31st May, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Friday said the debacle of former U.S. Donald Trump is a challenge and a call to preparedness and steadfastness.
Trump was convicted on all 34 counts on Thursday in the historic hush money criminal trial in New York, United States.
Reacting to the verdict, Soyinka said for millions in anguished parts of the world, certainly for those in vast swathes of the African continent, this is daybreak on a new democratic promise.
He said the the warning is clear and that sooner or later, the clamour of equity would break down the stoutest gates on guard across the citadel of impunity.
“The Trump debacle is a challenge also, a call to preparedness and steadfastness. Installed and putative fascisms – secular, military or theocratic – will extract from this only the wrong lessons, batten down and ‘crack down’ in self-protection.
“It is “Not yet Uhuru”, not anywhere close for humanity in our global village. Nonetheless, a celebration, albeit in a minor key, is justified,” he said.
“P.S. Seeing that this trite, personal gesture attracted such inordinate attention at the time, let me answer the question before it is asked: Yes, I may choose to apply for restoration of my card of Permanent Residence, known as the Green Card. Possibly,” he added.