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Tag: Soyinka

  • Varsity establishes centre for Soyinka Studies

    Varsity establishes centre for Soyinka Studies

    The University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) will establish ‘The Centre for Wole Soyinka Studies’ as the part of effort to celebrate the literary icon’s 90th birthday.

    The varsity said the centre would pay tribute to Prof. Soyinka’s profound and transformative contributions to literature, drama, and political activism, ‘which has been an inspiration both within and outside Nigeria’.

    Award winning playwright, Dr. Ojoniyi Olabode, who teaches in the institution’s Department of Theatre Arts, has been appointed Acting Director of the centre. He would be bringing a wealth of experience and academic expertise to this role.

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    Dr. Olabode, in a statement, said the centre will be a hub for academic research, cultural exchange, and intellectual discourse centred on Soyinka’s extensive body of work.

    He said: “The Senate of University of Abuja, under the leadership of Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, has established an international research centre with a special focus on carrying out cutting hedge research into the works of Prof. Wole Soyinka and that of other scholars on his works. The centre pays tribute to his achievements and seeks to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of his work among scholars, students, and the public.

    “The centre will house an expansive archive of Soyinka’s writings, including his plays, essays, and poetry, and will host seminars, workshops, and conferences dedicated to the exploration of his themes and ideas. Additionally, it will facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations and foster a vibrant community of scholars dedicated to Soyinka’s legacy.

  • Trump’s conviction: I may reapply for my US Green Card, says Soyinka

    Trump’s conviction: I may reapply for my US Green Card, says Soyinka

    Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said yesterday that he might consider reapplying for his American Green Card which he destroyed in protest against Donald Trump’s emergence as American president.

    His declaration followed the conviction of Trump in New York on Thursday on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.

    Soyinka had made a show of his aversion to Trump’s emergence as the 45th U.S. President on January 20, 2017 by destroying his Green Card, the permanent resident card that allows one to live and work permanently in the United States.

    In a statement reacting to the conviction of the former U.S. President, Soyinka said before people would start asking him, it was necessary to clarify that he might reapply for his Green Card.

    “Seeing that this trite, personal gesture attracted such inordinate attention at the time, let me answer the question before it is asked: Yes, I may choose to apply for restoration of my card of Permanent Residence, known as the Green Card. Possibly,” he said.

    He described Trump’s conviction as “daybreak on a new democratic promise” for millions in anguished parts of the world, especially those in vast swathes of the African continent.

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    He said the warning is clear and that sooner or later the clamour for equity would break down the stoutest gates on guard across the citadel of impunity.

    He said: “For millions in anguished parts of the world, certainly for us in vast swathes of the African continent, this is daybreak on a new democratic promise.

    “The warning is clear. Sooner or later, the clamour of equity breaks down the stoutest gates on guard across the citadel of impunity.

    “The Trump debacle is a challenge also, a call to preparedness and steadfastness.  Installed and putative fascisms – secular, military or theocratic – will extract from this only the wrong lessons, batten down and ‘crack down’ in self-protection.

    “It is “Not yet Uhuru”, not anywhere close for humanity in our global village. Nonetheless, a celebration, albeit in a minor key, is justified.”

  • World Book/Copyright Day: NCC honours Soyinka with year-long campaign

    World Book/Copyright Day: NCC honours Soyinka with year-long campaign

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) yesterday honoured Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, with a year-long celebration to mark World Book and Copyright Day.

    NCC’s Director General, Dr. John Asein, who announced the honour in Lagos, said the commission was dedicating this year’s World Book and Copyright Day to Soyinka as part of its intervention programmes to promote reading for pleasure and build respect for copyright.

    “Our Nobel Laureate in Literature, playwright, essayist, literary icon and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Prof. Wole Soyinka, will turn 90 on July 13. The NCC is pleased to dedicate this year’s World Book and Copyright Day to him and will feature his works as part of the celebrations across the country.

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    “He is unarguably the tallest living iroko in Nigeria’s rich literary forest and an advocate for books, reading and copyright. By this recognition, he becomes our first Copyright Change Champion.

