Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Rights Activist, Professor Joy Ezeilo, SAN, has expressed shock and fury over the alleged removal of the legendary Things Fall Apart written by the late prolific writer, Professor Chinua Achebe from the school curriculum in Nigeria.
The Professor of Public Law, who made the observation while making her contribution during the June edition of Ikengaonline monthly virtual town-hall meeting, described the development as astonishing.
She wondered the rational behind the dropping of the iconic literary work from school curriculum even when many countries of the world are still cerebrating it.
Professor Ezeilo who said her attention was drawn to the sad development recently when she needed to refresh herself on the book and could hardly find any copy as it had become scarce, having been allegedly removed from school curriculum.
The former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons in Africa, called for advocacy over the retention of the invaluable book which is making waves across many continents.
Ikengaonline recalls that Things Fall Apart, for many decades, featured as one of the recommended novels for literature in English for Senior Secondary schools across West Africa.
In his own submission, one of the co-anchors of the town-hall, Dr Chido Onumah, wondered why the South-East governors could not on their own return Things Fall Apart to the school curriculum in their region since Nigeria operates a federal system of government.
Dr Sam Amadi who was the guest speaker at the town-hall meeting, however, regretted that South-East political leaders are not forceful in championing the cause of the zone.
He noted that quite unlike their counterparts from other geopolitical zones, political leaders from the zone, show lack of interest in things that border on the region’s interest.
