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Tag: Wole Soyinka

  • Tribute to WS at 90

    Tribute to WS at 90

    By Kayode Fayemi

    The name Wole Soyinka aka WS evokes sundry emotions across the spectrum. Regardless of where one stands on the spectrum, we can all agree that Wole Soyinka  is one of Nigeria’s most celebrated personalities, certainly Africa’s most iconic literary maestro and one of the world’s most influential citizens. Even though I know him to treat public celebrations of his birthdays with studied indifference and a hunter’s disdain, it is still almost unbelievable that WS is 90, given his frenetic pace of work and travels. And whether he likes it or not, this is one celebration he cannot stop!

    For me, WS is not the unfathomable mystery that many perceive from a distance and he is not the mythological pantheon that exists in the realm of the gods in the imagination of many. He is a mentor, a role model, a father figure and a thought-leader with whom I have had the rare privilege of communing and sharing  great moments of significant historic importance in my life.

    My first physical encounter with Professor Wole Soyinka was in 1994 in the course of the struggle to return Nigeria to democratic order. My familiarity with WS however preceded our opportune encounter. My first interaction with him was in his prison notes, The Man Died which I first struggled to grasp in 1975. While the motif of the book was a seductive topic of interest, the inscrutably elevated language and discursive point of view of the book made it a hard nut for me to crack at such a young age. Since then, I have not only read all his other writings I have come across – particularly the autobiographical series – Ake, Isara, Ibadan: the Penkelemes Years and You Must Set Forth at Dawn, I have gobbled them with obsessive enthusiasm. His writings and public advocacy for good governance, social justice, democracy and freedom had always made him a godfather and mentor whose association I had deeply coveted.

    Consequently, when the opportunity to meet Prof happily came my way through his son, Olaokun in 1994, it was a dream come true. Professor Soyinka (who was already familiar with my work as a democracy activist in the UK through the activities of the New Nigeria Forum and its journal, Nigeria Now which I edited and regularly sent to him in Nigeria), seized the opportunity of our meeting to invite me to be part of his newly established National Liberation Council of Nigeria (NALICON) as Director of Communications.

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    Without giving it much thought, I enthusiastically jumped at the rare opportunity to work closely with Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature. I had reasoned that his international reputation, connection and clout would greatly enhance our struggle for the return of democratic order in Nigeria. And I reasoned right!  As I indicated in my memoir of the exile years, “I came close to being labelled a passionate enthusiast and defender of the Soyinka mystique, especially having shared his worldview of the Nigerian struggle as one between authoritarianism and democracy, and not purely an ideological fixation between socialism and capitalism” (Fayemi, 2005:210).  Throughout his time in exile in the 1990s, I worked closely with him on numerous projects in NALICON and the United Democratic Front of Nigeria(UDFN) along with several other patriots – the most popular of which was the underground opposition radio – Radio Freedom, later Radio Kudirat.

    There is no doubt that I have always shared an ecumenical ideology and kindred spirit with Kongi. His natural spur to resist oppression, instinctive spontaneity to defy authoritarianism and his impregnable commitment to civil liberty makes him a natural inspirational mentor. In both the youthful and sagely Soyinka, has been a consistent resurgence against brutality and inordinate absolutism. As he often opines, “justice is the first condition of humanity”. His resentment against state terror and abuse of power burns like the inferno of the mythical Hades.

    For WS, humanity and its happiness are the tunnels through which he travels his mind in the visualisation of social problems. Anything that denies man his inalienable rights, is for Soyinka, an abhorrent act that must be condemned in the strongest terms. He is predictably obdurate and conscientiously unapologetic for his repetitive fidelity to the triumph of human freedom, primacy of his liberty and elevation of his essence as the sole creed that all gods must serve.

    His temperament rejects every iota of practices that suborn human happiness. Even in his old age, he continues to prick the conscience of the nation with penetrating homilies that poke a revelatory finger in the nose of public decadence.  WS is that bitter remedy that purges a poisoned belly of its troubling constipation. His corrective words are like the surgical knife that cuts out the malignancy of a petulant lesion. He refuses to suffer fools gladly and would rather be misunderstood by people too thick to decode his angst against all governmental decadence.

    He is classical in all aspects of his artistry. For some and for his obscurantism, he is the African Homer; some others say he is the ultimate Aristophanes; some even think he is the rebirth of Socrates and not just for the accident of initials, WS is our own William Shakespeare and John Milton rolled into one. He is the agglutination of literary reincarnation of the best that history can recall.