    “In furtherance of this year’s theme: Read Your Way, the commission is launching its year-long intervention programmes to promote reading for pleasure and build respect for copyright through our ABC Action Plan: (1) A: Adopt measures to make reading more fun for all; (2) B: Bring books closer to more children; and (3) C: Choose change champions for books and copyright.”

    Asein urged stakeholders in the book industry to recognise July 13 as Nigeria’s National Reading Day to encourage more Nigerians to read for pleasure and draw attention to some of the values that he has advanced in the literary world.

    “To bring books closer to children, the commission will, for a start, make copies of Soyinka’s books and other frontline titles available to 90 public schools and use the opportunity to establish more Copyright and Creativity Clubs in those schools to promote respect for copyright,” he said.

  • Musawa woos Soyinka on preservation of literary art

    Musawa woos Soyinka on preservation of literary art

    Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa has sought the support of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for strategies to adopt for the promotion and preservation of the nation’s literary art.

    The minister, who spoke at the weekend when she visited the renowned playwright and visiting Professor at New York University in Abu Dhabi in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said the sector needed to tap from the wealth of experience of the literary giant to promote Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.

    “It is an honour to share my vision for the development of the arts, culture, and creative economy with the Nobel Laureate. The purpose of this visit is to invite you to share your invaluable experience with us, including insights, guidance, and advice on how to add to the development of literary arts in the country.

    “This is the first time we are having a ministry created specifically for this sector, which is the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.

    “Nigeria has a huge culture content, including music, films, fashion, and literary arts. Our priorities include the preservation of literary works. This we intend carrying out by formulating policies that will ward off piracy and plagiarism.

    “Nigeria has great writers, like Professor Wole Soyinka, the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Prof. Okey Ndibe, and many others. We will be happy to see Prof. Soyinka lead the way on these strategies.

    “We look unto your antecedents for initiatives to encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity,” she said.

    Musawa also discussed the initiatives that could encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity, as well as artistic and creative development.

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    Prof. Soyinka expressed delight about the minister’s visit.

    The Nobel laureate described his interest in culture and literary arts as comparative.

    He called for conscious at preserving the culture and tradition of Nigerians.

    “Culture is interrelated and inter-connected with different other cultures. So, culture is universal.

    “Nigerians are faced with diverse issues due to the neglect of heritages and monuments. We need to promote indigenous languages and cultures to preserve morals and values across the country.

    “The performing artiste is at a disadvantage, as his resources are limited. All an actor can do is join forces.

    “Nigeria boasts of writers, musicians, painters, sculptors, and artists who believe in opening up certain horizons for human striving. I am an artiste and a producer, a creative person, and I like to go into galleries, to listen to music and to read books.

    “The arts are the material expressions of the people’s essence, of their spirituality, and of their dignity. Return the spirituality to Africa by returning all the looted works,” he said.

  • Musawa woos Soyinka on preservation of Nigeria’s literary art

    Musawa woos Soyinka on preservation of Nigeria’s literary art

    The Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa has sought the support of Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, in providing strategies for the promotion and preservation of literary art in the country.

    The Minister who paid a courtesy visit at the weekend, to the renowned playwright, who is a visiting Professor at New York University Abu Dhabi, said that the sector needed to tap into the wealth of experience of the literary icon in promoting the rich cultural heritage of the nation.

    “It is an honour to share my vision for the development of the arts, culture, and creative economy  with the Nobel Laureate. The purpose of this visit is to invite you to share your invaluable experience with us, including insights, guidance, and advice on how to add to the development of literary arts in the country.

    “This is the first time that we are having a ministry created specifically for this sector which is the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.

    “Nigeria has a huge culture content including music, films, fashion and literary arts of which our priorities include the preservation of literary works. This, we intend carrying out by formulating policies that will ward off piracy and plagiarism.

    “Nigeria boasts of great writers like Professor Wole Soyinka, the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Prof Okey Ndibe and many others. We will be happy to see Prof Soyinka lead the way  on these strategies. We look unto your antecedents for Initiatives to encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity,” she said.

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    In his response, Prof. Soyinka expressed delight in the visit and described his interest in culture and literary arts, generally, as a comparative one.

    He called for a conscious effort at preserving the culture and tradition of the Nigerian people.

