Brief Biography
Ezenwa-Ohaeto is one of those rare
Nigerian scholars whose world-wide travels were almost exclusively
occasioned by the innumerable fellowship, workshops, and seminars that
constituted his intellectual quest. And in almost all circumstances they
were sponsored by his wining one fellowship visiting professorship or
foreign lecturing appointments. As early as 1993 at the age of 35,
Ohaeto travelled to Germany on the Alexander von Humbolt stiffung
research fellowship. Between 1993 and 1995. Ohaeto was a visiting
research Fellow, University of Maniz, Germany. In 1998, Ohaeto
incredibly was Rockefeller Foundation Resident Fellow in Bellagio,
Italy. In 1999, Ezenwa Ohaeto found himself as Mellons Fellow,
University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A. Stranger than fiction as this
seems, in the year 2000, Ohaeto found himself at Uppsala, Sweden, as
Research scholar-at its Nordic Africa Institute, Senior Rockefeller
Humanities Follow in the W.E.B. du Bois Institute, Harvard University
Cambridge, U.S.A. In the very next year, 2002, he became the Institute
Fellow. Finally, in 2003, Ohaeto returned to Germany as visiting
professor. The record of Ohaeto’s fellowships, and foreign visiting
appointments (eight in ten years) is one yet to be equaled by any
Nigerian scholar or professor in any intellectual field of endeavour.
Because he stayed away from Nigeria in pursuit of the Golden Fleece par
excellence, Ezenwa Ohaeto, in spite of the intimidating number of
publications, stagnated in his promotions to deserving academic ranks in
the Nigerian institutions where he worked. The result: his
professorship was achieved posthumously. Prize and Awards Professor
Ohaeto’s achievement in this regard is an stunning and intimidating as
his fellowships. Few academics living or dead in Nigeria could lay claim
to the dizzying heights to which Ohaeto soared in his brief but
distinguished life on earth. As early as 1971, at the age of twelve,
when many of his mates were struggling to pass standard six, Ezenwa
Ohaeto won a third prize corticated for poetry in the zonal festival of
arts. In 1978, Ohaeto won first prize, short story competition, English
Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In 1979, he won a certificate
of excellence in drama performance, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Professor Ezenwa-Ohaeto’s outstanding performance in the NYSC service
year won him the chairman’s award in 1980. Following what naturally
seems to have become his lot, Ezenwa-Ohaeto won the BBC poetry award,
Arts and Africa in 1981. Again, expectedly, since whatever Ezenwa-Ohaeto
touches, turns to gold, in 1985, he won the best free verse poem,
orphic lute, U.S.A. In 1997, he won the ANA Cadbury poetry prize and in
1999, Ohaeto won the choice outstanding academic book award for his
publication of the biography of Chinua Achebe. If we add the prizes to
the innumerable fellowships and visiting professorial and scholarly appointments, you will agree with me that Ezenwa-Ohaeto still remains
the most award-winning academic that has appeared on the Nigerian scene
so far. He capped his award winning exploits with the award of the
Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) African’s most prestigious Nigeria
literature prize (2005) as join winner with his mentor Gabriel Okara. We
are now agreed that Ezenwa-Ohaeto’s life was marked by unusual
excellence. What’s in a name Shakespeare would ask. There is sometimes
something in a name. The name of our head of state, Goodluck Jonathan
seems to be one remarkable example. Ezenwa literally means King Boy and
he lived out the meaning of his name in everything he touched. He was a
dramatist, a poet of world class stature, an outstanding academic. He
shone like a meteor and is appeared in a blaze of glory. His academic
laurels and publications are intimidating both quantitatively and
qualitatively. He was at once, a poet of note, a world-class biographer,
and an incisive critic renowned for his bestriding the major genres of
belles letters. Professor Ohaeto was best known in Nigeria s a
distinguished literary journalist cum critic. His interviews with
Nigeria’s eminent writers and critics provoked debates and critical
controversies in the daily times and the guardian newspapers over three
decades, thus creating a new genre of critical information and insights
into the minds and thinking of the people intervened, especially as some
rejoinders provoked further debates between writers, readers, and
critics. Thus. Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto took credit in creating an
atmosphere of interaction between artistes and critics, to which few
others could claim such credit. Professor Ohaeto’s interviews of Nigeria
writers and critics were collected in a book Winging Words (Kraft
Books, (2003). As an interviewer-critic, Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto’s
efforts surpassed itself in his Chinua achebe: straight from the heart
which is a conflation abringing together under one volume various
interviews Achebe had subjected himself to, over the eyars. Only a
scholar with the vast exposure to the world of literature, like Ezenwa
Ohaeto, would subject himself to synthesize, collect, collate Achebe’s
commentaries on social and literary issues around him. It is a
collector’s time. It would now be stressing the obvious to delve into
Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto’s scholarly expertise because that is what has
engaged us, all along, as a poet, he had won many poetry prizes both
local and international. But it is his experietise in oral poetry that
bears comment. His poetry has its charm on its Oral base. His pidgin
poetry is part of this Oral base. Titles of his published books of poems
like “I Wan Bi President”, “The voice of the Night masquerade”, the
chants of a minstrel” (winner of the Nigeria prize for literature) and
the scholarly work contemporary Nigerian poetry and the poetics of
morality establish Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto as very accomplished in this
innovative genre of poetry. Younger or fourth generation Nigerian
critics whom I had tagged “lazy” may note that Professor Ezenwa-Ohaeto
was an exception. Here was a young academic in his prime who lived no
other life than of a very diligent worker in the vineyard of literature.
