Professor Wole Soyinka, has threatened to include Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in his upcoming book, ‘The Republic of Liars’, if he does not retract his recent statement on some issues he spoke about on Thursday.
Soyinka and Oyinlola have been engaged in a war of words in recent weeks, over the status and ownership of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, in Osogbo.
On Friday, the Nobel laureate described former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as a liar, while giving him a week’s ultimatum to retract his statement.
Soyinka accused Oyinlola of lying when he said he was against the establishment of the centre in 2008, describing the allegation as “mind-blowing impudence.”
In a statement he tagged ‘Prince Oyinlola in the Republic of Liars’, Soyinka said:
“How does one begin to slash through this thickening tissue of lies? Prince Oyinlola must be put to the strictest proof to substantiate several outrageous claims in his recent press statement.
Failing to do so within one week from today will result in his taking his well-earned place in company of the current inmates of ‘The Republic of Liars’ – next in my series of ‘Interventions’, a public service series published by Bookcraft, due out in the next month.”
“On the other hand, I did oppose, and most strenuously, the conspiracy by some parties to transfer the Ulli Beier archives to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, situated in Abeokuta, even though paid for with the funds of Osun State. I opposed the recognition of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library as an affiliate of UNESCO in any category, since that library is a product of fraud, extortion and corrupt diversion of a nation’s resources.
“In this context, I collaborated with the late Gani Fawehinmi and Femi Falana. Action was taken in the same spirit as has continued to animate a number of civic organisations on the continent to prevent international image laundering by African leaders of questionable character, after losing credibility in governance. This has included higher institutions of learning and culture where millions were offered to endow chairs in their name.”
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