    “Culture is interrelated and inter-connected with different other cultures, so culture is universal.

    “Nigerians are faced with diverse issues due to the neglect of heritages and monuments. We need to promote indigenous languages and cultures to preserve morals and values across the country.

    “The performing artist is at a disadvantage, as his resources are limited. All an actor can do is join forces. Nigeria boasts of writers, musicians, painters, sculptors, and artists who believe in opening up certain horizons for human striving. I am an artist and a producer, a creative person, and I like to go into galleries, to listen to music and to read books.

    “The arts are the material expression of the people’s essence, of their spirituality, and  of their dignity. Return the spirituality to Africa by returning all the looted works,” Prof Soyinka said.

    Musawa also discussed the initiatives that will encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity, artistic  and creative development. She added that it will also seek opportunities for collaboration and innovation in the creative economy, cultural diplomacy and utilizing  arts and culture as a tool for international diplomacy and promoting the nation’s cultural diversity on the global stage.

    The Minister eagerly anticipates the opportunity to engage in a meaningful collaboration with Prof Soyinka and looks forward to the potential collaboration for the advancement of arts, culture, and the creative economy.

  • Media language: Soyinka’s timely caution

    Media language: Soyinka’s timely caution

    One of the interesting aspects of last Thursday’s lecture by Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka to mark the 50th anniversary of Punch Newspaper titled Recovering the Narrative was about his obsession with media language.

    His obsession according to him has to do with being someone that he is routinely traumatised by encountering his own words reworked into imagined equivalents, duly enhanced and augmented even with the best and honest intentions, but which convey the exact opposite of intent, such an obsession is quite understandable.

    As he promised, he was able to cite “purely fortuitous exemplars from our national media, to a straightforward proposition of just how a national psyche can be programmed, rewired, so to speak, into absorbing the freakish, the grotesque into its digestive system, so that it becomes assimilated as the norm.”

    Essentially, his concern has to do with the insensitive use of language that debases and lowers the sensibilities of the humanity the media claims to serve like the report  that stated that “The promising, beautiful girl was hale and hearty when she walked into the hospital theatre for a minor medical procedure but, an hour later, she had become lifeless like a dead cow on the slaughter slab.”

    His worry about the lowering of standards in the use of language by legacy print media organisations like many of the new platforms run by non-professionals is indeed not personal as he noted. There is a general concern that unlike before when media organisations abide by house styles and subject their reports to enough quality control, not enough care is being taken as before.

    Reports that would never have been approved for publication now get published as media organisations compete to beat each other to be the first to break news and get maximum readership. In the past, as Soyinka rightly noted, the print media consciously aspired to credibility and peer respect among its competitors. When it slips up, it makes efforts to ‘clean up its act’ or else, confront sanctions.

    Unfortunately what we now have is a free-for-all all “as the communication field is now wide open, instantly and promiscuously accessible.” Anyone who can publish now claims to be a journalist and no one is calling them to order, though some are pointing out the declining standard as Soyinka did in his lecture.

    With the present state of reporting of some media organisations, the question Soyinka asked is apt. “Are we dumbing down in deference to the language of trolls?” There is an obvious dumbling down which should not be the case if the media wants to continue to be taken seriously.

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    The print media has an extraordinary responsibility to maintain the high standard of practice of journalism as it has always been as Soyinka noted.

    In terms of the use of language, the ethics of practice for Nigerian journalists state that they should refrain from using offensive, abusive or vulgar language. It adds that a journalist should not present lurid details, either in words or pictures, of violence, sexual acts, or abhorrent or horrid scenes.

    Additionally, it states that in cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and approaches made with sympathy and discretion.

    The above ethical guidelines and others should remain the guiding principles for media professionals on whatever platform considering the interest of the audience they serve.

    I join in congratulating Punch Newspaper on its 50th anniversary and pray that the company where I worked for about 13 years will remain an industry leader in the media sector.

  • Restructuring necessary now than ever, says Soyinka

    Restructuring necessary now than ever, says Soyinka

    Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka yesterday called for restructuring as a way to ensure self-sufficiency and sustainable development.

    He noted that past leaders recognised the importance of restructuring but failed to implement it.

