Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has said he was disappointed that novelist Chinua Achebe took a subtle dig at him after he won the Nobel Prize.

During an interview with Channels TV, Soyinka was reminded of how the late Achebe had criticised him, saying he could not be the Asiwaju (leader in Yoruba society) of literature because he had won a Nobel Prize.

At the time, Soyinka responded that he had no intention of becoming the Asiwaju of African literature, but desired to be the Ogbuefi (meaning one with high social status in Igbo society).

When reminded of the banter, Soyinka said he was disappointed that Achebe brought literature into the picture while criticising the Nobel Laureate's political views.

Soyinka said, "The subject was not even literature when he made that statement. So, I was disappointed that he created an axis between my normal socio-political life, my normal way of articulating my opinion. It was almost like because I won the Nobel Prize, I had no right to do what I used to do all my life.

"So, I responded to it, even though I wanted to make light of it. I was a little bit disappointed, and I didn't see the necessity. Nothing on that particular subject did relate to literature."

In an interview with Sahara Reporters 12 years ago, Soyinka was quoted as saying calls for Achebe to be awarded a posthumous Nobel prize for literature have "gone beyond 'sickening'" and become "obscene and irreverent".

"Let us quit this indecent exercise of fatuous plaints, including raising hopes, even now, with talk of 'posthumous' conferment, when you know damned well that the Nobel committee does not indulge in such tradition. It has gone beyond 'sickening'. It is obscene and irreverent. It desecrates memory," Soyinka told Sahara Reporters. "This conduct is gross disservice to Chinua Achebe and disrespectful of the life-engrossing occupation known as literature. How did creative valuation descend to such banality? Do these people know what they're doing – they are inscribing Chinua's epitaph in the negative mode of thwarted expectations. I find that disgusting," he said.

ASA