December 30, 2008
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has rejected an attempt by the Federal Government to name a street after him, in Abuja.
Giving reasons for his decision, Prof. Soyinka said he cannot accept the honour in Abuja because a street was also named after Nigeria’s most corrupt dictator, late Gen. Sani Abacha, in Abuja.
He said he once challenged the former Minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, over the issue and he promised to remove Abacha’s name from the street but that nothing has been done so far.
The nobel laureate said until Abacha’s name is removed from the street, he would not accept any street named after him in Abuja.
“As long as no symbolic statement has been made about changing the name of his (Abacha) street, I do not want to be honoured in Abuja. I am satisfied with the one my village gave me,” Soyinka stated.
Giving reasons for his decision, Prof. Soyinka said he cannot accept the honour in Abuja because a street was also named after Nigeria’s most corrupt dictator, late Gen. Sani Abacha, in Abuja.
He said he once challenged the former Minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, over the issue and he promised to remove Abacha’s name from the street but that nothing has been done so far.
The nobel laureate said until Abacha’s name is removed from the street, he would not accept any street named after him in Abuja.
“As long as no symbolic statement has been made about changing the name of his (Abacha) street, I do not want to be honoured in Abuja. I am satisfied with the one my village gave me,” Soyinka stated.
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