By Olawale Lamina, Features Editor, Abuja
By “privately” turning down the national honour extended to her, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the distinguished Nigerian and prolific author of international repute, has joined a list of prominent Nigerians who who rejected national honours conferred on them by the government.
Although the globally renowned literary icon chose not to go public with her rejection of the award, her name was still announced at the awards venue. Chimamanda who was recently conferred with the Havard University’s iconic W.E.B Du Bous Medal has been quick to dispel insinuations that she accepted the award. The award is the Nigerian government’s recognition and affirmation of its citizens achievements resourcefulness.
Chimamanda who spoke through a member of her Communications Team, Omawumi Ogbe said: “Following the recent conferment of national awards by the President, there have been conflicting reports about one of the announced recipients, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Some social media users say the award-winning writer rejected the award, while others say she accepted the coveted award.
“The author did not accept the award and, as such, did not attend the ceremony. She, however, did not want to create undue publicity around it, so her non-acceptance was conveyed.”privately.”
The history of the award shows that Chimamanda will not be the first Nigerian to reject national honour. Distinguished Nigerians who had rejected the honour in the past include late Professor Chinua Achebe, a literary icon who turned the national honours award in 2004 citing the growing culture of impunity, pervading the political system. Achebe who turned down the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) award at the time said he did so because he was dissatisfied with the handling of the country’s affairs by the government of Olusegun Obasanjo .
In 2011, Achebe rejected the same award from the Goodluck Jonathan administration, saying the reasons for rejecting the offer when it was first made in 2004 had not been addressed.
Also, a foremost human rights activist, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and lawyer rejected the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) conferred on him in 2008 by the late president Umaru Yar’Adua administration.
