October 15, 2004: The author of the epic, literary masterpiece, 'Things Fall Apart' (written in 1958), social conscience of millions, cultural custodian and elevator, chronicler and essayist, goodwill ambassador and man of progressive rock-ribbed principles,

the most translated writer of Black heritage in the world the Eagle on the Iroko, Professor Chinua Achebe, has taken the extraordinary step of "declining to accept the high honor awarded me in the 2004 Honors List" by Nigeria's president, retired General Olusegun Obasanjo.

In the October 2004 letter sent to the presidency, the eminent writer and statesman Achebe informed Obasanjo, that "Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest...."

According to the letter obtained by USAfricaonline.com, USAfrica The Newspaper and CLASS magazine (the first media networks to obtain and publish its content), Achebe pointed to the issues of Nigeria's leaders failing to unite the country's diverse peoples and the what he identified as "the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency" in the destabilization of parts of Nigeria and state governments by political and business renegades.

Achebe, the author of 'No Longer at Ease' (1960), 'Arrow of God' (1964--rev. 1974), and 'Anthills of the Savannah' (1987), wrote Obasanjo "For some time now I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency."

Achebe noted in his usual clarity and depth of meaning that he wrote "this letter with a very heavy heart." President Obasanjo was born on March 5, 1937 while Prof. Achebe was born November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria

In rejecting the award from the embattled presidency of Obasanjo, Achebe's symbolic point will further draw the line between the toadying apologists of Obasanjo who insist that the president who is on his 2nd time as Nigeria's head of state (3 years as a military dictator from 1976-1979), and 2nd term as civilian leader (since 1999) is "doing his best to improve Nigeria and its stature internationally" and the leader's ardent critics who cite the cost of living, decaying infrastructure and killings in different parts of the country as the results of "a mediocre, inept, know-it-all and corrupt Obasanjo government."

Achebe's decision to reject the 2004 national honors from Obasanjo is not accidental; it's rooted in his position that the writer ought to see himself/herself as a part of the wider goal of building a better society. For him, there's an organic relationship between writing as education and the building of a better society. Recall that the distinguished and prolific Achebe wrote in 1975 in his work 'Morning Yet on Creation Day' that "The writer cannot be excused from the task of re-education and regeneration that must be done…"

Achebe has never shied away from speaking his truths to the face of power, especially writing with such lucidity and accessibility that his essays and books have since become equalizers for the scholarly and the average reader. (See selected works of Achebe at the bottom of this page).

Achebe's latest note and poignant reminder to the "powers that be" in Nigeria follows in his decades old commitment to call the leadership to do better for a long-suffering people - especially in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. I recall flying back to the U.S. (from South Africa directly to New York) to attend Prof. Achebe's 70th birthday at the historic Bard College (November 3-4, 2000) and its related conference titled, "Home and Exile: Achebe at 70" - where Achebe made a similar point. In the midst of his friends and some of the best writers in the world, he mentioned how everyone was speaking so nicely of him in honor of his birthday; then he joked that were he a military dictator may be those two days of November would have been declared national holidays. He burst into laughter.... That's vintage Achebean sarcasm.

In 1983, he wrote the often quoted pamphlet, 'The Trouble with Nigeria. In the latter, he cited the litany of failures of the leaders and pointed the way forward. In rejecting Obasanjo's award, he's making a statement about the direction and quality of leadership in Nigeria, today. The sage has picked the moment to set his revered and valuable company and name apart from a list which does not separate dealers from leaders. With Chinua Achebe, Eagle on the Iroko, you may never mistake his message.