    Soyinka was the guest speaker at The Punch 50th Anniversary Lecture held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday said his administration was laying a solid foundation to foster proper federalism.

    Speaking during a visit to Afenifere leader Chief Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital, he said the right foundation would involve successful economic reforms to support a restructured country.

    Soyinka stressed that the call for restructuring has been persistent but with no action.

    He said: “Certain facts, however, implicitly admit that the word has a number of common, pragmatic implications for both governance and the governed, that indisputable commonality being as follows: the present contraption is not working – neither economically, developmentally, or even as a material expression of any functional social philosophy.

    “Another is that those who come in power have indulged in pretend exercises in that direction, engaging the populace in totally phoney exercises – obviously just to ‘pacify the natives’. It is surely time that this demand be taken seriously, and addressed head-on.”

    Soyinka argued that there is no shortage of reasoned and implementable propositions in past conference papers.

    “It is high time we stopped the cyclic distraction of re-inventing the wheel. The spokes are in place, the rims intact. Only the will, not the wheel, is missing in action.

    “The press, needless to urge, has a crucial role to play in this!

    “However, be it noted that the press is only one of the enabling estates – all arms of governance, most pertinently, at the state level, have a propulsive, even commanding role to play in the effort.

    “Repeatedly, backed by constitutional authorities, both publicly and privately, we have pointed out to them that there is sufficient constitutional leeway in the present protocols of association – if I may quote myself unapologetically – to ‘push the envelope as far as it can go without actually bursting’ – if the centre continues to shirk away from this now strident imperative.

    “I repeat that wearisome call yet again. There can be no further evasion.

    “That assertion is made both as a general principle of socio-political volition that is fundamental to any free, truly liberated people, and as an informed response to the actualities in which we struggle to exist as a sentient people, responsive to the exigencies of daily manifestation of change,” the Nobel Laureate said.

    Soyinka acknowledged that restructuring may not be the magic wand to address Nigeria’s challenges.

    He explained: “To anticipate accustomed banal responses, let me state quite clearly that no one has ever claimed that decentralisation – a precise word I personally prefer – will end hunger in the land or terminate religious conflicts and other forms of national malaise, no.

    “We simply insist that this is central to the incomplete mission of – nation-being.

    “It is essential to activities of basic existence such as food production, and access to such products.

    “Palliatives remain crude, short-term, stop-gap measures only.

    “As a veteran of food security working conferences from Uganda to India, from Paris to Sochi, I insist that, for a nation to be food self-sufficient, and sustainably, decentralisation is the key, not collectivisation.”

    Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, hailed Soyinka’s fatherly role in nation-building.

    He underscored the Tinubu Administration’s eagerness to address all the issues.

    He said: “The Punch has been here for 50 years, and what that tells you is that it’s a story of resilience, trust, hard work, and commitment to the Nigeria project. These are the exact virtues President Bola Tinubu upholds.

    “Nigeria is going through hard times now, but it’s not new and it’s not peculiar to this country.

    “All the issues we are discussing now are issues other countries are discussing. A few weeks ago, we heard that the United Kingdom had gone into an economic recession.

    “President Tinubu has taken very bold steps. The first day after he assumed office, he took away fuel subsidy. Before he assumed office, the economy was a dead horse standing.

    “So, whether the subsidy is removed or not, the economy is going to be challenging. He ensured that the subsidy went away for the benefit of all.

    “We knew from day one that it’s not going to be an easy sail, but we are seeing the effects of the decision, and the good story is that the government is taking very pro-active decisions to ensure that we turn the corner and Nigeria’s economy bounce back again.

    “All these things happening are for the good of the country, and the economy is going to bounce back. We foresee a situation where, in another year, this country is going to get better.

    “Let’s talk about the good things happening in this country, it’s not bad news all the time. The National Bureau of Statistics said we are improving by about 66 per cent.

    “Our fuel consumption has gone down by about a billion litres.

    “These challenges will continue to exist, but the important thing is that the government will always take proactive measures to ensure that the challenges disappear.

    “Very soon, we are going to have a major policy shift in the petroleum sector.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) complained about hardship in the land, but we are happy that 24 hours later they also found it necessary to suspend that action (protests). Most of the 15-point demands NLC made are being met.”

