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  • UI to immortalise Wole Soyinka

    UI to immortalise Wole Soyinka

    The University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, has launched Wole Soyinka Institute to immortalise one of its illustrious alumni and the Nobel laureate, Oluwole Soyinka at the 76th Founder’s Day anniversary of the institution.

    The announcement of the University’s Council decision was made by the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, after the Special Command of Soyinka’s latest, play: ‘CANTICLES: A Pyre Foretold,’ at the decades-old Wole Soyinka Theatre (formerly Arts Theatre).

    Read Also: Wole Soyinka at 90: Outstanding Young Achievers honoured

    The 50-man cast play, directed by Tunde Awosanmi (Phd), former Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, had earlier premiered on November 17 as the year’s Convocation Play.

  • UI launches Wole Soyinka Institute to immortalise Nobel Laureate

    UI launches Wole Soyinka Institute to immortalise Nobel Laureate

    The University of Ibadan (UI) has inaugurated the Wole Soyinka Institute to immortalise one of its most distinguished alumni and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Oluwole Soyinka, as part of its 76th Founders’ Day celebration. 

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, announced the establishment of the institute following a special performance of Soyinka’s latest play, “Canticles: A Pyre Foretold”, at the Wole Soyinka Theatre (formerly the Arts Theatre).

    The 50-man cast production, directed by Dr. Tunde Awosanmi, a former Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, had its premiere on November 17 as this year’s Convocation Play. 

    Prof. Adebowale explained that the institute is envisioned as a global hub for research, performance, teaching, and exchange programs focused on Soyinka’s life, works, and ideas.

    He noted that the initiative reflects the university’s commitment to celebrating and immortalizing one of its greatest icons.

    He said: “For our institution, the Wole Soyinka Institute shall function as a window of seeing the world through new prisms. The institute shall be a platform for renegotiating global status for our nation, the African continent and the entire black humanity.

    “It shall midwife global discourses as fierce and simultaneously humanising as the politics, ideology, philosophy, and ideas of the legend, Wole Soyinka. Through the gravitation of the minds and psyche of young thinkers and researchers across races, the institute shall be Africa’s major contribution to the intellectual understanding of the human race into centuries to come.”

    The VC praised Soyinka’s prowess as a creative thinker, philosopher, and fighter for the civil and human rights of individuals and the collective.

    While highlighting Soyinka’s contributions to the university community and his global achievements, including his recognition as the first African Nobel laureate, Prof. Adebowale noted that despite the extensive celebrations of Soyinka’s 90th birthday worldwide since July 13, the University of Ibadan is determined to hold its celebration to honour Professor Wole Soyinka’s remarkable milestone.

    “He means so much to our university. He is not just one of our institution’s most visible products, he has brought the highest recognition to the University of Ibadan and gave her an exceptional place on the global map of academic and creative reckoning.

    “The announcement of Professor Wole Soyinka in 1986 by the Nobel Foundation as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and as the first African to have won the award, topped the numerous honours which he has brought to his Alma Mater.”

    At the University of Ibadan’s 76th Founders’ Day celebration, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka was honoured with the prestigious PINK International Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literary Excellence and Social Impact.

    The award was presented by Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, president of WOMEN ARISE for CHANGE, with support from Dr. Veronica Okei, initiator of the PINK Award, and UI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale. 

    In her address, Princess (Dr.) Veronica Okei explained that Soyinka was chosen for the award’s 11th anniversary and 6th annual edition because he embodied the excellence and values championed by the magazine.

    “Soyinka represents a symbol of inspiration and a testament to what can be achieved through passion, dedication, and talent,” she said. 

    Dr. Okei-Odumakin praised Soyinka’s six decades of activism, often pursued at significant personal risk, describing him as an epitome of revolution, resilience, and unwavering commitment to human rights and collective humanity. 

    Soyinka expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor and the university community for the recognition and reaffirmed his dedication to the cause of humanity.

    He also commended the students for their exceptional rendition of his play, “Canticles: A Pyre Foretold,” adding that the performance was evidence of the University of Ibadan’s reputation for excellence in creative arts. 

    “Canticles: A Pyre Foretold”

    The play, written by Soyinka during his tenure as a scholar at New York University, Abu Dhabi, critiques religious extremism and bigotry, particularly in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Wole Soyinka at 90: Outstanding Young Achievers honoured

    In his preface, Soyinka describes the work as an exploration of humanity’s moral failings, challenging the rationality of actions that justify violence in the name of religion. 

    Directed by Dr. Tunde Awosanmi, “Canticles” was performed by UI students in a captivating production during the Founders’ Day event.

    The play had previously been staged at NYU Abu Dhabi, under the direction of Prof. Joanna Settle, who visited Nigeria earlier this year to deepen her understanding of Soyinka’s dramaturgy. 

    Soyinka lauded the quality of the student’s performance, attributing it to the University of Ibadan’s longstanding tradition of excellence in theatre and literary arts.

  • Five renowned all-time African authors

    Five renowned all-time African authors

    Africa being a ethnically and culturally diverse continent makes it no surprise that the literature that has emerged from it be equally diverse and multifaceted. Dealing with a range of social and cultural issues, from women’s rights and feminism to post-war and post-colonial identity, here are some of Africa’s best contemporary writers.

    This is a list of prominent and notable writers from Africa. It includes poets, novelists, children’s writers, essayists, and scholars.

    1. Doreen Bangana:

    Doreen Baingana  is a Ugandan writer. She was born 1966. Her short story collection, Tropical Fish, won the Grace Paley Award for Short Fiction in 2003 and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for best first book, Africa Region in 2006. Stories in it were finalists for the Caine Prize in 2004 and 2005. She was a Caine Prize finalist for the third time in 2021 and has received many other awards .

    She was raised in Entebbe, Doreen Baingana attended Gayaza High School and obtained a law degree from Makerere University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland, College Park. Immediately thereafter, she was appointed writer-in-residence at the Jiménez-Porter Writers House. She embarked on a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Queensland in 2023.

    2. Wole Soyinka:

    Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé also known as Wọlé Ṣóyíinká was born on 13 July 1934 . He is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature for his “wide cultural perspective and… poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence”,the first sub-Saharan African to win the Prize in literature.

    In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu renamed the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, after Soyinka. Tinubu announced this in a tribute he wrote to celebrate Soyinka in commemoration of his 90th birthday.

    After graduating with an upper second-class degree, Soyinka remained in Leeds and began working on an MA. He intended to write new works combining European theatrical traditions with those of his Yorùbá cultural heritage. His first major play, The Swamp Dwellers (1958), was followed a year later by The Lion and the Jewel, a comedy that attracted interest from several members of London’s Royal Court Theatre. Encouraged, Soyinka moved to London, where he worked as a play reader for the Royal Court Theatre. During the same period, both of his plays were performed in Ibadan. They dealt with the uneasy relationship between progress and tradition in Nigeria.

    In 1957, his play The Invention was the first of his works to be produced at the Royal Court Theatre. At that time his only published works were poems such as “The Immigrant” and “My Next Door Neighbour”, which were published in the Nigerian magazine Black Orpheus.This was founded in 1957 by the German scholar Ulli Beier, who had been teaching at the University of Ibadan since 1950.