He traversed the length and breadth of this country interviewing fellow
writers and critics; he established, almost single-handedly journalism
provoking debates, comments, and rejoinders in various important
Nigerian newspapers. His interest in the feminist Nigerian writers like
Flora Newapa and Buch Emecheta found outlet in his many contributions to
various journals around the globe, and his travels and visiting
appointments to the world’s most famous universities are indices of a
genius whose endeavours most of us would like to emulate. Ezenwa (King
Boy) you left us in a blaze of glory. Come again, Nigeria has need of
another you. Come back again but this time, stay longer with us. We
would appreciate you the more, a more mature you who would live to be a
sage, and an elder. Meantime, we know that what can’t be helped, must be
endured. We take consolation that in the world beyond, you dine with
that noble and select company of writers and critics among who are
Homer, Sphocles, Virgil, Shakespearean, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy,
Flora Nwapa, John Munoye, Richard Wright, Esiaba Irobi. Where else would
you find a more distinguished company. Culled from Professor Charles.
E. Nnolim’s Ezenwa Ohaeto: Biographia Intellectuale A Brief History of
Ezenwa Ohaeto Resource Centre The Prof. Ezenwa Ohaeto Resource Centre
was inaugurated on March, 31, 2011 in memory of Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto
who was a foremost African poet, literary critic, essayist and a teacher
of reputable standing. Prof. Ezenwa Ohaeto is a world renowned
professor of Literature who died in 2005 at the age of 47 soon after
winning the most prestigious literary prize in Nigeria - the NLNG Prize
for Literature. The inauguration of the Centre was an occasion of great
importance and was memorable on many scores which most importantly was
because it marks the beginning of the actualization of a dream to immortalize the name of
Late Prof. Ezenwa Ohaeto and provides a forum and contact point for
scholars and critics to tap from his rich fountain of knowledge and also
provides an avenue for the reading public to have access to his
‘intimidating’ resource materials gathered and built in all the years of
his academic sojourn on earth. The dream of this centre started with
the painful demise of Ezenwa Ohaeto who had a library that can best be
described as very rich. The wife of Ezenwa-Ohaeto is always fond of
sharing her early memories and attachment to those books. They were
simply too many to belong to one person, her husband. She confessed that
each time she went to the library she kept asking her husband, Ezenwa,
who he left the books for. She never felt the enormity and presence of
those books as much as she did when her husband died. It was until his
death that she encountered each morning, piles of books staring at her
with imploring eyes to put them to good use. They were begging her to
continue reading them like her husband did or to help find some people
who could read them and make them satisfied. She never stopped wondering
what to do with those books which at some point she considered donating
part of them to university libraries across the country until the idea
of establishing a Resource Centre in honour of her late husband came to
her. Again at that time she was under constant pressure from many
students who were on one kind of research or the other who kept coming
and were requesting for Ezenwa’s works and works on him. So the idea of
establishing the Centre was the only avenue she considered best in
making these materials easily accessible to anybody who might need them.
The wife of Ezenwa Ohaeto went through a whole lot in her bid to
acquire the proper compensation due to her husband which was the money
with which she hoped to start off the project of a resource Centre. It
was such an experience, a sordid tale that is best told by her alone.
