June 19, 2010
Exactly one week ago, one read an interview granted by the self proclaimed “evil genius,” Alhaji Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. The interview was granted to the Compass Newspaper and published on June 13, 2010. Reading through the interview with usual reservation with which IBB’s name was accompanied every time this writer comes in contact with it, some of the contents therein were very troubling to this writer.
Exactly one week ago, one read an interview granted by the self proclaimed “evil genius,” Alhaji Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. The interview was granted to the Compass Newspaper and published on June 13, 2010. Reading through the interview with usual reservation with which IBB’s name was accompanied every time this writer comes in contact with it, some of the contents therein were very troubling to this writer.
One was hoping that some of the statements credited to IBB in that interview would be denied by Wole Soyinka. But one week has passed; there has been no response from Soyinka in form of denial. It might well be that he (Soyinka) was ignoring IBB, thinking that he (IBB) was not worthy of his response. But it might also be that IBB was telling the truth about what transpired and Soyinka was embarrassed by the truth of the situation and would not want to elongate the public discourse of this issue.
It is this writer’s contention that where one’s integrity is concerned, one does not ignore such an issue. To this end, this writer has begun to wonder about what actually transpired at the “One man, One vote” rally organized by the governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole in view of the COMPASS interview granted by IBB. What transpired at Adam Oshiomole’s house? Was Wole Soyinka actually there with IBB? Did Soyinka drink tea and hug IBB as the latter claimed?
This is very imperative because Nigerians deserve the truth at all times from those who seek to mould the views and opinions of Nigerians on important issues of our time. The press, it appears, is no longer the unbiased umpired it used to be. It seemed that the press has continued to allow its bias to affect the news they report to the rest of us. Or is it possible that they were not privy to the events claimed by IBB in that interview in relation to Wole Soyinka? Or is it that the Press was being used unwittingly by the Noble Laureate?
Or is there any particular reason Soyinka did not disclose this “tea party” incident to the public at large? Is there something involved in this than we can all fathom from the surface? Why did Soyinka acquiesced with the press reports that he turned back from Benin Airport when he actually sat with IBB in Oshiomole’s house before “escaping to freedom?”
This is very pertinent because as things are today, the Nigerian people are looking for above board leaders and opinion moulders. For such opinion moulders to be as effective as warranted, they need to have integrity and must be believable. We are not asking them to be angels. Neither are we asking them to be Saints. They are entitled to their own errors and mistakes. But they must always level with us. Every time they make any public statement, it must be the truth that could not be contradicted. It enhances public confidence in them and upholds their integrity.
There should not be any sign that those who seek to mould our views and what we think about public issues and personalities are trivializing our trust. They should not give the impression that they are doing something else and telling the rest of us another. For those who are politicians, we can expect them to play games with the truth some of the times or most of the times because of their vocation.
But when you are a Noble Laureate especially with a rich history of social activism for purity and decency, you are on a different level in the public estimation. You are free to be wrong. You have the liberty to make mistakes. But you can not mislead or misrepresent to us the facts of or about a situation. You are duty-bound to tell the rest of us “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Anything short of that would not only be unacceptable, it will lacerate your integrity, bleed your dignity and leave noxious scars on them.
According to press reports that followed the alleged boycott of the Edo rally by the AC party stalwarts and Professor Wole Soyinka, they all turned back at the Airport because they were reliably informed that IBB was going to be at the rally. They claimed that they did not know this until they were at the Airport at Benin. They did not want to be seen with IBB.
The Nigerian Tribune of April 30, 2010 reported the incident as follows:
Besides, leaders of the Action Congress (AC) and political associates and friends of Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who were coming for the rally, turned back at the Benin Airport in protest against the presence of Babangida and the invitation to Senate President David Mark as chairman on the occasion.
Dignitaries that reportedly turned back from the Benin Airport included Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, National Chairman of the AC, Chief Bisi Akande; Mr Rauf Aregbesola; Dr Kayode Fayemi, and National Publicity Secretary of the AC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The PUNCH newspaper of the same date reported it as follows:
The inauguration of the “One man, One vote” rally by the Edo State Government was almost marred on Thursday as a Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and leaders of the Action Congress shunned the event.
The AC leaders were the National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the National Publicity Secretary of the AC , Alhaji Layi Mohammed; the party’s governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and his Osun State counterpart, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola.
They were said to have arrived at the Benin Airport for the event only to be disappointed at the VIP lounge, having watched on television, the array of political heavyweights from the Peoples Democratic Party, including a former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, and the President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark, listed as invitees.
Soyinka and the AC leaders immediately flew back to Lagos in two chartered flights.
The VANGUARD version of the same event reported on the same date is as follows:
Shortly after the plane touched down at the airport, the private jet which had Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on board, also landed.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen shortly after, Soyinka said: "Let me just put it this way, this is the last straw, pointing to a newspaper. I saw this and this is the last straw, the guest of honour, David Mark.
"That is all I will say to you right now. I think the people that gave me a ride will have a lot more to say, referring to Tinubu and his AC delegation."
