A MAN OF THE PEOPLE

Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. He was raised in the large village of Ogidi one of the first centers of Anglican missionary work in Eastern Nigeria and graduated from University College Ibadan. His early career in radio ended abruptly in 1966 when he left his post as Director of External Broadcasting in Nigeria during the national upheaval that led to the Biafran War. Achebe joined the Biafran Ministry of Information and represented Biafra on various diplomatic and fundraising missions. He was appointed Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and began lecturing widely abroad. For over fifteen years he was the Charles P. Stevenson Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College. He was Professor at the David and Marianna Fisher University and Professor of Africana studies at Brown University. Chinua Achebe wrote over twenty books novels short stories essays and collections of poetry and received numerous honours from around the world including the Honourary Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as honourary doctorates from more than thirty colleges and universities. He was also the recipient of Nigerias highest award for intellectual achievement the Nigerian National Merit Award. In 2007 he won the Man Booker International Prize for Fiction. Chinua Achebe died in 2013.As Minister for Culture the Honourable M. A. Nanga is a man of the people as cynical as he is charming and a roguish opportunist. At first the contrast between Nanga and Odili a former pupil who is visiting the ministry appears huge. But in the eatandleteat atmosphere Odilis idealism soon collides with his lusts and the two mens personal and political tauntings threaten to send their country into chaos. Published prophetically just days before Nigerias first attempted coup in 1966 A Man of the People is an essential part of his body of work dealing with modern African history.GB