USAfricaonline LITERATURE Why Chinua Achebe, the Eagle on the Iroko, is Africa's writer of the century. Achebe, scholar, social conscience, cultural historian and globally-acclaimed writer, has been a significant and binding source for an engaging understanding of African pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history and realities. I believe that such insight has made him a favorite of African-Americans, and other scholars and regular folks in search of a better, realistic understanding of Africa, at least, from Achebe's utilization of his rich and dynamic Igbo ancestry, in south eastern Nigeria. I share the same ancestry, and he's one of my mentors. By Chido Nwangwu. Click here for commentary Chinua Achebe returns "home" from U.S., to love and adulation of community. Exclusive USAfricaonline.com tribute: Since 1958, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" set a standard of artistic excellence, and more. We met in person at the first conference on Commonwealth Literature, organized by Professor An Jeffares at Leeds University in 1964. We met again in Lagos, later, the same year. We met again at the Canadian Association of Commonwealth Literature conference in Toronto in 1973. By Douglas Killam Chinua Achebe: A Literary Diaspora Toasts One of Its Own. By Somini Sengupta POLICY A trial of two cities and struggle for justice. By Jack E. White, an essay by Time magazine columnist for USAfricaonline.com COMMUNITY INTEREST Johnnie Cochran will soon learn that defending Abacha's loot is not as simple as the O.J Simpson case. By Chido Nwangwu A Lott of Racism? Implications of Obasanjo's late wake up to the challenges of Sharia in Nigeria. By Ken Okorie Osama bin-Laden's goons threaten Nigeria and Africa's stability. By Chido Nwangwu What has Africa to do with September 11 terror? By Chido Nwangwu Reflections on September 11. By Jonathan Elendu And the Rocks Cried Out (For Safiyatu). By Effenus Henderson DEMOCRACY'S WARRIOR Out of Africa. …The cock that crows in the morning belongs to one household but his voice is the property of the neighborhood. -- Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah. An editor carries on his crusade against public corruption and press censorship in his native Nigeria and other African countries. By John Suval. Pope John Paul, Abacha and Nigeria's Christians DIPLOMACY Walter Carrington: An African-American diplomat puts principles above self for Nigeria. USAfricaonline.com Founder Chido Nwangwu with the U.S. former Ambassador Carrington (right) at the U.S. embassy in Lagos during a courtesy visit.   Biafra-Nigeria war and history get fresh, critical look from a survivor. By Alverna Johnson and Vivian Okeke.   'Biafra: History Without Mercy' - a preliminary note. By Chido Nwangwu ODUMEGWU EMEKA OJUKWU:"It was simply a choice between Biafra and enslavement! And, here's why we chose Biafra" Biafra: From Boys to Men. By Dr. M.O. 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National Summit on Africa, Congresswoman Jackson-Lee hold policy forum in Houston '100 Black Men are solutions-oriented' says Thomas Dortch, Jr., Richard Johnson and Nick Clayton II as they share perspectives with USAfrica's founder on the national organization. Community Service Awards bring African-American, American policy and business leaders together with African community at Texas Southern University 110 minutes with Hakeem Olajuwon Cheryl Mills' first class defense of Clinton and her detractors' game  Nigeria, Cry My Beloved Country BULLET Versus BALLOT The bloody stain of military coup, on Friday December 24, 1999, sullied the once unique history of democratic rule in the beautiful and historically democratic, French-speaking west African country of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) by General Robert Guei (inset). USAfricaonline report and commentary. COMMUNITY INTEREST Why the revisionist forces of racist oppression in South Africa should not be allowed to intimidate Ron and Charlayne Gault. Index of Founder's Notes (1) Index of Founder's Notes (2) Index of other Viewpoints USAfricaonline contributors and columnists on the issues Will the rash of Ethnic Violence disrupt Nigeria's effort at Democracy? USAfrica FORUM IN THE HOUSE OF MANDELA: A SILLY CRY FOR REPARATIONS By Prof. Chimalum Nwankwo Nigerian stabbed to death in his bathroom in Houston. EndGame in Kinshasa: U.S must boot Mobutu for own interest, future of Zaire and Africa Seriously, is your web site a Turkey, too? Get Solutions PetroGasWorks Shell picks Leslie Mays as VP Global Diversity Why Powell's mission to the Middle East failed. By Jonathan Elendu TRANSITION General Tunde Idiagbon:  A nationalist, an iron-surgeon departs Abiola's sudden death and the ghost of things to come   Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua's prison death, Nigeria and The Ghost of Things to come .....

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Nigeria's president retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the impeachment process shows that "democracy is alive, is being tested, and being tried.... What they (the legislators) have tried to do in the democratic way, which is not easy, would probably have been done by taking arms or by -- with bullets. So, but with democracy, of course, some people feel that this is the way this should be, and then I have an opportunity to defend myself. There is discussion. There is dialogue. There is a decision. There is fairness." He made these comments when he appeared on Tuesday September 17, 2002 on CNN International to discuss the issues of impeachment facing him, the allegations of corruption, abuse of the constitution and deployment of soldiers ina civilian environment which led to the "massacre of civilians" in Odi (Bayelsa) and Zaki Biam (Benue). On the charges by international human rights organizations and Nigerian media that his government has been involved in actions which have led to the deaths of thousands of Nigerians, the retired General gave a surprising answer. He was asked that "as many as 10,000 people, it's being reported, have been killed in Nigeria (in) communal rivalries, and the number is believed to be increasing. And people are saying that although President Obasanjo has done a lot of good for Nigeria, you're accused of not -- accused of failing to halt that spiraling violence." Obasanjo: Let me say this to you, when you put the question of 10,000 -- 10,000 people dying in Nigeria, of course, for a population of over 120 million people...." 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