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Wolexit stands despite the hysteria, declares Soyinka

By Editor
13 November 2016   |   4:34 am
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka yesterday decried what he termed ‘media fascism’ and condemned ‘noisome creatures’ believed to have masterminded the hysteria trailing his ‘personal’ decision to relocate from the United States of America if Donald Trump had won the presidential election.
Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka yesterday decried what he termed ‘media fascism’ and condemned ‘noisome creatures’ believed to have masterminded the hysteria trailing his ‘personal’ decision to relocate from the United States of America if Donald Trump had won the presidential election.

In an essay (3984 words long) entitled Red Card, Green Card – Notes Towards the Management of Hysteria, Prof. Soyinka insisted, “WOLEXIT stands – I coined that deliberately, to signify repossession of my space of legitimate decisions…”

And in response to ’a brief questionnaire’ from two Nigerian journals on when he would perfect the relocation, Soyinka said: ”My exit time schema applies, not yours. If it even becomes convenient to bring it forward, I intend to do so, but please, don’t come at me with plaints of time imprecision. I never discussed it with you, nor invited you to a private decision whose execution was already in the making. Do not try to browbeat me. It’s a waste of time – all you have to do is immerse yourselves in my antecedents.”

While confirming that he did make the threat, and that the resolve to carry it out remains on course, the literary giant laced the essay with similar decisions he had taken in the past to boycott ”places (Australia, China, South Africa) of normally congenial roosting, for a variety of reasons, and dictated by individual temperaments.”

He detailed what led to his decision to vacate US over Donald Trump’s win: ”I was in New York during the run-up to elections. I watched this face, its body language, listened to his uncouth, racist language, his imbecillic harangues, the insults to other peoples, other races, especially the Hispanics, Africans and Afro-Americans, even citing once – I was told – Nigeria as an instance of the burdensome occupation of global space. I watched and listened, disbelievingly, since this was America, supposedly now freed to a large extent – as we like to believe and have a right to expect – from its lamentable history of racism.

33 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Wole Soyinka’s idiotically verbose tripe is a mere subterfuge. He ought to have cut up his Green Card the moment Donald Trump was announced winner. I implore the American Government to withdraw Wole Soyinka’s Alien Card since he is now reluctant to see his threat through. At his age and with his supposed exposure, he shouldn’t have been that reckless. Nigerians should learn from this episode that verbal diarrhea can put one in trouble.

    • Author’s gravatar

      If you are genuinely a Yoruba son of omoluabi stock, you will not write in such a rude way. You can disagree with anyone without being rude about it. Calling Wole Soyinka’s personal decision an idiotic verbose and verbal diarrhea? What is reckless in deciding you never want to visit a country again for whatever personal reasons?

      • Author’s gravatar

        What is reckless is not keeping it to himself. As for my Yorubaness, I owe you no proof.

        • Author’s gravatar

          Wole Soyinka’s views on election in U.S.A is important to many of his followers and therefore cannot be kept to himself. As for your Yorubaness, I did not ask for any proof, however, there are two types – those well brought with manners (Omoluabi) and those whose parents could not be bothered. The latter are the ones who insult their elders (or indeed anyone) when they disagree with them when there is no justifiable reason for doing so.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Your response to an article or this situation is itself extremely overblown and disrespectful. Show some restraint . Nigerians don’t have anything to learn from this whole topic but laugh .

    • Author’s gravatar

      This Omooba must be a young “butty ” person, without a deep knowledge of who Kongi is. Where was Omooba when Soyinka almost single-handedly carried out a partially successful coup in Western Nigeria in those days?

    • Author’s gravatar

      Your response to the article is very rude to say the least. There are Americans, born and bred in the USA, that opted to relocate to other part of the world if this idiotic and racist-prone man win the election. Mr. Soyinka is entitled to his opinions and you have your freedom of speech to disagree with him but calling him names is lack of home etiquette especially to elderly man from the tribe your supposedly indicated that you come from. Your reckless and mouth diarrhea is a sign of unkempt not common to royalty and Omoluabis if the name you signed in on this page meant anything but internet appendage. Mr.Soyinka could relocate to any country of his choice if he meets the immigration requirements and there are no known law banning him from Nigeria if he so wish to move back home. Your loose-mouth write-up should be directed to the press for not having much to do than to write about his every move and whatever he, Mr. Soyinka says. To support his point, he never invited the press to make his pronouncements nor needed them to dictate when and where he moves.

    • Author’s gravatar

      You ahve no moral right to challenge Wole Soyinka as you do not know if he has torn it up or not

  • Author’s gravatar

    If you swear you would do something, honour demands you do it if the condition you prescribed happens. What’s so difficult about tearing a green card? There are many Agberos in Lagos or Abeokuta to help him do it, if that is the problem. We take our personal decisions everyday but when you are famous, your personal decisions too will be famous. So, after all said and done, Oga Wole, tear the godammed card and leave their America for them for good. I’m sure they won’t notice it at all.

    • Author’s gravatar

      And then in this diatribe, you deny him the rights to change his mind? It is minds over matter, man. God knows he is endowed to change his mind any instance. That fact is inalienable.

      • Author’s gravatar

        I didn’t use any diatribe, Mazi JO. Oh, he has “the right to change his mind” but “denies” Americans the right to elect whomsoever they want as their own president? You probably also forgot that it is the “inalienable” right of Americans to decide on who they want to have in their country or not. Tell you what? Wolexit will be good riddance to bad rubbish for the Americans and I can assure you that not even those antiquated minds like yours who crave the twisted intellect of the octogenarian will miss him for a moment.

        • Author’s gravatar

          Of course the Americans reserve the rights to elect any person they want as President. Does that restrict your rights to personal expression? ‘Antiquated minds’, and you still express in English Language and read Shakespeare? Please exit from Jankara Market! My good friend.

