The interaction is one moment Soyinka dedicates to the youth during his birthday festivities. It is a time of inspiration for the next generation to keep the flag of creativity and cultural production flying. After the parley, the most sought after part for the students will be the rare opportunity to be in the same picture with the Lion of letters, when they meet and shake hands with him
THE dual carriage expressway, which snaked from Lagos towards Abeokuta felt smooth and in excellent condition. It was not one of those craggy, bumpy and accursed potholes-ridden highways, that have become synonymous with the Nigerian commuting experience. The driver of the weather-beaten Camry capitalized on the road’s fine condition to gain momentum and save time.
“We are running late,” culture potentate and former Editor of The Guardian on Sunday, Oga Jahman Anikulapo muttered. He furiously worked the phones to finalize important arrangements. Urgency is apparent in his voice, he called to check on the progress relating to those responsible for the many activities. It is the Soyinka at 90 season and Oga Jahman is the engine room of much of the exertions which would combine to make the season a memorable one. As a culture curator and programs coordinator, Jahman, notwithstanding his inexhaustible supply of energy and resilience, is swamped. There is so much to do and a plethora of inquiries to respond to. He continuously punched the keypads, while looking through his devices as the car sped through the lush green suburbs towards Abeokuta.
When we finally arrive, the city envelopes us with its simultaneous languor and serenity. The level of noise is way lower than in neighboring Lagos, and the air feels cleaner, with less vehicular smoke and smog. Technology in the shape of Google Maps provided an indication of the fastest route. As the driver gunned the car through the bends, we suddenly came across a shock of forest. It stands with distinction from the rest of the stretch of real estate. The entrance appeared suddenly, revealing itself as we drove closer. There are signs on the driveway warning trespassers and stray cows. There would be no mistaken the fact that we are now at the Ijegba Forest home of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka. The red earth of the driveway blends with the thick vegetation. The greenery formed a shield of solace around the entire space. Today, however, the serenity will give way to noise and the claptrap of celebration.
We drive up the hilly way and find the house sequestered among a thick coalition of trees. It is an expansive red brick house with a small amphitheater behind the living room. We make our way to the theatre through the visitors’ area. A good deal of the space is covered up with carvings and figurines, all numbered and properly tagged. That level of attention pointed to how precious these works of arts are to the literary icon. At the theatre, Soyinka is already seated and fielding questions from secondary school students from all over the country. Nine of the students were finalists of the essay competition organized in his honor. So it is their day in the sun, a time to meet the man, who is also almost a myth in their roving imaginations. The interaction is one moment Soyinka dedicates to the youth during his birthday festivities. It is a time of inspiration for the next generation to keep the flag of creativity and cultural production flying. After the parley, the most sought-after part for the students will be the rare opportunity to be in the same picture with the Lion of letters, when they meet and shake hands with him.
But before those finalities, the larger group of students got the opportunity to ask direct and unvarnished questions. Soyinka was in good spirits all through answering, teaching and riling up the students with good doses of witticism and candor. Beyond the normal questions about how he started writing and what inspires his craft, Soyinka was bombarded with some trickier queries, which bordered on childlike mischief. A little girl, probably six, asked why Soyinka broke into a radio station to confiscate a tape and stop the announcement of election results. Her teacher must have shared the storied account of the mystery gunman, who tried to stop election thieves in the tracks in the 1960s.
Soyinka’s reply to the child was that he didn’t actually “break in.” He quipped that he only “sneaked in” to help retrieve something, which belonged to the people. A boy who must have been under the impression that the literary icon is from another planet wanted to know if he eats any food. And then there was another who insisted that Soyinka should sing the Egba anthem, which the Nobel winner did to great applause. Soyinka also answered questions about his hoary hair as the students wanted to know how he grew it. He regaled them with how he got frustrated by the tyranny of barbers and regular haircuts. He resorted to using his comb instead and that is how it has been.
Then came the deluge of accolades from Ogun State helmsman, Dapo Abiodun, who expressed his thanks to God for giving the literary icon the grace to reach the age of 90. Abiodun also announced the donation of prizes and scholarships for the finalists of the essay contest. As the evening wore on, and the throng of visitors began to exit, Soyinka stood at the porch of his forest home to wave goodbye. He seemed eager for the tumult to end, so that the solace and solitude of his forest home could be restored. With dusk enveloping the day, the crowd moved on to the next phase of the culture party: a stage play, Eni Ogun, The Noble Warrior. Produced by Cash Onadele and directed by Segun Adefila, the play also had Jahman Anikulapo as project advisor, while Toye Arulogun held sway as executive producer.
The play is set in the colonial period when the rapacious activities of British invaders in search of raw materials for their industries, led to the undermining of the rights and interests of the indigenous people. Oluwole “Lowo,” the incurable romantic and noble warrior soon realizes he can no longer stand by and acquiesce to the injustices being perpetrated as a result of the devastating agenda inherent in the colonial takeover of the economy. In between, the sub-themes of undying love, betrayal, corruption, and bad governance, are writ large in the production. In the end, the true warrior who is noble in intentions, must defy his personal comforts to rally the people to realize the goal of emancipation.
Adefila, the director executed a masterstroke to bring this production alive. Although there were moments of lengthy dialogues, which could have made the audience snooze, the love story, and the challenges which the play depicted blunted the larger reality of colonial exploitation. The fact that the audience at the June 12 Cultural Centre repaid the efforts of the cast and crew with a standing ovation, indicated how well their output entertained, while weighing in with important lessons about justice, humanity and triumph over adversity. Although, the producer spoke about the challenge of getting support from the corporate bodies to stage the production, the presence of First Bank, Flour Mills, Airtel, First City Monument Bank, Leadway Insurance and FMDQ made it apparent that there remain arts and culture loving corporate bodies, which will lend support to promote excellent projects. The Soyinka at 90 season continues in Abuja, London and several other venues all over the world. Nonetheless, the festivities in Abeokuta are clear indication that this “prophet” has an abundance of honor in his home.
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