Professor J Isawa Elaigwu – The Exit Of A Mentor

I met Professor Elaigwu done his erstwhile teacher and mentor, the precocious Professor Ali Mazrui who transited to glory connected October 12 2014. My gathering with Professor Mazrui was fortuitous.

I was surviving successful London astatine the clip and had founded the publishing company, Adonis & Abbey publishers (www.adonis-abbey.com), successful 2003. The pursuing year, I besides founded the periodical, African Renaissance, past a bi-monthly, semi world journal, modelled aft the US magazine, Foreign Affairs. That was astatine the tallness of ‘Afro-pessimism’, and determination were efforts, particularly from the Thabo Mbeki-led ANC authorities successful South Africa, to beforehand the conception of ‘African renaissance’. One of the blimpish newspapers successful the UK had derided the full conception of ‘African renaissance’ by mockingly posing the rhetorical question of ‘when did Africa ever person a naissance’. We utilized the diary to situation theories and assumptions which we felt denigrated Africa oregon ruled retired antiauthoritarian and developmental possibilities for the continent.

The maiden edition, published successful June 2004, was connected ‘Afro-Arab Relations: Co-operation oregon Conflict’. The contributors included – Gamal Nkrumah (Nkrumah’s son), Mammo Muchie, Helmi Sharawi, Kwesi Prah, Marcel Kittissou and Chinweizu.  The Ethiopian student Mammo Muchie gave maine Professor Mazrui’s telephone fig and suggested we should get him progressive successful the journal. Professor Ali Mazrui was already larger than beingness not conscionable by his intelligence engagements but besides by his documentary ‘Africa – A Triple Heritage’ (1986). Given his planetary stature, I wasn’t precisely afloat of assurance that an obscure student similar maine who had acceptable up a nondescript publishing institution and an chartless diary would get overmuch of his attention. Surprisingly erstwhile I called, helium was rather generous with his time.

I told him of his books I had work and proudly regurgitated immoderate of the quotes I memorized from immoderate of those books. However, alternatively irreverently, I told him that I didn’t similar his allegorical enactment – The Trial of Christopher Okigbo (1972). I told him that I threw it distant successful disgust aft speechmaking it. Mazrui was soundless for a portion and past asked maine if I thought I was aged capable to recognize the connection of the publication since I said I work it arsenic an undergraduate erstwhile I was inactive a teenager. I argued that it was incorrect for Okigbo to beryllium recovered blameworthy successful the book’s Hereafter seemingly for subordinating his creation arsenic a writer to his assemblage (Biafra). I further argued that a writer’s assemblage preceded his creation and that a writer who subordinates his creation to his assemblage is lone celebrating creation for art’s sake.

There was a agelong soundlessness done which my pounding bosom told maine I had blown the opportunity. When Mazrui yet spoke, it was to springiness maine his location telephone fig and inquire maine to telephone astatine my convenience. We became rather close. I was his inferior intelligence sparring spouse due to the fact that helium would often email an sentiment to maine and inquire maine what I thought of it. Initially I was excessively deferential to disagree with his opinions but I besides rapidly recovered retired that helium preferred maine to disagree with him oregon to “debate” him arsenic helium would enactment it. Our publishing institution besides became his preferred European publisher. In 2006, we published his precise important work, A Tale of 2 Africas: South Africa and Nigeria arsenic Contrasting Visions. In a publication I edited successful 2009 titled: Who is an African? Identity, Citizenship and the Making of the Africa Nation, Professor Mazrui contributed 2 chapters arsenic good arsenic the Preface to the book. Professor Elaigwu facilitated Gowon penning the Foreword to the book.

In 2011 we besides published Public Intellectuals and the Politics of Global Africa: Essays successful Honour of Ali A. Mazrui which was edited by Seifudein Adem, past Associate Director of Mazrui’s Institute of Global Cultural Studies astatine Binghamton University, USA. Professor Mazrui besides became an advisor to African Renaissance. It was possibly the designation of our adjacent narration that erstwhile helium transited to glory connected October 12 2014, I was appointed co-editor of the publication of worldwide tributes to him. The publication titled, A Giant Tree has Fallen: Tributes to Ali Al-Amin Mazrui was published successful 2016 by African Perspectives Publishers of South Africa.

Meeting Professor Elaigwu

Professor Mazrui introduced maine to his erstwhile pupil and mentee, eminent Nigerian governmental scientist, Professor Jonah Isawa Elaigwu. We bonded precise quickly, with our publishing institution publishing the planetary variation of a fig of his antecedently published books, including his magnum opus, Gowon: The Biography of a Soldier-Statesman. Professor Elaigwu besides introduced maine to a fig of radical successful his ellipse including Dan Agbese, 1 of the founders of the iconic Newswatch mag who was aboriginal ...