    Like his ancestral forebears, WS untiringly rages against the foibles of governmental chieftains and their foreboding delinquencies.  He has spoken vehemently against the cowardice of intellectual ambiguity that continues to indulge venal characters in public places. For him, no space must be yielded to the debauchers who gorge the nation’s wealth and fritter its assets in the realisation of their gluttonous hedonism. 

    Soyinka is impatient with the loud silence that punctuates clear cases that should strike a thunder of a mass anger. For him, until the obscurity of silence gives way to visibility of voices, any unexplained figuration about the existence of Nigeria will remain an empty indoctrination that serves the hypocritical cowardice of the nation’s power barons.

    Soyinka is a patriot who has used his innate talent to serve humanity at every opportunity. His radical posture has come handy in dangerous times when only persons of sterner stuff could stand. In 1967, he was imprisoned because of his audacious antagonism to the genocidal assault that the civil-war represented. Before then, he had intruded a radio station in Ibadan in 1965 to frustrate the broadcast of an electoral heist that was meant to entrench an unpopular government. The “Man” lives in Soyinka like the ageless Olumo Rock. His stout courage, broad repository and undeniable conviction radiates his writing in plays, fictions, poetry, essays and public interventions. He uses the power of words to carry out corrective surgery and as a righting atonement for the transgressed. When he chooses his object for critical scrutiny, he deploys the elegance of humour and the pettiness of satire to disrobe the social psychopaths wherever they might be.

    Soyinka is spiritual but not religious, ideological but not bigoted; for, he could not submit his intellect to the whimsical machinations of another being. He acknowledges, as he found out through his teacher, Bonany Dombree, that all spirituality sprouts from the relationship between nature and man and that the quest to create a meaning for its inscrutable foundation gave expression to the concept of deity.  Thus, Soyinka’s spirituality is in the primacy of humanity and the pursuit of universal egalitarianism; this, I think, is the basis upon which his ideas of the ideal is anchored.  No wonder he remains a respectable voice for human advancement in the global arena.

    Even though Professor Soyinka has been an “unsuccessful” politician in the narrow manner success in politics is defined in our clime, his contribution to the political development of Nigeria is undeniable and inspiring. Apart from constantly being in the trenches for the enthronement of democracy and rule of law, he has floated a political party in the past to advocate a set of political ideas that he believed could provide an alternative answer to Nigeria’s predicament. More importantly, Professor Soyinka has been one of the moral giants who continue to point the nation to the path of rectitude in politics, constitutionalism, justice, equality and good governance. His life has been a watershed and a blessing in every aspect. 

    I have been a beneficiary of WS’s generosity in innumerable ways for which I owe him a great deal of gratitude, not just for writing a rare Foreword to my 2005 exile memoirs, Out of the Shadows but also for his unflinching support when I chose the partisan political route. He kept a regular watch on my political journey and was quick to commend my edifying strides in office  whilst also upbraiding me whenever he found any untoward development difficult to fathom. He honoured me with the commissioning of the iconic Ekiti Government House in  2014.

    At 90, WS reminds me of those unforgettable lines in Alfred Tennyson’s Ulysses:

    Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

    Death closes all: but something ere the end,

    Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

    Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

    The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

    The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

    Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

    ‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.

    Push off, and sitting well in order smite

    The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

    To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

    Of all the western stars, until I die.

    It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

    It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

    And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

    Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’

    We are not now that strength which in old days

    Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

    One equal temper of heroic hearts,

    Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

    To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

    On behalf of myself and my wife – Bisi who adores him, here is wishing our timeless Nobel Laureate, an esteemed mentor and a humanist extraordinaire, a happy 90th birthday. Long live, Eniogun!

  • Abiodun celebrates Wole Soyinka at 90

    Abiodun celebrates Wole Soyinka at 90

    Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun has described Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, as a literary icon and a voice for social justice and human rights, whose legacies straddle the entire world.

    The Governor said  Professor Soyinka has made immense contributions to the development of literature, culture, and democracy in Nigeria and across the world through his gifted art of writings and activism.

     Governor Abiodun commended the legendary playwright, poet, and essayist for his unwavering commitment to the fight for social justice, human rights, and good governance over the past six decades.

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     He  wished the revered scholar many more years of good health, wisdom, and fulfilment ahead as he celebrates his landmark 90th birthday.

