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Daily Independent (Lagos)

Nigeria: Soyinka On Familiar Turf

Emma Maduabuchi

10 November 2008

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opinion

Lagos — Nobel Prize laureate, Wole Soyinka, has not ceased to amaze his admirers and even critics. In what has become a trade mark of sort, he proved once again that certain gestures, which may thrill some others hardly, excite him. Last week, he rejected a street named after him by the Federal Government, insisting that unless a street named after former military Head of State, Sani Abacha was changed, he would not consent to the gesture.

At the celebration of the country's 48th Independence last October 1, Government had named Soyinka among those it was honouring with street-naming exercise. But the established writer, poet and human right activist, did not think it an honour. He argued that his acceptance of such an honour would amount to disrespecting the memory of late Ken Saro Wiwa, leader of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni people (MOSOP). He believed the MOSOP leader would shed tears in his grave if he accepted such an honour. "As long as no symbolic statement has been made about changing the name of his (Abacha's) street, I do not want to be honoured in Abuja; I am satisfied with the one named after me in my village. I reject the offer in totality," Soyinka said.

Soyinka is seen by his admirers as a man that is ever conscious of his actions. Consequently, his current stance is hardly a surprise to many. He was among those who fought Abacha to a standstill through the instrumentality of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which proved to be the late dictator's nemesis. It is therefore the belief of his fans that Soyinka would be a hypocrite to have his name in a pool where Abacha's is.

Nigerians are united in their belief that Soyinka deserves a street named after him, having served the country meritoriously in both official and unofficial capacities. His critics think him to be merely grandstanding, knowing that government does not need his approval to name a street after him. His admirers, however, think that President Umaru Yar'Adua's government, which he has denounced severally for its legitimacy crisis, may be indirectly courting his support through the exercise. They advise the Nobel Laureate to do everything within his constitutional rights to stop the government from the act, including going to court.

Bamidele Aturu, a Lagos lawyer described Soyinka's position as a principled one, for which he supports. "If there are people whose names are in a place where he does not want to be named among them, it is noble to reject it. I admire him for that principled position. I support it."

Soyinka was born 75 years ago in Isara, Ijebu Remo, Ogun State. He started activism very early in life and was the founder of Pyrates Confraternity. He studied at the University College, Ibadan, and the University of Leeds, England. Soyinka was jailed by General Yakubu Gowon during the Biafra war, from were he wrote his famous novel, "The Man Died".

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