    Soyinka received a Rockefeller Research Fellowship from University College in Ibadan, his alma mater, for research on African theatre, and he returned to Nigeria. After its fifth issue (November 1959), Soyinka replaced Jahnheinz Jahn to become coeditor for the literary periodical Black Orpheus (its name derived from a 1948 essay by Jean-Paul Sartre, “Orphée Noir”, published as a preface to Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache, edited by Léopold Senghor). He produced his new satire, The Trials of Brother Jero in the dining-hall at Mellanby Hall of University College Ibadan, in April 1960. That year, his work A Dance of The Forest, a biting criticism of Nigeria’s political elites, won a contest that year as the official play for Nigerian Independence Day. On 1 October 1960, it premiered in Lagos as Nigeria celebrated its sovereignty. The play satirizes the fledgling nation by showing that the present is no more a golden age than was the past. Also in 1960, Soyinka established the “Nineteen-Sixty Masks”, an amateur acting ensemble to which he devoted considerable time over the next few years.

    3. Alex La Guma:

    Alex La Guma (20 February 1924 – 11 October 1985) was a South African novelist, leader of the South African Coloured People’s Organisation (SACPO) and a defendant in the Treason Trial, whose works helped characterise the movement against the apartheid era in South Africa. La Guma’s vivid style, distinctive dialogue, and realistic, sympathetic portrayal of oppressed groups have made him one of the most notable South African writers of the 20th century. La Guma was awarded the 1969 Lotus Prize for Literature.

    Read Also: When authors gathered for Soyinka in Abuja

    In 1956, he helped organise the South Africa representatives who drew up the Freedom Charter, and consequently he was one of the 156 accused at the Treason Trials that same year. He published his first short story, “Nocturn”, in 1957. In 1960 he began writing for New Age, a progressive newspaper, and in 1962 he was placed under house arrest. Before his five-year sentence could elapse, A No Trial Act was passed and he and his wife were put into solitary confinement. On their release from prison, they returned to house arrest. He, along with his wife Blanche and their two children, went into exile to the UK in 1966. La Guma spent the rest of his life in exile.

    In 1984, he was appointed Officer of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. He was chief representative of the African National Congress in the Caribbean at the time of his death from a heart attack in Havana, Cuba, on 11 October 1985.

    Although La Guma was an inspiration of and inspired by the growing resistance to apartheid, notably the Black Consciousness Movement, his connection to these groups was indirect.

    4. Tsitsi Dangarembga:

    Tsitsi Dangarembga was born on 4 February 1959 . He is a Zimbabwean novelist, playwright and filmmaker. Her debut novel, Nervous Conditions (1988), which was the first to be published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe, was named by the BBC in 2018 as one of the top 100 books that have shaped the world.

    She has won other literary honours, including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the PEN Pinter Prize. In 2020, her novel This Mournable Body was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2022, Dangarembga was convicted in a Zimbabwe court of inciting public violence, by displaying, on a public road, a placard asking for reform.

    5. Camera Laye:

    Camara Laye (January 1, 1928 – February 4, 1980) was a writer from Guinea. He was the author of The African Child (L’Enfant noir), a novel based loosely on his own childhood, and The Radiance of the King (Le Regard du roi). Both novels are among the earliest major works in Francophone African literature. Camara Laye later worked for the government of newly independent Guinea, but went into voluntary exile over political issues.

         Camara Laye published his first novel in 1953, the autobiographical L’Enfant noir (The African Child, also published as The Dark Child). It follows his own journey from childhood in Kouroussa, his education in Conakry, and eventual departure for France. The book won the Prix Charles Veillon in 1954. L’Enfant noir was followed the next year by Le Regard du roi (The Radiance of the King). The Radiance of the King was described by Kwame Anthony Appiah as “one of the greatest of the African novels of the colonial period.”

        In 1956 Camara Laye returned to Africa, first to Dahomey, then the Gold Coast, and finally to newly independent Guinea, where he held several government posts. He left Guinea for Senegal in 1965 because of political issues, never returning to his home country. In 1966 Camara Laye’s third novel, Dramouss (A Dream of Africa), was published. In 1978 his fourth and final work, Le Maître de la parole – Kouma Lafôlô Kouma (The Guardian of the Word), was published. The novel was based on a Malian epic told by the griot Babou Condé about Sundiata Keita, the 13th-century founder of the Mali Empire.

  • Tunde Adeniran and the politics of WS (1)

    Tunde Adeniran and the politics of WS (1)

    Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, whose landmark birthday fell on Saturday, 13 July, has continued to be celebrated and serenaded in diverse circles within Nigeria and across the world and there is no sign the joyous drum beats will cease anytime soon. Indeed, it is instructive that the University of Abuja, under the aegis of its immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, established a Centre of Wole Soyinka studies just as it did for other phenomenal thinkers like Chinua Achebe, Kolawole Omotosho and Usman Dan Fodio’s daughter, Nana Asmaou. Soyinka has become a legend even in his lifetime. Although the book, ‘The Politics of Wole Soyinka’ by Professor Tunde Adeniran had been on my bookshelf for a couple of years, it is perhaps unsurprising that it was in July that I commenced reading what turned out to be a seminal offering on the life and times of the literary colossus.

    There are so many interesting aspects to this book, published by BOOKCRAFT, which spans 241 pages and is segmented into 13 chapters. Although a political scientist specializing in international relations, Professor Adeniran is himself a literary writer who has written four volumes of poetry and two novels, and a keen enthusiast of the arts and various dimensions of culture. His work on the politics of Soyinka makes as exciting reading as the epochal life he has chosen to focus on. The author had actually written the book to commemorate Soyinka’s 60th birthday on 13 July, 1994, and updated it with an additional three chapters when the Laureate turned 80.

    As Adeniran notes in the preface to the first edition of the book, “Questions about Wole Soyinka will persist even after volumes have been written about the man, his life, his times, his works and so on. The decision to zero in on one aspect of his life was informed by the need to acknowledge the role he has played in that aspect of human endeavor whose antenna sends out and receives the kind of electromagnetic waves that determine the quality of human existence”. It is impossible to write about the politics of Nigeria without giving a sizable place to the role and contributions of Wole Soyinka who has been a prominent actor in many of the episodes of the country’s unfolding national drama.

    Of course, Adeniran’s book does not limit itself to Soyinka and the politics of Nigeria. Rather, as he writes, “Soyinka’s personage locates him in many “worlds”. He is black, he is African and he is a human being. To be a black man and an African requires black and African consciousness, an involvement in the type of literary creativity through which creative actions are processed for effect through the written word”. Again, in his words, “Wole Soyinka, with his massive creative imagination, would be expected to demonstrate, quite clearly, not only his awareness but an understanding of the implications of these which sum up to constitute the African condition, for his society and the human race”.

    As a political scientist, Adeniran analyses in considerable depth various themes in the political thought of Soyinka such as justice, power, equality or liberty as exemplified in the literary works and life of the writer. It is interesting that Professor Adeniran himself is a leading politician who had served as Ambassador to Germany and later Minister of Education in the government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo as President. He has held several other positions at diverse levels and never had his name or integrity tainted by the sordidness and venality that characterizes public life in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Eulogies, encomiums as Yemi-Esan bows out as Head of Civil Service

    In the preface to the second edition of the book, Adeniran writes about his meeting with Soyinka in the process of his preparations to update the first edition. He notes that “His anguish at Nigeria’s leadership deficiency and current state of the nation was palpable. In spite of this, he was pleased that I had not given up on campaigns for the National Secretary of my political party (the Peoples Democratic Party) and was ready for any legitimate actions on his part that could enhance my chances”. The politics of WS is far more nuanced and complex than often unfairly insinuated by those who thoughtlessly try to clothe him in partisan garb.

