- By Halimah Olamide
I will like to propose that based on his locution in both speech and writing… that henceforth Soyinka be known as the Grand Jẹ́nwítèmı (Let me have my say) of World Literature.
A Nigerian literary scholar, Prof Biodun Jeyifo, on Saturday alleged that some world business and political leaders have elevated spread of falsehood to an art using the social media as their major tool.
Jeyifo is Professor Emeritus of English,
Specifically, Jeyifo said the likes of former American President Donald Trump and owner of X, the micro-blogging device, Elon Musk, have become very notorious for their consistent use of the social media to purvey falsehood.
He was speaking on Saturday as the Keynote speaker at the 16th annual Wole Soyinka Media Lecture Series which also coincided with the 90th birthday anniversary of the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka.
It was organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Jeyifo, whose address zeroed in on The Death of Truth! Realism, Literature and Journalism in an Age of Misinformation, expressed worries over what he called an endless case of conspiracy theories which have not done the society any good.;
He regretted that there is a thin line between lies and distortions that and truth now that separating them have become difficult.
This, he said, is the society we now live.
He said it is for reasons of the dangers inherent in social media that many young users do not appreciate and respect legendary figures and advocates of truth such as Soyinka.
He described as futile, any efforts to reconcile the Nobel laureate with his antagonists who dwell on social media but find it impossible to stomach the type of truth that Soyinka speaks on.l
At the event held at the Muson Centre, Lagos were scholars such Prof Ropo Sekoni, who is the chairman of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Prof Niyi Osundare, poet, Odia Ofeimu, a media entrepreneur, Kadaria Ahmed and a host of others.
After highlighting the achievements of Soyinka in the field of activism and telling truth to power, Jeyifo proposed that it is time that the Nobel laureate was awarded the title of Jenwitemi (Let Me Have My Say)
He said “”I will like to propose that based on his locution in both speech and writing… that henceforth Soyinka be known as the Grand Jẹ́nwítèmı (Let me have my say) of World Literature.”
According to Jeyifo, many people tell lies partially or fully.
“People lie in government, people generally lie a lot either partially or seriously.
“They lie about age, weight, wealth or poverty. Justice and injustice are the instigators of this unending war between the truth and lies.
“Prof. Soyinka is a beacon of truth,”
A panelist and journalist, Mrs Kadaria Ahmed, said that truth was in coma.
“Truth is not dead but it is barely surviving because a lot of us are biased.
“Our society is heading toward a dystopian society whereby some people feel they are superior and can get away with things,” she said.
She argued that people have used identity politics to ruin the society adding many do not even realise when they are falling into the errors.
For instance, she said the media unwittingly promotes division by wrong profiling noting that journalists have demonised a particular part of the country associating the Fulanis only with crimes.
“The Nigerian media mention “Fulani herdsmen but dont have “Igbo gunmen” or “Yoruba yahoo boys.”
Renowned poet Odia Ofeimun, and Chiamaka Okafor, Co-founder of Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue Foundation, shared the views of Ahmed.