VIDEO-Wole Soyinka: "I am Retiring From Public Life"

I guess that to receive the loans from banks you ought to have a good reason. However, once I have got a car loan, just because I wanted to buy a car.

See how Egbom Wole Soyinka carefully dodged the question on the Presidential Jet and went on fast to speak on the 50TH Anniversary, and the obviously intimidated reporter did not remind him? Just the same way he bacame suddenly dumb when his friend, Bola Tinubu's Certificate Scandal (Chicago-gate) broke! Tell me one single critical comment Soyinka ever made on Bola Tinubu's over-noised Certificate scandal or his alleged plundering of Lagos State. Oh, I forgot, Tinubu is an activist -- a comrade! Like Fela said, "Na padi-padi affair" Conscience of the nation my foot!

The Nigerian Lawyers Association (NLA) appears to be too far alienated from Nigeria's socio-political and economic travails and even her horribly corrupted judicial system to be of any real relevance to the nation Nigerian and her people. It represents just another forum for self-bloating jamboree for Nigerians practicing law in New York and the nearby states. When will the NLA’s voice be heard in the really depressing issues perennially plaguing Nigerians as a body of responsible lawyers? Those who dignify this body by attending its annual dinners and accepting its meretricious awards, are yet to take out real time to ask themselves what this body of lawyers stands for? Why is Wole Soyinka, for instance, able to feel comfortable in the company of these fellows? Did it not occur to him that this irrelevant body is buying relevance by giving him its weightless award? Imagine what would have been achieved in the ever-merry minds of these fellows if he had asked them to first prove that they are of any real value to Nigeria and her people before coming to give him their award? Who knows? James Ibori or Sir Michael Aondaoaka (former SAN) may be the next Life-Time Achievement Award receiver in New York, or even IBB.
I would recall a brilliant interview the fascinating Nigerian journalist, Mr. Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye, once had with a former NLA president, Mr. Placid Aguwa, where he tried very hard to make Aguwa show how relevant the NLA is to Nigeria and Nigerians, and which, in my opinion, the later was unable to convincingly demonstrate throughout the duration of the interview. (http://www.nathanielturner.com/placidaguwaugochukwuejinkeonyeinconversaw...)

@kola please can you tell me how the international community help to fight ABACHA,where were they fighting him from?nigeria or in your bedroom,maybe i don't remember.all i know was that GANI critizised ABACHA gov right here in this country and he even went ahead to burn our darling flag as a sign of his dis-satisaction to the activities of the then gov,while other activist were in europe fighting the gov like a toothless dog.

U r just being parochial. Not to recognise d fact that the combination of both local struggle led by Chief G. Fawehinmi and the international campaign led by Kongi brought Abacha's government down is to be economical with the truth. I salute the e4t of our noble lauret so far. His contribution to the socio-economic and political development of ds country is unquantifiable. Kongi has played his part and he indeed played it well. The onus is on u and I to make our own impact. Happy retirement sir.

Wow,@50, the scars of the civil wars are still there and the amount of venom and hatred being portrayed here show the state of the nation. Why all these bickering and animosity? Is it how to build a healthy nation even from western world. The world is watching us as we wash our dirty linen in public. Lets pray for peace, love and unity. 'Where love and charity abide there God is found' God bless our nation nigeria. God bless the Igbo, yorubas, Hausas, efiks, ibibios, ijews, ishekiris etc. One love unites. No more wars, no more fightings, no more hatred. Let healing of souls reign.

At moment like this, we need to celebrate our own noble laureate for living the stage when ovation is high. The younger generations are now saddled with the challenges to move Nigeria to greater height. He has contributed his all in all for the progress and develoopment of our country. I doff my hat for you, wish you a happy and quite retirement life. I fervently hope that from time to time, you will make your voice heard, because the man in you is still alive.

Retirement! to what end? Rest and watch your impact speak...... You will everly be remembered. Well done sir.

Who are u to declare war on anybody. You are just a shameless animal. @eyinba, leave that dog to continue barking. Empty barrel makes most noise. people like Uche "bastard" Okonkwo are timid cowards, he can only open his gutter on the net. Barger Lizard

If this is what you truly look like, then I pity your family, wife and children. You are a bomb waiting to explode! With the kind of anger you have displayed without making any sensible point its obvious you need help! Correct me if I am wrong, you are either bitter over some things that happened in the past? Or frustrated over some personal matters for which you are ready to fight others to a standstill, only using Igbo caause as carmouflag? Please think think and think!

