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From: David Wiley, Michigan State University
List Editor: H-AFRICA---Mel Page <AFRICA@ETSUARTS.EAST-TENN-ST.EDU>
Editor's Subject: Claude Ake , in memorium
Author's Subject: Claude Ake , in memorium
Date Written: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 21:37:42 GMT-5
Date Posted: Fri, 14 Nov 1996 21:37:42 -0500

                <wiley@pilot.msu.edu>
Date:           15 November 1996


Dear Colleagues,

With great sadness, we have learned that Professor Claude Ake died on
November 7th in the crash of a commercial plane in Nigeria.

In 1990, Claude Ake spent a period at MSU as a Visiting Professor in
Political Science and African Studies, replacing Prof. Bratton during his
research leave.   While here, he taught African Politics in Political
Science and a senior seminar in James Madison College, as well as advising
many of our students.  He gave several seminars in the Center as well.  This
current semester he was visiting at Yale.

Yale's David Apter commented,"Claude Ake was Africa's leading political
scientist--and its most courageous."  He was a Nigerian political scientist
and economist who had written extensively on political theory, political
economy, and development studies.  His most recent book was Democracy and
Development in Africa (Brookings Institution, 1996).  He also served as
Director of the Centre for Advanced Social Science in Port Harcourt,
Nigeria.  He also  was President of CODESRIA's executive committee, where he
carried out  a thorough-going internal reappraisal and reform of the
organisation -- thereby also safeguarding the autonomy of CODESRIA.

In addition to being an influential voice in academic circles, Ake worked
closely with Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Nigerian activist executed last year for his
protesting environmental and social injustice in Nigeria's Ogoniland region.
Ake's efforts to honor the memory of his friend and his cause by continuing
the fight for justice were unceasing.

Details for a memorial gathering  in honor of Claude Ake will be announced
shortly for the African Studies Assn. national meetings in San Francisco
next week.

We deeply regret and mourn the loss of this excellent and responsible
scholar - for ourselves, Nigeria, and all of Africa.

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