     “Congratulations to Professor Soyinka on reaching the incredible milestone of 90 years! Throughout his lifetime, he has not only become a literary icon but also a voice for social justice and human rights.

    “His contributions to literature, theatre, and activism have left an indelible mark on the sand of history. Here’s to celebrate his remarkable achievements and wish him many more years of inspiration and impact,” the governor said.

  • Olatunji Ariyomo: 90-cannon salute to Soyinka 

    Olatunji Ariyomo: 90-cannon salute to Soyinka 

    By Olatunji Ariyomo (@olatunjiariyomo)

    When Oluwole Akinwande Babatunde Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature, clocked 80 in 2014, this essay raised an 80-cannon salute in his honour as one of Africa’s most enigmatic pathfinder. At 90, the bard remains a torch-bearer for continental excellence and an inspirational global export from Africa to the world. The ‘90’ volley count is an intentional multiple of the traditional 21-gun salute in recognition of his exceptional humanity and an acknowledgment of Ogun, his companion deity.

    In the African literary precinct, where minds form thoughts and thoughts mold minds, Wole Soyinka, until perhaps another revelation in his class, will remain the definitive Africa’s confounding literary enigma and the actual definition of literature itself for eons to come.  Granted that Kongi himself is not given to wanton adulation or competitive overgeneralization, especially the typically African tendency to rank, I am not Kongi and neither is this bias without basis – or reckless without a just cause.

    There were great African writers before Soyinka happened to Africa. Some wrote in their indigenous languages and as a result, had a restricted audience. There were and there are still great African writers who were contemporaries of Soyinka. Many although contemporaries of Soyinka, wrote in the language of yore leaving the reader with the literary taste that the writer was attempting to re-create the African past. Not Soyinka. He communicated in the contemporary language of his time and with such suaveness that both awe and appeal. There will continue to be great African writers after Soyinka. Soyinka is however not just a great African writer. Neither is Kongi just another literary icon. He is literature. His life sealed and cemented his place in African history. Soyinka’s being has come to represent a theatre in 3D as his very life embodies the very substance great dramas are made of.  At a relatively young age, when many feared to dare, Kongi , a one-man battalion stormed the broadcasting house in the then Western region of Nigeria, and successfully replaced the recorded lies of one of the thieving politicians at the time, with his. That was Soyinka, literature in motion.

    By the time the Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria were locked in a titanic survival battle with the side claiming to represent a united Nigeria, Soyinka saw through the charade of the kind of unity on offer and dared to embrace a destiny in opposition to the leading tendencies back then – he backed the right of the Igbo people to self-determination if that was what they desired as a people. The core of his stance was very simple, the Igbos had the inalienable right as humans to determine how they would want to exist as a people. For so daring, Soyinka was hunted, hounded, arrested, and imprisoned. That was Soyinka, literature in motion.

    Then came the Nobel prize. Prizes, especially super-prestigious types of the calibre of the Nobel have a way of changing their beneficiaries. Most would begin to hang out only with the rulers while then doing their bidding. Not Soyinka. Rather, Soyinka became more Soyinka. From the battle to erase apartheid in South Africa, to the precarious and dangerous challenge he mounted against vicious military rulers, Soyinka was at the forefront of civil action for the protection of the ordinary people from arbitrary rule of the juntas. How the Ibrahim Babangida government loved to dismiss Soyinka as a dramatist! But the dramatist was one of the forces who ensured Babangida was forced into submission and had to abdicate in a hurry when the hearth became too hot. That was Soyinka, literature in motion.

    Soyinka in the public service. Before the ultimate showdown with Babangida, Kongi, following a call akin to an ‘if you know how to do it, then come do it’ dare from Babangida, accepted to establish and serve as the foundation Chairman of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC). Many had expected the crusader to fail at this assignment. Not Soyinka. As Nigerians would still admit today, Soyinka’s era in the road safety corps remains a watershed in the nation’s history. That was the era when no officer of the Corp would collect bribes from anybody even though their sister organization, the Nigeria Police, was notorious at the time for only two things – bribery and corruption. As Dele Momodu recently revealed, when an attempt was made to soil Soyinka’s reputation with a smear campaign, news hounds from the African Concord were dispatched to get the juicy details of the ’embezzlement charge’, Kongi, though 28 years behind the passage of the Freedom of Information Act, personally wrote to the bankers of the FRSC with the instruction to make all their accounts public! That was Soyinka, literature in motion.

