SATURDAY TRIBUTE
Ferdinand Ekechukwu
“Certainly, things will change for the better. No society is static. As the old writers pass away the young ones will take over the fight for change; it is a continuous fight. And change will come eventually.” As optimistic as that statement from Gabriel Imomotimi Gbaingabin Okara appeared just a decade before his passage on Sunday March 24, at the ripe age of 97, it bears a task for the existing and future generation of writers.
The celebrated poet, novelist and playwright made a mark on the African literary scene as one of the major pacesetters. Reported to be the first renowned English Language Black African poet and the first African modernist writer, Okara is widely published in influential national and international journals. His exit sure leaves a vacuum in the literary firmament and as a dedicated and well-published writer in all the literary genres will be fondly remembered for his immense…