After the rigours, herculean tasks and experiences she passed through in
those five years of trying to assess the money, she finally got it in
July 2010 and that was when the dream began to take a shape that later
saw to its actualization. That year marked the beginning of the building
that is today housing Prof. Ezenwa-Ohaeto Resource Centre for which
many people gathered the next year, on the 31st day of March, 2011 to
inaugurate. 31st March was apt and is a very significant date to the
centre because it is Ezenwa’s birthday. The inauguration was festive as
it was a gathering of literary giants and icons of African Literature.
In attendance includes but not limited to HRH, Eze Prof, Chukwuemeka
Ike, the Ikelionwu XI of Ndikelionwu, HRH, Eze Boniface Unogu; the Eze
of Owerri-Nnkworji, the special guest of honour, Prof, Boniface Egboka,
the Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Nigeria, our guest
speakers, Prof. Charles Nnolim and Prof. Kalu Uka, The chairman of this
occasion, Prof. E. I Nwana, The Honourable, Victor Nnadiekwe, Chairman, Nkwerre Local
Government Area, Imo State, Prof. J.O.J Nwachukwu-Agbada among other
dignitaries too numerous to be mentioned here. It was indeed a fulfilled
day. The centre having been established has continued to carry out
laudable programmes annually. These are programmes that are targeted
towards the promotion of literature and literary creativity as well as
immortalizing the evergreen memory of late Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto. In
2012, a Literary Festival was organized courtesy of the Ezenwa Ohaeto
Resource Centre in honour of the fallen literary icon and godfather,
Late Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto. The event was held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
University Auditorium and it attracted scholars and critics locally and
internationally. Also many top government officials were there to add
more colour to such a colourful event. The event which started in the
university auditorium earlier in the day was laid to rest later that
evening with a literary night held at Finotel Hotel, Awka in their
magnificent and serene garden that proved vital in ensuring that the
artists and audience had a fun-filled night. Poets, comedians and
artists performed till late in the night to allow the audience have what
they described as ‘one of the best literary nights ever and the most
memorable in their lives.’ The students of Theatre Arts Department were
there to thrill the audience with only a tip of the ice berg which can
only be obtained within the confinements of their department. Dr. Elvan
Nwanara graced the event with his musical troupe which everybody danced
to till the early hours of the next day. Dr. Chike Okoye was there as
the trusted master of ceremony to ensure a harmonized and well packaged
night. That same year saw to a literary symposium held in the
prestigious Ezenwa Ohaeto Resource Centre. The event provided a platform
for an in-depth academic discussion on the topic “African Literature:a
Cup half open or half empty” and thorough criticism on many diverse and
topical academic issues that were raised during the symposium. The
symposium attracted the likes of Prof. Ernest Emenyeonu who was the
guest speaker, Prof. Charles Nnolim among other distinguish professors
and members of the academia gleaned from various higher institutions in
the country. On the 6th of March 2013, the centre organized a Youth
Literary Convention that featured a poetry and drama competition from
many selected secondary school in Anambra state. The Theme of the event
was tagged: The Nigerian Child and the Environment and was held at the prestigious Whyte View Hotels in Awka.
