NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka was in Benin City, Edo State, last weekend, on a private visit and guest of the State Government, but, he took time off his schedule to appear on a current affairs programme of the state-owned Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS), “Head On”.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/08/15/nigeria-heading-towards-a-failed-state-say-soyinka/comment-page-1/#comment-32678

I was privileged to watch this programme, and am only surprised that it is just making the news now. The erudite professor was as sharp and concise as we all know him to be, and it was refreshing to hear him restate his commitment to humanity, at least this would put paid to some of those that tend to impute elements of atheism as a chink to the seeming impenetrable intellectual armor of this rarest of the creme of scholastic accomplishment that the homo sapien sapien specie can aspire to. What was said by the Prof. is something that should not surprise an avid follower of domestic events since the independence of the Nigerian nation, as our attempts at nationhood has been sabotaged by the quality of leadership that we have been unfortunate to have been saddled with since the failed revolution in January of 1966.

It was somewhat ominous that this publication came prior to the United States Secretary Of State’s lambasting of the nations leadership, and I believe that the editors of the Vanguard would be biting themselves that this report did not come as a prelude to Mrs. Hillary Clinton’s castigation of the political and ruling elite class of the Nigerian project during her recent visit to the nations capital.

Kongi has always been principled and concise when it comes to the analysis of governance nd contemporary issues in Nigeria, and this has shown throughout the struggles he has engaged himself in throughout the history of Nigeria, from the Radio station incident in the Western Region, to the June 12 battles as personified by Radio Kudirat and the NALICON and JACON, NADECO and PRONACO things, and the attempts at convening a true convention of the Nigerian peoples to define together the agreed terms of our togetherness via a national conference that is imbued with people sovereignty. This is beside the fact that he is arguably the one individual that has earned the highest and most credible international accolade that can be accorded a national, as he remains at the moment the single Nigerian to have been awarded the Nobel prize, on merit if I might add. Some (like most are well aware) have sought to buy this with power and influence, but “e no fit work”, how?.

Like was amply identified by the US Secretary of State, leadership in Nigeria has been less than satisfactory, and it gives reasonable and rational Nigerians hope that individuals such as Professor Soyinka stand with the struggle. Reason must prevail over ignominy at some point, and a true nation need to be born. It is our sincere prayer that icons like Soyinka would live to see the birth of a new Nigeria, a Nigeria where the true potential of the citizen can achieve reality and productivity and sustainability.

Hailings Professor, its good to see the light still shining bright.