• Adeyinka Akintunde

IKEOGU Oke is the winner of the 2017 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, NLNG.

The announcement was made by the Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, chairman of the Advisory Board for the prize, who has once been two-time vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, at the world press conference held in Lagos. Oke’s “The Heresiad” beat “Songs of myself: Quartet” by Tanure Ojaide, and “A Good Mourning” by Ogaga Ifowodo to clinch the prize of $100,000 (One Hundred thousand US Dollars).

According to Professor Banjo, the 2017 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, which focuses solely on poetry, received 184 entries, with 101 collections disqualified at the initial stage, and it was reduced to 83, and further to 50, 25, 11 and finally three. He further revealed that it was tough deciding the winner between Ojaide’s “Songs of Myself” and Oke’s “Heresiad” “as both of them wrote beautifully in relation to the scope and maturity of their writing, unity of coherence, use of language, diction, and contribution to the Nigerian literature, but deeper considerations separated Oke’s “Heresiad” from the other.

Professor Ernest Emenyonu, chairman of the Panel of Judges, in describing Oke’s work said “Oke’s poetry reveals a conscious and deliberate manipulation of language and philosophy in the style that reminds us of the writings of great Greek writers of Homeric and Hellenistic periods”.

On the entry NLNG received from poets, Emenyonu said “The seriousness with which the NLNG literary prize is received by the teeming population of writers in Nigeria is a sign that the expectations of writers swing beyond the prize itself to that of portraying their creativity. NLNG is happy with this initiative.”

Reacting to Oke’s victory, Kudo Eresia-Eke, general manager, external relations, NLNG, said, “We at NLNG are proud of this achievement. National and international interest in both the Prize and process is increasing and this is good for the prize and for Nigeria. We are pleased with the judges’ verdict and Mr Ikeogu Oke has demonstrated that he is a fine poet and Nigerians need to rally around and celebrate him. We must begin to build cultural icons, the likes of Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Chinua Achebe, and this prize is the leading project doing this right now.”

Eresia-Eke said, “I think Nigerian writers are the best. The level of dedication, social conscience and awareness, insight and commitment that is displayed distinguishes the Nigerian writer. In a country like Nigeria, it takes a heart of love and commitment to be a writer, and finding them is commendable.”

On the eligibility of entry of works for the prize, he told Realnews that the competition “is open to anyone who writes critical essays. It is just a matter of studying works of literature, and then critique them along specific standards.”

The Nigeria Prize for Literature has since 2004 rewarded eminent writers such as Gabriel Okara, Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto, Ahmed Yerima, Mabel Segun, Kaine Agary, Esiaba Irobi, and others, for their classic work of literature, which in the words of Eresia-Eke, “helps to build a better Nigeria.”

– Oct 10, 2017 @ 08:10 GMT /