Soyinka: I’m benefiting from Awo’s largesse again

TWENTY-SEVEN years after, memory of Africa’s laureate history came alive on Wednesday, as the first African Nobel laureate for Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, repeated the feat as the first ever Obafemi Awolowo laureate.

Soyinka, who was honoured in 1986 in Norway as the first African Nobel laureate, was inaugurated as the winner of the inaugural Obafemi Awolowo prize for leadership by President Goodluck Jonathan, at an impressive ceremony organised by the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation.

Reacting to the repeating of history, Soyinka said he was simply benefitting from Awolowo’s largesse again, saying that “today’s event may yet make a Christian out of me – since, from my admittedly imperfect recollection of the Christian bible – somewhere, it is written: to him who hath, even more shall be given.

“Despite the numerous explications I have encountered from childhood regarding that problematic passage, I have never been at ease with its implicit inequity.

The  hall, at that moment erupted into a celebration, with dignitaries cutting the award cake with him, as celebratory mood enveloped the hall which had in its belly the likes of former head of state, General Gowon; Governors Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger).

Other dignitaries included former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; national chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande; Senator Biyi Durojaye, Senator Felix

Ibru, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Chief Adekunle Ojora, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora, Mrs Kemi Mimiko, Chief Julius Adeluyi, High Chief Bayo Akinnola, Professor Tunde Adeniran, Chief Supo Shonibare, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, Yinka Odumakin, Sola Ebisemi, Professor Ben Nwabueze, Jimi Agbaje, Chief Gani Adams, Alhaji Yerima and Tony Uranta.

The list also had Chief Demola Seriki, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Akinruntan Obateru, General Alani Akinrinade, Prince Bola Ajibola, Professor Akin Oyebode, Dr Bayo Kuku, Professor Jubril Aminu, Mrs Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, Dr Wale Oke, Chief Donald Duke, Daisy Danjuma, Bisi Olatilo, Segun Awolowo (Jr), top diplomats, captains of industry and traditional rulers, clerics, among others.