By Anote Ajeluorou
Apparently not happy with
developments in Africa, especially with its under-development status in spite
of huge material and human resources, Rome, Italy-based Nigerian novelist, Dr.
Ikenna Kaius Ikejezie, is propounding a new, alternative political vision that
could well place service above anything else so as to lift Africa from its
parlous status. In what he calls Servicracy, Ikejezie in his novel The Learned laments the continent’s woeful development strides
and calls for a rethink.
With a strong desire to return from the Diaspora and be part
of the building process at home, Ikejezie gave vent to his unhappiness at the
launch of his book last Saturday at the MUSON Centre, Lagos. He noted that
democracy had failed to deliver on the continent, especially Nigeria with
injustices easily noticeable in power equation across the country. He argued
that only a reworking of the balance of power to reflect a genuine desire to
serve the people better would bring genuine harmony amongst the people.
On his final return back home, he said he would write two
novels a year with themes that would address burning national issues. Chairman
of the launch, Chief Charles Ifeanyi, said the event was a refreshing one and
described the book as an introspection into some of the salient issues plaguing
society. He used the occasion to address the issue of plagiarism that so easily
besets scholarship and commended the author for coming up with brilliant,
original materials that had already been endorsed by the Department of
Philosophy, University of Lagos as study text.
The book reviewer Prof. Charles Ogbulogo also commented on
the vexed issue of plagiarism, saying it was a worldwide problem that needed
serious attention from relevant authorities across the globe. Ogbulogo also
stated that Ikejezie also made a deliberate attempt to create a friendlier
world and provide alternative challenge to leadership in his novel.
Governor of Anambra State Mr. Peter Obi, who was represented
by his Senior Assistant on Liaison Matters, Lady Ucheoma Ckwudum, urged the
author to also launch TheLearned
in Awka so as to bring the book closer to Anambra people as a way of
encouraging them to read, saying, “It’simportant to bring the launch to Awka to
wake up the zeal of reading in our people in Anambra. This book must be take
home; it’s a serious book”.
Obi tasked the writer and other Anambra people not to avoid
coming home to do things because of kidnapping cases.
Chief launcher, Chief ABC Orjiakor, who was represented by
Sir Emma Onyejelem, said it was ironic that a state whose citizens are known to
express aversion for education was producing some of the modern writers in the
country.
On his part, the author Ikejezie said it took him 10 years
to complete the book, and noted, “We’re all in the process of learning. I’d
like to talk about the author as a thinker, a poet, a critic engaged in
political ideologue. I want to be a full time writer and to produce a good
novel every two years”.
The Learned,
according to Ikejezie, is a play on words to lampoon man’s infinite love for
titles. The Learned is a story of
a woman who has a challenging pregnancy and would need to abort it to save her
life. But her religious faith is against abortion. To overcome it, she and her
husband had to approach a court of law to give a ruling for her to abort.
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