The respected Nigerian writer, poet and attorney, Chuma Nwokolo, visited Ashesi on Wednesday, 21st November 2012 as part of his promotional tour for his latest book, The Ghost of Sani Abacha. Chuma interacted with students, faculty and staff, and held talks on wide-ranging academic and political issues.
The highlight of Chuma’s visit was his much anticipated afternoon reading from his latest book, which was held in Ashesi’s Cornfield & Archer courtyard. Chuma charmed his audience with two appropriately humorous pieces from Diaries of a Dead African (2003), and then went on to read from two other titles in his 2012 collection, “Marital Accounts” and “High Fidelity.” His short stories touched on a part of the subtle underlying theme of Ghost of Sani Abacha which Chuma labels as “post-autocratic stress syndrome.”
The syndrome, according to Chuma, resulted from citizens’ long years of living under military dictatorship. A manifestation of this syndrome, Chuma explained, is the simultaneous disrespect of democratically elected leaders towards their electorates, and citizens’ unquestioning acceptance of such treatment from leaders they chose themselves.
Students and faculty got to engage Chuma on the ideas shared in his book, the skill of writing, and learning to discover your own voice in writing. The evening ended with a book-signing by Chuma.