    It is perhaps inevitable that a work on the politics of WS cannot be indifferent to the spiritual elements of his thought for the writer can be said to be deeply spiritual and, perhaps unconsciously esoteric, even if strongly irreligious. Thus, as he prepared for his interview with WS, Adeniran avers that “My mind was made up that I would neither ask WS questions about God nor debate his ‘The Credo of Being and Nothingness’ or man’s religious affairs generally…But, based on the ceaseless change throughout the universe and the impermanence of thought even concerning self, I was instinctively contemplating checking the extent that age had accelerated or mellowed his religious skepticism and indifference”.

    Adeniran refers to a statement credited to WS at an event at Hay Xalapa that “If religion was to be taken away from the world completely, including the one I grew up with, I’d be one of the happiest people in the world. My only fear is that maybe something more terrible would be invented to replace it, so we’d better just get along with what there is right now and keep it under control”. Interestingly, Adeniran had the intention nevertheless that “since he was always interested in my career and well-being, I was going to testify to the word of God as my weapon and Jesus Christ, the Doctor of my soul, Mediator and Father in Nigeria’s deadly politics where we constantly witness a distressing disregard for God as a working hypothesis”.

    In the first chapter of the book, Adeniran examines the role of ‘The Artist as Politician’ across time and space. He takes a panoramic view of the role of artists – writers, sculptors, painters, architects etc in the politics of the societies and eras in which they practiced their art. The relative obscurantism of this chapter reminded me of Professor Adeniran’s international relations classes at the University of Ibadan which I always found overly abstract and difficult to follow, perhaps partly because that area of politics was not particularly my favorite. But I remember that his office was clustered, alongside his collection of books, with diverse art works and graphic images of his favourite artistes and revolutionaries.

    Much more accessible and pleasurable to read are chapters two and three where he focuses on the early years of WS, the political influences he was exposed to early in life, the forces that shaped his emergent political and social consciousness as well as the roots of his strongly non-conformist disposition first at Government College, Ibadan, and later was to glow into full bloom at the University College, Ibadan, where he was admitted in 1952.

    In three subsequent chapters, Adeniran interrogates WS’s politics through his plays, poems and novels. He quotes WS in an interview with John Agetua in 1975 where the writer submits that “we haven’t begun actually using words to punch holes inside people. But let’s do our best to use words and style when we have the opportunity to arrest the ears of normally complacent people, we must make sure we explode something inside them which is a parallel of the sordidness which they ignore outside”. That succinctly encapsulates the use to which Soyinka has deployed his art as a vehicle for societal change many times necessitating risky political activism on his part.

  • Wole Soyinka at 90: Outstanding Young Achievers honoured

    Wole Soyinka at 90: Outstanding Young Achievers honoured

    The 15th annual Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) has honoured ‘Vision of the Child’ and ‘Solution17 Community’ champions as part of activities to celebrate the literary icon at 90.

    The awardees include Princess Marinay, Valentine Udemadu, Haoma Worgwu, and child- poet Mofinfunoluwa Atilola. The award was presented by the Executive Director of Lagos Business, Wema Bank Plc, Oluwole Ajimisinmi.

    The award ceremony formed part of events hosted by the British High Commission in Lagos to celebrate Soyinka’s 90th birthday. The ceremony featured drum beats, live paintings, dance performances, a fashion session, and the opening of the ‘African I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y – Nine Seasons of Wole Soyinka Exhibition’.

    Ajimisinmi said: “Wema Bank is committed to youth development, which is why we are excited to support WSICE 2024 and the Wole Soyinka at 90 events. These initiatives align with our mission to empower the next generation of leaders and innovators.

    “Wema Bank Plc is one of the major sponsors of the 15th WSICE 2024, and has provided invaluable support for all events held in Nigeria and London.”

    The Africa Centre in London hosted a resourceful nine-day program celebrating Soyinka’s immense contributions to literature, culture, and human/civil rights advocacy. The event attracted diverse audiences for the exhibitions, roundtables, film screenings, live music performances, and poetry recitals. Highlights included ‘WS: A Life in Full,’ a comprehensive display of Soyinka’s published works and photographs, and the NINE Seasons of KONGI exhibition, featuring paintings by youth members of the ‘Vision of The Child’ mentored by Soyinka.

    Read Also: Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture, Creative Arts ready soon

    The event also showcased the Africa I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y, a touring exhibition based on public readings of Soyinka’s poems in nine European cities, and the ORI Series II (For WS), a collection of conceptual watercolour drawings by UK-based artist Abolore Shobayo. Another highlight was the London premiere of a new feature film inspired by Soyinka’s prison memoirs, ‘The Man Died’.

    Project Director Foluke Michael said: “Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday celebration spotlights our commitment to youth development in creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability, and nation-building. We are dedicated to continuing the post-celebration project activities through the platforms of African I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y, The Vision of the Child, and Solution17 Green.

    “Over the next nine months, the exhibition of African I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y – ‘Nine Seasons of Wole Soyinka’ will tour the world, both physically and virtually, to inspire future generations and cement Soyinka’s legacy in the annals of history.

    “The project aims to train youths in Creative and Entrepreneurship Development across Nigeria and Africa. Through Solution17 Green, African I.D.E.N.T.I.T.Y will incorporate sustainability into the project as we navigate towards a zero-carbon Africa and world.”

  • Wọlé Soyinka: Àlùjọ̀nú oníbọn ìléwọ́ gun àkàsọ̀ aadọrun ọdún lókè eèpẹ̀. 2

    Wọlé Soyinka: Àlùjọ̀nú oníbọn ìléwọ́ gun àkàsọ̀ aadọrun ọdún lókè eèpẹ̀. 2

    Ọrọ ọjọgbọn Wole Soyinka dabi awọn ogboju ọdẹ akọni  mẹfa to lọ sigbo ai wọ. Se Yoruba bọ wọn ni ọdẹ kii wọ igbẹ ki ọmọ ẹranko ma sọnu. Sugbọn lojiji ni awọn ọdẹ yii pade ajanaku, erin lakatabu ninu igbo kijikiji. Erin yii tobi to jẹ wipe ko le e kuro loju kan ibi to wa. Se lo kunle kun ọna. Awọn ọdẹ doyi ka erin yii, sugbọn ẹ mu ẹ kii, ẹranko bii oorẹ kọ. Ju simi, ju si ọ, kii se oko ti arabanbi ba sọ.

    Ninu apejuwe awọn ọdẹ yii nipa ẹranko ti wọn ri, eyi ekini in sọ wipe eti erin ti oun ri dabi atẹ ọrunla, ekeji ni ẹsẹ rẹ dabi igi iroko, ẹkẹta ni se ni eyin ẹnu rẹ dabi iwo agbanrere, ẹkẹẹrin ni ẹyin lakatabu toun ri dabi itẹ ọba, ti ẹkaarun sọ wipe ẹnu rẹ dabi fere adayeba ti ọdẹ kẹfa si ni iru rẹ dabi pasan  agba eegun. Ti a ba ni ka dalẹ ka tun sa, ko si ọkankan ninu awọn akọni ọdẹ wọnyi to sisọ nitori iha ti erin kọ si wọn ni wọn ri.