To all those Igbo bashers you are all in the same boat, all heading to perdition!
My point which you have not bothered to think about is that those who abuse Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa are common idiots, ces finis. Its only idiots who abuse other people's tribes. It is also idiots who seek to defend their tribes by attacking other tribes. On what basis will you seek to outdo the other mad yoruba man, if you were not already a mad igbo man. To declare a war simply makes you a bigger mad man. It is the ultimate in inferiority complex for people to seek to defend their ethnicity and when others abuse your tribe the best thing to do is not to reply in kind! Just think about it Uche, have you ever heard any white person say 'I am white and proud', or 'white is beautiful'like we always say black is beautiful in Africa. Those are the signs of inferiority complex and it annoys me to no end seeing some of you disgrace my motherland.A proper Igbo man needs fight no war or owes no one any apologies for being Igbo. Let others who feel inferior about their race continue to abuse Igbo or any other tribe for that matter.

Again, anyone who has ever abused Soyinka or Achebe or any of such great people are mere idiots who cannot even touch their shoelaces.
Its more important to bring pride to your tribe by achieving than by abusing others on the internet. Enough said and bye bye!

Uche, what more can I say? Most people can attest to it now. Who needs psychiatrist help!!!
You need urgent help!

What has professor really achieved? Why retiring from what? This is not the time? You still have a long way to go! Don't compare yourself with Desmond Tutu sir. Desmond saw it all.

I am truly sorry for you. If anything you say is true then it means you are least 60 years old. The story above is about the great Wole Soyinka. Why not celebrate him? But you had to bring your jealousy and hatred of Igbos into it. It is eating you up that Achebe recently received an award and was called 'Father of African Literature'. Very soon people like you will dig up some research that claims that Achebe never really wrote 'Things Fall Apart'. What is wrong with YORUBA people like this? I have never seen such a people in my life! At over sixty years old you are still this PETTY! Tufiakwa!!!

enyimba may dog lick your mother's eyes idiot.You must be mentally dense for you to come here to open that your stinking mouth.
Enyimba you must be a complete waste of space and you are not what you claim to be, shameless animal.
I have said it and will say it again that I dont need anybody to join me if any yoruba dare open his mouth to insult igbos here, I uche Okonkwo will take up such an idiot including you.
I dont want to waste my time on you because you are a bastard that point his father's house with a left hand.dirty pig

Who allowed bushmen like this to post stuffs on the internet? Na wah oooo! Uche Okoronko fighting internet wars!!!! I laugh taya...

How dumb!

uche okonkwo

Animal in human skin! Weldone and welcome to the battle field! The whole world knows who the animal is between the two of us. I wish you goodluck as you fight your Yoruba enemies. Goodluck and I wish you and your entire family, mother, father, wife and children good luck in this ethnic battle. Hope you will not perish in it. My point remains that no intelligent Igbo will join you in your madness. Enough said bush man!

I dont care who you are whether igbo or not, but you are a coward. Who asked you to join tribal war. I said I will take all the yorubas here including you. You think that you can hide under any name to direct my thought. You are indeed a scum bag.
I mean every word of my mouth if any yoruba dare open his mouth against igbos here I will open fire.As for you enyimba if it is the only igbo name that you know go and take more and lets dig it out.
Sometimes that I dont know what an imbecile like you benefit by being craft hiding under names to write rubbish. you also must be a dirty pig to have open that your stinking dirty mouth to vomit nonsense in your posting.animal

Dear editors, please chase off the multitude of ethnic warriors on your forum by introducing measures that can filter negative and 'bush talk' off this pages. You guys are doing really well promoting good causes but then your voices may be drowned by those of common thugs and area boys who daily portray we Nigerians as animalistic tribalistic people when the rest of the world have moved on. Most of the contributors I hear are based in the US and are mostly illiterates.Please do something fast as I am getting too embarrased with the sort of stuffs and vibes that come out of this space. Recently, I mistakenly invited my wife to read Wole Soyinka on SR because he has brought so much pride to the black race(we are from 2 different ethnic stocks) and she was surprised that I could be reading from this kind of place. Both of us are from the ethnic minorities and we find it shocking that most of the writers are from the major tribes in Nigeria. Does it mean that the major tribes are so uncivilised. Do something fast! These guys make us look like apes.

@uche okonkwo

Start a tribal war? Who will join you except empty headed Igbos and Yorubas that throw insults on SR.