    While Wole Soyinka’s predilection as signposted by these experiences is about integrity, what is right, and what is just, irrespective of tribe, race, religion, or social status – his later life would cement his place as an avowed advocate of universal justice – no matter who the victim is. This is where he stands shoulder higher than any of his contemporaries. While some of them were perennially locked in the defense of their kin, Soyinka’s mind transcended Ake or his Oduduwa clan and captured the universal spirit that defined and separated truly great beings from the rest.

    Soyinka the philosopher could be glimpsed from The Interpreters, where the bard sought to know whether it was appropriate to insist on a spot in the water whereas the water as an entity was definitely constantly mowing. In the trial of Brother Jero, it would be difficult to resist a good laugh as the prophet successfully predicted the promotion of Chume to Chief Messenger with an additional prophecy still that he would become Chief Clerk. Soyinka in that work clearly saw tomorrow as every antic of the main character has now become the trademark and a powerful tool through which self-professed spokesmen for God swindle unsuspecting folks in 2014 Nigeria. Soyinka inspires. Any student activist in the past 30 years, would either have used or have heard the famous words “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny” taken from The Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka. It remains the number one rallying cry to free the souls of the undecided for battle against forces of repression in Nigeria’s unending Armageddon of civil unrest against abusive use of power and positions against the interests of the masses.  Of Soyinka, John Updike in Hugging the Shore (New York: Knopf, 1983) says ‘he is remembered in Nigeria with awe, both for a political boldness that landed him in prison and for a commanding intellect that is manifest in every genre he tackles’. And what do you make of the poem, Telephone Conversation? Read the last verse, again; 

    “THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?” “Not altogether. 

    Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see 

    The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet 

    Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused— 

    Foolishly, madam—by sitting down, has turned 

    My bottom raven black—One moment madam!”—sensing 

    Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap 

    About my ears—“Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather 

    See for yourself?”

    – Wole Soyinka in Telephone Conversation

    90-cannon salute to Soyinka! The African god of literature is 90. Iba! 

  • 10,000 Abians to benefit from Otti’s N1b interest-free loan

    10,000 Abians to benefit from Otti’s N1b interest-free loan

    The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti has officially launched the disbursement of the 1 billion naira interest-free loan under the state cooperative support scheme for 10,000 nano and micro business operators drawn from the 184 electoral wards of the State.

     Speaking at the launch held at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia, the state capital, Otti noted that the scheme represents the practical commitment of the State Government to support its army of nano, micro, and small-scale entrepreneurs.

     He said that beneficiaries were selected from among traders, farmers, and artisans and said the essence is to create wealth.

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    “Thousands of the beneficiaries selected for this batch are petty traders, farmers, and artisans who have over the years toiled on their own without the kind of structured support that their peers from other parts of the world take for granted.

     “Our model is geared towards improving production, creating jobs and reducing poverty.”

     Otti, who said that the scheme aligned perfectly with the strategic development agenda of his government which is geared at improving the welfare of the general populace, said the target was beyond now while the projection is to boost the economy.

     “Our target is beyond the present number of beneficiaries, which is to reach about 100, 000 businesses directly over the next 36 months because we are optimistic that today’s beneficiaries will put in honest effort to repay the loans in time so that others can benefit.”

  • UPDATED: 90th Birthday: Tinubu names National Theatre after Wole Soyinka

    UPDATED: 90th Birthday: Tinubu names National Theatre after Wole Soyinka

    President Bola Tinubu has named the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, after Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.

    Tinubu announced this in a letter he wrote to celebrate the iconic figure in commemoration of his 90th birthday.

    In the tribute personally signed by the President and made available to the media on Friday, he noted that the literary giant, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades in this milestone “Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.”

    The president said that it is also fitting to celebrate “this national treasure while he is still with us,” adding: “I am, accordingly, delighted to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

    “We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice.

    “When he turned 80, I struggled to find words to encapsulate his achievements because they were simply too vast. Since then, he has added to his corpus with his series of Interventions, which have been published in many volumes.

    “Professor Soyinka is a colossus, a true Renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents. He is a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer.

    “He is a giant bestriding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world.

    “He remains the shining light of our nation, the gadfly that pokes our national soul, decrying tyranny and oppression, urging us to become better as a nation.

    “He is one Nigerian whose influence transcends the Nigerian space and who inspires people around the world. Since his youth, he has been a vocal critic of oppression and injustice wherever it exists, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States. Soyinka always speaks truth to power.

