Delta PDP Chieftain Blast Prof. Soyinka Over Aircraft Sitting Position

By Kenneth Orusi, The Nigerian Voice, Asaba

A stalwart of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), in Delta state, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has tongue lashed Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka's action for abandoning his sitting position in the plane to occupy Tosin Odunfa, seat the young man that ordered him (Prof. Soyinka), from his seat on a commercial flight.

Chief Onuesoke Tuesday reacted to a post by former group Executive Director of Sahara Group and Energy and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Tonye Cole on his Instagram page on how Prof. Soyinka was asked to vacate a seat by a young Nigerians passenger onboard the plane said the gentleman had every right to ask Prof. Soyinka to vacate his seat irrespective of social standing, but argued that morally he could have let him have the seat.

He, however accused Tonye Cole of being the biggest loser for cashing in on an opportunity to use the situation to propel himself to national reckoning.

Onuesoke who made the statement at Asaba, the Delta State capital while responding to questions from journalists on the incident, stated that he totally adore Wole Shoyinka, love his literary works and respect his contribution to our democracy over the years, but quickly added that this noise about a seating arrangement strikes him as meaningless.

The former PDP Governorship aspirant argued that it was wrong for Wole Soyinka not to have sat on the seat allotted to him, while, it is technically right for the young man to insist on sitting on the seat allocated to him.

He pointed out that Wole Soyinka had been a scholar and examiner of several years standing, who should be expected to be a stickler to rules and regulations, stressing that any diligent reader of Wole Soyinka would know that he would have insisted on his seat as a young man.

Onuesoke disclosed that although our culture demands respect for elders, but undue entitlement by senior citizens, especially when the premise is wrong should always be resisted.

“This is the problem we have in this country. Why did Wole Soyinka not sit at his allocated seat in the first place? This is why our so-called leaders and elders create confusion in our country and treat us with lack of respect. Let’s call a spade , a spade. This is simply abuse of power. He advocates human rights, but he broke the code because he wanted to take advantage of the youngman.

“His action is not different from that of our past leaders which had led this country to the present predicament. The lack of respect of many of our people including our so-called elders for rules, regulations, processes and procedures is why our country is where it is today.

“When former President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to deregulate the oil sector and raise fuel pump price Soyinkas, Femi Falanas, Joe Odumakins, Pastor Bakares, Utomis and others who claim to be activists and defenders of the masses protested. They shutdown the country for six days. Then they claimed they were fighting for the interest of their generations.

“But when this present government which promised to reduce fuel pump price during campaign removed fuel subsidy and increased fuel pump price from N65 to N145 per litre, none of them raised an eye brow. They pretended as if they were not aware of the astronomical increase of fuel pump price by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. That is the hypocrisy of those who claim to protecting the interest of the people,” he added.