    Asamọ yii lo difa fun  ọjọgbọn Ṣoyinka to jẹ pe iha to ba kọ si onikaluku ni onikaluku ma a ri. Loju awọn ijọba ologun, ipata aye ohun ọrun ni Soyinka jẹ ẹni ti ko se fi ọwọ yọbọkẹ mu ati pe to ba se se fun wọn atimọle lo yẹ iru bi tirẹ nigba gbogbo. Ni nkan bi ọdun diẹ sẹyin, gẹgẹbi oniroyin to fẹran itọpinpin, mo pade Aarẹ orilẹede yii laye ologun, Dokita Yakubu Jack Gowon nibi  apero kan nilu Eko, mo bii ọga ologun yii ni ibeere ti ko wọpọ laarin ọjẹ wẹwẹ oniroyin pe kini ẹsẹ ti Wọle Soyinka sẹ ki ijọba rẹ to tii mọle lasiko to jẹ olori orilẹede yii,

    Ọgagun Gowon siju wo mi nigba mẹta ko to rẹrin iyangi. O ni, ‘ọmọ mi ka ma purọ ko sẹ ẹsẹ kankan,sugbọn ni ọsan ọjọ kan ni igbimọ ologun ninu ipade wa ni ẹnikan ba damọran pe o yẹ ki a ti mọle fun saa kan ki a le raye se tiwa nitori ipata ni. Lemi na ba si fọwọ si. Gowon ba tẹ siwaju ‘Jọwọ igba kigba ti o ba ti ri bami tọrọ aforiji lọwọ rẹ pe ko dari ji mi’

    Loju ijọba tiwa n tiwa ti  oloselu, ni pataki julọ nipinlẹ iwọ oorun atijọ,oju buruku gba a ni wọn fi wo Soyinka ti ijọba igba naa ti oloye Samuel Akintọla jẹ oludari lu  ilu pami n ku pami n ku fun, sugbọn ori ko yọ ninu ajaga ti wọn fẹ hun si lọrun ti ile ẹjọ si da a silẹ ko ma lọ lai jẹbi.

    Laarin awọn olukọnl ati awọn alakọwe,akanda eeyan ni Soyinka jẹ,ẹni ti adaniwaye fi ọgbọn ati imọ jiiki rẹ ni, o gbọn bi asahun, o n pede lẹnu bi tawoko, bẹ ni omi ọgbọn kun inu rẹ bi amu etido. Ti a ba ni ka daalẹ ka tun sa, ọga lokete ninu ẹranko to n ko ebu isu ninu oko, bẹẹsi ni ko si orisa ti yoo sebi ogun rẹ lagbẹdẹ tere ba dere ọlọpọlọ.

    Laarin awọn akẹgbẹ rẹ ti wọn jẹ olukọ ni gbogbo agbaye, ko yẹ ko jẹ ilẹ alawọ dudu lo yẹ ko ti wa. Ogbe ounjẹ fẹgbẹ bẹẹ lo si tun gbawo bọ. Ohun gan an ni wọn ki ba ma a pe ni orisa akunlẹbọ ninu imọ litiresọ nibi to ti da bi ẹdun, to ti rọ bi òwè. Se nipa awọn iwe to ti kọ ni ka wi tabi awọn aditu ere ori itage to ti na ijọba ni koboko ọrọ ni ka sọ. O daju saka bibi la bi ẹwa mọ ẹyẹ ọkin, bẹẹni o loju olokiti bi ijimere lawujọ awọn ẹranko. ẹyẹ ti yoo pede bi ologuro sọwọn lawujọ ẹyẹ.

    Laarin awọn ojulumọ, ọrẹ ipilẹsẹ, ati awọn ọmọlewe rẹ, egugun bi lebe ko wọpọ laarin awọn ọjẹ, ogedengbe patẹ ilẹkẹ nijọsi, ọmọ aduloju patẹ ibọn yanyan, erin kọja oloko pa lọlọ ọmọ o gbohun ẹkun pa rida rida. Ọrẹ imulẹ gidi ni tii ki dalẹ, bẹ oju rẹ kun fun aanu lati ran ẹnikẹni to ba sun mọ lọwọ.

    Loju awọn ẹranko inu igbẹ, ọdẹ ti ko se foju di ni ọmọ Soyinka jẹ. Atamatase ọdẹ onibọn ilewọ ni, ọdẹ a pa bi alara ni, ijimere to ba foju dii yoo dẹran ori igba bẹẹni kunugba to ba ni ti Soyinka bawo yo dohun a fi mẹmu lalẹ, odu ọya ti ko ba tete kuro nipado yoo di ohun a ji ri lori atẹ.

    Se Yoruba bọ wọn ni ẹnikan kii ri ẹfọn ta lẹẹmeji, asamọ yii lo difa fun awọn akẹkọọ litiresọ tileewe Nifty Steps College ti lkorodu laipẹ yii nigbati wọn ni anfani lati ba ogunna gbongbo ninu imọ litiresọ to tun jẹ ilumọka onkọwe ati olukọ to muna doko yii, fọrọ jomi toro ọrọ

    Se awọn agba bọ wọn ni tapo tapo la kan ọdẹ ninu igbo, tẹwiri tẹwiri la ba alagbẹdẹ nile arọ oun idunu ati ayọ ni awọn ọmọ ileewe yii fi lo anfani eyi ti ko wọpọ ti wọn ni lati ba agba ọjẹ onkọwe yii sọrọ

    Awọn baba mọni mọni, awọn yeye mọniyọn mọniyọn lo sọ wipe to ba pẹ irun a ma a fini han pe a gbo, bi Soyinka se wọ gbọngan ni ‘Freedom Park’ nibi ti ijiroro na ti waye, kedere lo han pe, agba ti de si peregun etido ninu litiresọ yii to ti na ‘gbara, to ti na ‘gboro,  to ti tọ ẹsẹ kuku, to ti tọbi ọna jin, to ti rin debi wọn gbe n fi odo ibulẹ jẹun.

    Ni kete ti Adeola Ogunlẹyẹ se afihan awọn akẹgbẹ rẹ tan lo sọ wipe idunnu subu lu ayọ fun oun ati awọn yooku oun  lati ba Soyinka ẹni ti awọn ti ka ọpọlọpọ isẹ to ti kọ pade ni oju koroju yii

    Ibeere akọkọ ti awọn ọmọ wọnyi bi ọjọgbọn yii ni wipe ki ni wọn n pe ni Wọle Soyinka ati pe bawo lọjọgbọn yii se di irunmọlẹ to tan kale kako? Se Yoruba bọ wọn ni ti a ba gba sẹkẹrẹ labara, yoo pọ ti ọfun rẹ silẹ, sugbọn ilumọka onkọwe yii sọ wipe ibeere awọn ọmọ wọnyi ta koko nitori jiji nimu ji, timu un woye ọkankan, iji un ji latampako ji to n woye ọna, atẹlẹwọ la ba ila a o mọ ẹni to kọ ọ, gbogbo wa lope nipa akunlẹyan.

    Sugbọn o jẹ ko ye awọn ọdọ yii pe ni kekere ni oun ti fẹran lati ma a ka iwe ati pe gbogbo iwe ti oun ni anfani lati ba pade loun ka lai tilẹ mọ wipe lọjọ kan oun naa yoo mu gege dani lati fi dabira.

    Ọjọgbọn yii tẹ siwaju pe nigbati oun mọ ọwọ ọtun yatọ si tosi ni oye oun to sẹlẹ ni ayika oun bẹrẹ si fun oun ni imisi, nipa idi eyi, ki aaya to sẹju pẹu, ki alamu to parada lẹgbẹ ogiri oun ti n gbidanwo lati kọ awọn iriri wọnyi silẹ gẹgẹbi arokọ.

