Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike

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Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike, born in Anambra state,Nigeria is a Nigerian satirical writer known for his writing style: a mixture of lampoon, humor and satire. He owes 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 masters degree at Stanford university.[1] Among many youths, he is popular as the author of Expo '77, a critical look at examination malpractices in West Africa.

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[edit] Early years

Ike was given the Christian name of Vincent but later chose his Nigerian name, Chukwuemeka as his preferred choice (meaning "God has done great"). [2] He was raised in a strict home, his father was a farmer, civic leader and disciplinarian who imbibed in his son the necessity of civic duties and education. Chukwuemeka started early education at an Aro school in his native town, he left his town for further education at Ife-Mbaise and Umuahia. At Umuahia he was schoolmates with Chinua Achebe, Christopher Okigbo, and Ken Saro Wiwa. After secondary education, he studied at the University of Ibadan.[1]

[edit] Novels

[edit] Expo 77

In later years, expo in Nigeria became synonymous with academic cheating. In Expo 77, Ike tries to tackle the issue of examination malpractices. In the novel, the author explored cheating through the eyes of a university registrar who is forced to hire a detective by the lack of trust he has in some of his applicants resume due to leakages of test questions. The detective later discovered a varied structure of examination malpractices, from the parents who demand new test results for their children, to principals who allow students to bring in text books for closed examinations. The author believed it was partly the propagation of the idea of corruption from leaders which had permeated the society and led to the rampant ethical excess.

[edit] Works

  • Toads for Supper (London: Harvill Press, 1965)
  • The Naked Gods (London: Harvill Press, 1970)
  • The Potter's Wheel (London: Harvill Press, 1973)
  • Sunset at Dawn (Collins & Harvill Press,, 1976)
  • Expo '77 (Fontana, 1980)
  • The Chicken Chasers (Fontana, 1980)
  • The Bottled Leopard (1985)
  • Our Children Are Coming (Ibadan: Spectrum Books 1990)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Routledge Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English.
  2. ^ Meaning of Chukwuemeka in Nigerian.name