Philip Iloegbunam writes from Berlin, wondering where Falola is:

In USA/Africa Dialogue No. 72, a contributor asked some questions, some directed at Falola, there have been no answer. In the recent for and against Ayittey, Falola keeps quiet. Can we also force him to say something. This is typical of him, to define the terms of engagement and then withdraw. Last year, he gave a Keynote in Berlin at a major conference, raising issues that led to controversies for two days over slavery and reparation. As people fought bitterly, Falola withdrew to his hotel room only appearing at night to drink beer. I saw him again this year where he gave another controversial Keynote at Hamburg, and again he was no where to be found, later to reappear at another conference in Hannover to create another intellectual trouble. When he set up the dialogue on Gates' Wonders of the Africa World that tore the academy almost into shred, he stayed aloof. When I asked him to stop Mazrui and Soyinka from fighting, he reacted angrily, "what is wrong with bitter exchanges?" Now he has set us on a path of academic rancor, while he is withdrawn. Is this a case of academic sadism?

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