By Tony Afejuku

The glitterer is rounding off his discourse, his review of Kola Eke’s poetry as equipment for living Nigerians – evidenced in 1967 and Other Poems. Ordinarily, this essayist would want this discourse to continue and continue because of the nature of Kola Eke’s subjects and topics in which he clearly exhibits his social, historical, intellectual, aesthetic, ethical, moral and psychological goals as a modern Nigerian poet.

Many readers and scholars, especially those in the region or orbit of literature and the arts did not know him as a poet until a discussion of 1967 and Other Poems appeared here beginning with the first serial four weeks, four Fridays, ago. There is still very much to be said about the book (and his poetry) based on the intellectual equipment Kola Eke embeds in it relating to the subject of this discourse. In other words, the glitterer’s task has been faithfully and fruitfully accomplished. The reactions from several readers, all of whom are seasoned creative and critical scholars and accomplished goal-getters say it all.

But before they are recorded here, let it be stated with scholarly and glittering candour that Kola Eke’s poems in 1967 and Other Poems are intensely, movingly public. His consciousness and conscience are those of the public modern Nigerian poet whose poems in the volume under review we will always accurately regard as belonging to our contemporary times and province of twenty-first century Nigerian poetry. 1967 and Other Poems is distinctly a volume about how the poet equips Nigerian citizens with the wherewithal to communicate their privation, pains, desperation, and deprivation to the world. Kola Eke correctly portrays their collective burden, joylessness, and fate. His voice is the collective, symbolic voice of the people – dead or living. To the living in particular his poetry is the shining light to illuminate and communicate the failure of the political leaders and elite who have been dimming the lives of the suffering people. Kola Eke’s poetry is one equipment to un-conceal what the world must know (since 1967) about the country called Nigeria. This perhaps is Kola Eke’s prime beauty in this volume. “Beauty is one way in which truth occurs as unconcealness” – so said Martin Heidegger (1889-1975), German philosopher and poet, long ago.

Now let the glitterer end this review with the following quotations from selected high profile creative scholars and critics:

Professor Emeritus Olu Obafemi (NNOM; FNAL):
“Dear respected glitterer, Tony the poet/public intellectual. Although I have not read Kola Eke’s poetry, your lucid and penetrative critical analysis of his war poetry is gripping, recalling to my mind, my 1993 book titled Nigerian Writers and Nigerian Civil War – treating Nigerian poets who included Okigbo, Soyinka, Achebe, Clark, Saro-Wiwa and novelists like Amadi, Ekwensi and Iyayi. The “War Virus” metaphor of Eke, pinpointing the rapacious greed and decadent dysfunctional governance of the power elite which led, in part, to that fratricidal war echoes deeply in the graphic picture you painted of Eke’s poetry. Thank you for bringing Eke’s poetry to my recurrent currency”.

Professor Kayode Soremekun – Ex-VC FUOYE:
I have just read your brilliant piece on Kola Eke. Never heard of him. This confirms my deep-seated notion that talents abound in this country.

Professor Mabel Evwierhoma (FNAL):
“Good morning, great Prof. Eke’s focus on existential issues shows that he has adequate depth to grapple with diverse themes, forms and styles in literary creativity, especially cultural and political poetry. As a Nigerian, I appreciate the extra efforts he has made not to play the poet-as-Ostrich in reflecting contemporary realities. I await further opening of the ‘young’ man’s mind in his oeuvre.

“Furthermore, Sir, I like Eke’s use of aviator metaphor. Be they birds of prey or not, the different plumage signifies the instrument of exclusionary action, where pricing has separated the poor and middle class from necessaries. May tax not guillotine our earnings and pockets.

“Thanks for letting us know about Kola Eke.”

Professor Owojecho Omoha:
“If poetry is “medicine,” as decreed by Tony Afejuku, Eke’s work fraternises (with) medical science – literature and medicine as interdisciplinarity. Afterall, Eke’s poetry has viruses of Nigeria’s present and the past, making for a complete work of art – “Good morning again, Prof. Tony Afejuku, gem of gems. 

“Reading Kola Eke’s poem(s) (as presented by you) is reeling. The flight of the gas re-defines the life of those who still have the vision like Eke to see flying gas from the port of sale. Kerosene took flight long ago, and it is yet to return to our stoves.

Charcoal is now threatening to take a flight of no return, saying the woods, the woods producing charcoal at the farms are at the mercy of bandits everywhere. Nothing is safe, not even the water, for the rivers, from season to season, overflow their banks making Nigerians confused, every rainy season, Oh TA, the bringer of Kola Eke to our celebratory page!”

Professor Sunny Awhefeada
Your discourse amplifies the social commitment of Kola Eke’s poetry making it range on the well known motif of commitment on which Nigerian letters revolve. The historical consciousness of the poems is depicted in their titles, which memorialise the significant events that shaped this country. But responsive as the poetry is to the nation’s plight, the poems do not overtly subscribe to a revolutionary creed which should be a  harbinger of change”.

Professor Dan Chima Amadi:
“Good day, Prof. I love your shift in attention, and exploration of younger scholars and writers like Kola Eke, I am just knowing about now. This is good. Beautiful exploration and synthesis. Like Enekwe, Kola Eke gave his best to war poetry. It is a unique area. You will recall I wrote a book on Ossie Enekwe’s works. I am familiar with the terrain. You have done well, Prof., great scholar. You definitely earned your professorship rightly. I will send you the book soon”

Dr Edafe Mukoro:
“Wonderful review and analysis [of Kola Eke’s collection] by Professor Tony Afejuku – one of Africa’s formidable and cerebral minds.”

These perspectives illustrate that Kola Eke has brilliantly equipped the minds of Nigerians with his poetry of grand metaphors. As a modern Nigerian poet, Professor Kola Eke has come to stay in their consciousness, in our consciousness – this much is un-debatable.

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.