Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has said he will not honour an invitation by the United States Consulate in Nigeria to a visa reinterview, which it had scheduled for Thursday, September 11.

Soyinka made this known in an interview with TheNEWS online while reacting to the recent invitation the American Consulate sent to Nigerians with B1/B2 visas, asking them to go to the American Consulate for what it calls a visa reinterview.

The distinguished writer is one of many Nigerians invited to that interview. Soyinka, who was taken aback by the invite, which he finds strange and bizarre and, according to him, not a personal issue, had initially thought it was fake and a fraudulent move by scammers bent on duping unsuspecting Nigerians.

“I would like to begin by stressing the fact that, for me, this is not a personal issue. I have no idea how you got to know. By the way, I also have received the letter, which at first I thought was a fake. I thought it was these scammers who sort of prey on those eager to get visas elsewhere, with promise to deliver visas for a certain amount guaranteed.”

I thought they just picked up my name among others because they knew there was a list of those who have been invited.

“So, at the beginning, I thought it was advance fee fraud because I had never received that kind of letter from that or any other embassy. I thought that maybe AI has been generating generic letters. It was very strange. So, by the time I came to terms with the fact that this letter is genuine, my mind just went to my relationship with individual ambassadors, Consul-Generals and Cultural Attachés. As you know, it’s always been a courteous relationship,” Soyinka noted.

Soyinka also said he has more important things to do than chase visas for places he doesn’t want to go to and where he is not wanted. “So the question of going to such an interview is totally out of consideration,” he maintained.

Soyinka specifically frowned at the date, 9/11, the American Consulate had chosen for the proposed interview, a day which, according to him, is very critical for the United States, saying he is a bit superstitious not just for the United States but for the rest of the world, given what that date signifies. Soyinka affirmed that that day should be regarded as a day of national mourning, for deep, sober reflection, rather than for the perpetuation of ignoble motives such as an invitation for visa reinterview.

“In addition, I happen to be a little bit superstitious of being given a significant date, not just for the United States but the rest of the world. I’m talking about 9/11. This is a day which I have always considered very critical for the United States especially. To me, 9/11 should be regarded as a day of national mourning, of atonement by the Consulate of the United States.

“They should close down offices on that day, not to keep inviting people to come and have their visas taken away. It should be a day of reflection, of serious, deep thinking in consideration of so many things. I think on that day, United States should shut down completely, universally. If they don’t shut down, at least I would shut down my relationship with them on that day. Because I’m very superstitious. I’m not going anywhere near there on 9/11. I will be airborne somewhere,” Soyinka maintained.

However, Soyinka also said even though he considers invitations by embassies to be invitations from governments, it depends on which kind of government that is sending out such invitations.

He mentioned the United States, for instance, which according to him has a “white Idi Amin” at the helm of affairs. Soyinka said he is wary of such invitation because of his safety. (The Guardian)