Prof Wole Soyinka
Whereas many Nigerians have been feeling worried on why the United States of America (USA), all of a sudden cancelled the Visa granted to Nobel Laurate, Prof Wole Soyinka and tactically barred him from entering the country, only few right thinking people have reasoned and defended the nation after all.
No doubt, being a Nobel Laurette confers on Prof. Wole Soyinka some responsibility for him to know that to publicly destroy his US Green Card over the election of President Donald Trump was an insult to the US.
Having said that, the big question is that “What is his business with who Americans choose to lead them? Even if his Green Card entitled him to vote in any US election, by democracy tenets, he was under an obligation to respect the decision of the electorate even if it didn’t go his way.
Another question is that “Has he torn a shirt in Nigeria because of the height of sufferings and low calibre of leaders we have been having since 1960 when we got independence from Great Britain?
Aside tearing his voter’s card, has he protested the way and manner he protested under President Goodluck Jonathan? Or are things far better now than then in Nigeria?
Does he realise that we have never had any free and fair election since 1960?
What is his own with who the US electorate chooses to lead them?
How does their choice help the people of Nigeria who have for over 65 years never tasted one single good leader who worked to make Nigeria great?
Now, the US has done what every responsible country should do to such an insult by permanently banning him from entering God’s own country and he’s performing Kongi.
Typical of the Nobel Laurette, he has been speaking to the press, making theatrics out of a simple decision.
Soyinka should know that in this instance he’s like Caesar’s wife: he should be above board.
He joined in protests against former President Goodluck Jonathan and accused him of inefficiency. Meanwhile, Jonathan didn’t do one tenth of what the Tinubu administration has done since assuming office.
Where is Soyinka in all these? Rather he chooses silence laced with presidential honours and naming of national edifices in his name. “Silence of pressurized good-breeding…”
Business Hilights recalls that the US Government Permanently Revoked Wole Soyinka’s Visa in a letter which read as follows:
“Dear Mr. Soyinka, this letter serves as official notification of the United States Consulate that the non-immigrant visa listed below has been revoked in pursuant to the Department of State Regulations 22 CFR 41.122 and is no longer valid for application into the United States. Additional information became available after the below visa was issued.
“This revocation refers only to the visa listed below.
Name of visa holder: SOYINKA, WOLE
Date and place of birth: 13-JUL-1934, NIGERIA
Visa classification (symbol): B1/B2
Date and place of visa issuance: 02-APR-2024, Lagos,” the letter read partly.
