Today, as Africa’s greatest intellectual, Nobel Laureate Professor ‘Wole Soyinka, turns 79, your protégé – Abiodun Okunola wishes that , may all the day of the year, you continue smiling like today. May everyday brings positive energy and good news. You have always fought a good fight –even now, against a ‘mere domestic’ appendage who prides herself as the first lady – a politically motivated miscarriage of justice – unconstitutional democracy rapists! I wish you the greatest happiness on earth today! You will always remain an erudite scholar and sagacious sage who draws inspiration from the element of fire and ice, a university teacher who plays the game of politics above the heads of the politicians, a scientist of words who looks for trouble wherever trouble is hiding and challenges it into battle, an exceptional creation who looks like an Irunmole conjured up from the sacred groves of Ile–Ife with an ensnaring handsomeness and innate majesty. A literary luminary, a relentless crusader for the emancipation of the downtrodden, an intellectual prodigy whose works and philosophies have remained a political encyclopaedia in Africa and the developing world, an activist who acts as if condemned to do good, a scourge of deluded potentates and megalomaniac pimps, a man of extraordinary intelligence, a deep thinker, novelist, a symbol of truth, a remarkable genius, sworn seeker of light, audacious, devoted, loyal, an emblem etched in historical sacredness far beyond the venom of the truncheon or the tarnishing abruptness of the grave, a girdle to the weak, a reference point, a champion of the ignored, a playwright, actor, distinguished orator, writer, an African ambassador, an undisputable statesman, a nationalist, a political radical, scion of wisdom dynasty, seasoned poet, classical scholar, author, a man with a mouth of dagger, a no nonsense colossus, a bridge-builder to democracy, a great fighter, a detribalized seeker of justice, a magazine of conscience with unquenchable passion for development, affable, humble, a monument of progressive legacies, a human gemstone, a rare breed, multi-talented, charismatic, a non Christian who binds the wounds of his brothers’ – a brother’s keeper who loved his neighbour like himself, Nigeria’s intelligentsia cornucopia, an important member of the global cognoscenti, a don among natural literati, optimistic, confident as much as he is constructive, engineer of words, honourable, captain of developmental ship, ornamentation to national beauty, large-hearted, hunter, Pride of the black nation. I’m so happy that you’re growing young! Happy Birthday my own mentor! Abiodun Okunola
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 03:58:53 +0000
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