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| Yoruba media lies against Ndi Igbo exposed! The Cable apologises to Soyinka for misrepresenting his views |
Anti NdI Igbo rhetoric of dishonest Yoruba media brigands has finally been exposed. Nigeria media largely controlled by the Yorubas always seek out every opportunity to cast Igbo-speaking Biafrans in bad light. They concoct lies, tell half truths and spin outlandish stories to denigrate Igbo-speaking Biafrans. This modus operandi of blackmailing Igbo with every little opportunity have been used for ages and possibly started by Obafemi Awolowo. They continue to churn out stories against Ndi Igbo who they have always envied. Perhaps the recent publication by The Cable, an online news outlet in Nigeria was the most daring attempt at ongoing anti Igbo propaganda currently raging across Nigeria, to whip up sentiments for a possible xenophobic attack.
The newspaper in a report titled "Igbos voted based on their stomach -Prof Wole Soyinka" quoted the revered playwright as stating that: "Igbos remained unrepentant and resolute towards their strategic objective of secession at worst; or a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction at best,” he said at the lecture, which held on April 29. “The climax of MASSOB’s war against the Nigerian state was the call for sit-ins and civil disobedience that shut down markets and public services, as Igbos stayed at home in a symbolic gesture to assert Biafran independence. The call was honoured by governors in the two principal Ibo states, though without fanfare. “The Igbos are probably the only group of Nigerians that you can predict with great accuracy whom they will vote for in an election, because they tend to put their votes where their stomachs take them; suffering as it were, from incurable money-mindedness, as they would stop at nothing in their quest for personal financial gain.”
The heat became unbearable for The Cable, when Soyinka vehemently denied the statements attributed to him. “I have just read a statement attributed to me on something called The CABLE, a news outlet, evidently one of the Internet infestations. My lecture at the Hutchins Centre, Harvard University, was video recorded. “Anyone who believes what I am alleged to have said must be a moron – repeat, a moron. It is demeaning, sickening and boring to have to deal with these cowards who cannot fight their own battles but must fasten their imbecilic pronouncements on others. “Only the mentally retarded will credit this comment attributed to me regarding the Ndigbo voting pattern in the last elections. I strongly suspect the author of this despicable concoction, and may make a further statement, once the source is verified.”
The Biafran contacted The Hutchins Centre for clarification of the matter by requesting for the video, which they promised to make available online.
Following this botched attempt by the newspaper to castigate Igbo-Speaking Biafrans through the mouth a well respected professor of literature, The Cable, tendered an apology to Soyinka, but not to Ndi Igbo who they maligned with thier apparently unfounded story..
Below is the full text of the apology by The Cable
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The management of Cable Newspaper Ltd, publishers of TheCable, would like to make the following statement concerning our report on the lecture by Professor Wole Soyinka at the Harvard University Hutchins Centre for African & African American Research.
Soyinka was quoted to have made derogatory remarks about the Igbo over their voting pattern in the March 28 presidential election. He has since denied the offensive quotes attributed to him.
After a thorough in-house investigation, we have come to the conclusion that the story misrepresented the views expressed by Soyinka in the question-and-answer session after his lecture.
We take full responsibility for the inaccuracy and promise that we will continue to strive to improve our standards.
Also, we wish to reiterate that we take our professional responsibilities very seriously, as our readers can attest to.
We hereby offer an unreserved apology to Soyinka, Ndigbo and our readers.
Signed: Management of Cable Newspaper Ltd
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