Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has declared that Nigeria media will remain his permanent enemy because of the way the practitioners handled his decision to tear the US Green Card should Donald Trump win that country’s Presidential election.

Professor Soyinka, who emphasized that  his relationship with the local media will remain “very frosty” wondered why his private decision with another country would elicit hysteria from the local press.

Soyinka who spoke when he marked his 82^nd birthday at an open forum he tagged ‘Terms of Enslavement I: Holy Cows, Green Gods, and Law of Karma’ in Lagos yesterday, Friday. Said that the media provided a platform for social media trolls to launch attacks on him, saying:

“Certain events which took place recently and which made me very reluctant to do my usual stuff of encounters with the press, I think it’s necessary for me to take that first before embarking on the actual theme of the day,”

“Two days ago, I attended a reception at the American Consulate. It was a kind of send-off for one of the Nigerian staff who had worked 30 continuous years with the American embassy, I was there for about an hour or so, I was not arrested, no dogs were set on me, the national guard or marine guard who guard the embassy didn’t lock me up somewhere, lock me up in the diplomatic bag and deliver me to Donald Trump.

“On the contrary, there was a very warm welcome when I went there, but before that, there was an even more significant visitation to American soil in Nigeria and that visitation took place two days before the present president of the United States took office – I can’t remember the exact date now – and again I was received at the official consulate, the business which took me there was taken care of in an atmosphere of complete cordiality and friendship and it was really to exchange documents if you like, that’s why I said this is far more significant than merely going to the home of the Consul General and enjoying his hospitality.”

Soyinka who is  the 1986 winner of the Nobel prize for Literature, said he that had gone to the US Consulate to conclude a step he had earlier commenced.

“At that meeting I asked for forms, the regulation forms, and filled that form renouncing my status of residence, of permanent residence of America, and in turn obtained an ordinary visa which enables me to go in and out of the United States of America as, to use my own favorite expression, an alien visitor, in other words, a visitor from outer planet, and that’s the way things should be.

“I took a certain decision, my own way of expressing my disgust at some political decision which is an affair between me and the country whose hospitality I was renouncing, at least at a certain level. Since then I have been in the United States, I think since last year October I’ve have been in and out at least six times using that normal alien visitor visa, and that’s it.

“And I’ve asked myself again and again, what happened to the Nigeria media? What was that hysteria about? Why did Nigeria journalists and op-ed writers become so – there’s no other word for it – hysterical and obscene in language over a decision which I took and which concerned just me and another nation. It’s a puzzle which is not yet resolved, until it is resolved, my relationship with the Nigeria media is going to remain the way it has always been over the past few months; very frosty.” [myad]

With the signing of bail bond today, Friday, by a Jewish High Chief Priest, Immanuu-El Shalom; the Chairman of the South East Senate caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and a Chartered Accountant residing in Abuja, Tochukwu Uchendu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu was let off the hook from Kuje prison.

The leader of agitator for the Republic of Biafra had earlier been brought from kuje prison to the Federal High Court Abuja to sign the necessary bail papers in line with the ruling of Justice Binta Nyako on Tuesday, April 25.

Nyako, in her ruling said that one of the sureties must be a senior highly placed person of Igbo extraction, such as a senator. He was also to produce a highly respected and recognized Jewish leader and a highly respected person, who is resident and owns landed property in Abuja.

Nyako ruled that each of the sureties is to deposit N100 million and in addition, Kanu is barred from attending any rally or granting any form of interview.

NAN reports that Kanu who is standing trial on allegations of treasonable felony along with three others has been in detention for about two years. [myad]

The special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, has said that those who are calling on the President to resign as result of ill health are entitled to their opinions.

Adesina, who spoke on Friday, during an interactive session with journalists at the launch of ‘Against The Run of Play, a book written by Olusegun Adeniyi, chairman of THISDAY Newspapers editorial board, said: “Saying the president should resign is an opinion but don’t forget that fifteen million people elected the president.

“So if one or two people express their opinion, will their opinion override that of 15 million people that voted for him?

“Those who are expressing their opinion have rights to their opinion,” he said.

The spokesman said that there is no need for apprehension over the health of President Buhari, saying that  the speculations of his ill health are not necessary as God would spare him.

“God spared the president the first time. Remember he said that he has never been as ill as he was before. The same God that spared him will also ensure that he returns to full health,

“Nigerians prayed and God answered, Nigerians are still praying and God will still answer.”

The book launch took place at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, in Victoria Island, Lagos, and was chaired by former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar. [myad]

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has set up a committee, headed by his deputy, Enginneer Benson Abounu to work out modalities for the settlement of salary arrears to workers in the state.

At a meeting today, Friday, with labour leaders at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House in Makurdi, the governor picked the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Matthew Uyina, as Secretary.

Other members are Commissioners of Finance, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, their colleagues in the Ministries of Health and Information as well as Advisers on Labour, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Development Cooperation, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Labour leaders on the committee are Comrade Godwin Anya, State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Terungwa Igbe, President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Comrade Philip Ter Nongu, State Chairman, Joint Councils one, two and three, and Comrade Ordue Tartenger, Trade Union Congress chairman.

Governor Ortom said that the state government had decided  to prioritize salary payment as well as the exploration of every means to obtain funds, including borrowing to clear arrears.

He gave the committee’s terms of reference as include pruning of the State wage bill, fishing out ghost workers and perpetrators of fraud with regard to the issue. [myad]

The Presidency has assuaged concern in many corners across the country about the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that despite his eagerness to fully swing into action since his return from medical treatment in London, he needed rest and relaxation.

“President Buhari himself, on his return to the country, made Nigerians aware of the state of his health while he was in London. Full recovery is sometimes a slow process, requiring periods of rest and relaxation, as the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, intimated in his press briefing after the FEC meeting on Wednesday.”

A statement today, Thursday, by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, assured Nigerians that there is no need for apprehension over the health of the President.

The Presidential spokesman, who was obviously reacting to insinuations in a number of media organizations about the health of the President, said that Buhari’s absence at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday, Wednesday, April 26, was a last minute decision, adding that if it were not so, members of the cabinet and the public might have been alerted in advance.

“As eager as he is to be up and about, the President’s doctors have advised on his taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from the long period of treatment in the United Kingdom some weeks ago.

“Despite his lack of visibility, Nigerians should rest assured that President Buhari has not abdicated his role as Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria.

“He receives daily briefings on the activities of government, and confers regularly with his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

“His private residence, in which he has been spending the majority of his time recently, also has a fully equipped office.

“God is the giver of life and health. We are grateful that He has seen our President through the worst period of his convalescence in London.

“We are thankful that the President has passed a number of benchmarks already. We pray that God continues to see him through this period of recuperation.” [myad]