A Tribute to S.M.O. AKA, the Pen That Shaped My Tongue
Without hesitation, my mind journeyed back to my formative years in the beautiful town – Ekpoma, and landed at the feet of a literary giant; S.M.O. Aka, the legendary author whose books graced the little shelves of secondary school students in Edo State, and across Nigeria. His works, including ‘Cheer Up Brother’, ‘The Weeping Undergraduate’, ‘Medicine for Money’, and ‘The Midday Darkness’, were more than mere stories; they were wells of wisdom from which young minds drank.
I first encountered S.M.O. Aka’s books in JSS1, and within a span of three weeks, I had devoured four of his novels. Each page was a treasure trove of rich expressions that thrilled my young heart. Enthralled, I developed a habit, I would keep a notebook dedicated solely to jotting down fascinating phrases and striking sentences. That habit soon became an obsession, and by JSS3, I had meticulously collected expressions from over fifty-two novels. To this day, I still cherish that notebook, which is now a compendium of words, a testament to the foundation upon which my command of English was built.
So, whenever someone commends my eloquence, I know that credit is due to the late S.M.O. Aka, whose words kindled my love for language and sharpened my linguistic prowess.
Excellence has no shortcuts; mastery is the child of discipline and dedication. The tomorrow we dream of is only possible if we lay the right foundation today. Let us cultivate the reading culture in our children and encourage them to drink deeply from the well of knowledge drawn by great authors and scholars.
Today, I dedicate this tribute to S.M.O. Aka and pray that his soul continues to rest in peace. A literary icon may leave this world, but his words live on in the hearts of those he has inspired.
