Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has renamed the state’s International Passenger and Cargo Airport after the late Chinua Achebe, a novelist, to immortalize him for making an indelible mark on the history of human civilization.
Achebe, a native of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area, died on March 21, 2013, at age 82, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Soludo described him as an example of Africa’s unsung hero.
“Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, gave African literature an identity and a voice and he rightly reconstructed and refined the identity of the people,” he said.
The governor said that Achebe was not just an Anambra hero nor a Nigerian hero, but an African and global hero and yet largely unsung at home.
He said that henceforth, the state shall be deliberate in fishing out and celebrating its largely unsung heroes as motivation to children and youths.
“Unfortunately, some people wrongly think of legacies in terms of brick and mortar. Legacy is about its impact on human life and human civilization.
“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 honors twice in protest against what he perceived as injustice to his home state Anambra. Today, Anambra will finally honor 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,” he said.
Soludo urged Nigerians to be intentional about making the project Nigeria work and believe in the potential greatness of the country.
“We have muddled through the past 63 years with squandered opportunities and yet with the promise of potential greatness
“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,” he said.
The governor said his administration was founded on the true progressive agenda and would continue to create the enabling environment for residents to thrive and survive.
The police, paramilitary organizations, and students from different schools took part in the parade.
Source: The Sun
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