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Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Saturday, described the escape of the Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha from Britain, as a drama, adding that Nigerians, in the next two years, should expect more drama from politicians.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Saturday, described the escape of the Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha from Britain, as a drama, adding that Nigerians, in the next two years, should expect more drama from politicians.
Soyinka said this in an interview with journalists in Abeokuta after he was conferred with chieftaincy titles of Salaro of Ake and Akinlatun of Egbaland by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.
The Nobel Laureate stated that the escape of the governor, who was standing trial in Britain, was a new phenomenon that should be discussed by Nigerians.
Waxing quite sarcastic and dericisive about the issue, Prof. Soyinka said that the governor might have used traditional juju called Egbe or Ofe in Yorubaland to transport himself from Britain to Nigeria!
Soyinka said, 'I have been reading various statements. He (Alamieyeseigha) said he did not escape. If you believe in tradition, there is what we call Egbe and Ofe. It could be either of those that brought him to Bayelsa."
The Nobel laureate further said, 'Normally, when people escape, we can discover how they escape. But this one is a mystery to be resolved by the nation.
'We will bring together all the Babalawos, all the Hare krisna, Roman Catholic Church, protestant church, Ogun (god of iron),traditional worshippers; the Hinduists and Buddhists.
'We must come together to hold a conference and decide how it was that this man vanished from Great Britain and landed in the Bayelsa creek. We should look forward to a lot of drama in this nation."
The Nobel laureate, who arrived at the Ake palace at 11:20 a.m., was first conferred with the Salaro of Ake, at a ceremony presided over by the Oluwo, Chief Segun Taiwo.
Soyinka, whose mother hailed from Abeokuta, said he had previously bagged a title at Isara-Remo, his paternal home.
He said in order not to offend the Isara people, he would do the traditional celebration (Iwuye) for the Isara title before that of Abeokuta.
In his speech, the Alake said Soyinka was conferred with the titles because through the Nobel prize he won, he opened 'a new vista" for Africans.
SUNDAY PUNCH, November 27, 2005