Nigeria’s
Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has replied Governor Nyesom Wike
and the Rivers Government following revelations that the former
governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, hosted him to a dinner
believed to have cost N82 million.
Soyinka
who noted he does support Wike’s “Wikeleaks”, argued that he
could not possibly asked all his hosts across the world how much they
spent in organising a dinner, cultural reception, birthday luncheon,
etc.
Sarcastically,
he then urged Wike to secure the services of INTERPOL “to guarantee
its extension to all international organisations and governments to
whom I owe uncountable events of recognition – including birthday
luncheons, dinners, cultural receptions and events of real,
fictitious, or simply opportunistic flavouring – to which I have
submitted myself.”
READ
PROF SOYINKA’s REPLY titled “THOSE WHO FLOUNDER IN THE SEWAGE OF
CORRUPTION”
This
morning, I saw only the headlines in one or two print media regarding
the 80th Birthday dinner to which I was hosted by the former governor
of Rivers State, the Honorable Rotimi Amechi, now Minister of
Aviation. I ignored them. It was not, and remains not my business to
probe into the catering and logistical implications of the hundreds
of institutions and governments all over the world to whom I
acknowledge an immense debt of unsolicited recognition over the
years.
Since
then however, I have learnt of some unsavory statements by the
insecure incumbent of the Rivers State government Lodge. These
included a loose invitation to anti-crime agencies to investigate the
potential crime of being honoured through any occasion.
The
unprecedented call by this governor is prescient of a warning I
recounted in my recent pamphlet publication THE REPUBLIC OF LIARS,
and was taken from my address to an anti-corruption global conference
that took place in Tunisia two years ago. Those words were:
CORRUPTION STRIKES BACK. In this ongoing instance, that expression
translates most vividly as “Those who are neck deep in the sewage
of corruption ensure that they splatter sewage in all possible and
improbable directions.”
I
do however fully support the Wikeleaks call for multi-directional
probes. I recommend further that he involve the services of INTERPOL
to guarantee its extension to all international organisations and
governments to whom I owe uncountable events of recognition –
including birthday luncheons, dinners, cultural receptions and events
of real, fictitious, or simply opportunistic flavoring – to which I
have submitted myself.
The
descent to this present level of abominable distractions makes one
truly despair. It is one that even I did not envisage when I warned –
CORRUPTION STRIKES BACK! Whether it brings honour or dishonour to the
nation is another matter – I am saddened, but indifferent.
EFCC
and company – over to you! You all know where I live.
Wole SOYINKA
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