    “Beginning from his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake of our nation. His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace at the start of the civil war in 1967. Detained for two years for his bravery, he narrated his experience in his prison memoir, ‘The Man Died.’

    “Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further strengthened. His early writing, such as ‘The Lion and the Jewel,’ and Death and the King’s Horseman’, not only testified to his mastery of language, and his innovative storytelling, but also his unflinching commitment to enthroning a fair and just society.

    Read Also: Egbaland honours Soyinka at 90

    “Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. When faced with a trial in absentia and a death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanized opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO. His global stature made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria.”

    President Tinubu joined the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work.

    “I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country. I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as a powerful tool to challenge the status quo.

    I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday.

    “May he continue in good health to find creative fulfilment in the next decade leading up to his centennial.

    “May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where people are free from oppression and our teeming youths can live up to their dreams without being a wasted generation,” the president prayed.

  • BREAKING: 90th Birthday: Tinubu names National Theatre after Wole Soyinka

    BREAKING: 90th Birthday: Tinubu names National Theatre after Wole Soyinka

    President Bola Tinubu has named the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, after Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.

    Tinubu announced this in a letter he wrote to celebrate the iconic figure in commemoration of his 90th birthday.

    Read Also: Egbaland honours Soyinka at 90

    In the tribute personally signed by the President and made available to the media on Friday, he noted that the literary giant, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades in this milestone “Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.”

    Details shortly…

  • Timeless memories celebrates Soyinka

    Timeless memories celebrates Soyinka

    Organisers of Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka series will hold its 7th edition of the exhibition on July 13, at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, Lagos. It will run till the end of July.

    The special tributary celebration, conceptualised and curated by historian and archivist Oludamola Adebowale, offers an immersive and experimental exhibition that delves deep into the life and works of Africa’s first Nobel laureate in literature.

    The exhibition series, inaugurated seven years ago, was conceived as a unique platform to interrogate Prof Soyinka’s works through immersive experiences. Last year’s edition was held in November and was specially requested by Prof Soyinka to go on tour, which brings it back this year to commemorate his milestone birthday.

    This year’s exhibition titled The Man Who Didn’t Die in the Face of Tyranny draws its inspiration from Soyinka’s prison notes, The Man Died, originally published in 1971.

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    The exhibition will feature special audio and video installations where Soyinka narrates his harrowing prison experiences and his survival through 22 months of solitary confinement between 1967 and 1969.

    Oludamola Adebowale, the curator and producer of the exhibition, said: “The exhibition series speaks to the core of one of those situations that tested the resilience of the icon and also the fundamental of humanity in everyone. How do you measure the true test of a man when he stands in the face of tyranny?”

    The exhibition will also feature audio/video narrations by Soyinka about his imprisonment and solitary confinement; the solitary confinement cell with archival newspaper clippings and exclusive interviews.

    Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, which also serves as the private office of Prof Soyinka, provides a fitting backdrop for this celebratory and reflective exhibition. This edition not only honours Soyinka’s enduring legacy but also provides an engaging and thought-provoking experience for all attendees.

  • BREAKING: Tinubu names Abuja expressway after Wole Soyinka 

    BREAKING: Tinubu names Abuja expressway after Wole Soyinka 

    …says Wike has proven his critics wrong 

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the naming of the full-scope Arterial road N20 from Northern Parkway to the Outer Northern Expressway (otherwise called the Murtala Mohammed Expressway), as the Wole Soyinka Way.

    The president stated this during his address at the inauguration of the road in Abuja on Tuesday, June 4, where he described the 89-year-old playwright as a foremost playwright who has brought international acclaim, to Nigeria, while appreciating the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for the recommendation.

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    “Let me say here that your momentous recommendation to name this road Wole Soyinka Way is well received. He is our foremost playwright, novelist, and Nobel prize winner, who has brought Nigeria fame and pride of international acclaim. Thank you for thinking that way, we all accept your recommendation on behalf of the people and the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, the President said.

    Tiubu while commending wike said he has proven his critics wrong.

    The Nation reports that the inauguration of the Wole Soyinka Way is the fifth project inaugurated by President Tinubu, as part of events to mark his administration’s first year in office.

    Other projects commissioned include the Southern Parkway, renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, the Abuja Rail Mass Transit, otherwise known as the Metro Rail, and the Outer Southern Parkway, renamed the Mahamadou Issoufou Way, among others.

