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Nobel laureate Wole
Soyinka was the main attraction at the first Ondo State International
Conference of Culture, which opened in Akure, on September 1 and closed
on September 4. It was the first time an international conference of
such magnitude would be hosted by Ondo State, otherwise known as the
‘Sunshine State’.

Themed, ‘Culture
and the Challenge of Development in Nigeria’, the conference attracted
a slew of dignitaries to the Ondo State capital, including: leader of
the Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti; politician Olu Falae
and senator, Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa. Chief host was Ondo State governor,
Olusegun Mimiko. The two-day conference was under aegis of the state’s
Ministry of Culture and Tourism, headed by Tola Wewe, a major visual
artist.

Political flavour

The stated aim of
the conference was to fashion out ways of ensuring that the fast fading
cultures and values in the country are not allowed to sink into
oblivion. However, the culture conference assumed an almost political
flavour, perhaps due to the large number of politicians in attendance.
Among the relatively few culture figure present, was the Director
General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation,
Tunde Babawale.

Although the
programme was intended to promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage, seventy
percent of delegates were clad in Western attires including the ushers,
hired by the organisers. Except for the few who sat on the high table
who conformed to indigenous dress modes, others were kitted out in a
variety of English outfits.

The occasion was
further turned to a political meeting of sorts, as speaker after
speaker delved into the neglect of our cultural values, which has
continued to make a mockery of our democratic values. Keynote speaker
was Soyinka, who declared that Nigeria has been bedeviled by a culture
of jungle politics; and for her to achieve cultured elections next
year, “we must get things right now.”

He warned that
thugs, charlatans, swindlers and pretenders have taken over governance
in most parts of the country, making a jungle of the polity.

Talking about the
brutality of some of our leaders, especially the kind that ruled
between 1999 and 2007, Soyinka said self-glorification and the ability
to thwart the efforts of perceived enemies even within the system, has
led to stagnation in the country. “After about three decades of
military rule in the country, the civilian administrations in the last
11 years are yet to restore civility to our system,” he said.

On Bola Ige

Paying tribute to
Bola Ige, who was murdered in 2001, Soyinka suggested that the enemies
of the country masquerading as the ‘President’ frustrated the late
Cicero’s efforts to turn around the power situation and ensure
uninterrupted electricity supply.

He said Bola Ige,
“whose deeds are still very much alive with us,” took the Power and
Steel Ministry when he was asked to serve the nation based on his
(Soyinka) advice and conviction to turn around power but was sabotaged
by the same man who employed him.

Naming no names,
Soyinka stated further: “The hawks in the system threw the spanner and
[Ige] was taken to the Justice Ministry where he was humiliated out of
the system through a brutal death carried out in his bedroom.”

Soyinka, while
lamenting Ige’s murder, questioned the election of one of his suspected
killers who was declared the winner of an election even while in
detention; and who has since become established as one of Nigeria’s
lawmakers.

Citing Fagunwa

“The anti-culture
of jungle politics is becoming the order of the day because the law of
the jungle prevails in our society where politicians and security
agencies are let loose to unleash mayhem on the polity without recourse
to the law,” said Soyinka, whose speech was titled ‘Culture and
Politics’.

Giving the
illustration of D.O Fagunwa’s books to buttress his points, Soyinka
said it was unfortunate that the nation is still far behind the Yoruba
novelist’s fictitious jungle. The Nobel laureate disclosed that he is
putting the finishing touches to his translation into English of
Fagunwa’s novel, ‘Irinkerindo Ninu Igbo Elegbeje’. The late Fagunwa is
one of Ondo State’s most potent cultural icons, having hailed from
Oke-Igbo.

After his keynote address, the Nobel Laureate was conducted by
Governor Mimiko on a tour of the ultra-modern NEPA Neighbourhood
Market, to the delight of the market women.