    Se Yoruba bọ wọn ni a ki gbe aworan gẹgẹ ki a ma fi ọwọ rẹ ti sibikan, o daju pe titi aye ni awọn ọmọ wọnyi yoo ma a ranti ipade ati ijiroro awọn pẹlu ọjọgbọn to ti lami laka ninu ede litiresọ yii. O daju saka pe ti aye ba n jẹ aye ti igba si n jẹ igba ipa abẹrẹ ni okun yoo ma a  tọ awọn ara ti Soyinka ti da yoo dabi koriko to wa nipasẹ odo to dun wo loju. Yoruba ni owurọ kutukutu la a ree iya, ọjọ alẹ la re le baba to bini lọmọ. Soyinka, ijẹbu, ljẹgba nile baba rẹ

    Ọmọ adúnrunmádé

    Ìjèbú ọmọ adúnrunmósùn p’ẹdìye jẹ

    Omo ẹlẹ́dìye ògògò mọ̀gà

    Tí n fẹyin ẹ yé bí awó kẹ̀ngbẹ̀ kẹ̀ngbẹ̀

    Ọmọ adìyẹ gorí òrùlé pòlélé

    Ara ò rokùn,Ara ò rọ adìyẹ

    Omo ò n se n seni  ò n yò ñyò

    Òñyọ̀ má yọ̀ mọ́

    Ohun tó n s’emí ò leè pani

    Ẹ ẹ̀ mọ̀ wípé isu mẹ́fà nisu ìjẹ̀bú

    Èjì  jíje, èjì  ai jẹ

    Ó lórìsà tí baba won ñ fi méjì  tókù bọ

    Nínú kí wón fi bòòsà ẹ̀lúkú

    Àbí kí wón fi b’alágẹmọ mẹ́rìndínlógún

    Ẹ̀yin lọmọ a rẹ́yẹ,  a ò rókò

    Ìgbà táa rókò tán,eyẹ ti fò lọ.

    Ọmọ anísu nílé a ò l’ọ́be

    Ọ̀bẹ baba wọn ti yọ bọ́

    Ìjèbú lọmọ ẹlẹ́ẹ̀kùlé àdéwúre

    Òrìsà Òkè jẹ́  n là jẹ́ n dàbí Onílé yìí

    Ni wón fi n sọpé,kékeré ìjẹ̀bú owó ni

    Àgbà Ìjẹ̀bú owó,

    Ìdúró Ìjẹ̀bú owó

    Ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ Ìjẹ̀bú owó

    Gbogbo Ìjẹ̀bú lo lówó

    Àwon lomo onígbó má dẹ́ ẹ ,

    Ọmọ onígbó máwọ̀ mawọ̀

    Ọmọ  onígbó kan àjòjì ò gbọdọ wọ’bè

    Àjòjì tó bá wọ’gbó orò yóò d’ẹni ẹbọra

    Ìjèbú l’ọmọ Awújalè

    Ọmọ afìdi p’ọtè mọ́lẹ̀

    Read Also: Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture, Creative Arts ready soon

    Ọmọ Ajagbalúra

    Won ò méégún wo’gbó ‘barà rí

    Iba ló kọ́kọ́ méégún wọ’gbó Rẹ́mọ

    Ìjèbú ọmọ adúnrunmósùn p’ẹdìyẹjẹ

    Omo ẹlẹ́dìye ògògò mọ̀gà tí ñ fẹyin rẹ̀ yé bí awó kẹngbẹ kẹngbẹ

    Ọmọ oníbodè mẹ́ta tí wón ñ fàjòjì sọ́

    Ogun àjòjì ò gbọdọ̀ ja àwon baba ñlá wọn

    Ìjèbú l’ọmọ alóhun tóyìnbó ò ní nílé

    Òyìnbó lówó,baba ñlá yín lówó

    Àmó òyìnbó ò lóògùn, Ìjèbú lóògùn

  • Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture, Creative Arts ready soon

    Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture, Creative Arts ready soon

    The Bankers Committee has said it is on the verge of completing the renovation and upgrading of facilities at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture, Creative Arts, Iganmu, Lagos (former National Theatre) to make it a national pride.

    Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCo), Mr. Segun Agbaje, who briefed reporters during a tour of the new-look edifice, said the renovation exercise commenced in July 2021 following approval by the Federal Government and the subsequent handover to the Bankers’ Committee.

    According to him, by restoring the glory of an iconic asset, the Bankers’ Committee aims to unlock opportunities for the youth in the creative sector, leading to job creation, income generation, and foreign exchange generation, thereby developing a creative and entertainment centre with community spaces for Nigerians. 

    Agbaje said: “I don’t think there are many countries in Africa that have the talent that we have in entertainment and the arts. 

    Read Also: Soyinka: ‘The Noble Warrior’ gets corporate boost

    “All you can do when you have talented people is to give them a platform to showcase their best.

    “We will try to give a platform where Nigerians who are in my opinion the best, have a chance to show the world that they are the best….” 

    During a guided tour, journalists observed that the facilities have been upgraded to match the best standards of theatre and performance in the world.  The entire heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system was replaced, while fire safety standards, power, water supply, and sewage systems were all upgraded.

    The complex now has an upgraded interior design with the installations of audio video lighting (AVL), a world stage engineering system, 11 lifts, solar power, new furniture for spaces and restoration of artworks including those on the internal wall panels and the building façade.

    The renovation works cover different spaces, including the 4,000-seater main bowl, over 3,000-seater banquet hall, two exhibition halls, two cinemas, VIP spaces, actors’ changing rooms, industrial kitchen, over 300 new toilet cubicles, clinic, fire station, lobbies within the four National Theatre entrances and extensive roof repairs. 

    The National Arts Theatre was constructed by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed in 1976 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

    The completion coincided with the hosting of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77) in January 1977.

  • Celebrating WS @ 90

    Celebrating WS @ 90

    Since the beginning of July, the academic and literary communities have been abuzz with a myriad of activities celebrating Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday. From the vibrant scenes at Freedom Park to the prestigious halls of UNILAG, the festivities gathered momentum throughout the past week, culminating in the impactful sessions of the Wole Soyinka International Symposium in Lagos. In this report, ASSISTANT EDITOR OZOLUA UHAKHEME and EVELYN OSAGIE provide a detailed account of these memorable events that highlighted Soyinka’s lasting legacy and profound influence on literature and society.

    In the annals of global literature, few figures loom as large as Prof Wole Soyinka, who turns 90 this July. Born Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka in Abeokuta, Nigeria, his life and work have been a testament to the power of words and the courage to speak truth to power. As the world celebrates this milestone, Nigerian literati and artists have come together to honour the Nobel laureate for Literature (1986) whose seminal works, such as ‘A Dance of the Forests’, continue to provoke and inspire. Beyond his literary prowess, Soyinka’s influence extends far into the public domain, where he is revered as a moral compass and relentless advocate for justice.

    Soyinka, a playwright and political activist, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. His impactful career began in the 1950s with his seminal play, ‘A Dance of the Forests’, which satirised Nigeria’s political elite. He further honed his craft as a dramaturgist at London’s Royal Court Theatre from 1958 to 1959 and later pursued studies in African drama under a Rockefeller fellowship, returning to teach at universities in Ibadan, Lagos and Ife. The literary and moral influence of Soyinka, now 90, is unparalleled, firmly establishing him as an enduring icon in Nigeria. Beyond his literary prowess, Soyinka is revered as a ‘tireless interventionist’ in the public sphere and a ‘Public Conscience’ shaping the soul of a nation.

    Academics, activists, critics, colleagues, friends and literary enthusiasts gathered at the Wole Soyinka International Symposium to honour the Nobel laureate. Organised by the Nigerian Academy of Letters in collaboration with Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE), the event took place last Friday at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Titled “Eni Ogun: An Enduring Legacy,” the symposium celebrated Soyinka’s remarkable contributions to literature, creativity and scholarship. The audience, comprising professors, scholars, students and political figures including former Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, former Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi and his wife, Dr. Bisi, heard from distinguished figures such as Prof. Niyi Osundare, who delivered the keynote address.

