Wole Soyinka: Kongi Harvest in the wasteland

The respected and erudite Professor Wole Soyinka’s epistle in The Guardian on November 13, 2016 gives credence to the monstrosity of the media and the warped minds that abound in the Nigerian society. Prof. Wole Soyinka doesn’t have to trade or tirade against the jejune minds who are dwarfed with intellectual acuity.

Unfortunately, those who are crucifying the Nobel Laureate over his metaphorical decision on Donald Trump, the stunning president-elect of the United States are the scions of the children of corruption. Their intellectual dwarfness; their intolerance and indolence
are a direct result of the damaged educational system in Nigeria.

It terrifies potent minds how the unconcerned and warped psychology of our people in Nigeria continues to morph unabated, and sometimes, with intellectual immolation. The long decades of hope in the midst of hopelessness have wrought incalculable damage to the psyche of some Nigerians and their thought process. The morbidity of their intellectual deficiency should be very concerning to a nation that produced the world acclaimed Nobel Laureate.

Those engaging in this self-destruct and disrespect of the ‘conscience of the nation’ are the children of the 80s, the nit-wits of zukerville and the media. These young Nigerians wanton in intellectual catacomb and they lack every sense of history. As Soyinka aptly described them, they’re the nattering nit-wits of the internet who lack every sense of decency and potent minds to discern the terrific intellectual property of Kongi. These sniveling upstarts are intellectually lazy to read beyond the pages of the junk tabloids and sensational journalism. History may be unkind to these groups of people if they refuse to take excursion to Soyinka’s antecedents.

The castigators of our literary idol are the products of national marriage of inconvenience. They’re products of a nation in horrid search for non-existent national identity. Insulting national and international figure like Professor Wole Soyinka goes beyond intellectual travesty. It is a treasonable offence in the literary world for them to navigate their unpardonable route. Apology to the literati Kongi himself: At times, silence can be golden, but it becomes a complacency when we show deliberate indifference or when we keep silent and allow the man to die in the face of tyranny. As an inquisitor and elderstateman, Professor Wole Soyinka’s response to these non-correctable children of ‘yesterday’ is allowed for
posterity sake.

According to Professor Pius Adesanmi, the psychology of Nigerian is his/her deadliest enemy, rewire the already wired psychology, every other things shall be added unto it, with ease and in torrent. A nation truly mirrors her kind of citizens or people to showcase her discovered or undiscovered identity. As once espoused by the Nigerian Nobel Laureate, this generation of Nigerians are a wasted generation. There’s urgent need to have a predilection of peaceful revolution in Nigeria. It is imperative that this revolution has to start from within the individual mind.

The current generation of Nigeria is journeying on a famished road to wasteland. Those who have maligned and embarrassed this Timber and Caliber need to pour libations in the entrance of his literary museum before they’re judged by the ethereal in thousand forest.

Soyinka is a national and international hero. A stupendous asset to an unserious nation grappling with so many contradictions. Nigerians owe this enigma unreserved apology for defilement of his characters. It is also pertinent to have national discourse with a view for moral rearmament, this may undoubtedly exorcise Nigeria from her current generic sins. It is currently a midnight in Nigeria, and the silence in this midnight is the silence of the graveyard.

Yahaya Balogun writes from Arizona, USA.