          • Author’s gravatar

            My friend, the point is about prevarication and equivocation not ‘rights to personal expression.’ And YES, “antiquated minds” not antiquated language. We’ve passed the season of “Telephone Conversation,” if you know what I mean.

          • Author’s gravatar

            Prevaricate and equivocate you do everyday. Is it only you who do not know that both modern minds and antiquated ones are expressed through language. And that one is the foundation of the other. I do not know what you mean because I am not in the mechanics of your mind.

          • Author’s gravatar

            Naturally, I don’t expect you to understand. Sorry to have drawn you into a subject beyond your capacity to deal with. However, you are partly to blame because you decided to dabble into a matter you know very little about.

          • Author’s gravatar

            How can you be sorry in a capacity you excel and gospel-versed? You should be exhibiting your superior argument than partly blaming me for dabbling into the matter in your judgment, I know ‘very little about’.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Yeah, like you’re making the Nation work with the truckloads of petro-dollars from the Ministry of Petroleum.

      • Author’s gravatar

        Are you dreaming or what? What has petro-dollars got to do with this?

        • Author’s gravatar

          You referenced principles and honor here. Why can’t you draw parallels with what happened to the Nation’s commonwealth since Independence. Can you comprehend. Honor is honor no matter in what capacity you are looking at it.

          • Author’s gravatar

            Meaning that because some persons looted our country dry, if a man of Wole Soyinka’s calibre issues a threat , he will renege and that is alright? Do yourself a favour, think through before you start typing anything that takes your fancy. Public discourse is guided by logic not primordial sentiments

          • Author’s gravatar

            Can’t you imagine using the word ‘threat’ in describing the Prof’s position on the just concluded US elections? If we are not mistaken. he is just expressing a rejection of one of the candidate’s positions on issues. His cut up of his green card means nothing to you or myself. It is a matter between Soyinka and the US Justice Department.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Let the Prof walk his talk. Enough of hiding under big grammar. Haba!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Why can’t people let this Giant to express himself democratically. That he is a World class writer does not mean he cannot harbor personal feelings like all of us. He cuts up his green card so what? That’s his case with the issuing Nation. It has nothing to do with ours or anybody’s who earned it or not. Discus our efforts to survive the receding Economy not Prof. Soyinka’s personal matters.

  • Author’s gravatar

    RE: MR SOYINKA, A CHILDISH CHARACTER AND A LAUGHING STOCK OF THE WORLD

    MR SOYINKA, THE ACCIDENTAL NOBEL LAUREATE FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, YOU ARE A MAN WHOSE MOUTH WORKS FASTER THAN YOUR BRAIN. THROUGH YOUR WISHY-WASHY STATEMENTS, YOU HAVE MADE YOURSELF A LAUGHING STOCK OF THE WORLD. YOU ARE AN OPPORTUNIST SNAKE IN THE GREEN GRASS WHO BITES UNNOTICED.

    YES, MR JOKER, CUT YOUR CARD AS YOU PROMISED, OTHERWISE YOU ARE NOT A MAN OF HONOUR NOR A MAN OF YOUR WORDS. IT IS NOW CLEAR, YOU ARE JUST A WEAVER OF WORDS WHICH ARE AS FAKE AS YOU. WHY DON’T YOU STAY WHERE YOU BELONG- NIGERIA.

    HOW MUCH YOU MUST REGRET FOR OPENING YOUR MOUTH THAT HAD SERIOUS BACKLASH WITH YOUR BRAIN. THIS CONFIRMS WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT YOU- YOU ARE AN ERRATIC AND A SLY MAN WITH TWISTED BRAIN ALWAYS SITTING ON THE FENCE, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.

    YES, MR SOYINKA, KEEP UP WITH YOUR PRESENT TRAITS. GOOD FOR YOUR KIND!

    • Author’s gravatar

      He is better than the stupid and senseless fool Americans have elected as president. This election has proved that Americans are full of illiterates, fools, nonentities and racists. Soyinka is recognized by the whole world as a Nobel laureate and because he commented on the fool idiot Americans elected as president Mr.Donald Tramp you Americans are now fighting him, we Africans owe you no apologies. You can go on and unrecognized him, it does not make any impact. Vic, you are simply stupid.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Talk is cheap! Tear the thing make we see.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Mr. Adekunle, has the right to express his opinion but without being rude or denigrate professor Wole Soyinka. After all, many Americans promised to leave their country if mr. Trump’s win the election. So far no qualms about their promises. Therefore, professor Wole Soyinka is entitled to express his personal feelings on any issues.
    Also, mr. Adekunle should not be treated as a pariah or be prejudiced because he a Yoruba man. Therefore, ( the man died and the matter is dead).

  • Author’s gravatar

    Mr. Adekunle, has the right to express his opinion but without being rude or denigrate professor Wole Soyinka.
    After all, about six million Americans promised to leave America if Mr. Donald

  • Author’s gravatar

    Folks such as Omooba Adekunle Orafidiya has the benefit of the internet to sound intelligent. What’s the use of Omooba Adekunle Orafidiya’s reasoning that will be quickly confined to the dustbin of history with ignominy? Perhaps bob O.A. Orafidiya has no nobel prize. Perhaps bob O.A. Orafidiya has never been invited by the institution of state (or a private academic institution) in the USA. In such a situation TALK IS CHEAP!

  • Author’s gravatar

    ‘his imbecillic harangues”… I dont think this phrase is a good language to use for a country incoming President. That position should be respected.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Based on all the rubbish this president puked when he was campaigning, even the Americans are rejecting him by telling him that he is not their president. That man deserves more unacceptable phrases to be addressed by.