Nigerian playwright, novelist and African first winner of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has admitted he never knew he would live until 90.
Soyinka stated this while answering questions from students at Prof. Soyinka’s ARI residence, Ijegba, Abeokuta.
While answering questions from children on his life experiences for the past 90 years, he said he did not envisage living up to 90, adding that he decided to be a writer to correct some anomalies from stories he listened to while growing up.
On why he broke into a radio station during the military era, he said: “I never broke into a radio station, but sneaked in. The radio station was holding on to something that belonged to the people, and I decided to retrieve it. If that item had been played, it would have demoralised the people and established the culture of brutality.”
He chided Nigerians for always criticising the state but unwilling to examine themselves.
Soyinka said crimes like kidnapping and robbery, among others, could not be blamed on poverty or inequality, but on selfishness and the desire to live a life of luxury.
