by Tunde Fagbenle

 

We (by which I mean millions of his protégés, admirers, and friends of the literary world) affectionately and “possessively” refer to him as “Our own WS (as in William Shakespeare).” 

It is incredible but true that Professor Wole Soyinka turns 80 today, 13th July. Incredible because here is a man whose life has been sopacked with death-defying actions were anyone else to venture half as much, such a one would have long been dead and forgotten!

If you don’t believe me then go read his book, You Must Set Forth At Dawn. It is an amazing account of his life’s journeys, travails, and triumphs. Every time a friend or family member says he or she hasn’t read the book, I go ahead and buy one to gift him or her with – just so he or she doesn’t escape it. Consequently, I must have bought at least 10 copies to date. And, don’t be scared, you wouldn’t need a dictionary all the time to read it. It is immensely enjoyable, thrilling and awe-inspiring!

We (by which I mean millions of his protégés, admirers, and friends of the literary world) affectionately and “possessively” refer to him as “Our own WS (as in William Shakespeare).” I once asked him in an interview (a long, long, time ago) how he prefers to be called, and he shrugged it off, leaving the choice to the caller (and I presume the prerogative to indulge the caller to himself). “O, I get called by all sorts of names: Kongi, Prof., Egbon, Oga, WS, and so on and so forth”, he had said with a genial smile.

Some months ago, coming out of a socio-political meeting at Remo in Ijebu and dressed in kaftan, donning my fisherman hat and sporting my grey beard, I was smugly amused to overhear some ‘area boys’ clustering around such events for largesse mistaking me for Kongi. “Wole Soyinka ni yen,” one said. Another doubted, hinting at my taller and younger look. But before you knew it I was being hailed as Wole Soyinka. I hurried off to my waiting car before bursting into laughter, happy to be compared with my idol.

But I don’t want to be like him, no one can be like him. Last week I was quaffing my beer at the University of Ibadan Staff Club with some friends, including Prof. Femi Osofisan (FO), Peter Badejo, Dr. Sola Olorunyomi, etc, as we impromptu-toasted my brother and friend Jimi Solanke on his 72nd birthday, and we all unanimously agreed, no one, except he whom the gods favour, could “commit” all Kongi has committed and still get to age 80.I am convinced that God (whatever concept one holds of that) has decreed him a “chosen one”; and for eternity the life of our WS — his prodigious intellect, his heroic deeds, his humanistic activism — will be recounted and it would be said: “a WS was here!”

A big chunk of the world has stood still for Wole Soyinka as he turns 80. From England to the United States, from the Caribbean to South America, from Europe to South Africa, from Ghana to here in Nigeria, it has been events galore in the last couple of weeks: Portrait Exhibitions; Conferences; Workshops; Plays; Cultural and literary performances; and more. And it would still run here and there all this week.

Eighty hearty cheers to Professor Wole Soyinka at 80! May he yet live to a hundred. And I see why not? He still looks, moves, thinks, and does things I — a decade and a bit younger — would shudder at. We are grateful for what he has done and represents.

And that’s saying it the way it is!

Re: An encounter with Arisekola Alao

I received a rather long rejoinder to my 2-part serial on Aare Arisekola-Alao from Ayo Akinyemi who signed off as the late Aare’s media aide and former Managing Editor of Aare’s defunct newspaper, The Monitor. Because of its length, I am unable to run it here unedited as he requests, but I’ll try to reflect the essence of his argument.

He believes that my article “contained certain misconceptions, innuendos, uncomplimentary and harsh remarks” on the late Aare, and I was unfair as “the dead is eternally denied the right to respond.”

Ayo took exception to my description of Alhaji Arisekola as a “rabble-rouser Islamic leader” with the negative connotation going by a dictionary definition of rabble-rouser as “someone who deliberately makes a crowd of people angry and violent, especially in order to achieve political aims.” He further cites the impression of Aare I alluded to the academic community as “the detestable face of brawn over brain, of the oppressive and retrogressive state, and of its ‘filthy’ lucre …”, arguing that Aare, on the contrary, was “a man whose brilliance and cerebral endowment, clear-headed, exceptional intellectuals had severally acknowledged.” He then asked rhetorically, “Can a man without brain be able to achieve the height that Aare attained in all fronts in the business and corporate world?” And as a further demonstration of Aare’s brilliance, Ayo said Aare at age 15 came first at entrance examinations to some of the top high schools in the old west but fate did not let him attend any.

Then, in a last ditch effort to debunk my claim to any objectivity or credibility Ayo came up with the result of his ‘investigative journalism” suggesting (or, indeed, accusing me of) falsehood in the claim that I never again called the Aare nor went by his place after that exciting meeting, alluding to the launch of my book “about three years ago” whereby Aare sent his “confidant”, my friend Oloye Lekan Alabito represent him.

It certainly didn’t require much of an investigation for I had in my column after the book launch thanked all those who came or sent emissaries. And the Aare was not left out.

By Ayo’s account, Oloye Alabi had facilitated meetings between Aare and I, first to plead for Aare’s attendance at the book launch and secondly for a “thank-you-visit.” For that and more, Ayo considers that I have not acted honourably in my overall characterisation of the Aare in the article, though he kindly granted favourable lines I wrote, but he saw those as contradictory to the overall negativity.

My slightly edited response to Ayo Akinyemi was as follows:

Dear Ayo,

1. I insist that I NEVER again visited, nor met, Aare one-on-one after that occasion. Yes, I sought my brother, Akogun Lekan Alabi’s assistance to invite Aare to the book launch (as it was a few years after that encounter), but I did not get to meet Aare, before or after the launch. If someone else’s memory fails in this regard, not mine. I also appreciate the fact that Aare sent AkogunLekan to the book launch with handsome donation but my gratitude was equally communicated to Aare through my friend Lekan. The only time I saw Aare again was at Lekan’s 60th birthday where I was a compère. As you would know, in an article of limited space only so much can be included.

2. My reference to perception of the academic community was not saying it was one I agreed with, and I have a duty to reflect that. Besides, Aare never recalled to me this exceptional brilliance of his at a time of Awolowo’s free education and scholarship galore. So I’m unable to relate to that.

3. Almost without exception, every reaction I have got on the article has been positive for Aare, with a lot of people seeing him differently.

4. My piece on him was a candid tribute, not meant to take anything away from the Aare or add anything to me. I think I gave him all the due respect and honour.

 

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