Professor Wole Soyinka on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration has explained why he broke into a Radio Station during the military era in Nigeria which seemingly fueled the political public unrest in the then Western Region and aftermath of it, directly or indirectly led to the Nigeria-Biafra Civil war that ended with millions of people including children and women killed.
Wole Soyinka who is known to be the founder of Pyrates Confraternity, a group also known to be the first Secret Cults in Nigeria was charged with armed robbery for breaking into the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation studio in Ibadan during the heady days of the Western Region’s political crisis in 1965.
Wole Soyinka who was said to be fully armed, was alleged to have asked the man in the studio to use his own (Soyinka’s) recording, asking the premier to get out.
Wole Soyinka received the Nobel Prize for Literature from King Gustaf of Sweden on December 1986 as the first Africa Noble Laureate in Literature.
As part of activities to mark his 90th birthday celebration, at the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Professor Wole Soyinka was awarded the Gold Medal “for his contribution to the development of world literature”. The award wast presented to him by Margarita Al, President of the World Organization of Writers (WOW).
Professor Wole Soyinka in a statement on Monday, said he did not envisage that he would live up to 90 years.
Soyinka stated this at the 2024 edition of his International Cultural Exchange Programme, held at his ARI residence,Ijegba, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Noble Laureate said he decided to be a writer to correct some anomalies from stories he listened to while growing up.
Giving the reason he broke into a radio station during the military era, Soyinka said: “I never broke into a radio station, but sneaked in. The radio station was holding on to something that belonged to the people, and I decided to retrieve it. If that item had been played, it would have demoralized the people and established the culture of brutality.”
Wole Soyinka condemned Nigerians for always criticizing the State, but refused to examine themselves.
According to him, crimes like kidnapping and robbery, among others, are not because of poverty or inequality, but selfishness and the desire to live a luxury life.
The 2024 Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme drew students from different parts of the country who participated in an essay competition on national and international topics.
The Ogun State Government, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, awarded scholarships to nine students who excelled in an essay competition marking Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday.
The competition was part of the 2024 Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme, which aims to promote education, cultural exchange, and leadership.
Celebrating Wole Soyinka at 90, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a statement he personally signed said in quote thus: “I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka.
Tomorrow, July 13th, will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour.
To underscore the literary giant’s global relevance, a symposium and poetry reading were held in Rabat, Morocco, on 9 July. The event was organised by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).
Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth. Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.
It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us.
I am, accordingly, delighted to have the honour to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity and justice.
Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by the military regime at home, he galvanised opposition in exile through NALICON and NADECO. His global stature made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in Nigeria.
Today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work. I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country.
I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as a powerful tool to challenge the status quo.
I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday. May he continue in good health to find creative fulfilment in the next decade leading up to his centennial.
May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where people are free from oppression and our teeming youths can live up to their dreams without being a wasted generation”, President Bola Tinubu words end in quote.
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