    Prof. Osundare’s lecture, titled “Arimadake Eniogunyan: Wole Soyinka as tireless interventionist,” explored the profound impact of Soyinka’s literary works on literature, drama, poetry and politics. Emphasising Soyinka’s enduring influence across various aspects of society, Osundare underscored the role of literature in advocating for change and combating injustice. Describing Soyinka as a multifaceted figure, he emphasised that the Nobel laureate’s pervasive influence across humanity is undeniable, noting that his staunch commitment to social justice has subjected him to a lifetime of scrutiny and adversity.

    “But looking at it deeply, if I must single it out I think the fight for justice, the concomitant of justice, defending the dignity of the human being is something important to him and to him humanity comes first in everything, in everything he writes, and I think also his general perspective which cut across all borders, gender, ethnicity, religion and age.”

    Read Also: WS@ 90:London hosts grand tribute

    Osundare examined Soyinka from four perspectives, portraying him as a global figure and underscoring his profound impact on African literature. While praising Soyinka’s literary interventions addressing the nation’s challenges, Osundare, reflecting on his early days as a student reading Soyinka’s works, lamented that many of the issues Soyinka raised in his books remain unresolved to this day. “Soyinka is difficult, I started reading him as a student and from his writings you will know he is a deep humanist. He doesn’t care about ethnicity and whether you are a man or woman, rich or poor, he is all out for everyone.

    “So each of his works talks about his personality as a writer and a humanist. Each play has a bit of his philosophy, a bit of his conviction, and a bit of his way of looking at life,” he said.

    Osinbajo, the special guest at the event, titled his address “Soyinka: The Imperative of the Public Conscience.” Emphasising Soyinka’s unwavering commitment to speaking truth to power across all domains, Osinbajo hailed him as a living literary legend whose dynamic character allows him to embody various roles within society. He described Soyinka as a versatile creative force across all genres of literature, an influential presence in academia, a cultural activist committed to egalitarian ideals, and an avid collector of artworks, particularly sculpture, painting, and poetry. Highlighting the concept of public conscience, Osinbajo explained it as the compelling responsibility to concern oneself with the moral state of the community. He praised Soyinka’s works for consistently reflecting societal ideals and advocating for public conscience. He also underscored the importance of celebrating such a significant icon who has positively projected Nigeria on the global stage for many years.

    “He is an individual with different creative abilities in all genres of literature, an actor whose presence dominates a room, a university lecturer, a cultural activist with a notion of an egalitarian sense of life, a collector of artworks, especially sculpture, painting and poetry. He believes that humans deserve to be treated as such – as humans. Soyinka interferes and still interferes with everybody’s space. So, we must not be shy to interfere with his. But I’m also grateful for this opportunity because it gives me a chance to repay or return a priceless favour,” Osinbajo said.

    In his remarks, Fayemi described Soyinka as a man of many parts who is always consistent to tell the truth. “He has always been a political activist. For him, literature is not an egoistic affair; it is something that must be done on the side of the people and every time his literary works have always worked on the side of the people. If you talk about his autobiographies right from Ake to Ibadan Penkelemesi, etc., there is a constant thread running through all his works as he puts it consistently that justice must be the first condition of humanity.”

    The Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola called Soyinka “an Africa’s icon.”  “I feel very honoured that I am here celebrating his works and his legacy on his 90th birthday. There are so many things Prof Wole Soyinka stands for; not just his creativity, but the courage of his convictions. He has lived a great life, he’s still living a great life and he’s still impacting not just this generation, but future generations. So on behalf of the University of Lagos, I want to thank the Nigerian Academy of Letters for allowing us to be a part of the 90th birthday celebration of Prof. Soyinka,” she said.

    At the Wole Soyinka International Symposium, Prof. Duro Oni, former President of the Nigeria Academy of Letters and convener of the event, underscored the profound impact of Soyinka’s writings, activities and intellectual legacy. He praised Soyinka’s steadfast dedication to truth, justice and creative expression, which has inspired generations and continues to enrich our understanding of the human condition.

    Echoing this sentiment, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, President of the Nigeria Academy of Letters (NAL), celebrated Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday as a cherished gift from Africa to humanity. Akinrinade highlighted Soyinka’s monumental contributions to literature, drama, human rights and societal development, noting their profound influence on intellectual and cultural awareness globally. Meanwhile, at Freedom Park, Lagos last Saturday, the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) hosted a vibrant celebration of Soyinka’s legacy through visual art, book readings and concert performances. The event, titled the 7th edition of Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka, commenced at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, uniting Soyinka’s admirers, art enthusiasts, and lovers of creativity in a heartfelt tribute.

    The exhibition, titled The Man Who Didn’t Die in the Face of Tyranny, running until the end of July, draws profound inspiration from Soyinka’s seminal prison notes, originally published in 1971 as “The Man Died.” Featuring immersive audio and video installations, the exhibition allows visitors to experience Soyinka narrating his harrowing ordeal during 22 months of solitary confinement from 1967 to 1969. Central to the exhibition are five series of paintings that vividly depict the trials endured by the literary giant under military dictatorship. These paintings serve as a visual narrative for those who may find Soyinka’s literary works, especially “The Man Died,” challenging to grasp. The audio installation, in particular, provides intimate insights into Soyinka’s thoughts, emotions and motivations during his confinement, offering a profound addition to the collection.

    One of the paintings, which show two bold signposts with inscriptions: No bail for Soyinka, says Court, and Public Enemy No 1, poignantly portrays Soyinka’s unwavering resilience in the face of oppression. The painting also captures Soyinka, though surrounded by ten armed security operatives, as he stands straight with his hands on his back remaining calm and unperturbed. However, the most symbolic piece is the reproduction of a prison cell situated prominently in the exhibition hall. Furnished with a wooden bed, a chair, a lantern and a waste bucket, this installation is complemented by hanging sacks of clothes symbolising the dehumanizing effects of corruption, injustice, and oppression. Curated by Mr. Oludamola Adebowale, the exhibition transcends mere display, serving as an insightful exploration into the body of work by the esteemed Nobel Laureate. “It takes inspiration from Prof Soyinka’s powerful 1971 book, ‘The Man Died,’ an account of his prison experiences,” explains Adebowale. Through this transformative exhibition, visitors are invited to delve deep into the mind of a literary figure who fearlessly stood against tyranny, wielding the written word as his potent weapon.

    “As we embark on this journey, let us remember that the very core of the exhibition examines our stand in the course of protecting humanity and also a way of evaluating our standpoint when we stand in front of Tyranny. The pages of history will turn, and we, as both witnesses and participants, have the privilege to delve deep into his remarkable journey.

    “Our goal is to provide our visitors with a fascinating and immersive experience. The centerpiece of this exhibition is a meticulously crafted prison cell installation, designed to transport you into the very heart of Professor Soyinka’s incarceration. As you step inside, you will gain a visual understanding of the challenges he faced and the extraordinary resilience he exhibited during those tumultuous times.”

    The book reading session, which commenced around 2 pm, showcased readings by Oko Owi Ocho, Sacred Alabi, and Enitan Abdutawal. The event also featured a dedicated performance by students honoring Kongi at 90. Notable attendees included Kayode Aderinokun, Prof. Awa Amkpa, Joanna Settle, Toyin Akinoso, Jahman Anikulapo, Sola Olorunyomi, Dr. Tunde Awosanmi, Edmond Enaibe, Adeniran Makinde, Sola Alamutu, Mudiare Onobrakpeya, Ndidi Dike, and Iquo Abasi.

  • Wọlé Soyinka: Àlùjọ̀nú oníbọn ìléwọ́ gun àkàsọ̀ aadọọrun ọdún lókè eèpẹ̀.