    Details shortly…

  • JOSHUA OJO: Why I shot untold stories of Wole Soyinka

    JOSHUA OJO: Why I shot untold stories of Wole Soyinka

    Joshua  Ojo is not a name you would quickly remember at a quick mention or glance but this Nigerian filmmaker, actor and film director has made his mark on the Nigerian film industry. Ojo, according to many of his peers, is one of Nigeria’s most hardworking and successful film producers, who is young and full of life and ideas.

    His first hit at fame was a role in the popular family TV series ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ where he played one of the sons of Chief Fuji. After undergoing theatrical and film training at the New York Film Academy, Ojo has been able to establish himself as a professional actor, producer and director.

    Ojo spoke with ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, GBENGA BADA, about his ambitious biopic on Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, the challenges while filming and why he spent over N400m to film.

    WHY a biopic on Wole Soyinka considering his fame as a world class writer?

    So, there are certain things you won’t be able to get or to find online, you know, when you google Wole Soyinka. You’ll see a lot of stuff about him, but what we’ve decided to tell in this movie is actually the untold story of Wole Soyinka, which you can’t find on the internet. I don’t want to spill out everything because I would like you guys to see the film. But what I can tell you, basically, is that what you’re going to see in the film, is the untold story of Professor Wole Soyinka.

    Going by all you have said, what’s the level of research that went into this movie?

    Prof is actually a difficult person to pin down. It took me over 8 months to get to Professor Wole Soyinka, and when I eventually did, successfully, it took me a while to get his attention, to get some books, to sit him down, make him tell us some untold stories, like I said.

    Yeah, I did my research, you know, aside from reading some of his books. I had a one-on-one conversation with him, I asked him questions, he gave me some books to read about him. He shared some vital information as well, which I scripted in the film, and yeah, that’s what has become the film.

    So, how did you choose the cast in the film?

    Okay, so I started as an actor, I didn’t just jump into directing, I started as an actor, so acting is something that’s really, when it comes to casting, I feel is really really important. So for this movie, I tried to use, I didn’t just look for the main lead actors or the popular ones, I tried to use the actors. The real people, you know, hence why we have those fantastic actors, and like Mr Lemmy himself so I tried to look for actors that looked like the actual people in the story.

    How long did it take to shoot the film?

    Okay, so that’s a very interesting question. It took us over a year, and I’ll tell you why. First, we built the sets. I tried to make sure that I got some real footage from Prof, some pictures and all that, so we tried to recreate those images. So we built a space. We built a concrete prison. We built Professor Wole Soyinka’s house. We built a whole lot of locations in this, you know, in that warehouse. So that took us quite a while, you know, to finish up. And when we eventually did, it was during the rainy season, and somehow it got destroyed, so we had to rebuild again from scratch.

    Another factor, another reason why it took us that long was the fact that I also had an accident. I’m this kind of person, I don’t go out, you know, so whenever I’m going for a movie shoot that would last for a long period of time, I try as much as possible to get some snacks and stuff that I’ll need. There was this supermarket very close to the hotel. So I just went there to find something that I would eat and it was about a five minute walk. On my way back to the hotel, a car came from behind. I didn’t see the car coming and I was crushed and for about 10-15 seconds, the car was still dragging me and that way I crushed my right leg, just about five minutes to the hotel. And I was there, and it was there. That incident took me to UCH. And I thought, I’ll just be given injections, and I will go back to the hotel because my actors and crew, they were already coming in and all that. But hey, I was told, I was given the shock of my life, either they cut off the leg or I go for surgery. I had no choice than to use part of the money for the film for the surgery and I had about over 20 metals pierced into my right leg. I was at the hospital bed getting injections. I had about 40 injections by then. I was having all that when a friend of mine reached out to me and actually told the actors and crew that we won’t be filming till further notice so everybody left, but he stayed behind because he’s actually more than a friend, he’s more than an actor. He stayed behind till I was better and we kicked off again.

    Have you met any form of rejections when you conceived the idea to shoot the biopic?

    Should I say this (laughs)?

    Okay, so I shared this idea with my mentor that I would like to do a biopic on Wole Soyinka and I got a knee jerk reaction while I was still trying to recuperate, learning how to walk again. And I got a link that my mentor is making plans to shoot the same film. So in order not to tell the same story before me, in order to avoid a situation whereby people will say, “Okay, you copied the story” because of course, I don’t want to mention his name, but he is somebody who is when he mentioned his name, we all know him, and it will be difficult for people to say “oh you copied, he copied me.” So I said, “Okay, this is the best thing to do.” So I left the hospital, I was still in a wheelchair and I called everybody back and they all came and that was how we began shooting again. We would shoot for a few days, I would go to the hospital for treatment, go back again to shoot. So this was actually one of the major reasons why we filmed for almost a year.

