Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Of Vultures & Achebe's There Was a Country

Toyin,
I was reacting to your statement that; "While I lived in Benin, I
understood that the greatest publishers of
pirated books were Igbo, Igbos being the biggest booksellers in
Benin".

Piracy in Nigeria(and everywhere) is an organized crime perpetrated by
syndicates(Mafias, if you like). These syndicates are faceless.

The marketers of pirated materials(Igbo traders included) may not be
part of the syndicate. They may not even know that the materials they
market are pirated.

CAO.

On Apr 27, 10:30 am, Oluwatoyin Adepoju <ovadep...@gmail.com> wrote:
> One can trust Chidi to attempt a realistic analysis of the social issues
> discussed without trapping himself in the coils of anti-Nigeria rhetoric or
> the prejudice of the ideology of  'if you mention Igbo in a negative light,
> you must be  anti-Igbo'.
>
> Chidi shows himself not to share in the consistent retreat from reflexivity
> demonstrated by various pro-Biafra advocates.
>
> One can be pro-Biafra and identify as Igbo without taking perspectives
> different from one's own as those of 'the enemy'.
>
> Chidi also shows that he knows better than to lock himself up within
> social enclaves where such prejudices are encouraged to fester, with fellow
> thinkers-in-circles patting each other on the back in reinforcing  their
> retreat-from- reality ideologies.
>
> God will help Chidi prosper in his truly egalitarian approach to
> creativity, as a pioneer in promoting art through open sharing on online
> social networks.
>
> Please, Chidi, can you elaborate on this:
>
> 'Igbo traders are only the final (and visible) point in the Nigeria pirated
> materials production and distribution channels.'
>
> Thanks
> Toyin
>
> On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 9:14 AM, Chidi Anthony Opara
> <chidi.op...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Toyin,
> > Igbo traders are only the final (and visible) point in the Nigeria
> > pirated materials production and distribution channels.
>
> > CAO.
>
> > On Apr 25, 11:02 pm, Obododimma Oha <obodo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Toyin Adepoju,
> > > I hope you understand English and can differentiate between "probably"
> > > and "likely." I used the word "probably" in my post [not "likely"],
> > > obviously suggesting that one cannot speak with certainty on the
> > > matter of culpability. Perhaps you need to consult Farooq Kperogi if,
> > > sometimes, you don't understand the grammar and pragmatics of some
> > > expressions in posts you respond to. That way, your flaming would be
> > > properly guided.
> > > You are a researcher, are you not? Dig deeper and find out whether I
> > > have lived all my life in Nigeria as you claimed in your initial
> > > response. Also, find out whether I have never worked in Igboland as
> > > you claimed. One is not surprised that you make claims without first
> > > doing the proper research. You need to move away from your desk for a
> > > while and ask yourself whether your life as a mischievous listserv
> > > virus is getting you anywhere. Nobody's gonna give you an award for
> > > waging a relentless Internet war against the Igbo. The world has no
> > > time for vultures looking for ethnic carcasses to devour.
> > > Indeed, you need to get back to yourself and leave the Igbo alone. You
> > > may be fighting a war of shame.
> > > - Obododimma.
>
> > > On 4/25/13, Oluwatoyin Adepoju <ovadep...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > Get real, Obododimma.
>
> > > > What was I responding to?
>
> > > > I responded to the fact that you claimed that those who pirated
> > Achebe's
> > > > book were likely to also be those who vilified the book:
>
> > > > "*So, the vultures in Nigeria, some who probably condemned Chinua
> > Achebe's
> > > > There Was a Country*, would not wait a second after looking at the
> > covers
> > > > of the book before getting a pirated version of it into the sick and
> > > > conscienceless Nigerian market?"
>
> > > > In doing that, you have moved beyond discussing piracy to conflating
> > the
> > > > piracy issue with the ideological issues surrounding the critique of
> > > > Achebe's book.
>
> > > > So, brother, your discussion was not purely about "piracy... which
> > every
> > > > Nigerian should be ashamed about".
>
> > > > It was about piracy in the context of the critique of Achebe's work.
>
> > > > You went further to expand your  discourse beyond your conflation of
> > > > critique and pirating Achebe's work   to condemnatory statements on
> > > > Nigeria:
>
> > > > "So, the vultures in Nigeria, some who probably condemned Chinua
> > Achebe's
> > > > There Was a Country, would not wait a second after looking at the
> > covers of
> > > > the book before getting a pirated version of it into *the sick and
> > > > conscienceless Nigerian market?*
>
> > > > You then rounded off your comments by describing these conflations you
> > made
> > > > in terms of feeding on the death of Achebe. You suggested an
> > > > identification of  this cadaverous cannibalism  with the attacks on his
> > > > work, describing those attacks in terms of efforts to kill Achebe:
>
> > > > "Oh, they would not even wait for the dead author to be buried first.
> > The
> > > > death of the author happens in many ways, it seems. And there are
> > always
> > > > vultures ready to feed on the carcasses of this and that."
>