    Wọlé Soyinka: Àlùjọ̀nú oníbọn ìléwọ́ gun àkàsọ̀ aadọọrun ọdún lókè eèpẹ̀.

    Se ẹni ti yoo ba pẹgan ajanaku ni yoo sọ wipe mo ri nkan fiiri, ti a ba ri erin a o sọ wipe a ri erin. Ni ọsẹ to kọja ni ilumọka ọjọgbọn onimọ ninu litiresọ nni Wọle Soyinka pe ọmọ aadọrun ọdun (90) loke eepẹ. Ọjọbi to lapẹrẹ yii ni gbogbo awọn ololufẹ rẹ kaakiri agbaye ba se lati ba ọjọgbọn yii dupẹ lọwọ adaniwaye fun ore ọfẹ to fun un.

    Ni nkan bi ọdun diẹ sẹyin nigbati mo jẹ akọroyin nilu llọrin ni mo ni anfani lati pade adajọ agba nni Kayọde Ẹsọ ẹni to mọ apade ati alude isẹ ofin to tun ni anfani lati da ẹjọ ọjọgbọn Soyinka ti wọn gbe wa siwaju rẹ ni asiko rogbodiyan to waye nipinlẹ iwọ oorun lẹyin isẹiẹ kayefi nni ti wọn sọ di ‘operation wẹt ẹ’

    Adajọ Ẹsọ sọ fun mi pe bi o tilẹ jẹ wipe isẹlẹ ti mo beere lọwọ rẹ ti le ni ogoji ọdun sugbọn se lo dabi ana loju oun ati pe ibeere mi lori rẹ mu ki oun ranti ọjọ ati bi awọn alagbara nijọba fẹ fi dandan ran Soyinka lẹwọn ọsangangan boya o jẹbi tabi ko jẹbi. Sugbọn ti ọlọrun fun oun ni ọgbọn ati oye lati gbena woju ẹkun  ijọba lati se ohun to tọ to si di ohun a pe tọka si titi di akoko yii

    Adajọ Ẹsọ sọ wipe bi oun se jẹ ọkan ninu ọdọmọde adajọ nigba naa, iriri oun ati awọn irin ajo ti oun ti rin ninu isẹ ofin ti ko lafiwe lakoko naa lo fun oun ni igboya lati dajọ ododo gẹgẹbi ẹjọ ti onikaluku ro nile ẹjọ lai bikita ohun ti ijọba igba naa fẹ. O fikun ọrọ rẹ wipe isẹlẹ manigbagbe ni ẹjọ naa jẹ titi di oni. Eyi lo mu ki ogbontarigi adajọ yii pe akọle ọkan ninu awọn iwe to kọ lati fi peri isẹlẹ manigbagbe yii ni “The Mystery Gunman”

    Ẹni kẹni to ba ka iwe yii yoo mọ iru ẹni ti Soyinka jẹ ati iru irin ajo to ti rin yala gẹgẹbi olukọ Yunifasiti ni,ajijagbara, olukọtan, adari ere ori itage, osere ati ọjọgbọn to gbe ounjẹ fẹgbẹ to tun gbawo bọ.

    Ṣe ti ọmọde ko ba ba itan, o yẹ ko ba arọba, arọba si ree baba itan ni. Ninu iwe yii ni Adajọ Ẹṣọ to da ẹjọ to le koko bii oju ẹja titi di oni yii, to si jẹ ohun a ri tọka si, sọ diẹ nipa ọmọ bibi ilu Abẹokuta ati ljẹbu, tabi ki a kuku pe e ni ljẹgba.

    Ṣe ọrọ lo ṣebi ọrọ ni ipinlẹ Iwọ-Oorun lọjọsi (Western region) ti ẹyẹ ko ke bii ẹyẹ, ti ọmọ eeyan ko fọhun bii ọmọ eeyan, ti ruke-rudo ṣẹlẹ nipa ọrọ oṣelu eyi to sọ ipinlẹ naa di oju ogun, asiko yii ni gomina igba naa, Ladoke Akintọla, fẹẹ ba gbogbo awọn eeyan ipinlẹ naa sọrọ pe ki wọn sinmi agbaja atipe oorun to wa loke nigba naa to aṣọ ipinlẹ naa lati gbẹ.

    Akoko yii ni alujannu kan yọ si ileeṣẹ tẹlifisan ipinlẹ naa to wa l’Agodi, niluu lbadan, pẹlu ibọn ilewọ, ko beṣu, ko bẹgba, o kọri si ibi apoti igbohun safẹfẹ ileeṣẹ tẹlifisan yii, to si yọ ibọn si arakunrin kan ti wọn n pe ni Akinwale Ọṣin, ẹni to jẹ alakooso awọn oniroyin lakoko yii pe kó kó téèpù agbọrọsọ ti wọn ti fi ka ohùn pirẹmia ipinlẹ naa silẹ foun, ko si gba eyi ti yoo fi dipo rẹ lọwọ oun pẹlu aṣẹ pe ko tẹ ẹ bọ ẹrọ amohun bu gbamu ki gbogbo ipinlẹ naa le gbọ ọ.

    Ninu iwe rẹ ni Ẹṣọ ti sọ pe “Gbogbo ẹri to wa nile-ẹjọ yii lo tako ara wọn, to si fi han pe Akinwale Ọṣin, kọkọ sọ pe oun o mọ ẹni to yọ ibọn soun lati gba teepu Pirẹmia ati pe ọkunrin naa ko lo iboju, ṣugbọn nigba to ya, o ni oun mọ ẹni naa ati pe Ọjọgbọn Wọle Ṣoyinka ni, bẹẹ si ni olupẹjọ ijọba ko fidi rẹ mulẹ daadaa pe Wọle Ṣoyinka lo ṣe ohun ti wọn lo ṣe yii.”

    Bo tilẹ jẹ pe gbogbo ọna ni ijọba Ladoke Akintọla san lati ri pe wọn ran Ọjọgbọn yii ni ẹwọn gbere, ṣugbọn ori ko o yọ lati ri adajọ to ni ipinnu lati ṣe ohun to tọ yatọ si ohun ti ijọba n fẹ ko ṣe.Ni ipari atotonu, Adajọ Ẹṣọ ṣi agbada lori eṣu, o fi ye ijọba pe ofin ki i bẹru atipe ofin ni olugbeja ẹni ti ko leeyan. “Pẹlu gbogbo ṣegeṣege ẹlẹrii ati aifidi ẹjọ rẹ mulẹ to latọwọ olupejọ ijọba pe Wọle Ṣoyinka ṣe ohun ti wọn lo ṣe yii, o da mi loju pe ko jẹbi ẹsun ti wọn fi kan an, mo da a silẹ ko ma a lọ layọ ati alaafia.”

    Nigba ti Ọjọgbọn yii pe ẹni ọgọrin ọdun loke eepẹ, Yunifasiti lbadan, ibi ti ogunna gbongbo olukọ yii ti bẹrẹ ipilẹṣẹ irinajo rẹ, fi apejẹ nla da a lọla. Nibi apejẹ yii ni wọn ti ṣi àwọ̀n gbòòrò to boju ẹni ti wọn n pe ni Burọda Kongi, Kaako onikumọ ẹkun ati Olohun-iyọ.

