Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has revealed how he spat on the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), awarded to him by former military ruler Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

According to Soyinka, he was ambushed with the award and had no choice but to accept it at the time.

He said he, however, spat on the award during a pro-democracy march in Lagos after he saw that security agents obstructed the demonstration.

He said, "I did not reject it. I was ambushed; I had no option, so I accepted it. Remember, it was presented to me at the airport. My colleagues were there. I had to accept it. I had no choice.

"However, this is part of the uses of this honour: It is one that you can throw it back and say I no longer want your honour. This one happened on this occasion. We were marching from the Labour headquarters in Surulere to the Tafawa Balewa Square. When we got to Tafawa Balewa Square, we found that it had been locked against us or barricaded by the military and the police. I was outraged.

"Somehow, I had a fear that the march would be prevented. So, I brought along my CFR honour. So, I took it out, threw it on the ground and spat on it."

He said he had something else he wanted to do to the CFR honour, but limited himself because he didn't want to be accused of any indecent exposure.

"So, I just marched it. Somebody picked it up later on and returned it to me," he said, adding that he would give it to the family of the late Beko Ransome-Kuti as a posthumous honour.

Soyinka disclosed this while briefing newsmen who questioned why he accepted the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award given to him by President Bola Tinubu, despite having rejected others in the past.

MyNigeria recalls that Soyinka also rejected a centenary award given to him by the Goodluck Jonathan administration because the late dictator, former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, had also been given the same award.


ASA