Preliminary Page
Abstract
Biography
As a child, Emmanuel Okonkwo Ezeasunyuo-Eke (Ezeani) arrived this crusty earth on the 19th day of January, 1948, the last of five male siblings. He had as parents, Ezikeakuanaonwu and Mgbafocha (nee Ezeoke) who were later converted to Christianity, as Joachim and Susanne. Both parents were indigenes of Uhunweke quarters, Umumediana kindred, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. A dispassionate appraisal of Emmanuel’s intellectual disposition affirms that he had a brilliant scholarly walk of life which spanned forty-two years (1976 – 2018). Emmanuel had his primary school formation at St. Eugenia’s Amichi, St. Joseph’s,
Onitsha. He attended All Hallows’ Seminary, Onitsha. An alumnus of University of Lagos,
College of Education, Akoka Yaba, Lagos. Emmanuel is a member of the class of 75, Department of Languages (French),
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. On graduation, he placed second class honours (upper division). Emmanuel was a 1975 University of Nigeria Nsukka scholar. He wrote his degree papers on 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) on a 4.0 point grading system, thus, missing first class degree by a whisker. Emmanuel’s class of degree facilitated his award of teaching assistantship, to enable him pursue studies towards M.A. degree at The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. His duties consisted of a maximum of 6 hours of teaching laboratory exercises during the period of his employment, beginning (September 1, 1976 to March 31, 1977).
While on M.A. degree programme at Menitoba, Emmanuel by a letter dated 25 November, 1976, was awarded a doctoral scholarship by the French government to study French literature at the University of Tours, Tours, France. But he continued with his studies at Manitoba. Emmanuel successfully completed all course work and thesis requirements for the M.A. degree in French language and literature in seven (07) months. He was awarded this degree at the Spring Convocation held on May 25, 1977. Sequel to Emmanuel’s graduation, Professor C.A.E. Jensen, Head Department of French and Spanish at Manitoba wrote on his student thus, “He was an energetic and strongly motivated student who completed course requirements and thesis for the M.A. degree in French language and literature in time to graduate at the coming May Convocation. This has happened only a few times before, in the long period of my work in this Department, most students taking an appreciably longer time to complete all requirements for the Master’s degree. I can certainly recommend Mr. Ezeani as a thoroughly reliable and conscientious student who can be counted upon to complete whatever academic task is given him”. In 1978, Emmanuel appointed lecturer II (French) was among the pioneer staff of Anambra State College of Education Awka. In the first quarter of 1979, he was awarded Federal Government of Nigeria scholarship to pursue doctoral studies in linguistics. The award was tenable at the University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke Quebec, Canada. In September 1981, Emmanuel left for Canada armed with Federal Government of Nigeria scholarship and fellowship of Anambra State College of Education, Awka. He resumed duty at Awka in September 1986, on successful completion of Ph.D. linguistics degree. Emmanuel headed French Department from 1987 to 1990, during which he participated in the interview and recommended Mrs. Justina Nneka Okoye (now Prof. Okoye) for
appointment as lecturer II (French), in august, 1988 along with Mr. Samuel Maduagwuna. The turn of events in Emmanuel’s academic progression tends to suggest that he is destined for academic pioneering. Consequently, in 1992, he was among precursors staff
invited to set up the Nigeria French Language Village (NFLV), in Ajara, Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria. The institution opened with Professor Ade Ojo on secondment from University of Lagos as the Director. Emmanuel’s colleague, Dr. Adejumo was from University of Jos. It was challenging to start an academic institution from the scratch: drawing courses of study from the bench mark supplied by the National Universities Commission (NUC), and ensuring conformity with NUC requirements. Adejumo and Ezeani were senior lecturers
but worked amicably with junior members of teaching staff some of whom have now attained the position of deputy director of the establishment, opened in February 1992 by Raji Rasaq, with Prof. Babs Fafunwa as the minster for education. It is the premier port of
call for French language immersion. Nigeria French Language Village (NFLV) was established to resolve the problem of foreign exchange scarcity, impacting negatively on students who spend the penultimate year in a francophone institution for language
immersion. Emmanuel’s schedule at NFLV was quite challenging. However, it brought the best out of the energetic young man. Apart from lecturer schedule and administrative duties, Prof. Ade Ojo also entrusted Emmanuel with the task founding NFLV’s famous
academic journal: Revue nigérianed’études françaises (Renef). He was, therefore de facto and de jure founding editor of the journal.
