Wole Soyinka | African News Today

Soyinka Clarifies ‘You Can’t Defeat Biafra’ Statement

28Aug

By Kosi UchennaNo Comments

News, Nigeria

Soyinka Clarifies ‘You Can’t Defeat Biafra’ Statement

Noble Laureate, Wole Soyinka has explained what he meant when he said “you can never defeat Biafra”, clarifying that it would be simplistic to see it as referring to the battlefield. He stated this on Channels Television while answering a question on the Civil War, agitations, and history. Soyinka said he “was very desperate for that (the war) not to happen. First, I thought it was a wrong war. No war is right, but this one was particularly bad.” Commenting on his misunderstood comment on Biafra, he said: “The Igbo, no question at all, underwent the experience of genocide. “The memory of such traumatising experience congeals, especially towards their immediacy but it can burst out again any other time. “When I made a statement that ‘you can never defeat Biafra’, people ...

Owo Massacre: Terror Attack Targeted At Akeredolu, Message To South-West – Soyinka

11Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security, Terrorism

Owo Massacre: Terror Attack Targeted At Akeredolu, Message To South-West – Soyinka

Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and renowned playwright, has described the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where many worshippers were killed, as a message to the entire people of South-West. Soyinka while paying a condolence visit to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Friday said the terror attack was targeted at the governor who has been showing leadership in terms of internal liberation of his people, NAN reports. “He (governor) was targeted and there is no question about that. “It was not an accident and it passed a message to the rest of us. That is why I’m here. I want the governor to know that we have received the message. “We understand it and we came to sympathise with him that he was selected as a medium of that message,” Soyinka said. Re...

Now I Avoid Newspapers Due To Depressing Reports—Soyinka

9May

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Life, News, Nigeria, Security

Now I Avoid Newspapers Due To Depressing Reports—Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says he now goes days without reading the newspapers to avoid the depression that comes from reading bad reports of insecurity and other anomalies in the country. Soyinka added that he did not believe Nigerian unity is attainable under the current regime of President Muhammadu Buhari due to its systemic failure. Soyinka said this in Abuja on Saturday at the book reading and signing of two of his books titled ‘Trumpism in Academe’ and ‘Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth’. Former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State had asked Soyinka if he could write a Nigerian story that would evoke patriotism and inspire unity among the various tribes in the country. Responding, the playwright said no narrative would unite the people of Nigeria with...

I’ve Forgiven Americans for Voting Racist Trump —Soyinka

20Jan

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Interview, News, Nigeria

I’ve Forgiven Americans for Voting Racist Trump —Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says he has forgiven Americans for electing former President Donald Trump whom he described as a “racist” and a “xenophobe”. Soyinka said this during an interview with Arise Television on Wednesday. The Nobel Laureate, who had in 2016 torn his American immigrant visa to shreds for voting Trump, said he would not be renewing the green card since he usually visits the United States even without it. The playwright, who displayed pieces of his torn green card, stated that America had redeemed itself with the removal of Trump Soyinka said, “I feel honoured to be associated with the democratic forces of the United States for correcting the unbelievable error that they committed four years ago.” On the green card issue, he said, “I consider mysel...