naijaXclusive: wole soyinka

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The judges of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa have named
 Akin Bello, a former Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the 
Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), as the winner of the fifth 
edition of the prestigious prize in Literature.<br />
<br />
Bello was crowned by Professor Wole Soyinka, assisted by the board of 
the Lumina Foundation, the organisers of the prize, Governor of River 
State, Rotimi Amaechi & Globacom’s Head of GloWorld, Titi Ebinisi, 
at the grand finale of the award at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, 
Lagos on Saturday.<br />
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The fifth edition of the award, sponsored by the National Carrier, 
Globacom, was keenly contested by three authors, Bello, Othuke Ominibohs
 and Toyin Abiodun, whose entries were considered the best three of the 
total of 163 works submitted from across Africa.<br />
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One of the judges of the Prize, Professor Olu Obafemi, a prolific 
playwright, novelist and poet, who has himself published 14 scholarly 
and 15 creative books, formally announced the winner, who was promptly 
presented the much coveted trophy and his cheque.<br />
<br />
The winner, Akin Bello, was born in Lagos in 1950, and educated at Oyo, 
Ghana and the University of Ife, (now Obafemi Awolowo University) 
Ile-Ife, where he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) (Pol. Science) in the 2nd 
Class (Upper) Division in 1975.<br />
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A widely traveled man with a richly diversified work experience, Bello 
is currently an Executive Director of a Non-Governmental Organisation in
 Ibadan. He was the Chairman of the Oyo State Chapter of ANA for four 
years between 2008 and 2012.<br />
<br />
Before now, Bello had published three novels and a poetry collection. 
His first play, ‘Egbon of Lagos’ has now won him recognition and fame at
 the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.<br />
<br />
In his remarks, Professor Soyinka thanked the Lumina Foundation and its 
partners, including Globacom for organizing the grand event and making 
it a success.<br />
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In a goodwill message read on his behalf, Globacom’s Chairman, Dr. Mike 
Adenuga, said that “Globacom is delighted to be part of the successful 
execution of the project, which honours one of the world’s biggest 
literary giants, Professor Wole Soyinka and seeks to promote excellence 
in the literary arts on the continent of Africa."  <br />
<br />
Dr. Adenuga said, “As a teacher, role model, social activist and 
advocate, Professor Wole Soyinka has directly impacted millions of lives
 on the continent of Africa and beyond. We are deeply honoured to be 
part of a project like this, which celebrates this living legend and 
seeks to encourage the coming generation to aspire to attain such 
academic excellence in the literary world.<br />
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In her remarks, Mrs. Francesca Emmanuel, the Chairperson of the Board of
 Trustees of Lumina Foundation, equally thanked all the partners of the 
organization, without whose support the project might not have been a 
huge success that it has been.<br />
<br />
The grand finale of the prize was graced by other literary icons, 
including renowned playwright and poet, John Pepper Clark, a former 
President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), and loyal 
protégé of Professor Soyinka, Odia Ofeimun, renowned Professor of 
International Law and Jurisprudence, Akin Oyebode, who delivered the 
keynote address, and many other distinguished scholars.<br />
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Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa is a biennial event staged 
to recognize the best literary work produced by an African. It was 
established by the Lumina Foundation in 2005 to promote literary 
excellence in Africa and has since become the African equivalent of the 
Nobel Prize. This year's Prize was dedicated to the drama genre.<br />
<br />
The panel of five judges for the Prize is drawn from Uganda, South Africa, Mali, Nigeria and Algeria.<br />
<br />
Guests were entertained by the Steve Rhodes Orchestra which reeled out 
tunes in different genres, cutting across old and contemporary. Also, 
multi-talented instrumentalist and Glo ambassador, Bez added spice to 
the event.<br />
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Akin Bello Wins $20,000 Professor Wole Soyinka Prize (PHOTOS).

The judges of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa have named Akin Bello, a former Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the A...

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Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Friday took on the 
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for attributing the crisis in the 
Rivers State House of Assembly to her.<br /><br />In a statement by her 
spokesman, Ayo Osinlu, the President’s wife said Soyinka betrayed the 
moral duty that expected him, as a respected member of the society, to 
carefully consider all shades of issues that informed his opinions on 
any matter.<br />Mrs. Jonathan said Soyinka had become an embarrassment to his admirers with his diatribe against her.<br />The statement read in part, “Unfortunately, Soyinka betrayed moral duty in his recent diatribe against Mrs. Patience Jonathan.<br /><br />“Of
 course, this would not be the first time he would reach out against the
 First Lady, usually from self-righteously indignant lecterns.<br />“In
 this particular instance, his verdict was that Mrs. Jonathan was 
‘stoking the crisis currently rocking her home state of Rivers…’, and 
thereupon asked Mr. President to caution his wife.<br /><br />“The good, old
 Prof. reminds one of the truth that indeed, most of the giants on the 
street are men of like passions like everyone else. Worse still, most of
 them are actually standing on clay feet and would fail the test of a 
gentle push.<br />“Otherwise, who would have believed that the social,
 civil, constitutional and sundry rights crusader Prof. would maintain a
 safe distance from the heart of an activity that is a potential threat 
to the peace, security and safety of the people of a state, then collect
 exaggerated stories and jaundiced perspectives from familiar 
propagandists and character assassins, and promptly summon the media to a
 “state of the nation” address.<br /><br />“It’s an embarrassment to his 
throng of admirers and followers, that a sage of Prof. Soyinka’s status,
 who used to be a gauge of public morality in this nation, would lend 
himself to a propaganda of high drive, to save a governor who elected to
 launch into a river without applicable survival skills.”<br /><br />Mrs. 
Jonathan argued that the calculation was to attack the President and 
pull to pieces anyone associated with him, as a strategy for attracting 
public sympathy to the “clear underdog.”
<br />

Xclusive: Soyinka Is An Embarrassment To His Admirers – Patience Jonathan

Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Friday took on the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for attributing the crisis in th...