The Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) on Friday joined other Nigerians to mourn the death of Prof. Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike, the author of Toads for Supper (1965), The Naked Gods (1970), Potter’s Wheel (1973) and Expo 77 (1980).
Reacting to the news of the death from the national headquarters of the Society in Ibadan, Wole Adedoyin, SYNW President said that he was yet to believe and come to terms with the reality of Prof. Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike’s death as it was hard to contemplate the void his passage has created. Adedoyin lamented that the renowned author passed away at a trying period in the life of the nation when his knowledge and experience are mostly needed.
The statement further described Prof. Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike as a principled, dogged and unrelenting author, fully committed to the development of book industry in Nigeria.
It will be recalled that Prof. Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike passed away on Wednesday’s night after some health challenges since December where he was admitted at the teaching hospital, Nnewi.
SYNW believes that the Late Prof. Vincent Chuckwuemeka Ike who also had a successful career as an accomplished author will be remembered for his meekness, attentiveness, commitment to excellence and the profound understanding of human affairs exhibited in his writings.
The umbrella body for young writers in the country further urged members of Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike’s family, his fellow authors and all who mourn him to take solace in the knowledge that the much admired writer’s beliefs, views and insights will live forever through the body of works he has left behind for present and future generations.
SYNW finally urged Gov. Willie Obiano to immortalize Prof. Ike’s name and prayed that Almighty God will receive Prof. Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike’s soul and grant him eternal rest.
Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike (28 April 1931 – 8 January 2020) was a Nigerian writer known for a mixture of lampoon, humor and satire. He owed a little bit of his style to his Igbo cultural upbringing. He studied history, English and Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan and earned a master’s degree at Stanford university. Among many of the younger generation, he was popular as the author of Expo ’77, a critical look at academic examination abuses in West Africa.
Ike was a former registrar of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
