President John Dramani Mahama has made a brief stopover in Ogidi, Nigeria on his way to Addis Ababa to attend the Burial Service of the fallen Nigerian literary icon, Chinua Achebe. Speaking at the Burial Service attended by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, President Mahama paid glowing tribute to Achebe, describing him as “an icon of African literature who had shaped my formative years with his wonderful writing, especially the epic ‘Things fall apart’”. President Mahama also recounted how the respected writer had graciously proofread his first book and written a quote for it. He revealed that he had been invited by the late Achebe to deliver a lecture at the Brown University in the US before he passed away. In his honour, President Mahama indicated that he will be delivering that lecture later this year. The President has since arrived in Addis Ababa for the 50th Anniversary summit of the African Union.