    The Punch Chairman, Mrs Angela Emuwa, said the theme “Recovering the narrative” was a call to action in shaping the future all Nigerians would be proud of.

    Describing the anniversary as no mean feat, Emuwa expressed the organisation’s gratitude to all its long-standing partners and audiences for the journey so far.

    She said: “It is a rallying cry for the media and responsible actors to reclaim their rightful place as the guardians of facts, truth and justice, and the voice of the people.

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    “This is so because, in a world inundated with information, the power to shape narratives is a formidable responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly.

    “As the most widely read newspaper in the nation, PUNCH has not only been a witness to history but a key player in shaping narratives.

    “Our 50-year resilience is a testament to the power of the press in influencing positive change, upholding the values of democracy, and championing the cause of the people.

    “We hope that the impact of our 50-year journey will serve as a source of inspiration to all.

    “We have weathered storms, stood against oppression, championed the cause of justice, and yet we remain unbowed and unbroken.”

    The lecture was in memory of Chief James Olubunmi Aboderin, the founding Chairman of the newspaper, who died on February 28, 1984.

    The event had in attendance media executives, captains of industry, academics, leaders of thought, and security chiefs, among others.

    Among the dignitaries at the event were former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, and former presidential spokesman Malam Garba Shehu.

  • Soyinka in search of Nigeria’s next Nobel honouree

    Soyinka in search of Nigeria’s next Nobel honouree

    • By Banji Ojewale

    Contrary to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 2015 seriocomic commentary on Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka (Kongi) as a man habitually hunting for guinea fowl and fine wine, the writer has lately revealed that his life isn’t all about wining and dining. Obasanjo (Obj) had said during a spat between them that he could always turn to Kongi if he wanted wine and guinea fowl. He said: ‘’He (Soyinka) is surely a better wine connoisseur and a more successful aparo (guinea fowl) hunter than a political critic…If I want somebody to give me the best wine, one of the people I will go to is Wole Soyinka and I know he has a taste for good wine…’’

    He pictured the writer returning from an expedition with a blood-splattered bag slung over his shoulders and a heavy keg in one hand along with a gun he’d have used to take down big flying creatures for dinner, which would be washed down with frothy, fresh and fully fermented palm wine. There’s no record the man of letters obliged the man of the barracks this wish of dish of bird meat and wine.

    Now, nearly a decade after Obj’s outburst, Kongi is leading us into a new pastime of his: a search for the next Nigerian Nobel Laureate in Literature. He was the winner in 1986, the first African, opening the way for other writers on the continent: Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt, 1988), Nadine Gordimer (South Africa, 1991), John Coetzee (South Africa, 2003) and Abdulrazak Gurnah (Tanzania, 2021).

    In the space of 12 years, two South Africans bagged the prize. So Soyinka, wondering why a track a Nigerian charted hasn’t admitted another compatriot some 38 years after, says he’s on the quest for one. He is turning 90 on July 13. But looking beyond, he says he hopes that before his centennial anniversary, he’d take a trip to Stockholm, Sweden, the home of the prize jurors. There he wishes to ‘celebrate another Nigerian winning the Prize for Literature’. He told a TV station in Lagos recently: ‘…before I’m 100, I’ll be going to Stockholm to celebrate another Nigerian (Nobel Literature Laureate)…’ He believes that the giant of Africa harbours ‘remarkable competitions between Nigerian writers, males and females and writers in the African continent.’ Soyinka adds that ‘Nigeria is flooded with talents in the Arts… to win the Nobel Prize.’

    For 2024, prize proposals have already been submitted to the Nobel Committees. On February 1, the six groups – one for each prize category, physics, chemistry, economics, physiology or medicine, literature and peace—started deliberations on nominations received, to complete their work and submit their recommendations to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the other prize-awarding institutions. The final decision are made by November 15, with the formal presentations to the winners taking place on December 10, five in Stockholm and peace prize in Oslo, Norway. December 10 is the anniversary of the death of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the inventor and industrialist who bequeathed the annual project ‘to honour women and men for their outstanding achievements in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, and work towards peace.’ The Economics Prize was instituted in 1968 but awarded in 1969 to two persons ‘for having developed and applied dynamic models for the analysis of economic processes.’

