The African W.S. (William Shakespeare), Professor Wole Soyinka, clocked 80 on Sunday 13th of this month and the past two weeks have been events packed in celebration of this icon who is a pride to the black race.
With every sense of humility this columnist is pleased to use this space to join millions of other voices across the globe in paying tribute to one of Africa’s greatest sons whose intellectual acumen and literary prowess earned Africa nobel prize, an achievement of no mean feat.
To state here that Wole Soyinka is an enigma of a human and one who has been a source of inspiration for many writers in this country, nay, Africa, is simply stating the obvious. It is also stating the obvious to say that he is equally a role model for many people even beyond the shores of Africa. And so can it not be disputed to assert that the ilk of Soyinka pass through this planet only once in a century.
To have also lived up to the age of 80 – and with much agility still – in spite of his deep involvement in political activism for years, also lends credence to the assertion that he is an enigmatic creature. For his activism Kongi had, at one time or the other, been an occupant of Nigerian prison cells while he had also had to go on exile in pursuit of democratisation project for fatherland during the regime of late dictator, Sanni Abacha who proclaimed a death sentence on him.
For all these like Mr. Tunde Fagbenle, a columnist with The Punch newspaper, opined in his last column, Soyinka is undoubtedly the one whom the gods have chosen. This is absolutely true. For if not the one who has much grace going for him it’s difficult to survive the conditions Soyinka had survived in life.
Wole Soyinka is the quintessential role model for many in our country no doubt. Franky speaking here and without any fear of contradiction that many Nigerians – of which this writer isn’t an exemption – are able to speak and write good and impeccable grammar today much of the credit goes to Professor Wole Soyinka. This is because by virtue of being a role model he encouraged a lot of people to love Literature. And to love Literature is to be proficient in the Queen’s language.
I recall here that at the time of choosing subjects in our Secondary school days, many of us who preferred Arts to Science class did so because of Literature. I mean many of us nursed this ambition of ‘I want to be like Soyinka in future’ and it was with that enthusiasm that we went into the Arts class. But it later dawned on us that to be a Soyinka isn’t a tea party or just by mere wish.
For a few of us – out of many of us that voted for the Arts class then – Literature did pay off for us as we approached it with all seriousness. But a large number could not cope because they discovered that you must be a voracious reader to really make headway in the subject. Of course Literature isn’t meant for a lazy student who wants it easy. And apart from that some of our colleagues saw some aspects of the subject especially poetry as being too esoteric. Thus they opted out half way and that became their undoings.
Like Kongi himself asked; ”Where would I have been without Literature?”, at this juncture I also like to mimic our erudite scholar by posing the same question to myself. But for the love I had for Literature – by virtue of whom I took as my role model; Soyinka, perhaps I wouldn’t have had a name in this highly competitive society of ours. And this is why people like me will continue to be grateful to Soyinka.
I feel great to recall here my first face-to-face encounter with Wole Soyinka. It was a great and very exciting experience for me. That was in year 2002 when I went to present to him complimentary copies of a book I wrote; a collection of poems titled ‘Poems Contemporary, Vol. One’ which I dedicated to him. Though prior to seeing him we had been talking via the internet. I had gone to see him in his serene Ikoyi residence with a former President of Lagos State University (LASU) Students Union, Wale Okunniyi, who is close to Prof.
That day it was like I was given a certificate to enter paradise. For I was highly elated because prior to that opportunity I hadn’t had a close encounter with him except seeing him in rallies and watching him on television. On getting to his house Prof welcomed us well and he gave me a warm handshake while he encouraged me to ‘keep writing’. I had smiled in my heart. I was particularly happy because I had met him on merit but not through any godfather.
Meeting Prof that day I was so impressed about his simplicity and sense of accommodation. For I never thought that a man of such a larger-than-life image could be so simple. Honestly, Wole Soyinka is a cultured man to the core. As scholarly and as enlightened as he is he doesn’t look down on people. No matter how low is your background he believes in encouraging people. An epitome of knowledge Soyinka is a role model in every ramification.
As a nation if we imbibed those ideals that Kongi represents then the much desired Promised Land isn’t far from us. These are the virtues of hard work, speaking truth to power, standing up for one’s rights, doing justice and humanitarianism inter alia. On the contrary if we continued to disregard them getting to the Promised Land will be a mirage.
I won’t conclude this piece without mentioning my favourite of his quotes which is; ”Justice is the prime condition of humanity”. Indisputably it’s lack of justice that is responsible for how we have found ourselves in this morass. It’s only by doing justice that this country can achieve its manifest destiny.
As this literary icon and one of the best to have come out of Africa celebrates 80 on planet earth, I am pleased to identify with him on this occasion while wishing him more years ahead plus the required good health.
• Odepeju is a poet and Lagos based journalist