The Daily Independent Newspaper of the same date reported the incident as follows:
Those who shunned the scene in protest included former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu; Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka; Action Congress (AC) National Chairman, Bisi Akande; and AC stalwarts Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, and Lai Mohammed.
The entourage led by Tinubu turned back at the Benin Airport on hearing of the presence of Babangida and other PDP top brass at the rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
But IBB’s report of the meeting was different from the press reports. According to IBB in the COMPASS interview, he (IBB) hugged and sat with Soyinka with whom he exchanged pleasantries and even drank tea! The Compass reported this as follows:
“….(Prof) Wole (Soyinka) and myself were sitting together in Oshiomole’s house, talking drinking tea together. So, there was no wahala.
I remember when I saw him, he said, ‘Who am I seeing?’ And I said, ‘The same Ibrahim Babangida.’
“And we sat down together and hugged.
“Of course, when he left I did not know. But there was no problem between us.
“To be fair to Wole, I think it was not about me, because he complained about it and said that he had problems with the way the Senate was handling Constitution amendments.”
I do not think it is a crime if Soyinka drinks tea with IBB. There is nothing wrong with that if he feels comfortable doing that. But he owes the rest of us the truth that this was what transpired and that he changed his mind after having tea with him (IBB) that he did not want to be seen in public with him. Misleading (?) the general public that he turned back from the Benin Airport when that was not what happened leaves an asterisk on his truthfulness.
One’s understanding is that Soyinka is not a politician. If the AC stalwarts were playing politics, he should not allow himself to be used as pawn in this kind of game if he values his integrity. He needs to maintain the confidence the public has in him and level with the public at all times except that he is involved in things that he does not want the rest of us to know about.
One is still expecting him to come out and deny the claims made by IBB in this interview. If he is not able to do that he has to come out and apologize to the general public for misleading and misrepresenting the facts of the situation. If you are criticizing IBB in the public sphere, you have an explanation to give the rest of us if for any reasons you were at a “tea party” with him behind closed doors.
Any of us has the right to change our views or positions on any issue or any personality in the public sphere. It is possible that one comes across certain information hitherto unknown that could cause one to moderate or change his views or opinion. Soyinka might have a different view of IBB from what he had before. This is not a crime. But, he has to be candid about this and not tell the world that he turned back from Benin Airport when he was drinking tea with IBB in Oshiomole’s house!
A situation where IBB is seen as being more forthcoming or truthful on the report of situations that involves others like Professor Wole Soyinka does not speak well of the kind of trust and confidence reposed in the latter by the public. What is clear here is that both versions of IBB and Wole Soyinka on this incident could not be right. One of them must be selling half-truth to the public. One hopes this is not Wole Soyinka. If it turns out to be him, then it would leave a lot to be desired. Or it might mean that IBB might know something the rest of us do not know. Time will certainly tell!
One was hoping that some of the statements credited to IBB in that interview would be denied by Wole Soyinka. But one week has passed; there has been no response from Soyinka in form of denial. It might well be that he (Soyinka) was ignoring IBB, thinking that he (IBB) was not worthy of his response. But it might also be that IBB was telling the truth about what transpired and Soyinka was embarrassed by the truth of the situation and would not want to elongate the public discourse of this issue.
It is this writer’s contention that where one’s integrity is concerned, one does not ignore such an issue. To this end, this writer has begun to wonder about what actually transpired at the “One man, One vote” rally organized by the governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole in view of the COMPASS interview granted by IBB. What transpired at Adam Oshiomole’s house? Was Wole Soyinka actually there with IBB? Did Soyinka drink tea and hug IBB as the latter claimed?
This is very imperative because Nigerians deserve the truth at all times from those who seek to mould the views and opinions of Nigerians on important issues of our time. The press, it appears, is no longer the unbiased umpired it used to be. It seemed that the press has continued to allow its bias to affect the news they report to the rest of us. Or is it possible that they were not privy to the events claimed by IBB in that interview in relation to Wole Soyinka? Or is it that the Press was being used unwittingly by the Noble Laureate?
Or is there any particular reason Soyinka did not disclose this “tea party” incident to the public at large? Is there something involved in this than we can all fathom from the surface? Why did Soyinka acquiesced with the press reports that he turned back from Benin Airport when he actually sat with IBB in Oshiomole’s house before “escaping to freedom?”
This is very pertinent because as things are today, the Nigerian people are looking for above board leaders and opinion moulders. For such opinion moulders to be as effective as warranted, they need to have integrity and must be believable. We are not asking them to be angels. Neither are we asking them to be Saints. They are entitled to their own errors and mistakes. But they must always level with us. Every time they make any public statement, it must be the truth that could not be contradicted. It enhances public confidence in them and upholds their integrity.
There should not be any sign that those who seek to mould our views and what we think about public issues and personalities are trivializing our trust. They should not give the impression that they are doing something else and telling the rest of us another. For those who are politicians, we can expect them to play games with the truth some of the times or most of the times because of their vocation.
