Young ‘I know my right’ man fights with professor Wole Soyinka over flight seat, forces the renowned author to vacate

Controversy broke out after a Nigerian oil mogul, Tonye Patrick Cole narrated the incident on social media, and other Nigerians got enraged at the said ‘disrespectful’ young man for his ‘misconduct’ towards the Africa’s literary giant.

According to Tonye Patrick Cole, professor Soyinka had occupied a seat close to the window on the plane, but the young man later asked him to vacate the seat, saying it was reserved for him.

Young ‘I know my right’ man fights with professor Wole Soyinka over flight seat, forces the renowned author to vacate Young ‘I know my right’ man fights with professor Wole Soyinka over flight seat, forces the renowned author to vacate Pulse Ghana

“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!,” Cole posted on social media.

Meanwhile, as the criticism heightened, the unknown man was compelled to own up, and clarify the matter.

Young ‘I know my right’ man fights with professor Wole Soyinka over flight seat, forces the renowned author to vacate Young ‘I know my right’ man fights with professor Wole Soyinka over flight seat, forces the renowned author to vacate Pulse Ghana

He is quoted by yabaleftonline.ng as saying: “I am the young guy! Yes the one in question with a baseball cap and t-shirt. I am unashamed to be at the prime of my youth infact I blushed a little bit after reading your decription of my chest and muscles. Is thanks to strong discipline that I live a fit life and I am able to go to the gym on my tight schedule.

“Prof didnt mind getting up and infact he confided in me as we chatted later on the flight that he would have done the same and that he was more embarrassed by the undue attention. Prof and I actually have a few things in common, we are both in academia, I have a PhD in electrical engineering and teach nano electromagnetic theory at the University of Mannittawiw. He said to me that he thinks that Nigerian youth need to stand up more for themselves than we do and he spoke to me about the ideals they tried to promote when he cofounded a secret society in his youth .

“I have read up on him now and know for sure that Wole Soyinka is a great man but I sadly was not taught about him in school. We exchanged contact information and I will certainly stay in touch.

“Please note that I am on the Autism spectrum and need the view from the window to keep me from getting sick on the plane hence my insisting on taking the window seat. Finally, Brother Tonye the words on your lap are very inspiring “Everything you want is on the other side of not giving up.”

Apparently, but for the young man’s special condition, he wouldn’t mind sacrificing the seat in contention to make professor Soyinka comfortable.

Young ‘I know my right’ man fights with professor Wole Soyinka over flight seat, forces the renowned author to vacate

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