu-Agbada, Tony Afejuku, A.E. Eruvbetine, Asomwan Adagbonyin, F.B.O Akporobaro, Chinyere Nwachunanya, Sola Adeyemi, Tejumola Olaniyan, Dele Layiwola, Felicia Ohwovoriole, Remy Oriaku, Joseph Ushie, Sunny Awhefeada, Asabe Usman, Senayon Olaoluwa, Benedict Binebai (my peerless encourager), Ogaga Okuyade, Mark Ighile, Enajite E. Ojaruega.
The above named literary scholars and critics, and those not mentioned here deserve laurels and awards for their peerless criticisms and influential contributions that in part made Nigerian literature by extension, African literature profoundly pervasive it is today. Some of them have theories to their credits. The compelling theatre scholar, Professor Ukala propounded the famous theory, Folkism, while erudite Dr. Binebai, the present Head, Department of Theatres Arts, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State has three eclectic theories: the Egbusu Myth: An Afro-Marxist Model of Ijaw Restorative Drama and Theatre, Thermodynamics Theory of Creativity and Criticism, and the Theory of Dislocation of dislocation. The importance of literary critics cannot be over-emphasized. The popularity of our creative writers is engendered by the critical opinions and insightful commentaries by the critics settled on their works.
Thus, it behoves one to celebrate these interpreters of literature. Two years ago saw the inaugural award for the NLNG sponsored Nigerian prize for literary criticism won by Professor Isidore Diala of the Imo State University, Owerri. Though the cash, one million naira is incommensurate, at least, it is the right thing done towards the critical vocation. I am aware some literary critics and scholars have celebrated their own through scholarly/critical texts, such as The Postcolonial Lamp: Essays in Honour of Dan Izevbaye (2008) edited by Aderemi Raji-Oyelade and Oyeniyi Okunoye, Charles E. Nnolim: Radar to African Literature Biographia Intellectuale by Chibueze Prince Orie. There is another done on Professor Nnolim titled Reconstructing the Canon: Festschrift in Honour of Professor Charles E. Nnolim (2001) edited by the guru of festschrift, Associate Professor Austine Amanze Akpudu. Professor Austine Asagba edited Sam Ukala: His Work at Sixty (2008)
It is based on the foregoing that one celebrates the epic literary critic and a doyen of post-colonial discourse, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada, an associate professor of Literature, Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, who will be plus one on the 30th day of September, 2016.
The decade this maestro of literature was born, I mean here the 1970s, and the successive one, 1980s marked an era of "open heavens" for our national literature in terms of publications of critical works. Nigerian literary critical tradition was very engaging and exciting. It was the decades Obiechina's An African Popular Literature: A Study of Onitsha Market Pamphlets (1973) and Culture, Tradition and Society in the West African Novel (1975), Abiola Irele and Oyin Ogunba's edited Black African Theatre (1978), Bruce King's edited Introduction to Nigerian Literature (1971), Wole Soyinka's Myth, Literature and the African World (1976) and Art, Dialogue and Outrage: Essays on literature and Culture (1988), Chinua Achebe's Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975) and Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays (1988), Ogunbiyi's edited Drama and Theatre in Nigeria: A Critical Source Book (1981) and Perspectives on Nigerian Literature: From 1700 to the Present (vols. I and II) (1988), Emenyonu's The Rise of the Igbo Novel (1978), Nwoga's edited Literature and Modern West African Culture (1978), Chimweizu, Jamie and Madubuike's influential book, Towards the Decolonization of African Literature (1985), Georg Gulgelberger's edited Marxism and African Literature (1985), Ogude's Genius in Bondage: A Study of the Origins of African Literature in English (1983), and Irele's The African Experience in Literature and Ideology (1980) were all published.