    Ninu ọrọ apilẹkọ ti wọn fi yẹ Ọjọgbọn yii si ni wọn ti fi we ọti oyinbo to wa ninu ọpalaba fun ọdun pipẹ, bo ṣe n dara si , bẹẹ lo n dun si. Ṣe Yoruba bọ, wọn ni ti a ba peri akọni, o di dandan ka fida lalẹ gaa-ra-ga.“Ko si ẹnikẹni ni Naijiria lonii to lami-laaka bii rẹ ninu irin ajo rẹ ninu ẹkọ literaṣọ, ere ori itage, iwe kikọ yala ni ilana ewi tabi ọrọ geere. Ko si ijọba ti ko bẹru rẹ, bẹẹ lo jẹ ajijagbara to di eegun aja sọrun ijọba ologun ni Naijiria.

    “Nipasẹ gbogbo akitiyan ki i gbọ, ki i gba to yan laayo, o lo ọdun meji, oṣu mẹrin ati ọjọ mejilelogun lọgba ẹwọn. Ni kete to tun jade lo pada si iwa akin rẹ, ọmọ Ṣoyinka gbona bii ẹlẹgun Ṣango, o le bii apaadi, ṣe ajanaku kọja mo ri nnkan firi, ti a ba ri erin ka sọ pe a ri erin. Akọni onkọwe ni, oludari ere itage ni, olukọ tiru rẹ ko pe meji ni, o gbọn bii aṣahun, o fiwa jọ kinniun ibẹru, ẹni ògún, ẹni ògùn, ẹni oògùn, o mu lẹnu bii agogo bẹẹ lo logba bii elewi odo.”

    Ti a ba pe e ni akọni, a ko jayo pa, ti a ba pe e ni ọjọgbọn ninu imọ ede gẹẹsi, oju ọna la wa, ti a ba si pe e ni ajijagbara, deede lo ṣe, a ba a si pe e ni olukọ to gbounjẹ fẹgbẹ to gbawo bọ, a ko ṣi wi . Bẹẹ, ti a ba si pe e ni o dami oke ru todo, a ko jayo pa, to ba si buṣe gada, to buṣe gege ti a pe e ni oṣere ori itage, oju ọna la wa, ti oju ba po firi, to dijo kole kole, ti a ba pe e ni oludasilẹ ẹgbẹ òkùnkùn, a ko bọmọ jẹ.

    Tabi ka kuku da a silẹ, ka tun un sa, ka pe e ni ọkan ninu awọn ogboju ọdẹ ninu igbo irunmọlẹ, deede ni.Ṣugbọn ohun to daju ṣaka ni pe Ọjọgbọn Wọle Ṣoyinka to gun akasọ aadọrun ọdun  loke eepẹ kii ṣe  ẹran rirọ rara. Ẹ mu un, ẹ ki i, ẹran bii òòrẹ̀ kọ. Ṣe Yoruba bọ wọn ni ju u si mi , ju u si ọ, ki i ṣe bii ti odi ẹyin. Ọga lokete ninu ẹranko ti i ko ebu ninu igbo, ti ere ba di ere ka dori kodo, ko si ẹyẹ ti yoo ṣe bii adan ninu oko.

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    Yoruba bọ, wọn ni ti a ba peri akọni, o di dandan ka fida lalẹ gaa-ra-ga.“Ko si ẹnikẹni ni Naijiria lonii to lami-laaka bii rẹ ninu irin ajo rẹ ninu ẹkọ literaṣọ, ere ori itage, iwe kikọ yala ni ilana ewi tabi ọrọ geere. Ko si ijọba ti ko bẹru rẹ, bẹẹ lo jẹ ajijagbara to di eegun aja sọrun ijọba ologun ni Naijiria.

    “Nipasẹ gbogbo akitiyan ki i gbọ, ki i gba to yan laayo, o lo ọdun meji, oṣu mẹrin ati ọjọ mejilelogun lọgba ẹwọn. Ni kete to tun jade lo pada si iwa akin rẹ, ọmọ Ṣoyinka gbona bii ẹlẹgun Ṣango, o le bii apaadi, ṣe ajanaku kọja mo ri nnkan firi, ti a ba ri erin ka sọ pe a ri erin. Akọni onkọwe ni, oludari ere itage ni, olukọ tiru rẹ ko pe meji ni, o gbọn bii aṣahun, o fiwa jọ kinniun ibẹru, ẹni ògún, ẹni ògùn, ẹni oògùn, o mu lẹnu bii agogo bẹẹ lo logba bii elewi odo.

    Wọlé ọmọ sóyínká

    Ẹja tí ń dabú rú

    Kò ju pọ́lọ́rọ́ lọ

    Ìtàkùn tí kọ erin lẹ́sẹ́

    Tí lákátabú fi dèrò ilẹ̀

    Kò ju yánwọ́nrán lọ

    Dídá la dá ẹwà mọ́ ọ̀kín

    Elédùà ló se tolóòlà ijù bẹ́ ẹ̀

    Tó bí ẹgbẹ̀rún akin lọmọ

    Ní kékeré lọmọ egbin ti dára

    Kékeré lọmọ òjòlá

    Ti fi gígùn sayọ̀

    llé ló bá akíkanjú

    Tí mo bá rántí

    Ìjà àwọn obìnrin ẹ̀gbá ní’jọ́sí

    Mo rántí yeye tó bí ọ lọ́mọ

    Egun ẹran tíí dàmú èrìkì

    Ní pínnísín ló ti mú wà akin

    Ni màjèsín ló ti n hùwà àgbà

    Èdùnmàrè ló dirí ẹwà fákùkọ

     O dàgbà ọ̀jẹ̀ tí fẹ̀kú se fújà

    O di jáwọn láyà baba ìjayà

    Níbi wọ́n gbé ń dáná irọ́

    Àpáta le, olóko da sí

    O di ẹgẹrẹmìtì ìgànná

    Tí wó lu asebi

    Láìì mọ́kọ́ dání

    Láìì so àdá mọ́ tòbí

    O dẹ̀rù jẹ̀jẹ̀ nígbàlẹ̀ ìkà

    O músẹ́ ọpọlọ wu ni se

    O dàgbà òpìtàn

    Nígbàlẹ̀ àwọn ọlọ́pọlọ

    Bí ayé bá ń jẹ́ ayé

    Tí ìgbà bá n jẹ́ ìgbà

    lpa abẹ́rẹ́ lokún ń tọ̀

    Ìran tó ń bọ̀

    Kò ní gbàgbé rẹ

    Wọlé ọmọ Sóyínká

  • For Wole Soyinka @ 90

    For Wole Soyinka @ 90

    • By Professor Ladipo Adamolekun

    Sir: Hearty congratulations on your 90th.  “Your mental and physical energy at 80 hint that Nigeria and humanity will continue to benefit from your contributions for another two decades, at least!” I am delighted that the hope that I expressed in my brief message to you 10 years ago became reality. Your on-going annual teaching and mentoring stint for New York University (NYU) in Abu Dhabi is a highly commendable intergenerational knowledge transfer at the international level.  May Nigeria and humanity continue to benefit from your contributions for another decade! 

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    I first met you on your hospital bed in UCH in October or November 1965 in the company of two or three Ibadan student activists. I no longer remember how your message reached us. You charged us to disrupt the November 1965 University’s Convocation that Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa had committed to attend.  You correctly considered him responsible for the prevailing chaos in Western Nigeria at the time.

    You’ve maintained your passionate crusade for social justice over the decades. Our phone conversation on September 25th 2010 is unforgettable:  

    “Diary entry, September 26th 2010: In a phone conversation of September 25th, WS explained his continued political activism (convention of his political party was held on that day) as follows: “Ki won le wi nipa t’emi pe mo se won ti mo le se,”

    I salute your courage and humanity.

    •Professor Ladipo Adamolekun,

    Fairfax, Virginia, USA.