On leaving NFLV in 1992, Emmanuel did a stint at University of Port Harcourt, Choba, where he taught undergraduate and Master’s Courses up till 1998. Subsequently, he berthed home, assumed duty at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka on 14/01/1999. At Awka, Emmanuel’s letter of appointment read French or linguistics. He opted for French which was in dire need of a helping hand. The department had only two lecturers, Prof. Julie Agbasiere and Dr. Chuma Ezike both specializing in the same area-africain francophone literature. I had to placate Prof. P.W.N. Anagbogu, the then Head of linguistics, by teaching a course on phonetics to students of linguistics. Apart from Anambra State College of Education, NFLV, Badagry, NAU, Awka is another academic establishment where Emmanuel made a notable academic impact. Lecturer I on assumption of duty, his appointment was regularized as senior lecturer with
effect from 14/01/99 when he assumed duty. The few available lecturers has the challenge of teaching many students. Department of Modern European Languages had only three lecturers, some of whom had to grapple with twelve (12) hours of lecturers per week. It
was excruciating. The salary abysmally low, was nowhere near economic wage. Promotions were not readily accessible. In those days, it would be over ambitious to dream of professorship. Nevertheless, Emmanuel’s promotion to readership materialized in 2003; while
professorship was attained in 2006. With professorship, he reached the apex of academic position attainable in a university system. But for a person of Emmanuel’s personality, it is not enough to be a professor. A professor must show academic leadership through: teaching with dedication, research, creative output, supervision of Masters and Doctoral theses, attracting research funds, editorship of books and learned journals. Again, like Prof. Ade Ojo of NFLV, Badagry, Prof. Julie Agbasiere of NAU, Awka, in a memo dated 12/06/2002 directed Emmanuel thus, “Dr. E.O. Ezeani, give me a write-up on a possible departmental journal – title, names of advisers/consulting editors, specimen of letters to consulting editors and call for papers, guidelines to contributors etc”. Typical of a person groomed to obey constituted authority, Emmanuel complied verbatim with Prof. Julie Agbasiere’s directives. He produced “Journal of Modern, European Languages and Literatures (JMEL), No. 1, January, 2008. The journal still flourishes at NAU, MEL, Awka.
Emmanuel’s interest and knack of publishing was manifest since his days at All Hallows’, Onitsha, where he served on the pioneer editorial board of “Tomorrow”. Also, at UNILAG College of Education, he was among the pioneer editorial board members of “Scholar”. He is currently the editor-in-chief of Journal of Language and Linguistics (JOLL). In Emmanuel’s undergraduate years, he has a stint with journalism. He did two years full vacation job, 1972/1973 and 1973/1974 with Daily Times publishers, Kakawa street, Lagos. He was privileged to work closely with household names in the print media viz: Alhaji Babatunde Ajose, Arioye Oyebola, Dr. Hezy Idowu, Segun Osoba, Doyin Abiola (nee Aboaba) Dr. Olu Onagoruwa and Dr. Tunde Otegbeya. On the other hand, Emmanuel’s erudite academic career can also be evaluated from the high index of his production of postgraduate diploma, Masters and Doctoral degree graduates both at NAU, Awka and other institutions where he serves as external examiner: Imo State University, Owerri, Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu; Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe among others. Emmanuel was so prolific in producing postgraduate students that an external examiner to the Department, in utmost admiration, nicknamed him, the “Doyen of NAU, MEL”. Besides teaching and successful supervision of many postgraduate students he has assessed prospective readers and professors for Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State; and University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, respectively.
Editors:
Davidson U. Mbagwu
Scholastica Ezeodili
Oluchukwu F. Asadu
Olivia Ezeafulukwe
Linda C. Nkamigbo