The raison d'être for this "literary history", first is that, these scholarly texts and others uncovered the virtuosity and the sophistication of Nigerian literature beginning from 1789 when the prodigious Olaudah Equaino's attention-grabbing anti-slavery autobiography with the title The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustava Vassa, the African was published. Secondly, just as the critical works marked the historic decades for Nigerian literature, they also brought about the imbuement in everyone, especially the impressionable minds then an eternal love for literature. The effulgence of the literature inspired many to study literature in tertiary institutions. Today, that eternal love for literature inspired the celebrant, the very eminent Dr. Sunny Awhefeada and other literary aficionados at The Guardian to stage the return of "The Guardian Literary Series (GLS)", of which Dr. Awhefeada is the project coordinator and unwavering general editor.
Hail from Emonu-Orogun in present-day Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada attended first, Ibadan Municipal Government (IMG) Practicing School, Ibadan, and the famous Mariere Primary School, Evrweni in Delta State for his primary education, and for his secondary education, Eni Grammar school, still in the pastoral Evwreni. At these citadels of learning, he gave a brilliant account of himself as an academic wizard, and at Eni, he made the best result of his set in the senior school certificate examination (SSCE) administered in the tempestuous year, 1988.
From 1992 when he anchored at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin-City, till 1996 when he bagged home a second class upper division in English, Dr. Awhefeada frequent daily the school's gigantic library, devouring world literatures, especially the radical/Marxist writings of Leo Tolstoy, Omafume Onoge, Femi Osofisan, Tanure Ojaide, Niyi Osundare, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Festus Iyayi, Bode Sowande, Odia Ofiemun. Often caught in heated argument, he delighted students of distinct disciplines in the famous Hall 3 (Aminu Kano Hall) with literary jargons and terminologies, and at nights, he dexterously enacted radical and fierce characters in creative works such the fearful Agwoturumbe the highly respected dibia in Elechi Amadi's magnum opus The Concubine (1966) to scare students, especially thieves who wanted to do away with students' possessions. He played active and major roles in the English Department's creative clubs and its magazines. Again, during his undergraduate days, he endeared himself to all and sundry for his rare academic brilliance, he was fond of having informal discourses with eggheads at their offices, and he was an intransigent student-activist, and a fine orator. He was at the forefront of students' protests against witchcraft policies and programmes during the dictatorial reign of General Sanni Aabacha, and he nearly lost his life in one of the engagements, when the "ebullient" General Abacha displayed shamefully Nigeria's military might by staging brutal repressions against the harmless placard carrying students at UNIBEN. His dear friend, the poet-cum-government functionary, Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo is credited with leading the well-known anti-Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) riot of May 1989 when General Ibrahim Babaginda held sway as Nigeria's first and ever military president. Dr. Awhefeada's credential of student activism has inspired, and keeps inspiring many student-activists. That is Comrade Dr. Sunny Awhefeada for you, the ebullient activist, and fearless crusader for social justice.
While undergoing his postgraduate studies at the premier University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, Dr. Awhefeada taught literature for few years at the citadel's English Department. This is the genesis of his academic odyssey, though he had taught in some public and private secondary schools. 2001 will remain memorable, and a golden era at DELSU's English and Literary Studies Department. It was the momentous year that Africa's foremost revolutionary folklorist Professor G.G. Darah, the semanticist Mrs. Karoh Ativie, and the celebrant, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada joined the teaching staff of the Department. These are teachers who teach with an uncommon missionary zeal, and they and other eggheads are helping internationalising the Department. Today, this great Department is an epicenter of radical scholarships in literature and language in Nigeria, nay Africa. The Department has produced established creative writers and scholars. This is beside the big players in Nigeria's public and private sectors that passed through the portals of the Department. Nigerian fourth estate of the realm has folks with good characters from the Department, distinguishing themselves as editors, reporters, broadcasters, correspondents, proofreaders. They are following the footpaths cleared by their mentors such as the indomitable Professor G.G. Darah, (former chairman, editorial Boards of Daily Times, 1991-1995 and The Guardian, 1995-2001), Drs. Nduka Otiono, Akpofure Oduaran, and Mrs. Uche Okwurumgbe-Newcourt, who was the Arts editor of Delta State government owned Pointer newspaper. The eminent Nigerian poet, Ebi Yeibo, whose fifth collection of poems, The Fourth Masquerade (2014) won the coveted ANA Prize for poetry, 2014 is a product of the Department.