> > > > You therefore transformed a comment on piracy into  a vitriolic
> > > > condemnation of the critics of Achebe's book and a tirade against
> > Nigeria.
>
> > > > It was the vitriol in your comments that made me challenge you.
>
> > > > As for your history, it is in  your CV, which I linked.
>
> > > > All your education has been in Nigeria. All your post secondary
> > education
> > > > and  almost all your  entire working life, except for a period of one
> > year
> > > > or less,  has been in Nigeria, outside your native Igboland, inside the
> > > > very Nigeria you describe as being at war with Biafra, of which your
> > > > ancestral Igbo ethnicity was at the centre.You have never worked in
> > > > Igboland.
>
> > > > Your working life has been centrally  at the University of Ibadan, the
> > > > heartland of the Yoruba, the very people Achebe identifies as being
> > > > significant to what he describes as the united hatred of Igbos by
> > Nigerian.
>
> > > > I had to point out the contradictions in the lives of you right wing
> > > > pro-Biafra characters as exemplified by your own life.
>
> > > > I mentioned Igbo traders and piracy because of your claim that some of
> > > > those who are pirating the book  are likely to be those who critiqued
> > the
> > > > Achebe book. I  mention that there is a  significant possibility that
> > the
> > > > pirating agents   are Igbo on account of the prominence of Igbos in the
> > > > Nigerian book trade. My experience with Benin and Lagos some years ago
> > > > indicates that prominence. It is  well known in Nigeria that Igbos are
> > > > dominant in certain sectors of the economy in particular cities,
> > > > bookselling and vehicle spare parts trade in Benin, for example, when
> >  I
> > > > was there. They are also central to the marketing of Nollywood films,
> > > > Nollywood described as beginning with a  film made an Igbo video
> > cassette
> > > > marketer, Kenneth Nnnebue.
>
> > > > These are basic facts of what I would call Nigerian demographic
> > geography.
>
> > > > That being so, you are likely to be wrong about those doing the
> > pirating
> > > > since most, if not all Igbos who spoke up on the Achebe book did not
> > take
> > > > him to task on the salient issues that others saw as faulty in his
> > vision.
> > > > Adichie, who disagreed with him on particular points, shared his
> > spirit was
> > > > not able to understand the disappointment of various people about
> > Achebe's
> > > > choice to forego his global/African statesman image for the image of a
> > > > still pained Biafran.
>
> > > > As for your efforts at name calling, I am not interested.
>
> > > > You chaps need to come off the notion that critiques that dont fit into
> > > > your frames imply Igbophobia. You are not helping yourselves with such
> > a
> > > > narrow understanding of ethnic related analysis.
>
> > > > Toyin
>
> > > > On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 4:17 PM, Obododimma Oha <obodo...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
> > > >> Toyin,
> > > >> Your Igbophobia is really showing. Pity. The issue I raised about is
> > > >> about piracy [of Achebe's recent work], something that every Nigerian
> > > >> should be ashamed of, and there you go drooling about Igbo people
> > > >> being the pirates! Also saying saying that I have lived all my life in
> > > >> Nigeria - as if you know me very well or if the story of my life or
> > > >> where I have lived has anything to do with someone stealing from a
> > > >> dead man. Well, you forgot to add that you once identified yourself as
> > > >> a virus.
> > > >> Be well with ideas.
> > > >> Obododimma.
>
> > > >> On 4/24/13, Oluwatoyin Adepoju <ovadep...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >> > Obododimma,
>
> > > >> > For a man who has lived and thrived all your life  in
> > > >> > Nigeria<http://arts.ui.edu.ng/OOha>,
> > > >> > now as a lecturer at the University of
> > > >> > Ibadan<http://ng.linkedin.com/pub/obododimma-oha/33/2b7/19>,
> > > >> > your attitude to Nigeria is rather unfortunate, as evident from your
> > > >> > earlier argument that Nigeria is still  fighting with Biafra more
> > than
> > > >> > 40
> > > >> > years after the war and your refusal to acknowledge that Nigeria has
> > > >> > made
> > > >> > significant efforts to commemorate  Biafra in its National War
> > > >> > Museum<
> >http://ambeels.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/national-war-museum-5/>at
> > > >> > Umuahia, the last headquarters of Biafra, choosing  instead to focus
> > > >> > on
> > > >> > the govts attack  on Biafra memorabilia  shortly  after the war in
> > your
> > > >> > blog post of 2011,  "A Risen Sun That Shines
> > > >> > Forever<
> > > >>http://x-pensiverrors.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/risen-sun-that-will-neve.
> > ..
>
> > > >> > ".
>
> > > >> > In what sense is the Nigerian market sick and conscienceless?
>
> > > >> > Who are the publishers of this pirated version of Achebe's book?
>
> > > >> > While I lived in Benin, I understood that the greatest publishers of
> > > >> > pirated books were Igbo , Igbos being the biggest booksellers in
> > Benin.
>
> > > >> > Who are those likely to be involved in  or accused of pirating
> > films in
> > > >> > Nigeria? What group of traders? That is not a rhetorical question,
> > > >> > since
> > > >> I
> > > >> > dont know the answer,  but a suggestion that
>
> ...
>
> read more »

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