Achebe’s Statue Stirs Controversy, As Anambra State Govt Denies It Originated Concept

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Anambra State Government have clarified that the recently unveiled statue of  literary icon, Prof Chinua Achebe was  conceived, funded, and executed by the leadership of the Ogidi Town Union, the home town of the late novelist.

The clarification is coming against the backdrop of mixed reactions that  trailed the monument which was erected at the  Ugwunwasike Roundabout in Ogidi, and commissioned on Saturday July 18, by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

While some observers have lauded the project ,many others seriously criticized the Anambra State Government over what they perceive as abysmal artistic interpretation, and general poor nature of the statue.

Many of the criticisms  centred on the perceived non-resemblance of the statue to the real Achebe who ruled the literary world for decades.

But reacting to the situation, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media Ejimofor Opara, while describing the criticisms as unnecessary and distractive, noted that Governor Soludo was only invited to unveil the sculpture.

This is as he  appealed to critics not to undermine the significance of the thoughtful initiative by Achebe’s community.

He emphasized that rather than devote time debating artistic interpretation, attention should be focused on the symbolic effects of the sculpture which he described as hugely monumental.

“There has been a spreading misconception that the statue of our literary icon, Prof Chinua Achebe, at Ugwunwasike Roundabout was built and commissioned by the Anambra State Government.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the stat3ue was  conceived, funded and executed by the Ogidi Town Union, Achebe’s community.

“Governor Chukwuma Soludo was graciously invited to unveil the monument in honour of Achebe’s towering legacy, and its significance to Ndi Anambra and the world.

“We must not trivialize this thoughtful gesture by the Ogidi people for social media traffic. The decision of Achebe’s own community to immortalise their illustrious son is profound, and deserves commendation, not needless debate about the sculptor’s interpretation.

“Anyone who visits the monument will see how deeply Achebe is venerated. Beyond the bust, the base of the statue carries carefully engraved excerpts of his literary.masterpieces, ensuring that even if one misses the face, no one will miss the ideas that made him immortal.

“This back and forth about whether a statue is picture-perfect is a huge distraction from the weight of this symbolic effect. Symbols are about what they represent”, Opara stated