The programme was aimed at sensitizing the youths as well as the general
public on the need for proper care of our environment. The theme was
apt and timely as the event coincided with the time many parts of the
country became victims of the heavy flood that saw to loss of many lives
and property. The need to address the general public on many
environmental hazards and the realities of other future events became
the driving force that gave birth to the theme of the conference. The
environment goes hand in hand with our survival as humans and it
behooves us to protect it. Many negative actions on nature are
invariably negative actions that will in the long run militate against
out survivals as humans. Nature and environment is ours to protect as
safeguard. Greg Mbajiorgu, a renowned dramatist whose works are
environmental friendly was there to witness the performance of one of
his drama works on environment titled Wake Up Everyone which was
performed by the students of Anerobi International School, Amansea. One
of the highlights of the event was the unveiling and launching of a book
titled The Minstrel Never Die, volume 2. It was a collection of many of
the fine essays and articles written by late Prof. Ezenwa Ohaeto and
edited by Dr. Ezenwa Ohaeto. The occasion was colourful as it was
remarkable in nurturing and sustaining the creative ingenuity among
youths that are the leaders of tomorrow. The event attracted the likes
of Barr. Dr. Obinna Uzoh who was the chairman of the event. Also in
attendance was the bishop of Onitsha, Valerian Okeke among other
dignitaries. The event was concluded with a literary night/ festival
held at Bassino Hotels, Awka. The gathering was worth the effort as it
was a gathering of poets and dramatists from various institutions and
organizations. Poets, artists and comedians had their fill of exciting
performances that all unanimously begged for a repeat of the event in
the coming year. Many other programmes of great importance and delight
are in the pipeline already packaged by the centre. They are all waiting
for the allotted time to see the light of the day and thrill the
general public. The Vision The vision of the centre is to create a
foremost forum for prodigious engagement in creative writing, training,
mentoring, discourse and study that will attract the best brains in
African and global literature and culture. The Mission The project of
the Resource centre, which is dedicated to academic research, revolves
around the following objectives: • To immortalize Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto’s literary legacies
as writer, critic, essayist, and community leader; • To provide a forum
for the discussion of Ezenwa Ohaeto’s work as a critical factor in the
development of African literature and aesthetics; • To support the
growth the research in both indigenous and foreign language literature; •
To provide outlets for young writers, as well as create for a for the
discussion of the literary business; • To advance the pursuit of
literature as performance; • To sensitize society to the values of
creative writing and the scribal arts; • To advance the development of
culture as a living and liveable environment; • To foster consciousness
of the environment as integral to human existence and literature as a
core factor in its sustenance. Moreover, it hopes to pursue every
opportunity to support and organize lectures, symposia, workshops,
exhibitions and literary performances with a bi-annual roster, during
which experienced writers from within and outside the country will
interact with young writers who will thereby enjoy the prospect of not
only being heard, but also finding publishing outlets for their works.
Means of Sustaining the Resource Centre The resource centre which is a
non-profile making outfit is fundamentally a non-borrowing library with
the intention of bridging that gulf between library facilities and local
communities. In other words, it aims at bringing library facilities
closer to the people. In full operation, the centre has managed to
provide internet facilities for writers and the general public as well
as mount a user-friendly access to inter-library services. The centre
has established a digital library in order to be in line with modern
trends of things in reputable and standard library in the world over.
The library has and will continue to boost symposia, workshops,
exhibitions and literary performances from time to time outside the
strategic bi-annual events which will bring in writers from across the
country and beyond. In order to meet the needs of routine
self-maintenance, the Centre introduced a structure of membership
through a systematized registration based on affordably levy. The levy
is subject to renewal annually. The Board The centre has the following
as her Board members who have continued to work tirelessly to the
sustenance and enhancement of the human and academic resources of the
centre: 1. Odia Ofeimum - Chairman 2. Dr. Ngozi Ezenwa-Ohaeto - C.E.O 3.
HRM Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike - Ikelionwu XI of Ndi Ikelionwu 4. Prof.
Ernest Emenyonu - African Studies, University of Michigan-Flint USA 5.
Prof. Stella Okunna - Hon. Commissioner for Planning & Budget,
Anambra State of Nigeria 6. Rev. Fr. (Prof.) J. Obi Oguejiofor -
Department of Philosophy, UNIZIK 7. Prof. Ike Odimegwu - Department of
Philosophy, UNIZIK 8. Prof. Charles Nnolim - Retired Department of English and literary Studies UNIPORT 9.
Chibuzo Asomugha - Project Co-ordinator 10. Asika Ikechukwu - Assist.
Project Co-ordinator Location The centre is located at Oganiru Estate,
Ahocol Phase 3 opposite Esther Obiakor Estate, Awka, a giant building
that housed great intellectual tools and resource materials that will
continue to feed thousands of academic-hungry and excellence driven
students. And many more will it continue to feed in the near future all
to the glory of academics and scholarship at large. The centre is ever
posed and has continued to grow and expand as the world continues to
turn into a global village under the auspicious eyes of Dr. Ngozi Ezenwa
Ohaeto, the C.E.O whose love for a beloved departed husband and
singular drive to achieve a difference combined with the efforts of many
to see to the establishment of this reputable house of learning and
academic feast. Visit the centre today if you have never done that… If
you have, visit it again because more surprises have been packaged for
your delight alone… You can call us on these numbers: 08033713548
07084012668 Someone is waiting to talk to you. What you are looking for
is here with us… why not try? We are expecting you…
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