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    So, share the experience between the time you got in an accident and when you began shooting again?

    Well like I said, when things happen to producers, people do not really pay attention to it but when it happens to actors of course they are the public figures. Producers and directors, we’re humans as well, you know, when I had the accident, like I said, everybody, you know, some actors didn’t even come back. Normally actors will get their 100% payment before coming to your movie set, and some did not come back. They said “Okay, we’ve been to your set, fine you had an accident, we’re sorry but sorry, we have other plans, change of date, we’re not coming back” and trust me they did not come back. Some did not return. And like I said, besides Lemmy being a wonderful actor. He has been a wonderful friend. He’s the only person that stood by me. Uncle Saka too stood by me. Feyikemi Olayinka, yeah she stood by me too and quite a few. But the rest I had to pay another money to bring them back despite the fact that I told them about the accident and so really, it was a huge one really.

    Why is the spoken language in the film Yoruba, knowing fully well that Wole Soyinka is a national figure?

    Okay, so yeah, I, the reason why we picked Yoruba language is because I felt that we don’t really have a particular, single movie that has been nominated or submitted for the Oscars. Hence why I picked the language because I intend to submit for the next Oscars and I want it to be totally indigenous. Hence why I picked Yoruba.

    What about international markets?

    Wole Soyinka is a national figure. So whether it’s Yoruba, English Hausa, Igbo, I’m sure people would like to see the film on him.

    So what platforms do you intend to release the film for distribution and when?

    So for now, we’re releasing at the cinemas, and also it’s going to a streaming platform. It’s coming out as we’re looking at, on or before June, for the release.

    I noticed a lot of the story was set in Ibadan as your location, what other locations were used?

    Okay, we filmed in the UK, filmed in Ibadan, we filmed in some parts of Lagos as well.

    But no Ogun State?

    No, not at all.

    For a lead character playing Wole Soyinka, such an individual must have a proven record so, did the lead character meet Professor Wole Soyinka at any point?

    Yes. I don’t want to mention his name. But yes, he is somebody who has spent quality time with Professor Wole Soyinka. And yes, before filming he met with him, I think about three times, yeah.

    So how much will you say you’ve invested in the production of the project?

    I can’t say really, because I can only say I’ve invested a whole lot. And we’re still investing because we’re spending everyday. So we’ve invested a whole lot, it’s huge really.

    Can you give us a rough or an estimated figure?

    Within 400 million really.

    With that huge sum, how do you hope to really recoup the investment?

    Well, that’s my little secret (laughs). And that’s because like I said, about 30% of the initial budget went towards my surgery and of course raised funds elsewhere to balance it up so we can start filming again.

    In particular, how did you raise the money?

    Selling some of my stuff. Okay, so like I said, it’s really difficult. I mean, I think it’s something the government and investors should really look into. That was really difficult for me to do. Raising funds from investors, colleagues and all that, you know, to support, you know. But they would rather support the so-called huge producers because they feel they’re popular and meanwhile they started from somewhere. But yes, I have got some beautiful friends who believe in me and what I’m doing. I don’t know if I should mention their names but we have corporate investments from Rite foods, we have LG, we have Waka now, we have Boli and Grills, we have Goldberg, Fearless, they believed in the project and yeah they came on board.

    Aside from the main character, who you are keeping under wraps, who are the other characters in the film?

    So we have Lafeef Adedimeji, Segun Arinze who played the role of MKO Abiola, Jide Kosoko, Ibrahim Chatta who played Ogun, Bimbo Oshin, Femi Branch, Saka and a whole lot. So, majorly this movie is actually like my comeback and I intend to do two major announcements. So how important is having these biopics?

    Okay, so I feel if we don’t tell our stories, nobody will tell our stories. So I feel, making biopics will not only educate us, it will also allow the so called Gen Z generation to know more about our heroes. I feel making biopics is the best thing that can actually happen to us, as humans, you know, to help us to understand who we are, where we’re coming from, and where we’re going so biopics are very important in our lives.

    I don’t know if it is appropriate to say this now but I’m looking at something like a Rashidi Yekini biopic. I thought about it, like in the last five years, and it keeps reoccuring. And I know that it’s a big story, we do not, we do not tell stories in some angles, especially sports, accolades, the heroes that we had as has made us proud as a people.