Since that historic year in the annals of the Department, Dr. Awhefeada has been endearing himself to staff and students as a meticulous, devoted, honest, punctual and hardworking academic staff. His academic writing reminds folks familiar with the revolutionary academic writings of Omafume Onoge, Biodun Jeyifo, G.G. Darah, the Marxist laden-scripts of Niyi Osundare, Femi Osofisan, Tanure Ojaide, Fetus Iyayi, among others. Dr. Sunny Awhefeada dresses like a core Marxist! As a teacher, his profoundly simple way of dispensing knowledge makes us, students easily assimilates. His lectures are always enthralling, insightful, and thought-provoking. We are always awed and astonished whenever he walks in to class without lectures notes or books to impact knowledge. That is Dr. Awhefeada for you the encyclopedic lecturer, a teacher with enormous knowledge of the radical writings, thoughts, ideas, pontifications, and views of Saints Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Leo Tolstoy, Vladimir Lenin, Frantz Fanon, Malcom X, Luther King, Fidel Castro, and Marcus Garvey, all from the cult of socialism. Their African brethrens of the fraternity, revolutionaries such as Amilcar Cabral, Casely Hayford, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta, Agostinho Neto, Kwame Nkrumah, Omafume Onoge, Oliver Thambo, Obafemi Awolowo, and others. During lectures, he quotes with ease these avatars, and edifies us with the history of our past, these histories eminent Nigerian historians such as the doyen of History, Professor Obaro Ikime, and professors Kenneth Dike, Ade Ajayi, Alagoa, Takena Tamuno, Afigho, A.E. Ekoko, Akinjogbin, S.A. Balogun, Sam Aghalino, have well documented in books for intellectual purpose and posterity. I must submit here that, Groundwork of Nigerian History (1980) edited by my Isoko kinsman, Professor Ikime is very, very useful, and it is a must read for every Nigerians and those interested in knowing about our cherished history, our individual and collective experiences as a people. That foundational book is an anthology of essays by experts on the various phases and aspects of our history. The gargantuan interpreter of literature, Dr. Awhefeada fondly calls as "Dr. S" in Abraka is an historian per excellence. He is a scholar in whom history holds a great fascination of, and his bond with history is sacrosanct. In his primary schools days, he displayed himself as an ardent reader of History and Social Studies. According to him, history is humanising, and therefore, "reinforces our today as we march forward into unknown tomorrow".
At DELSU, Associate Professor Sunny Awhefeada has distinguished himself in several positions he held. He served as Associate Dean of the most lettered Faculty and Faculty of all Faculties, the Faculty of Arts. Today, he is still holding sway as the University's Director of Timetable and Special Duties, and Head of its Department of English and Literary Studies. This is beside other academic directorates, programmes, committees and units of which he is a dynamic member. Delta State University, Abraka is a locale of the best orators in Nigeria. 1997-1998, Professor Sam Ukala voiced boomed out as the orator of the now Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma. On private communication with Professor Ukala while I was working on this tribute, the skilled orator told me when he was the Dean, Faculty of Arts, he delivered the citations of Professors Abednego E. Ekoko and David Tuesday Adamo, when the duo delivered their inaugural lectures on the 25th day of March, 2004, and the 10th day of June, 2004 respectively. Professor Darah is an internationally recognised public orator. Other prolific orators are erudite Professors Simon Umukoro, Austine Anigala, and Dr. Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri. When sometime in 2015, Professor Anigala was elevated to the present position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academics, DELSU was bereft of an orator, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Victor F. Peretomode settled for the highly regarded rhetorician, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada as the University orator. Ever since his appointment in 2015, at inaugural, and convocation lectures, colloquiums, conferences, this exceptionally gifted orator has been regaling the University community and beyond with flowery words. We always marvel at the way he delivers his words in a slow measured cadence, and how adroitly he invents anecdotes, all these makes halls rocks with laughter, and the audience thrill with joy, appreciates with rapturous applause.
Dr. Sunny Awhefeada a maverick literary scholar and critic is a former vice president of the Literary Society of Nigeria (LSN), pioneering financial secretary of the Delta State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) under the inspiring chairmanship of Professor Sam Ukala. He is a specialist of Eco-literature, nay Niger Delta literature. He has written plentifully on this trend and radical tradition. Some of his articles are chapters in many scholarly books, journals. Dr. Ogaga Okuyade's edited Eco-Critical Literature: Regreening African Landscapes (2013) has his highly perceptive article, "Degraded Environment and Destabilized Women in Kaine Agary's Yellow-Yellow". Dr. Sunny Awhefeada's intellectual prowess and administrative competence have great impacts in the English and Literary Studies Department. His foresights and visions are well commended. His organisational and managerial skills and event planning proficiency are well adumbrated in many public events and proceedings. He, Professor Onookome Okome, and few others hosted the highly successful and extraordinary Tanure Ojaide and the Niger Delta Conference held in Abraka in 2008. He was the chairman of the planning committee of the recently held "Aziza, the Academic Matriarch @ 60 Colloquium", and he was also a member of the "Darah @ 60 International Conference" held in Effurun and Abraka sometime in March, 2008. Under his Headship, DELSU's English and Literary Studies Department has hosted colloquiums, and public lectures which drew scholars from all nations of the world. The Department on February 10, 2015, organised a symposium in honour of Professor Sam Ukala, and the eminent poet, Ebi yeibo, when the duo won distinct prizes, the prestigious NLNG Nigerian prize for Literature, and ANA prize for Poetry respectively in the centenary year, 2014. Tuesday November 24, 2015, there was a public lecture in honour of the acclaimed environmental activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who and his eight Ogoni compatriots were murdered by the blood-thirsty General Abacha on November 10th, 1995. The lecture's keynote address "The Niger Delta, Self-Determination and Resources Control" was delivered by the intellectual militant, Professor Godini G. Darah, which had Mr. Abraham Ogbodo the editor of The Guardian, Professor Victor Jike and Dr. William Ehwarieme (all of DELSU's Faculty of Social Sciences) as discussants. Again, under his headship, the Department is presently into intellectual collaborations with acclaimed scholars and institutions. One of such is the collaborative research between Professor G.G. Darah and Dr. Nduka Otiono of the well-known Institute of African Studies, Charleton University, Ottawa, Canada. This Institute is presently chaired by the prominent satirist, Professor Pius Adesanmi of Kogi State.
The radical environmental critic, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada's "Warri Without Shell: A Lamentation of a Stakeholder" published on Sunday March 31, 2013 is a thought-provoking essay which brilliantly examines the environment despoilment in Urhoboland, nay the neglected Niger Delta occasioned by the commercial activities of the neo-imperialist Shell aided and abetted by almighty federal government. As a first-rate authority in African poetry, Dr. Awhefeada has a bountiful harvest of scholarship on this genre of our tradition, African literature. His path-breaking article "Development of Modern African Poetry" published when he was a postgraduate student of the University of Ibadan on October 21 and November 4, 2000 in The Post Express is one of the most quoted essays in the discourse analysis of historical evolution and modern African poetry. I am told his PhD thesis, The Burden of History: A Study of the Poetry of Niyi Osundare and Tanure Ojaide", defended at UI, Ibadan in the electoral year, 2007 is a fine, a grand and a very painstaking doctoral thesis, and the most colossal critical work done on the accessible and masses-oriented poetry of the two internationally acclaimed poet-scholars. Dr. Awhefeada is a regular lead paper presenter in the Annual Niyi Osundare International Poetry Festival.
As a public intellectual, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada is one of the supreme intellectuals, and best sought after in the country. His many public lectures, keynote addresses, newspapers articles, interview granted on mass media adumbrate this fact. He is one of those stubborn public intellectuals who engaged presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babaginda, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (blessed memory), Goodluck Ebele Jonathan through newspaper articles and public letters. Thus, he is a thorn in irresponsible governments and ruling elites'' flesh who are bent in further dehumanising and dispossessing the larger segment of this nation-space called Nigeria. Like his Urhobo forerunners, Professors Omafume Onoge, Onigu Otite, Peter Ekeh, G.G. Darah, Tanure Ojaide, Sam Oyovbaire, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada is one of the famed intellectuals on his Urhobo culture and politics, and in the Niger Delta epic struggle for Resource control. He has delivered numerous public lectures and has written enormously on the Niger Delta issue, and fiscal federalism.
The unparallel university don, Dr. S. Awhefeada is the towering vice chairman of Urhobo Society Association (USA) based in Abraka. This body which is chaired by the superlative linguist, Professor (Mrs.) Rose Aziza has a journal of its own called Aridon: The International Journal of Urhobo Studies with Professors Darah and Ojaide has its editors. Dr. Awhefeada is a superb columnist; he was a columnist on the liberal newspaper, The Guardian. And he is an excellent editor. Dr. Sunny Awhefeada has edited, and still edits a lot of books. His suggestions towards the realisation of a book are marvelous, and well acknowledged profusely by authors! He is the editor-in-chief of DELSUnews, a quarterly publication of Delta University, Abraka. He is also the managing editor of the reputed Abraka Humanities Review: A Journal of the Faculty of Arts, DELSU, Abraka. Today, he is an associate and consulting editor to many local and international journals.
In concluding this tribute in honour of an eloquent and radical thinker, discussant, teacher, critic, reviewer, historian, short stories writer, columnist, public intellectual, humanist, anthologist, essayist, translator, eco-activist, editor, actor, and my mentor to an end, Dr. Sunny Awhefeada is a disciplinarian, and a man of beguiling affability. Dr. Awhefeada is an epitome of simplicity! A man who is always in company of books is also an aesthetic exemplum of Urhobo intelligence and industry, a truly triangular and regimented individual who leaves his villa, to school, and back to home. A teacher per excellence who is extremely knowledgeable to teach any course if call upon or assign to do so. Here is a specialist in the production of communiqués, reports, among others. A man so graced with impeccable credentials. He is an egghead who knows his onions and, a multi-talented and pathfinder researcher. He is an intrepid advocate for fundamental human rights, and liberties. A critic who devotes his precious time to literature and a wakeful reviewer of every works of arts, and other literatures, recently published.
On the 17th day of November, 2015, together with his fine-looking and intellectually stimulating wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Ufuoma Veronica Awhefeada who teaches Law at DELSU, Oleh campus were honoured with chieftaincy titles, as the Ogbiroro and Usiavwre-Uri of Effurun-Otor Kingdom by the amiable His Royal Majesty Duku 11 for their intellectual labours, and efforts in projecting their Urhobo nation. In the year 2000, he won the Oyo State ANA prize for fiction, while hi friend and eco-poet, Ebi Yeibo won the prize for poetry. The day I entered his well stocked study, and saw the glittering plague of the award, I wondered how we would have missed if this epic literary scholar continued in the literary creative tradition as a writer of short stories. There are other awards such as the one given to him on August, 2013 for his monumental and peerless contributions towards Urhobo Arts and cultural advancement in Africa by Urhobowood chaired by the cultural guru and filmmaker, Dr. Joseph Udusan Orekereke. Aside the tradition of rolling out the drums in celebration of Dr. Awhefeada, scholars, critics, teachers and students of Nigerian literature especially should celebrate him by sending publishable articles or essays between 2000 and 2500 words in length as attachment on "all aspects/genres of Nigerian literature, writers and their works, as well as literary trends and theories that are of significance" to: sawefeada@yahoo.com for the smooth running of The Guardian Literary Series that will engender an exciting and critical engagement of Nigerian, nay African literature. This is the best way to celebrate this eclectic scholar. This is the best birthday gift we can present to Olorogun Comrade Dr. Sunny Awhefeada, the epic critic, and the Ogbiroro of the world!
Congratulations, my father and mentor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comrade Oreh, is a student at the Department of English and Literary Studies, DELSU, Abraka
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