But when you are a Noble Laureate especially with a rich history of social activism for purity and decency, you are on a different level in the public estimation. You are free to be wrong. You have the liberty to make mistakes. But you can not mislead or misrepresent to us the facts of or about a situation. You are duty-bound to tell the rest of us “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Anything short of that would not only be unacceptable, it will lacerate your integrity, bleed your dignity and leave noxious scars on them.
According to press reports that followed the alleged boycott of the Edo rally by the AC party stalwarts and Professor Wole Soyinka, they all turned back at the Airport because they were reliably informed that IBB was going to be at the rally. They claimed that they did not know this until they were at the Airport at Benin. They did not want to be seen with IBB.
The Nigerian Tribune of April 30, 2010 reported the incident as follows:
Besides, leaders of the Action Congress (AC) and political associates and friends of Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who were coming for the rally, turned back at the Benin Airport in protest against the presence of Babangida and the invitation to Senate President David Mark as chairman on the occasion.
Dignitaries that reportedly turned back from the Benin Airport included Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, National Chairman of the AC, Chief Bisi Akande; Mr Rauf Aregbesola; Dr Kayode Fayemi, and National Publicity Secretary of the AC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The PUNCH newspaper of the same date reported it as follows:
The inauguration of the “One man, One vote” rally by the Edo State Government was almost marred on Thursday as a Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and leaders of the Action Congress shunned the event.
The AC leaders were the National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the National Publicity Secretary of the AC , Alhaji Layi Mohammed; the party’s governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and his Osun State counterpart, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola.
They were said to have arrived at the Benin Airport for the event only to be disappointed at the VIP lounge, having watched on television, the array of political heavyweights from the Peoples Democratic Party, including a former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, and the President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark, listed as invitees.
Soyinka and the AC leaders immediately flew back to Lagos in two chartered flights.
The VANGUARD version of the same event reported on the same date is as follows:
Shortly after the plane touched down at the airport, the private jet which had Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on board, also landed.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen shortly after, Soyinka said: "Let me just put it this way, this is the last straw, pointing to a newspaper. I saw this and this is the last straw, the guest of honour, David Mark.
"That is all I will say to you right now. I think the people that gave me a ride will have a lot more to say, referring to Tinubu and his AC delegation."
The Daily Independent Newspaper of the same date reported the incident as follows:
Those who shunned the scene in protest included former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu; Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka; Action Congress (AC) National Chairman, Bisi Akande; and AC stalwarts Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, and Lai Mohammed.
The entourage led by Tinubu turned back at the Benin Airport on hearing of the presence of Babangida and other PDP top brass at the rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
But IBB’s report of the meeting was different from the press reports. According to IBB in the COMPASS interview, he (IBB) hugged and sat with Soyinka with whom he exchanged pleasantries and even drank tea! The Compass reported this as follows:
“….(Prof) Wole (Soyinka) and myself were sitting together in Oshiomole’s house, talking drinking tea together. So, there was no wahala.
I remember when I saw him, he said, ‘Who am I seeing?’ And I said, ‘The same Ibrahim Babangida.’
“And we sat down together and hugged.
“Of course, when he left I did not know. But there was no problem between us.
“To be fair to Wole, I think it was not about me, because he complained about it and said that he had problems with the way the Senate was handling Constitution amendments.”
I do not think it is a crime if Soyinka drinks tea with IBB. There is nothing wrong with that if he feels comfortable doing that. But he owes the rest of us the truth that this was what transpired and that he changed his mind after having tea with him (IBB) that he did not want to be seen in public with him. Misleading (?) the general public that he turned back from the Benin Airport when that was not what happened leaves an asterisk on his truthfulness.
One’s understanding is that Soyinka is not a politician. If the AC stalwarts were playing politics, he should not allow himself to be used as pawn in this kind of game if he values his integrity. He needs to maintain the confidence the public has in him and level with the public at all times except that he is involved in things that he does not want the rest of us to know about.
One is still expecting him to come out and deny the claims made by IBB in this interview. If he is not able to do that he has to come out and apologize to the general public for misleading and misrepresenting the facts of the situation. If you are criticizing IBB in the public sphere, you have an explanation to give the rest of us if for any reasons you were at a “tea party” with him behind closed doors.
Any of us has the right to change our views or positions on any issue or any personality in the public sphere. It is possible that one comes across certain information hitherto unknown that could cause one to moderate or change his views or opinion. Soyinka might have a different view of IBB from what he had before. This is not a crime. But, he has to be candid about this and not tell the world that he turned back from Benin Airport when he was drinking tea with IBB in Oshiomole’s house!
A situation where IBB is seen as being more forthcoming or truthful on the report of situations that involves others like Professor Wole Soyinka does not speak well of the kind of trust and confidence reposed in the latter by the public. What is clear here is that both versions of IBB and Wole Soyinka on this incident could not be right. One of them must be selling half-truth to the public. One hopes this is not Wole Soyinka. If it turns out to be him, then it would leave a lot to be desired. Or it might mean that IBB might know something the rest of us do not know. Time will certainly tell!
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });