U.S. based lawyer pays tribute to Wole Soyinka

In continuation of the festival of tributes streaming in since the 90th birthday celebration of the literary legend, Prof. Wole Soyinka, a United States based lawyer and Public Affairs commentator, High Chief Owolabi Salis, has described him not only as an enigma, but also as an enigma among enigmas and a riddle that staggers and defeats the imagination.

“In the ensemble of Nobel Laureates, Soyinka emerges distinctly unique and unequalled in terms of his staggering all-time achievements that defies time and space in terms of their limitless impact to affect and advance the ethical order of humanity to a greater frontiers of civilization,” Salis said in the tribute he released on Friday.

He stated that Soyinka’s prodigious feat is such that transcends the confines of literary greatness, embracing the all-encompassing agitation for liberty, equity, justice and an egalitarian socio-political order.

According to him, Soyinka’s exploits in terms of their amazing literary depth and fecundity is only comparable with the literary prodigy of the European wordsmith, William Shakespeare.”

“However, Soyinka’s cutting edge, as amply corroborated by the panel of Nobel awardees consists in his remarkable acumen in exploiting his works, which in a wide cultural perspective, and with poetic overtones, fashions the drama of existence,” he said.

He stated that Soyinka illustrates a quintessential typification of the debt which the writer owes the society, not only as the conscience of the society but also as a model and pace-setter, inspiring a dynamic progression on the ideal way forward.

“It is my prayer that Baba Soyinka would live with us here on the earthly divide to celebrate a much awaited grand centenary and possibly even beyond a centenary,” Salis prayed.