Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and ex-governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi have applauded the Nigeria’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for creating an indelible legacy in the country’s developmental journey as he clocks 90 on Saturday.
At the international symposium organised by the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) in collaboration with the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) to celebrate the literary icon, eminent academics across universities in the country and beyond, extolled his exceptional life for using the platforms of arts and culture to propagate nationhood and uphold the dignity of man.
Speaking at the conference held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) yesterday with the theme: ‘Eni Ogun…An Enduring Legacy’, Osinbajo described Soyinka as a living literary legend with an interesting character that makes him amenable to playing different roles within society.
He said: “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.”
Speaking on the topic ‘Soyinka: the imperative of a public conscience’, Osinbajo explained that public conscience is the compelling urge to mind the business of others and to make the community’s moral state one’s own business.
He noted that the literary guru has consistently demonstrated this through his writings, fighting injustice and ensuring that the rights of others are not trampled upon.
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 put it consistently that justice must be the first condition of humanity.”
He encouraged the younger generations to uphold the path of speaking truth to power as well as becoming a responsible citizen who must always work in the service of fellow citizens.
In his opening remarks, NAL President, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, described Soyinka as a man committed to values and egalitarianism, noting that his contribution cut across scholarship, humanity, politics, and human rights.
In his address, popular Nigerian poet, Prof. Niyi Osundare, commended Soyinka’s intervention series in books which address some of the challenges facing the country.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Arimadake Eniogunyan: Wole Soyinka as tireless interventionist’, he stressed the importance of literature in demanding for change and fighting injustice. He said that most of the issues still raised in the book were still yet to be resolved.
Other eminent scholars who spoke at the event include: Prof. Emeritus Bereket Selassie, Prof. Emeritus Tunde Adeniran, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Prof. Razinat Mohammed, Prof. Ahmed Yerima, Prof. Mabel Evwierhoma, Prof. Florence Orabueze, Prof. Duro Oni, Prof. Tanimu Abubakar, among others.
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