The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prof. Oluwole Soyinka

  • Eventful decade of cultural exchanges for Kongi at 85

    Inspired by Prof Wole Soyinka’s humanist principles, Open Door Series ten years ago initiated the annual Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, (WSICE) to mark the Nobel laureate’s 75th birthday anniversary. This year, to mark a decade of these celebrations and the 85th birthday of Soyinka (July 13), WSICE programmes will be flagged off on Friday July 12.  It will run till July 15. Since its maiden edition ten years ago, the exchange has featured over 10,000 secondary students and more than 200 local and international resource persons.

    The WSICE is anchored around Soyinka’s humanist principles as enunciated in his body of works and his consistent patriotic engagement with the socio-political and cultural affairs of Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

    July 2019 is, indeed, a landmark for the WSICE project primarily motivated by the life and career of the quintessential artiste – dramatist, poet, theatre director, teacher, culture scholar and public intellectual.  Clocking 85 is as well a milestone in the life of the illustrious son of Africa; distinguished father of Nigerian and African arts and cultural heritage, who is also an iconic global citizen.

    Co-Executive Producer of the WSICE, Teju Kareem, said “the OpenDoorSeries/WSICE is not to be misconstrued as a mere celebration of Wole Soyinka’s date of birth — the man is not, in anyway, really interested in such vanities as staging a party to celebrate his yearly birthday — but the project is designed to celebrate the quintessential artiste as an eminent promoter of the good of humanity.

    And especially to set his exemplary philosophies and visionary ideals as promoted in his works and lifestyle as veritable examples for peoples across race, gender, age, religious and political persuasions, especially the young ones, who need models they can relate to.”

    This year’s edition will also mark a grand return of the OpenDoorSeries/WSICE to Lagos, where its maiden edition was staged at the MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos. Also, as was the design at its birth, the project will extend its programming beyond its traditional base in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    While the mostly students/youth-focused programmes like essay writing, workshop, youth creative expressions (Do Your Own Thing, (DYOT) etc. would still take place in Abeokuta, which had served as traditional base of the programme in the past eight years; the mentoring session will hold in Akure, Ondo State. The adult session – advocacy session, drama, dance and poetry performances, film screening, book presentations etc. would hold at the Freedom Park in Lagos.

    Kareem stated: “The resolve to take the 10th anniversary celebration to the Freedom Park, which remains the topmost hub for artistic productions and creative expressions in the country, is partly in recognition of Wole Soyinka’s status as the patron saint of the Park, and of creativity in Nigeria and Africa.”

    The renowned theatre designer, scenographer, and Chief Executive Officer ZMirage Multimedia Company, promised that this year’s edition will unveil the future characteristics and direction of the project, which he co-founded with theatre director, Prof Segun Ojewuyi, of the United States-based GlobalNewHaven.

  • Soyinka: I’m responding to militants’ overtures

    Soyinka: I’m responding to militants’ overtures

    Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka said yesterday he has been responding to overtures from militant groups.

    But he denied being part of any international coalition on the Niger Delta crisis.

    The eminent scholar said he has taken a stand keep secret the details of his recent visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.

    Speaking yesterday at a news conference by the Wole Soyinka Foundation to announce the foundation’s partnership with a Lebanese institute to conduct an intensive course for international students, Soyinka said: “I had a meeting in London at the House of Lords, and the meeting was not about the main subject that took me to Aso Rock, which was among other things, the problem we have in the Delta. The meeting was reported in the media, and it was badly distorted.”

    He denounced the reports linking him with an international intervention group, which has been formed, and on behalf of which he was reported to have met with the President.

    He said: “How can a group which does even exist be holding a meeting with President Buhari? How can I, who just happened to be meeting with the President, say that both entities have met when one of them does not exist? In fact, I have taken a decision not to speak about the Delta situation publicly because I cannot spend my time correcting a falsehood I am not responsible for.

    “I was approached personally, and I have been responding personally to some of these groups just as I did when President Jonathan was in power and the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) was the umbrella group of the insurgents. At the moment, they feel that the government of President Buhari is not seriously responding to their outreach. I am not part of any international group, but I hope one gets formed and is active very soon.”

    According to him, the Wole Soyinka Foundation was taking steps towards exposing youthful minds to other cultures and civilisations through the Study Abroad In Lebanon (SAIL) programme.

    The SAIL programme is an initiative by CEDARS Institute, Notre Dame University, Lebanon, in conjunction with the Wole Soyinka Foundation. Four students have been nominated upon request from different institutions across the country. They will travel to Lebanon for the course.

    Dr Habib Jafaar, a Lebanese businessman who organised the Nigerians’ participation in the programme, described it as an interactive course that would take the students through such historical places like the Crusader Castle and Ba’albek in Lebanon.

    The selected students are Ibrahim Shuaibu from the Department of History and International Relations, Kwara State University; Zubair Lawal Bambale from the Department of Philosophy, Ahmadu Bello University; Ajayi Olumuyiwa, a Ph.D. student of Policy and Strategic Studies, Covenant University, Ota and Dare Shoyemi-Obawanle, studying Environmental Geology at the University of Jos.

  • Photos: Soyinka visits Buhari

    Photos: Soyinka visits Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari receives Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka at the State House
    President Muhammadu Buhari receives Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka at the State House

     

    Soyinka

  • Soyinka reiterates support for FG’s anti-graft fight

    Soyinka reiterates support for FG’s anti-graft fight

    The current economic situation in the country calls for an emergency economic conference, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has said.

    Prof.  Soyinka who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in his office in Abuja on Thursday, blamed years of bad governance for the country’s economic downturn.