You IDIOTS better wake up! all of you can not even tie the shoelaces of the Yoruba and Igbo icons/heroes that you insult using faceless and anonymous names. It is indeed shameless for Nigerians to be saying some of the things you guys say on the internet! I pity you low lifers who daily insult Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa people. How can you be so daft to know that you should never insult tribes? Now for another idiot to threaten to start a tribal war is the ultimate insult. Although I am Igbo, I will never join you in any stupid tribal war. Lets be a bit more civilised, idiots!

@uche okonkwo

Start a tribal war? Who will join you except empty headed Igbos and Yorubas that throw insults on SR.

You IDIOTS better wake up! all of you can not even tie the shoelaces of the Yoruba and Igbo icons/heroes that you insult using faceless and anonymous names. It is indeed shameless for Nigerians to be saying some of the things you guys say on the internet! I pity you low lifers who daily insult Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa people. How can you be so daft to know that you should never insult tribes? Now for another idiot to threaten to start a tribal war is the ultimate insult. Although I am Igbo, I will never join you in any stupid tribal war. Lets be a bit more civilised, idiots!

Look at the way he answered Kayode if it is Dokpesi SR readers will descend on him. But I think he treated Kayode well, every time what SR,sowore and Kayode champions is Jonathan this,Jonathan that.
@akintunde ijimere, you are a parrot.If you want us to start tribal war, I tell you I will take on you people. But I dont think That Wole Soyinka deserved whatever comment allegedly made by an Igbo man. If you are educated as you claimed, you would not display such crazy mark of irresponsibility by writing all these nonsense against the igbos. Does that show that you are educated? you are such a foolish dirty pig.

It is a good thing that a forum like S/R exists that freely gives everyone the oppurtunity to display their wisdom or foolishness.

I often discern clearly from what is written on S/R, why some people cannot attain greatness in life. It is a spiritual principle that you cannot be greater than what you despise. Children who despise their parents or elders for example cannot be greater than them as the scripture commands unconditionally - "children honour your parents that it may be well with you all the days of your life".

I am proud to be a Yoruba and of the heritage that teaches us to honour our elders. This is a big secret to attaining greatness in life. Consequently, I choose to give honour to everyone that stands in a position of a parent to me irrespective of race or tribe or political leanings. Even when I disagree with their actions or lifestyles, I will still prefer to show honour and decorum in my disagreement.

When you therefore find some juvenile deliquents on S/R deriding the personality of an elder like Wole Soyinka and unjustly casting apersions on him probably due to tribal prejudice or cultural upbringing, it is safe to conclude that such imbecciles cannot be great as WS, how much more be even greater.

Wole Soyinka may be an atheist but he remains one of the few honourable elders dead or alive in Nigeria. You despise such people at your own peril.

I salute WS,am sure he will be really disappointed reading all Ur comments..all rubbish,nothing positive.No love for one another..Am sure, this isn't the young generation WS talked about..it must be the corrupt ones he was talking abt making such useless comments, exchanging abusive words on one another and being tribalist, yet One Nigeria..If someone does wrong, be wise and matured enough to correct him/her in the right direction.Don't make yourself a fool as well.Check out Obama's response when Rep. Joe Wilson yelled "You lie!" on Mr.President

I salute and respect WS,am sure he will be really disappointed reading all Ur comments..all rubbish,nothing positive.No love for one another..Am sure, this isn't the young generation WS talked about..it must be the corrupt ones he was talking abt making such useless comments, exchanging abusive words on one another and being tribalist, yet One Nigeria..If someone does wrong, be wise and matured enough to correct him/her in the right direction.Don't make yourself a fool as well.Check out Obama's response when Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!"

I am happy Wole Soyinka is retiring. The original
'Apamaku', the 'Abiku' who refused to die, disdaining the "bangles" cast around his ankle by Nigeria. They nearly killed him when he tried to stop the delusion called 'Biafra'. Some of the same people whom he tried to save from unneccessary "death at dawn" now call him names. Lacking the same foresight as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe was/is a promoter of Biafra. In his writings during their Biafran war I came across only one reference by Achebe to Soyinka who was then suffering in solitary confinement over his (Soyinka's) attempt to prevent their 'Biafran War'.

I was a teenager student when Soyinka came out of prison. The first public/political lecture I ever attended in my life was his first public lecture at the Arts Theater at UI following his release from Gowon's prison. After over 40 years, his defiant sadness at that lecture has stayed with me since.

During the Abacha era of another of Nigeria's "Season of Anomie", I attended a seminar in Washington D.C.(USA) at which this same Wole Soyinka spoke. My own children were then in University. Today I hardly remember what Wole Soyinka said because I cried throughout. It was too much of a Deja Vu. From UI, Ibadan, to Washington D.C. the 60-something year-old Soyinka was still fighting the same fight.

