Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has described Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka as a global achiever.
Amaechi, who congratulated Soyinka on his 80th birthday at a dinner, held in his honour at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, said the renowned writer had been consistent in the literary world and had brought honours to Nigeria despite the country’s current travails.
Explaining that Soyinka’s achievement spanned across the globe, the governor pointed out that he was able to attain the feat as a result of hard work.
He said, “I need to thank you for accepting the invitation by the Rivers State Government to host you to a dinner. The reason for it is basically the achievements that you have made globally not just in Nigeria.
“You have in the midst of our so many bad news brought good name to Nigeria. I will give you an example; like those days when Nigerians were very good in football, wherever we went, we would say ‘I am from Nigeria. I’m related to Okocha or to Kanu’.
“This is because the only good news then was just the football we played but as things are, the football has joined so many negative things too because we are not doing too well as we used to do before. But you have remained consistent in the literary world.
“The good thing about your own achievement is the fact that it has to do with hard work. If you don’t read, you won’t be a good writer. Nobody can tell you that once you wake up, you become a good writer. Reading begets writing and you must understand what you are writing about.”
Similarly, the Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi extolled the virtues of the literary icon and described him as one of the world’s literary giants.
Fayemi recalled that Soyinka fought for the liberation of Nigeria during the Sanni Abacha days and was even incarcerated.
He listed Soyinka’s attributes as justice, fair play, dignity for the human person and faith in good governance, describing his qualities as commendable virtues of a literary giant.
According to Fayemi, Soyinka’s attributes endeared him to Nigerians who would also recall his active role in setting up Radio Kudirat to fight the Abacha junta.
He explained that Nigeria needed the experience and wealth of knowledge of the literary icon to get out of troubled waters.
Responding, Soyinka, who expressed gratitude to Amaechi for honouring him, attributed his good physical condition to his eating habit.