TheCable

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, has named the state’s international passenger and cargo airport after the literary icon, Chinua Achebe.

Achebe, a native of Ogidi in Idemili North LGA of the state, died on March 21, 2013, at the age of 82, in Boston, Massachusetts.

In his lifetime, Achebe wrote many books of international repute, including “Things Fall Apart”, “There Was A Country”, “Arrow of God”, “A Man of the People” and many more.

During the Independence Day parade in Awka on Sunday, Soludo said naming the airport after Achebe was to immortalise the novelist for making an indelible mark on the history of human civilisation.

He said Achebe was an African and global hero whose legacy would outlive that of most presidents, governors and ministers.

“Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, gave the African literature an identity and a voice and he rightly reconstructed and refined the identity of the people,” NAN quoted Soludo as saying.

“Unfortunately, some people wrongly think of legacies in terms of brick and mortar. Legacy is about its impact on human life and human civilisation.

“Achebe was not a president or governor or military. He did not build bridges or roads or airports but he will outlive most presidents, governors and ministers in our minds.

“Achebe rejected Nigeria’s national honours twice in protest against what he perceived as injustice to his home state Anambra. Today, Anambra will finally honour him.

“After wide consultations, there is a broad consensus that no one is more deserving to be named after the first airport in Anambra than Anambra’s all-time greatest literary gift to the world, Chinua Achebe.

“Consequently, we will rename the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri, to Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri.

“Yes, it has to be an international airport, and we hope to work with the Federal Government to give full effect to its international status.”

Soludo further encouraged Nigerians to be intentional about making the country work and believe in its potential greatness.

He said his administration would continue to create the enabling environment for Anambra residents to thrive and survive.

“We have muddled through the past 63 years with squandered opportunities and yet with the promise of potential greatness,” he said.

“No country or nation is perfect. Every nation continues to struggle in its match to a more perfect union. The path to stability, growth and sustainability will be challenging as there are no quick fixes.

“But all of us must collectively think and work Nigeria out of the current challenges. We have no other country but Nigeria, and we must make it work for everyone.”