Professor Soyinka’s plaudit was delivered at an exclusive dinner he hosted to toast the Edo governor and his new wife, Iara, at his Abeokuta home, assisted by his wife, Mrs.Folake Soyinka, on a night filled with jokes and reminiscences over sumptuous food and choice wine.
The Oshiomholes, whose union was sealed in a brief but colourful ceremony at Iyamho (Edo State) on May 15, 2015, were accompanied by Edo Information Commissioner, Mr. Louis Odion, the Executive Director, Governor’s Office, Ms. Esohe Adams and celebrated writer and Chairman Editorial board of The Nation newspaper, Mr. Sam Omatseye. Early callers at the event included the immediate past governors of Lagos and Rivers, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Rotimi Amaechi respectively, and renowned scholar, Dr. Asani Edo Omozuwa.
Activist streak
In a veiled reference to Comrade Oshiomhole’s perceived activist streak for accountability even while in public office, the literary giant, often described globally as the conscience of the nation, said: “Adams, I must use this occasion to thank you for your courage, for not forgetting your roots and for not letting us down,” sealing it up with a vigorous handshake with his guest.
On a lighter note, Professor Soyinka added: “I’ve always believed that people should try and remain themselves and not allow themselves to be blinded by power. Which is why among the favourite photographs I keep today is the one where you were shown really digging it down at a public concert with your two fingers pointing to the ground like arrow, without any inhibition. I think the picture was taken sometime in 2012.
“When I saw it splashed on the front page of the newspaper while driving on a Lagos street, I grabbed a copy from the vendor and I told my wife ‘Yeah, this is the Oshiomhole that we’ve always known’.” The Edo governor has been most vocal in the clamour to make top officials of the past administration account for the nation’s trillions of naira stolen from the nation’s oil receipts.
On her part, Mrs. Soyinka, an alumni of the Maria Gorreti Secondary School in Benin City, praised Oshiomhole’s transformation of public schools in Edo State since coming on board in 2008: “I’m sure the governor does not know this; I attended Maria Goretti in the 70s and graduated in 1979. In our days, it was a beautiful school. But many years later, the school was completely run down. But when I checked recently, I was quite impressed with what I saw. The school had been completely transformed.”
Her words were echoed by the next speaker, Dr. Omozuwa, incidentally an Edo indigene based in Benin City: “It is the same story at Idia College and hundreds of other public schools across the state. I say this as someone who is based in Edo State myself. We can’t thank the Comrade Governor enough for his good works in our state.”Responding, the Edo governor, in a voice suffused with emotion, thanked the Soyinkas for honouring him and his wife with the lavish dinner, adding that whatever modest achievements recorded under his stewardship in Edo would not have been possible without the critical solidarity of the anonymous counselors like the Nobel laureate.
Said Oshiomhole: “Prof, I am eternally indebted for the support and inspiration you have provided me over the years dating back to when I was in the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). Some would limit themselves to just being a critic or commentators on the pages of the newspapers.
Policies andprogrammes
But you are different, sir. You are not just a man of words but also a man of action. The other day, I happened to have seen a couple of photographs taken during our public protests against the policies and programmes of President Olusegun Obasanjo more than ten years ago.
One of the photographs that stuck out is the one in which you were in the front-line, hand-in-hand with me, wearing the NLC apron. For me, it is a mark of your statesmanship and a testament to your commitment to fight and speak for the masses of Nigeria. Like it has been said time and again, you are indeed a living legend and the conscience of not just the nation but the continent of Africa at large.”
An inexhaustible bag of humour, Professor Soyinka constantly set his guests laughing for the four hours the interaction lasted. To the Edo First Lady, he said: “By now, I’m sure Adams must have tutored you on the difference between ‘swallow’ and ‘swallow’ in Nigeria’s manner of speaking, particularly whenever it is your duty to host guests at home. Here, to swallow does not just mean eating some thing, it also means eating something concrete like Eba (cassava flour) or Iyan (pounded yam).”
When Dr. Omozuwa popped another bottle of wine and topped the glasses of the guests, Kongi remarked with a chuckle: “That’s one of my good students”, to which everyone burst into another round of laughter. While shaking hands with the Edo commissioner on arrival, he exclaimed: “Louis!, Louis!!”, then facing the governor asked matter-of-factly, “What have you been feeding Louis with; he has added so much weight.”
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