    The shroud of secrecy that attends the selection of Nobel winners would dwarf that of those nations whose scientists are furtively attempting to break into the planet’s small nuclear club. Our own Soyinka hasn’t given a hint he has sniffed a Nigerian winner the way he would a prey for meat a million miles away. But, naturally, as he told us in the TV interview, you’d always discern a pool from which to pull a winner.

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    He and the other legend, late Chinua Achebe, were there in the large ocean. Kongi got the award, beating hundreds of others and instantly lionizing the world’s most populous black nation as we had never experienced it. Soyinka was quoted as saying that taxi drivers were part of the euphoria, celebrating the feat in our streets.

    He wants an encore. Achebe, Africa’s greatest storyteller, would easily have stepped in; but the Nobel adjudicators bar posthumous recognition. From 1974, the Nobel Foundation moved that a prize cannot be given after death, although the prize can still be given if the honoree dies before receiving it. In 2011, there was a mixed reaction when the prize for Medicine went to a dead man, Ralph Steinman, because the judges weren’t aware of his death.

    So, with his friend Achebe not at all in the scene, Soyinka has looked at the current crop of younger generation of writers to hazard an informed opinion that he’d yet witness a Nigerian with the Nobel garland by the time he’s 100 in July 2034. He mentions no name, though.

    It’s contrary to what a writer for Euronews.culture did in 2022. Giulia Carbonaro projected a Nigerian among the favourites to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Carbonaro said: ‘This year (2022) the names pushed forward for the Nobel Prize (in Literature) are hardly controversial. Among the favourites expected to win are beloved Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie and Indian-born British-American Salman Rushdie, who was recently the victim of a brutal knife attack at the hand of someone who had reportedly read only two pages of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’.

    None in Carbonaro’s list won it; the prize went to 82-year-old Annie Ernaux, the first Frenchwoman to bag it.

    Given Soyinka’s prescient remarks over the possibility of another Nigerian making an entry into the Nobel pantheon within a decade, we can’t be less hopeful. Remember, Kongi has been there before. What he says about a terrain he’s familiar with must not be dismissed. He believes we’re ripe for another laureate. He has started the search early for that compatriot, following his own counsel to those who embark on a quest for a prize: Traveller, you must set out At dawn. And wipe your feet upon The dog-nose wetness of earth…Traveller you must set forth At dawn. I promise marvels of the holy hour…

    • Ojewale writes from Ota, Ogun State.
  • Soyinka: Babarians have taken over social media

    Soyinka: Babarians have taken over social media

    • Says it’s shocking people can’t accept not winning election

    Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has bemoaned the sorry state the social media has fallen into in Nigeria, saying it has been dragged down to the lowest common denominator and taken over by people he reckoned as “babarians.”

    Soyinka said while in other climes the social media remains valid as means of interaction because of the intellectual contents and reasoned engagements being deployed by users, the reverse is the case in Nigeria as those who dragged it down have swapped the intellectual quotient aspect of it.

    The octogenarian, who spoke on Saturday at the 48th President’s party and his investiture as a honorary member of Abeokuta Club, Ogun State, said the situation has degenerated to a level where even a mere disagreement in an election could lead to one being labeled on social media as having a phobia about others.

    At the investiture graced by the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and many prominent Egba sons and daughters, the playwright urged the nation’s community of intellect of minds and creativity to rescue the country from the monstrosity of the social media.

    Apparently referring to the last general elections, especially the presidential election, Soyinka said he was both “astonished and flabbergasted” that people were so power besotted that they could not even accept the possibility that they did not win the election, and rather than table their facts for thorough scrutiny, they resorted to demonising others.

    He said: “In a situation where disagreement in an election can lead to one being labeled something phobia or whatever. It is certainly amazing that in a community of intellect, genuine and authentic value and then we have a situation of something called the social media.

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    “The social media is awash with accusations of one being a kind of ethnophobic. So strange to me, but that is what we have been reduced to. And when that kind of accusation comes, there is no need or value in trying to say you are not. You just say thank you very much! The compliment of ethnophobia is ethnophilia.

