Intrigues, Politics In Achebe’s Burial

[Shola Sholaz]

Apart from the fact that the dust his autobiography, There was a Country raised was yet to settle, the announcement of his death started another round of controversy.
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The first controversy that came out was when the renowned author was announced dead last March.
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Argument began to rage in several cultural, literary and political circles on the kind of burial Achebe would have. While some said it would be traditional burial, another group said it would be Christian while another said Achebe was an atheist.
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All had their reasons. Achebe in his novels, especially those set in pre colonial and colonial Nigeria accused both Christianity and colonialism as being responsible for Africa's woes. But then Achebe had neither been seen in a church, neither had he been seen in a church, neither had he been seen in the traditional setting. This made some others say he was an atheist.