    I think another problem we have, again, as filmmakers, why they run away from biopics, is because when you make good biopics, the first question you get from a distributor is this even though they’ve not even seen your film, “biopics don’t sell. We can’t distribute it.” That’s another huge disadvantage. Yes. You know, I’ve had to sit down with different distributors and they’ve not even seen the film. And they said, “Sorry, we can’t take it because biopics dont sell.” So hence why filmmakers run away from making biopics but hey, I’m ready to take the bull by the horns. I mean, If I don’t get a good distributor in Nigeria. I mean, I went to film school, I went to New York, if I don’t get a good distributor in Nigeria, I’ll get a distributor elsewhere, so that’s it.

    Are you willing to go into an agreement with government agencies to showcase this biopic to students in schools?

    Okay, so like I made a statement earlier that it would be nice if we have the state governments, all governments, you know, supporting young filmmakers. It’s really sad when you try to. I’ve actually done that. I made some moves even before this interview and hey nobody is ready to listen to you because you’re not, I don’t want to mention names now, you’re not this person, you’re not that person. Once they get your name and you’re not that big, they won’t give you that attention. Maybe when they hear this or when they see this, they would open a line of communication and yeah, I’ll be glad to collaborate.

    After Wole Soyinka, what’s next?

    So one of my comeback is Wole Soyinka’s biopic and the second one is the biopic of Kudirat Abiola. It’s ready, we’ve shot it as well. We’re hoping to show it to the media soon and like a mini premiere or private screening, on June 12. And, yes, I’m sure, pretty soon you get to know about that as well.

  • NCC dedicates World Book, Copyright Day to Wole Soyinka

    NCC dedicates World Book, Copyright Day to Wole Soyinka

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has dedicated the 2024 World Book and Copyright Day to Prof Wole Soyinka, the literature Noble Laurette

    Soyinka, who is a playwright, essayist, literary icon, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador will be 90 years old on 13 July 2024.

    Dr. John Asein, director general of NCC disclosed this in a statement commemorating this year’s World Book and Copyright Day; a day set aside by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to focus on books, celebrate authors, promote reading, encourage non-discriminatory access to knowledge and raise copyright awareness.

    The theme for this year’s celebration is “Read Your Way.”

    Asein, said: “The Commission 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.

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

    “Beyond a befitting celebration of the literary icon on his 90th Birthday, the commission is calling on stakeholders in the book industry to recognize July 13 as

    Nigeria’s National Reading Day to encourage Nigerians to read for pleasure and draw attention to some of the values that he has advanced in the literary world.”

    He also added: “To bring books closer to children, the Commission will, for a start, make copies of

    Soyinka’s books and other frontline titles are available to ninety (90) public schools and use the opportunity to establish more Copyright and Creativity Clubs in those schools to promote respect for copyright.”

    Stressing the importance of the day, Asein in the statement signed by Funmilayo Adewale, Director of Public Affairs pointed out that Authors and their books, mirror society and tell the story.

    He however added that the real joy of a book is in its reading and this year’s theme reaffirms the need to allow people to read in the way they choose and wherever they are.

    He therefore called on authors, publishers, book clubs and corporate Nigeria to engage in more book-related activities as part of their corporate social responsibility.

    He added: “I commend those who are participating in the ongoing Soyinka Reading Challenge and other online activities to highlight the fun in reading.

    “I must also appreciate those that have shown interest in the year-long intervention programmes such as book donations, reading events for children and persons with special needs, school reading competitions, and copyright awareness programmes.”

    Asein also reminded authors of the threats posed by pirates, citing the recent interception of pirated books worth N300 million at Onne Port.

    He therefore said the commission will continue to expect the highest standards from all the stakeholders in the book sector.

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    “With the recent interception at Onne Port of three (3) freight containers loaded with pirated books worth about N300 million belonging to Nigerian copyright owners, we see the enormous threat of piracy to the publishing industry and the wellbeing of the nation’s creative economy. The Commission will continue to hold publishers, printers, book importers, booksellers, school proprietors, and librarians to the highest standard.”

    He also congratulated young Nigerians who, in the last few months, had attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest reading aloud.

    He said: “From John Obot in Uyo and Osariemen Angel Asein in Benin to Asonya Wunuji Manasseh whose attempt is ongoing in Wukari. They have read in their own way and remain champions in their own right.”