Source: .com.ng


Anambra State played host to a man of letters on Saturday November 14, 2014. Nobel laureate and social activist, Prof Wole Soyinka, was the guest speaker at the third edition of Zik Lecture Series held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka.

Soyinka shook the stage with words as he dissected the theme, ‘Magic Lantern: Excursions in the creative realm’ to mark the third edition of the lecture organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences under the auspices of Prof Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku as Vice Chancellor. Armed with words that dazed his audience, he fired from every direction, bemoaning the unending woes befalling the nation.

The Nobel laureate bombarded the Boko-Haram sect with words, noting that the sect has enthroned a regime of terror, instilling fear, panic and tension in the country. He said the excesses of Boko Haram, a sect that detests learning, became virulent when the government tolerated their little beginning.

He, however, expressed his belief that though the members of the sect smash all the ungodly studios on earth, destroy statutes of mythological beings, shut the broadcast media, burn down ancient libraries- the entire gamut of man’s intellectual stride, persecute knowledge wherever they find it, incinerate roots or poison its sources, reduce to rubble the monuments, they cannot reach for the stars which illuminate the orbit or destroy the earth ultimately.

The Nobel laureate also raised concerns on the heavy reliance on internet for academic activities, stressing that it threatens reading of books as instrument for mind development. He said there has been serious decline in writing and reading among the younger generation. He, however, advised students not to allow any primordial considerations to hinder them from developing their innate potentials.

Soyinka also warned of technological revolution, which according to him, has essentially destroyed the realm of imagination in young people. He posited that PCs and tablet devices could end the culture of book writing and reading.

“The end point should be how to find a way of collaborating between book writing and use of internet knowledge,” Soyinka said.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof Kate Azuka Omenugha, who represented the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, expressed the confidence reposed on the celebrated playwright, describing him as an ideal role model for the young ones.

Omenugha described Soyinka’s coming as epoch-making. According to her, “It is not easy to bring a man of his stature. Chief Dr. Willie Obiano recognizes this and, I want this in black and white that the state government paid N4.9 million naira for his first-class ticket. So, I want you to get that right. If the governor did not believe in him and in UNIZIK and that what has taken place today is worthwhile, he wouldn’t have invested so much money to see to its actualization,’ Prof. Omenugha said.

The Commissioner stated that the government remains committed to unleashing the creative potentials of young people, through such programmes as ‘basic debate competitions’. She said Anambra won the President’s Award during a debate competition held at Abuja to mark the 54th year anniversary of the country.

Campus Sun gathered that the news of Prof. Soyinka as the guest lecturer and the former Secretary of Commonwealth, Dr. Emeka Anyaoku, as chairman triggered joyful celebration on campus. The university community went frenzy and this explained while the auditorium was crowded to capacity an hour before the slated time for the event.

The Zik Lecture Series, an annual event organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences, UNIZIK, was geared to immortalize the first president of Nigeria, Chief Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Before proceeding to the lecture venue, Prof. Soyinka paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, after which he made a brief stop at the campus radio station, UNIZIK 94.1fm where he was interviewed by journalists.

The event, which was about the biggest intellectual harvest in the university was well attended by the crème de la crème in the country, including distinguished Senator Ben Obi, the state Commissioner for Information and former MD, The Sun Publishing Ltd, Chief Tony Onyima, the MD, Anambra Broadcasting Service, Mr. Uche Nworah, the traditional ruler of Awka, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, among others.

In his opening remark, Chief Emeka Anyaoku described the event as historic while praising the ideals of the late Zik. He said the late Zik inspired nationalism in Africa. In his words, ‘the great Zik was an astute fighter who fought colonialism with the pen. Zik gave meaning to the saying- Pen is mightier than sword’.

Chief Anyaoku, an alumnus of the university having received an honorary doctorate degree from the institution, described Senator Obi as one who throughout his career sustained the legacy of Zik with respect to delivering noble services to the country. He further described Soyinka as a blessing to the society, adding that his place is already secured in the annals of history.

The Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Jude Ezeokana, said the lecture provided the university the platform to celebrate, re-enact and benefit from the enduring legacies and enviable virtues of Africa’s most outstanding nationalist, Zik, whom he described as an asset to humanity.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ahaneku described Soyinka as the ‘Grand Commander of Intelligentsia’ whose academic work resonates round the globe. He thanked him immensely for honouring the invitation by the institution.

Ahaneku said the university places high premium on intellectual discourse. His words: “It is through academic discourse of this nature, organized by our various departments and faculties that the university seeks to highlight topical issues with a view to arousing/ reinforcing awareness of such issues, broadening and deepening knowledge on them and in the process generating ideas that could help in transforming society for the better”.

Governor Obiano, represented by Prof. Omenugha thanked Soyinka for reminding Nigerians of the need to unleash their potentials to foster the development of the country. He further thanked Senator Obi for his magnanimity towards education, calling on wealthy and well meaning Nigerians to key into such developmental efforts.

Also speaking at the event, the benefactor of the lecture series, Senator Obi noted that it had been his childhood dream to immortalize the late Dr. Azikiwe who inspired him to move into politics. He stressed the need for education, which was one of the ideals that Zik lived for.

Obi described the choice of Soyinka as the guest lecturer for the event as infallible and the title thought- provoking. “I am sure Magic Lantern: Excursions into the creative Realm is one of Prof. Soyinka’s enigmatic cum realistic presentations of societies’ problems and solutions and any attempt to unravel it without him is another excursion to oblivion and confusion”, he explained.

The immediate past Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Nonyelu, who commenced the lecture series three years ago, noted that the series endowed by the Senator Obi was geared towards promoting good governance, exemplary leadership, communal harmony and international peace. The former Dean said the department had Prof. Soyinka on its radar these past two years, trying to tbring him to the university without success, owing largely to his very crowded schedule.

Prof. Nonyelu described Soyinka as an iconic scholar, doyen of literature, inimitable defender of the powerless, the moral conscience of Nigeria, a consistent rebel with cause, honour and integrity.