Very rare, this is an excellent example of mid-twentieth century Nigerian printing.
Eke Kalu was the son of the notable Igbo doctor, Kalu Uwaoma. He was born in Elu, a village in Ohafia, but moved to Bonny when he was around eight years old. He recounts the journey in detail noting the practice of slavery among Nigerian tribes. Furthermore, after many years away, he took the chance to return home only to find himself captured by Ogbosso from his home region of Ohafia. He was placed in chains and starved (“enfeebled”), though managed to escape, partly by pretending to be one of his enslavers.
There is a moving description of his eventual homecoming; an account of his time serving (reluctantly) as interpreter for the recently-formed Royal West African Frontier Force in 1901 at Calabar; his time as a revolutionary; plus an account of the opening of a leper colony. Kalu was a keen advocate of education as a means of escaping oppression by corrupt fellow Igbo.
The text is at least partly, paraphrased from the 1938 article “An Ibo autobiography: the autobiography of Mr. Eke Kalu, Ohaffia’s well-honoured son.” It’s telling that this publication coincided with a general election which was won by the Northern People’s Congress which was one of the largest political parties in Nigeria until the 1966 civil war.
It’s not surprising that a publication such as this should be unlocated on OCLC.
Kalu, E., “An Ibo Autobiography …” in Nigerian Field, Volume VII, No. 4 (October 1938), pp.158-170.
