Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said he foresaw the wave of visa and green card revocations carried out during the administration of former United States President, Donald Trump.
Soyinka, whose own visa was recently revoked, made the remark in an interview with BBC News Pidgin published on Facebook on Wednesday.
The globally acclaimed writer and human rights advocate said he was not surprised by the Trump administration’s decision, describing the former president as a “petty-minded dictator” whose rhetoric fueled racial hatred and violence in America.
“This is a petty-minded dictator. You can see how he deals with his objects of hate,” Soyinka said. “We saw that dark side of the American society. There were more killings — extrajudicial killings — by the police of black people and minorities during that build-up and campaign, all on account of the hate rhetoric of this individual.”
He added that he had warned publicly that Trump’s rise to power would come with repressive measures, including attacks on immigrants and minority communities.
“I saw it and I said — you can go and check this — when that man comes to power, the first thing he will do is cancel even the green cards,” Soyinka stated.
Soyinka’s comment comes amid renewed global discussions about immigration policy, racial inequality, and the lasting impact of Trump-era politics on international figures and intellectuals.
Comments