Tobias Sylvester
Oil Mogul Tonye Patrick Cole has narrated a story how a young man ordered Professor Wole Soyinka, Nigeria’s only Nobel laureate, literary giant, globally and nationally respected figure out of his seat, on a flight.
Tonye Cole did not indicate whether it was a local or international flight, but the story posted on Sunday has elicited outrage and condemnation of the young man, for committing sacrilege. Some others have sided the young man for insisting on his right.
Here is Tonye Cole’s story posted on Instagram
“I met one of the greatest Nigerians walking the earth today and as with other times, he was genteel, witty, forthright and humble. My smile gives me away as he permitted the picture whereas he would have preferred to get back to his newspapers.
“Then we boarded the flight and after assisting him with his bags, he took the window seat and promptly started reading again.
A few minutes later this young man, baseball cap, t-shirt to show his muscled chest and tattooed biceps boards the plane and tells Prof he is on his seat (which he was). Those of us including the cabin crew tried to reason with Bobo Fine to let the old man be but the chap refused. He insisted Prof should vacate his window seat, which the old man quietly did for his original aisle seat next to him.
I couldn’t understand how we got to this point where we no longer have respect for elders, even if are so ignorant of the great global personalities in our midst. Is it too much to ask that an elderly man be allowed to remain in a seat allotted to you in the same business class cabin and the same row? Na wa o!
