Soyinka rejects US Consulate visa reinterview invitation
Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has declined an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria to attend a visa reinterview scheduled for Thursday, September 11.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with TheNEWS/PMNEWS on Tuesday, September 9, Soyinka described the summons as “strange and bizarre,” adding that he initially dismissed the letter as a scam attempt.
“At first, I thought it was advance-fee fraud. I had never received such a letter from any embassy, so it struck me as fake. When I realised it was genuine, I recalled my cordial dealings with past ambassadors and consuls. Still, the idea of such a reinterview made no sense,” he said.
The playwright stressed that the issue was not personal but symptomatic of deeper problems in how nations treat travellers. He insisted he has “more important things to do than chase visas for places I don’t wish to go or where I’m not wanted.”
Soyinka also took issue with the choice of date, September 11, which he considers deeply symbolic for the United States and the world. “9/11 should be a day of mourning and reflection, not a day for stripping people of visas. If they won’t shut down on that day, I will. I won’t set foot near that consulate on 9/11,” he declared.
He went further to liken the current US president to a “white Idi Amin,” questioning the safety and motives behind such invitations. “If Idi Amin asked me to come to his embassy, I would think twice. I don’t know what awaits me on the other side of that door,” he remarked.
The Nobel Laureate suggested that what America truly needs at this time is “an exorcist,” citing what he sees as troubling shifts in its global conduct and internal values.
Still, Soyinka acknowledged that the episode sheds light on the vulnerabilities of ordinary travellers. “Imagine building a life abroad, obeying the laws, and then one day being told you can’t rejoin your existence. It’s horrifying, inhuman, and dehumanising. I’m lucky to be nomadic, but others are not so fortunate,” he noted.