    “So, if you are ethnophobic in one direction, then pull back and become ethnophilia in the other direction and leave those who claim that they are being phobilized to wallow in their own campaign of hatred, of dehumanization of others simply because of glaring routine mundane activities as holding a political opinion, as making political observation and warning others not to plunge the society into the dark age from which we barely emerged at very cruel dictatorship, the most cruel this nation has ever had.

    “I’m astonished and flabbergasted that people are so power-besotted that they can’t even accept the possibility that they did not win an election. It does not matter whether you are right or wrong or they are right. It is just a question.

    “Take your facts to the table, let’s examine them carefully, consider the possibility that we may be wrong or you may be wrong. But you don’t have to descend into demonization of the group to which others belong in order to establish your point.

    “I don’t deal in social media. As far as I’m concerned, babarians have taken over social media and they have swap the intellectual quotient which used to make and still make social media valid in other society. Here in this country, social media has been dragged down to the lowest common denominator.

    “However, I believe in the community of the intellect of minds and creativity to rescue us from the monstrosity that the social media has become (in this country).

    On his investiture as a honorary member of the Abeokuta Club where Dr. Adewale Adeola is the president, Soyinka said it was a recognition he personally cherished, saying the club is a honourable social group, having interacted with a good number of members at personal level.

  • Babarians have taken over social media  – Soyinka

    Babarians have taken over social media  – Soyinka

    Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has bemoaned the sorry state the social media has fallen into in Nigeria, saying it has been dragged down to the lowest common denominator and taken over by people he reckoned as “babarians.”

    Soyinka said that in other climes, the social media is still valid – as means of interactions because of the intellectual contents and reasoned engagements being deployed by users but noted that here in the country, the reverse is the case as those who dragged it down have swapped the intellectual quotient aspect of it.

    The octogenarian who spoke on Saturday at the 48th President’s party and his investiture as a honourary member of Abeokuta Club, Ogun State, said the situation has degenerated to a level where even a mere disagreement in an election could lead to one being labeled on social media as having a phobia about others.

    At the investiture graced by the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and many prominent Egba sons and daughters, the Playwright urged the nation’s community of intellect of minds and creativity to rescue the country from the monstrosity of the social media.

    Apparently referring to the last general elections, especially the presidential election aspect of it, Soyinka said he was both astonished and flabbergasted that people were so power besotted that they could not even accept the possibility that they did not win the election and rather than table their facts for thorough scrutiny, they resorted to demonization of others.

    On his investiture as a honourary member of the Abeokuta Club where Dr. Adewale Adeola is the President, Soyinka said it was a recognition he personally cherished, saying the Club is a honourable social group, having interacted with a good number of members at personal level.

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    “In a situation where disagreement in an election can lead one being labeled something phobia or whatever. It is certainly amazing that in a community of intellect, genuine and authentic value and then we have a situation of something called the social media. The social media is awash with accusations of one being a kind of ethnophobic. So strange to me but that is  what we have been reduced to. And when that kind of accusation comes, there is no need or value in trying to say you are not. You just say, Thank you very much! The complement of ethnophobia is ethnophilia.

    “So, if you are ethnophobic in one direction, then pull back and become ethnophilia in the other direction and leave those who claim that they are being phobilized to wallow in their own campaign of hatred, of dehumanization of others simply because of glaring routine mundane activities as holding a political opinion, as making political observation and warning others not to plunge the society into the dark age from which we barely emerged at very cruel dictatorship, the most cruel this nation has ever had.

    “I’m astonished and flabbergasted that people are so power besotted that they can’t even accept the possibility that they did not win an election. It does not matter whether you are right or wrong or they are right. It is just a question. Take your facts to the table, let’s examine them carefully, consider the possibility that we may be wrong or you may be wrong but you don’t have to descend into demonization of the group to which others belong in order to establish your point.

    “I don’t deal in social media. As far as I’m concerned, babarians have taken over social media and they have swap the intellectual quotient which used to make and still make social media valid in other society. Here in this country, social media has been dragged down to the lowest common denominator.

    “However, I believe in the community of the intellect of minds and creativity to rescue us from the monstrosity that the social media has become (in this country).”