Ossie Enekwe

Ossie Enekwe, born Onuora Osmond Enekwechi (12 November 1942 – 29 April 2010), was a Nigerian dramatist, poet, novelist, and professor of theatre arts.

He was a former vice president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), as well as the former director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka (1998–2004). He helped to establish the University of Nigeria's Dramatic Arts Department.

Enekwe was the editor of Okike: The African Journal of New Writing from 1984 to 2010, after being appointed by its founder, Chinua Achebe, who founded it in 1971. When Enekwe retired in 2010, he handed over the editorship of Okike to Amechi Akwanya.

Early life and education Ossie Enekwe was born on 12 November 1942, at Affa in Udi LGA, Enugu State, to Albert Nkomatolu Enekwe's family.

He began formal education at St. Patrick's School, Ogbette, Enugu, in 1949, continuing till 1952, and again from 1955 to 1957. He then attended Holy Ghost School, Ogui, Enugu, 1953; St. Mary's School, Uwani, Enugu, 1954; Trinity High School, Oguta, 1958–62 and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1964–72.

Enekwe became a Foundation Scholar after gaining admission to the department of English in the Faculty of Arts of the university, and, he was refunded his first year school fees and had his subsequent school fees paid by the university. As an undergraduate student, he quite often went around campus with a guitar slugged to his shoulders.

During 1963–64, he worked as a clerk in the third class at the Ministry of Local Government in Enugu. The following year, he established a music club named "Kiss Me Quick" and had already started appearing on Enugu TV in the series Ossie Melody. Enekwe was part of the Eastern Nigeria Theatre Group from 1963 to 1967.

Starting in 1966, and until the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, he served as a literature freelancer for the Christian Radio, Enugu. This radio station was affiliated with UTLF, the Voice of the Gospel station in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Enekwe completed his studies in the Department of English at UNN with Second Class Honours, Upper Division in 1971. He quickly secured a position as an English master at St. Peter's College in Achina, Anambra, Nigeria. Later that same year, he was appointed a Junior Research Fellow at the Department of English at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Enekwe was a teacher and scholar in the fields of creative writing, drama, and literature for more than thirty years. He taught at the University of Nigeria and various educational institutions in the United States. Throughout his teaching career, he held different positions, including Junior Research Fellow at the Department of English, University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Adjunct Lecturer in African-American Literature at the City University of New York (1973–76) and Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA (1977). He was also an Associate in African-American Literature at Columbia University in New York (1977–78) and rose through the ranks from Lecturer 1 (1978) to Senior Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1980.

Enekwe's "Happy Baby" is the model poem in Ghana Senior Secondary School English, Book 1, published for the Government of Ghana by the Oxford University Press (1991). Many of his short fictions and poems have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, Serbian, Hungarian and many other languages. He is listed amongst editorial consultants in many journals, local and international, and his lectures and scholarly writings have inspired a great number of people.

In 1984, Achebe appointed Enekwe the editor of Okike: An African Journal of New Writing; Achebe had founded the journal in 1971. When Enekwe retired in 2010, he handed over the editorship of Okike to Akwanya. His works demonstrated versatility of craft that manipulates ironies and dramatic actions to startling aesthetic effects. His creative and literary talents elucidated African literature and literary criticism.

Enekwe dedicated his life to the pursuit of academic excellence and nation building through committed theatre. He conceptualized an African theatre that is markedly different from Aristotelian postulations using the Igbo masking tradition. He has through his numerous works, especially his study of Igbo masks, which resulted in the unity of ritual and theatre as one, contributed a lot in the area of theatre scholarship. The work is regarded as one of the best in the field of Igbo scholarship. Enekwe was in the forefront of the movement for an independent African aesthetics freed from western theoretical conditions and prejudices that precludes the admission of African contributions in the evolution of theatre, literature and world cultures. Enekwe had left indelible marks in his various works that dot books and reputable journals. His services to learning, especially dramatic arts and poetry, are vast.

Administrative appointments/ establishments Aside his creative expressions, Enekwe had time for serving in many capacities for the development of higher education in Nigeria. He was the chairman, Governing Council, College of Education, Eha Amufu, Enugu State, Nigeria (1987–1989), and, Associate Dean of Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He strengthened these institutions and laid solid foundations for more rapid expansion in facilities and in student and faculty population. He was founding chairman of the University of Nigeria Transport Routes Implementation Committee.

Enekwe was on the national panel of experts on community theatre for social mobilization from 1981 to 1988, and he was a member of the Federal Government Planning Committee for International Symposium for African Literature in honour of Prof. Wole Soyinka. He was also president of the Okigbo Poetry Club in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He ran a regular column in the Sunday Punch newspapers from 1987 to 1989. From 1988 to 1991, he was the vice president of the Association of Nigerian Authors. Columbia University Writing Fellowship East-Central State Scholarship

He won the Silver Gong Prize for Dramatized Poetry in English at the 6th National Festival of Arts in Maiduguri in 1983, as well as the Silver Gong Prize for his short story, War in the Head.

As an English and dramatic arts teacher, he motivated his students to aspire to academic heights with focus.

Later years Enekwe was made editor-in-chief emeritus of the Okike journal in 2006 by Achebe.

Personal life Enekwe was a devoted Christian. He was a member of the Christian Men Organization, Laity Council and Legion of Mary of St. Peter's Chaplaincy, UNN. He carried out legionary works along with his friend, Prof. Onukogu. He was a member of the Knight of St. Molumba, Nigeria. Enekwe was known to have visited motherless babies homes quite often. In page three of Gentle Birds, Come to Me, he said:

Enekwe married Josephine Chioma Enekwe (née Adinde) in 1974 and they had six daughters (Uche, Chinwe, Chioma, Ginika, Olivia and Sylvia) and a son (Osinachi Albert Enekwe) and many grandchildren.

He died on 29 April 2010.

Works Wole Soyinka as Novelist (1975) The Modern Nigerian Theatre: What Tradition? (1978) Broken Pots (1977) Come Thunder (1984) Minstrelsy in Igboland (2002) The Last Battle and Other Stories (1996) Theories of Dance in Nigeria: An Introduction (1991) Broken Humanity Igbo Masks: The Oneness of Ritual and Theatre (1987) The Betrayal in Two Experimental Plays (1992) Trails in the Mines: The Life and Works of Edmund B.O. Nwasike (2000) Marching to Kilimanjaro (2005) Gentle Birds, Come to Me (2007)