Wole Soyinka @90: When humanities’ eggheads honoured life, legacy of a literary luminary
By Godwin Okondo
THE Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE), hosted the Wole Soyinka International Symposium on Thursday, July 11, to honour the Nobel laureate, who turned 90 on Saturday, July 13. The event, themed ‘Emi Ogun… An Enduring Legacy’, took place at the J. F. Ade. Ajayi Auditorium, University of Lagos, and featured prominent figures from the academia, including former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, renowned poet, playwright, and essayist, Prof. Niyi Osundare, who delivered the keynote address, and several other distinguished academics.
Other guests include the President of Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, Professor Prof. Duro Oni of Theatre Arts, University of Lagos, Prof. Razinat Mohammed, the Secretary, Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Olakunbi Olasope, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Prof. Gbemisola Adeoti of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor of Theatre and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of Kansas and Soyinka’s sister, Prof. Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka and Prof. Jacob Ajiboye of the University of Lagos.
In his address, Prof. Osinbajo stated that it is Soyinka’s versatility that entitles everyone to comment on his life and activities, adding, “He has very little respect for anyone’s faith, either religious or political. He interfered and still interferes with everybody’s faith. I’m also grateful for this opportunity because it gives me a chance to repay a priceless favour. In 2007 I turned 50, and my wife and I decided to launch the Orderlies Society Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of a sane and organized society. To mark the day, my one preferred person to speak at the event, to just over 50 guests, was none other than Prof. Wole Soyinka.
“It was a long shot and he could be anywhere in the world, so why should he bother attending an event in honour of someone he barely knew? I called a friend to make a request on my behalf, which he did. Soyinka was travelling and he wasn’t sure he could make it to Lagos, let alone attend the event, but the unbelievable happened. He came, attended the event, spent the whole time there and even created a controversy among my many pastor friends when he suggested that there might not even be heaven!”
While delivering his paper titled, “Soyinka: The Imperative of a Public Conscience,” Osinbajo said his intervention is restricted to a brief exploration of an aspect of the Soyinka phenomenon, what he described as his ‘public conscience’. “A conscience is perhaps the most important attribute of a moral being. Without it, a person is unable to distinguish between right and wrong. A public conscience is of a slightly different order of complexity. While a personal conscience regulates the individual’s own moral hygiene, the public conscience is that compelling urge to mind the business of others and make the community’s moral state one’s own business.
“It compels a person to find his place as a moral agent of the society; it keeps a person awake at night because injustice is being done to someone else, and the rights of people are being challenged, and it pushes him to challenge the oppressor with all his might and dread at the risk of everything. The public conscience is in those restless souls who can’t look the other way when something is wrong, and they just can’t keep quiet. They help a vast majority of us to speak up and they express the feelings the majority are too petrified to utter. They believe humans are supposed to be treated as humans.”
Prof. Wole Soyinka
Osinbajo further expanded his philosophy of the public conscience thus, “The public conscience is the intersection between the divine and the secular; how humans do the work of the just and compassionate God. Justice is a by-product of the public conscience. The notion that evil must not go unpunished, because these things are more demeaning for a person, than to be cheated and taken advantage of. The public conscience assures us that time doesn’t run out on justice and they never become outdated, but the journey to freedom and equality might be long, but the destination is inevitable. The public conscience can be an affliction and a disease; an irresistible urge to speak up and take action against injustice or oppression, and depending on the society which the moral conscience is compelled to act, it may lead to incarceration or death.
“Soyinka described the pathology of the infliction of a public conscience in his book, You Must Set Forth at Dawn. A public conscience can invite life or liberty threatening situations that it is not often considered a wise thing to have. For Soyinka, there is only one answer; deprived of dignity, the head itself is worth nothing, and he makes the point even more poignant when he said, “justice is the first condition of humanity.” Soyinka has lived his years on earth with a severe form of this affliction, which has often led to his breaking of the coconut with his head.
“Soyinka has interfered with everything. He escaped a jail term when he held up a radio station at gunpoint, because they were announcing the fake results of a rigged election. He ran out of luck when he interfered in the civil war. He had said at the start of the conflict that Biafra could never be defeated and the so-called police action, declared by the then federal government, was no more than an inglorious war. He then followed up with a visit to the rebel enclave in 1966. His words and actions were considered supportive of secession by the federal government. Consequently, he was locked up in solitary confinement for over two years.
“It is the expected role of the elite to find common cores among profession, vocation, ethnicity and faith, defining the minimum terms and conditions for the safety, security, growth and security of the communities. It is a public conscience that enables the government and elites to fully appreciate the responsibility of planning an educational system for a country growing at six million persons a year. Public conscience spurs implementation of universal health care.”
Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Ogunsola, said it was an honour to host the celebration of the literary icon, noting, “I grew up on the same road he lived and I knew him as a child. So I feel very honoured that I’m here celebrating his works and his legacies on his 90th birthday. There’re so many things Professor Soyinka stands for, not just his creativity, but the courage of his convictions. And I remember as a child when he came back after being in prison, I think he was in his 30s, although I thought he was a very old man at that time.
“However, he has lived a great life. He’s still living a great life. And he’s still impacting not just his generation, but future generations. So on behalf of the University of Lagos, I want to thank the Nigerian Academy of Letters for allowing us to be a part of the birthday celebrations of Professor Wole Soyinka. So, I would ask that we all not just listen to the keynote speaker who is here, but also reflect on his legacies and how that can also improve our lives.”
For NAL President, Prof. Akinrinade, the international symposium was a celebration of a remarkable life and legacy: “In different parts of the continents, various intellectual activities are being carried out to celebrate the nature of one of Africa’s gifts to mankind. This is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the values his life represents. His contributions to literature, drama, human rights and democratic development have not only shaped intellectual cultural landscapes, but also inspired countless leaders across the globe. Soyinka’s works provide insights into the complexities of human existence, challenge injustices, and champion the course of freedom and democracy.
“From his groundbreaking plays and thought-provoking essays and related activism, he has left an indelible mark on the world. His courage and unwavering commitment to truth continue to serve as a beacon for those who strive to make the world a better place. His quest for democracy and good governance had, at some point, been very risky to his own life. Today, we are privileged to gather in his honour to reflect on his illustrious career, to discuss his impact, contributions and express our gratitude for his enduring legacy.”