Now, contrast Soyinka's consistency with the lack of foresight of his contemporaries, Achebe and Christopher Okigbo. Achebe was/is a 'Biafran'. During their 'Biafran War', Achebe wrote an essay titled "Biafra and her writers". Achebe was once a 'Biafran writer', not even an african writer. Today we are being told that somebody is the "Father of African Literature"!

Chris Okigbo (a supposed friend of Soyinka's)was also a Biafran warrior. Foresight, foresight, or the lack therefore.

I am happy Soyinka is Yoruba. The Yoruba know who to rever. We call them Omoluabi. Today, the Yoruba nation have the most positive consciousness among other big ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. Thanks to Wole Soyinka (and Awolowo, the great Omoluabi) when you think of Yoruba in Nigeria, your sub-conscious brings up these:

Well educated
Progressive politics
Accomodating
Self-confident

When you think of Ibo in Nigeria you think of:

Fake spare parts
Fake drugs
Love of money above else
Always claiming to be "marginalized" and blaming the Yoruba for it.
Algbara ma mero (Yoruba for Strenght-without-sense)

As the Yoruba say, Agba ki nwa l'oja kori omo tuntun wo. Pa Wole you have done what is required of an Omoluabi to give his sevice to his/her community. Nigeria is like 'Ode ti gbo fere ode'. Let Ebele Gooodluck keep buying a thousand jets. Happy retirement Papa Soyinka. Just siddon look like your friend, Bola Ige.

I am happy Wole Soyinka is retiring. The original 'Apamaku'. They nearly killed him while he tried to stop the Biafran delusion. Some of the same people whom he tried to save are now calling him names.
Achebe, lacking the same foresight as Wole Soyinka, was/is a promoter of Biafra. Chris Okigbo was also a Biafran warrior. No foresight. Reference Achebe's essay "Biafra and her writers". During the ill-fated Biafra, Achebe was a Biafran writer, not even an "African writer". Contrast the visionlessness of the "Biafran writer" with the consistent vision of Wole Soyinka. The first public lecture he gave on his release from Gowon's prison was the first I attended during my First Year at UI 43 years ago. I was a teenager. A while ago, the joke about the Nigerian education system was that a student was asked who the author of "Things Fall Apart" is, and the student answered "Sanni Abacha". I said, 'Serves the Biafran writer right'.
I am happy Wole Soyinks is Yoruba, just as millions of people in the world are - in spite of the Ibo propangada (e.g. Chiwenzu) that Soyinka is 'difficult' to read. The Yoruba is more positively in the consciousness of Nigerians than any other ethnic nationality in Nigeria. And it always hurts me when some people feel that when they mention Soyinka, they must also mention Achebe, for ethnic balance, or maybe 'Federal Character'. Soyinka is so far ahead of the 'Father of African Literature' in many ways.

All these little wimps that take pleasure in throwing some dirt at a literary giant and an incorruptible fighter like Wole Soyinka are exactly the menace, responsible for the malaise in our broken society. They are a menace that needs to be mercilessly wiped out, if Black people will ever have the chance to regain their past glory! Soyinka is the light that Africa badly needs.

God bless this indomitable character! I wish we had more of his type: the Fela Kutis, the Ganis, the Beko Kutis....

Some Nigerians think money is everything. Others think education is. Here is a man who has both but has spent the best part of his life fighting the cause of the average man.

Yet some imbeciles choose this platform to show their crudity, tribal ill-health and poor upbringing to try and denigrate someone of Soyinka's caliber. Nigeria needs a special clinic where all fools and tribalists can get cured.

The difference between the Yoruba stock and a worthless Igbo person remains a glaring intrisic fact. We do not only adore our heroes and elders, we also respect them, unlike you eran oko who trample on yours.

Can people see that Igbos are extremely tribal and jealous? How could someone come here and start saying Achebe is betterr? Yes achebe is better and so what? How could someone say Yorubas worship tin gods? Lately, an exposition on the fraud of Phillips emeagwali, Igbos said many nasty things about the author and Yorubas they even went ahead to say SR and Sowore are after Igbos because he is Yoruba. What is wrong with these low-life igbos? When will Igbos grow up? Soyinka is the first African to win Nobel Laurel in Literature, no one can take that away from him. Apart from that, I have never heard Soyinka project or promote ethnic agenda. He is a humanist who has been jailed several times for defending Nigerians. I only wonder how many times Achebe went to jail for defending common men. You people should stop this ethnic aspersions as you further expose yourselves as tribal and ethnic bigots, useless people.