    He also reiterated his earlier support for the Administration’s fight against corruption

    ”The economic condition of a nation, of a people does not deteriorate overnight. Something came before that deterioration,” he said, while answering a question on the current state of the nation’s economy.

    He blamed the deterioration of the economy on ”a certain prolonged and unchecked process of attrition”, adding that Nigerians should not expect a quick turnaround of the economy.

    ‘The Noble Laureate also warned Nigerians not to expect a quick turnaround of the economy, saying that ‘Recovery is going to take quite a while…The President should call an emergency economic conference, with experts to be invited. Consumers, producers, labour unions, university experts, professors, etc.

    ”I think we really need an emergency economic conference, a rescue operation bringing as many heads as possible together to plot the way forward,” the Nobel Laureate said.

    Prof. Soyinka said the government must remain resolute in its ongoing fight against corruption, while also expressing satisfaction with ”both the target and tempo of motion” as far as the government’s efforts are concerned.

    He urged the government to pursue the anti-corruption battle within the confines of the law, saying that if that goal (of fighting corruption) is attained by positive means, if nothing else, the government would have moved the nation forward by many years

    According to him, the government must recover stolen funds and punish those who are responsible ”for the impoverishment of the nation, of the people and those who robbed the nation with contempt”.

    Earlier, while welcoming Prof. Soyinka, the Minister said it was a great pleasure to host the Nobel Laureate whom, he said, had come on a private visit.

    He however said that with his level of fame and accomplishments, it was practically impossible for Prof. Soyinka to go anywhere unnoticed.

    Alhaji Mohammed thanked Prof. Soyinka for making the MInistry of Information and Culture his first port of call.

  • My battle against cancer, by Soyinka ‘Disease not a death sentence’

    My battle against cancer, by Soyinka ‘Disease not a death sentence’

    Nobel laureate Prof. Oluwole Soyinka opened up yesterday on his health status.

    He said he was diagnosed with cancer last December.

    But an expert and Founder of the African Cancer Centre, Lagos, Prof. Olu Williams, assured him that he would “not die of the disease.”

    Williams, who said Soyinka had cancer because of his old age, added that the playwright would only “die with the disease.”

    Soyinka, who spoke at a news conference at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said he opened up to create awareness about cancer and help people take measures to prevent it or seek medical attention.

    He said he survived the silent killer (cancer) because of early detection, treatment and proper diet, adding that it dawned on him that the Soyinka family had a history of cancer.

    The Nobel laureate noted that his initial reaction when he became aware that he had cancer was to see it as one of those challenges and nuisances that should be dealt with, adding that at a time, he considered it an unwanted squatter squatting in his body and had to get rid of it.

    Although, Soyinka, who showed a crest to attest to his surviving cancer, did not tell reporters the nature of the cancer he was treated for, his son, Olaokun, a doctor, who is also the commissioner for Health in Ogun State, told The Nation his father was treated for “prostate cancer.”

    Soyinka said he travelled  overseas to get treatment, which was not meant to be so, following the absence of cancer care centre in West Africa.

    According to him, quality diet could prevent some deadly diseases, while he drank a lot of water that hitherto was loathsome to him, during treatment.

    The playwright said in 2011, a substantial amount (N400million) was approved in the budget as seed fund to assist in  setting up a cancer care centre in Lagos, called the African Cancer Centre, a private initiative.

    He added that the fund was yet to be released to the centre.

    His words: “A few years ago, I was invited to become a board member of the Africa Cancer Centre and even delivered the inaugural lecture titled: “Cancers, lifestyles”. It never occurred to me to test myself because men had their tests like women. It never occurred to me to test myself.

    “I have heard people who lost their loved ones. They just told me, ‘Prof, we hope you’re having your own’? And I told them I had one 10 years ago and he said ‘no no, do it regularly’ and by accident in November last year, I discovered that I had cancer.

    “So, it became just a question of making sure that it was by going for further test and once it was decided that indeed I had cancer, I was sure because in my family, we had an uncle, by the time he died, we didn’t have sophisticated ways of knowing what killed him.

    “We just had to resolve at some number of things. But from the little things I know of cancer, I came to the conclusion ages after he died of cancer and I said may be we have it in the family.

    “Quite earlier, I had already made up my mind and sure enough it proved to be cancer. Let me emphasise this, like many of you know, I am a very private person, I believe there are certain territories of individuals that should be private to them and their families. It is only when it is public interest that you probe into people’s health.

    “For me, this is not a decision I like, but I felt I have all obligation being a member of the African Cancer Centre and also having even donated a performance during the festival to raise fund for cancer.

    “I’m under obligation to make it known and to also demystify cancer. Many people feel it is a death sentence. Families feel it, friends, colleagues, they begin to look at you as if you are a ghost once there is a rumour that you have cancer. No, cancer is not a death sentence, it is curable. I have undergone the treatment and I am able to tell you that I even have a model, that’s my certificate.

    “Finally, I finished on October 28 and everything is fine. I want to use myself to encourage others to take whatever test available to you in our little circumstances here, but more importantly to encourage those who are in charge of health matters to take seriously the cancer menace, which many people called the silent killer.

    “The important thing is that I am convinced that we have enough funds in this nation to build cancer centres, including research that this country requires. It is very capital intensive, some of it, but there are many ways and treatments for cancer just like there are many kinds of cancer. Even diet forms an important part, diet is critical.

    “One of these major reasons why I decided that I have to make this appeal is that I happen to know that money was budgeted and approved for the cancer centre in 2011.

    “I appeal that this money be released. Not all of us can gallivant about where we can stop over and have the necessary treatment. I think we should have diagnostic centres everywhere where elementary treatment can be given to patients.”