Prof. Wole Soyinka breaks silence on Aircraft Seat Controversy

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has broken his silence on the recent aircraft seat controversy which went viral on social media.

Oil Mogul, Tonye Patrick Cole had narrated a story how a young man ordered Professor Wole Soyinka, Nigeria’s only Nobel laureate, literary giant, gadfly, octogenarian, globally and nationally respected figure out of his seat, on a flight. (read here)

Tonye Cole did not indicate whether it was a local or international flight, but the story posted on Sunday elicited outrage and condemnation of the young man, for committing sacrilege. Some others have sided the young man for insisting on his right.

Soyinka, in a statement on Saturday described what transpired as a non-issue and wondered the massive publicity it generated.

The Nobel laureate suggested that airlines could impose a fine on passengers who took the wrong seat on boarding, even for a second to raise money in pursuit of health issues across the world.

“I don’t know how much airlines succeed in raising for their charity drives through those envelopes they distribute to passengers into which their captive donors are exhorted to deposit their loose change before disembarking. Such monies are then distributed to worthy causes all over the world, especially in the pursuit of health.

“What I am convinced of is that they would generate a hundred times more if they were more creative. For instance, they could impose a fine on passengers who take the wrong seat on boarding, even for a second. One can only rejoice in the thought of such benefits to humanity in its efforts to eradicate all kinds of diseases, especially malnutrition, and ensure the supply of nutrients that prevent the premature onset of brain impairment,” he said.

Soyinka added that “those who permit themselves to be persuaded, even for one second that I, Wole Soyinka, having wrongly identified a seat number like millions of travellers all the time, and all over the the world, would then attempt to consolidate the error in any form, through act, word, or gesture, qualify to be the first beneficiaries of this vastly improved humanitarian policy.”