My Krossroads

 

 

Africans first Noble laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka needs to introduction; being one of Nigerians most established literary forces. In this interview he bares his mind on Nigeria and life in general.

 

WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST SINGLE IMPROVEMENT SINCE THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES?

It’s not in terms of human utilization of resources; whether human or material, not in terms of in fractures, health, schools and electoral democratic practises. I would say the Arts represent one unarguable section of advance in the various departments of the nation.

AND THE AREAS THAT HAVE DETERIOTED SINCE THAT PERIOD?

That’s no problem to answer, health, education, roads and the economy which became a kind of lassaz faire individual entrepreneurship because the nation went into a mono economic commodity economy, petroleum.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA?

Obasanjo bastardized the reality of democracy. He set us back to the pre military incursion.  He rubbished the judicary; he personally orchestrated the entire electoral rigging that took place in this nation last year. It was for him a military operation and that is why we have an unprecedented level of appeals to tribunal over the elections. He gave his PDP cohorts the assurance of immunity and they acted with impunity. He had no interest whatsoever in preserving democracy.

RELIGION IS A VERY IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT IN THE DYNAMICS OF THE COUNTRY- YOUR THOUGHTS?

Religion has certainly contributed to the proliferation of structures, but in terms of human improvement religion has played the most devastating role in the sense of harmony that existed even in the early days of this nation’s independence and pre-independence. There is nothing wrong with religion and religious practises. I am not a practising religionist but I recognize the ethics which have emerged from religious believes. I recognize some communal economic practises that are the consequence of religious believes whether of Islam or Christianity. So the problem lies with religionists, some of them are the greatest menace that confronts the world today and Nigeria is no exception. Religious extremists have taken us to the institulization of mass murders as a means of expressing and sustaining their own religion. And as somebody who grew up from childhood with people of all religions, traditionalists, Christianity, Islamist, with rivalry here and there but never anything approaching the homicidal propensities and doctrinal authorisation that arrays itself as religion today.

WHAT ARE YOU ATTRIBUTING THIS TO?

Am attributing it, mostly, to political leaders who use religion as a divisive instrument. Am referring to religionists who brainwash their followers into a state where they lose their natural thinking process and they become sheep, well wolves more like it since sheep at least just follow but wolves kill and tear their victims to pieces.

ARE YOU DISSAPOINTED WITH NIGERIA?

Yes! Of course I am, but I am not disappointed with Nigeria as an entity for the simple reason that it has become increasingly difficult to recognize Nigeria as an entity.

WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR NIGERIA?

The way forward is for more people from all parts of the nation but especially those profiting from the system as it is today, for them to come out frankly and acknowledge that they have been found out, to acknowledge that we have been sitting on top of an artificial construct.

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE NIGER DELTA SITUATION?

One word answer to the question is dialogue, based on a sense of history, a sense of wrongs and a sense of the need to adjust a tremendous wrong. What is happening there shows there is still no grasp of the origination of the constituting elements of the nation.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR YOUNG AFRICANS?

Don’t opt out as many have decided to do and don’t continue to believe that the system cannot be overturned because the system has been overturned and the future is yours, don’t give it up.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT OBAMAS WIN?

 I started feeling about it long before his win because for me it was dead set.

 

Really!!

 

Of course it was I was in the States and I gave a number of lectures about the election in which I said don’t worry, celebrations will start on Nov. 4^th?

WHY WERE YOU SO CERTAIN?

Because of what I had seen, it was not an individual race; it was a movement at work. I saw the mobilization and this is actually linked to the last question that the young people in Nigeria should study what happened in the States and understand that they actually can have and grasp that future in their own hands because I saw it been grasped by handwork, methodical organisation and commitment. Though, George Bush himself assisted, he was probably Obamas best weapon because he messed up the nation so thoughly that the people wanted a change. What happened wasn’t by accident because it had to do with people preparing themselves like Obama did, seeing the possibility and saying yes we can.

HOW MUCH WILL THIS INFLUENCE AFRICA?

It will certainly galvanize the younger generation and convince them that the older ones especially in leadership positions are already reprobate anyway; they will continue to use the kind of language of Mugabe. The Obama effect will be slow; it is already having its effect on Africans.

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED A POLITICAL POSITION?

No! It’s something I have thought about a few times, I have been pushed towards a number of times. In the end I look at my temperament and realise it is not the best way to actually contribute.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU? YOU ARE SEVENTY FIVE NOW.

A couple more books before I quench. (Die) Not quite seventy five yet, will be next July.

 

Oh! Sorry about that.

 

Oh no, no problem at all. I like to be mistaken for been older than I really am. I stopped celebrating my birthday donkey years ago but I have been dragged into notations by people who tend to celebrate my birthday. You try not to be graceless and you have to undergo one. As far as am concerned people can celebrate in my absence. That’s my feeling about birthdays, I just don’t enjoy birthdays, not since I was a child when I was ready to divorce my parents for failing to remember my birthday.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR NIGERIA

Don’t let me deliver any message because right now, I am in one of my very bitter moods.

WHY?

I explained that Nigeria needs a shock. Where that shock will come I have no idea. It can be a very beneficial shock, or a progressive kind of shock in which there is participation and it is administered in the same way like the Obama phenomenon. This country is absorbing too many anomalies in the system, where we are moving round.  I mean is what happened in Jos normal? Is that what should be happening to a nation? But it’s not the first time, again and again and again these things happen, the slaughter of innocents, the brutal calculated elimination of people you have never seen in your life because of a political ticket. “Quote on quote”. The nation needs some kind of shock that can catapult it into the 21^st century.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW GENERATION OF NIGERIAN WRITERS?

The young women writers are coming to the fore in a way which is beginning to frighten some of us male writers. It’s very bright. Am really very proud of what’s happening to the young generation

YOU ARE A HERO TO MANY, WHO IS YOUR HERO?

Am not unique there, I think the whole world has agreed that Nelson Mandela is the universal hero of our time and I do not differ. I admire him enormously.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

That is no business of mine. I will be in no position to appreciate how I would be remembered so I leave it to others to work that out.

YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR NIGERIA, PARTICULARLY IN THE POLITICAL SCENE, DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?

Oh! Quite a few – for instance I think in our youth, we made a mistake of thinking that all that was required of us was faith. We were so confident that those who had taken on politics as their main vocation had enough progressives among themselves to be able to tilt the odds in favour of the progressive in Nigeria. We failed to recognize the extent of the possibility of treachery and of negative compromises. So with our early involvement in the politics of the nation and continent, we should have got together and begun to mobilize on our own.

Outside of that, I don’t think my path would have been any different, I  would still, first and foremost be a creative person but still have been involved to the extent I have been in the political life of which ever environment I would have been born into.