Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike (born 28 April 1931) is a Nigerian writer known for 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 master's degree at Stanford university. Among many of the younger generation, he is
popular as the author of Expo
'77, a critical look at academic examination abuses in West
Africa. Ike was a former
registrar of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Early Years
Born in Anambra state, Nigeria, Ike was given the
Christian name of Vincent but later chose his Igbo name, Chukwuemeka as his
preferred choice (meaning "God has done great"). He was raised
in a strict home. His father was a king, civic leader and disciplinarian who
instilled in his son the necessity of civic duties and education. Chukwuemeka
started early education in his native town. He left his town for further
education at Ife-Mbaise and
then from 1945 to 1950, he attended Government College, Umuahia.
He started writing at Umuahia for the school
magazine, The Umuahian, and
he was also influenced by teacher that included Saburi Biobaku, who had honours in English
from Cambridge. Some eminent Nigerian writers who attended the school
include Chinua Achebe, Christopher Okigbo,
and Ken Saro Wiwa.
After completing his secondary education, he studied at the University of
Ibadan. while at the college, he was invited by Chinua Achebe to join the
magazine club. He is currently king, Eze Ndikelionwu of the great Aro town
Ndikelionwu in eastern Nigeria, with the title "Ikelionwu XI" in his
hometown of Ndikelionwu in Anambra State.
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