How a young Nigerian ‘disrespected’ Soyinka in a flight-Tonye Cole recalls

Billionaire politician and oil magnate, Mr. Tonye Patrick Cole, has taken to his Instagram page to narrate his shock and unbelief aboard a flight, recently, when, according to him, a young Nigerian ordered Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, to vacate a seat originally assigned to him.

Another eye witness, a social media influencer, who also claimed he saw the encounter, recalled privately that the internationally acclaimed playwright and poet had arrived the cabin moments earlier and occupied a window seat. And not too long after, the young Nigerian arrived and indicated to Soyinka that he was the rightful owner of the seat; and that the Nobel Laureate should vacate it.

The Nobel Laureate, according to the social media influencer, quietly obeyed the order by the young Nigeria and left the seat for the one by the aisle.

The young Nigerian’s audacity, according to the social media influencer, alarmed those who saw the encounter, including Tonye Patrick Cole, who said he could not believe his eyes as he watched the unfolding the drama with his mouth agape.

“I couldn’t understand how we got to this point where we no longer have respect for elders,” Cole said with a tinge of regret.

Cole illustrated the report he published on his Instagram handle with a picture showing Prof Soyinka and the young man seated beside him after claiming his seat.

Cole chronicle the encounter as follows:

“Wole Soyinka and Airline Passenger

“@professorwolesoyinka #celebrategreatness #relationshipsmatter met one of the greatest Nigerians walking the earth today and as with other times, he was genteel, witty, forthright and humble. My smile gives me away as he permitted the picture whereas he would have preferred to get back to his newspapers. Then we boarded the flight and after assisting him with his bags, he took the window seat and promptly started reading again.

“A few minutes later this young man, baseball cap, t-shirt to show his muscled chest and tattooed biceps boards the plane and tells Prof he is on his seat (which he was). Those of us including the cabin crew tried to reason with Bobo Fine to let the old man be but the chap refused. He insisted Prof should vacate his window seat, which the old man quietly did for his original aisle seat next to him.

“I couldn’t understand how we got to this point where we no longer have respect for elders, even if are so ignorant of the great global personalities in our midst. Is it too much to ask that an elderly man be allowed to remain in a seat allotted to you in the same business class cabin and the same row?

“Na wa o!”

Other Nigerians have been commenting on the young man’s action.

Lanre Arogundade, a journalist and ardent Soyinka fan, is the Director of the International Press Centre, Lagos. He said on his Facebook page:

“The young man did no wrong in insisting on the seat allocated to him. But he would have lost nothing if he had yielded his seat to Kongi. He should be left to his choice and conscience.”

Bola Adewara, a journalist and publisher of a Christian magazine, also said on Facebook that “If, and if the story is as it was narrated, the behaviour of the young guy against Wole Soyinka is a reflection of societal and parental failure. If he was well trained, he would know that the average African respects grey hair. He is not blind to see that Wole Soyinka could be his grand father.

“Also, I wonder who, in Nigeria, would say Wole Soyinka is not known to him, if not by reputation as a writer or as a social activist. My 10-year-old son easily recognises Wole Soyinka despite the fact that he has not read any of Wole Soyinka’s books.

“If he was well brought up, he would have known that there are some fights you don’t fight; and there are some rights you don’t claim, especially when it is not a life and death issue.”