Soyinka to Jonathan: Take active steps on Boko Haram now
By Charles Kumolu & Emmanuel Elebeke
LAGOS — NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to take active steps in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians against further attacks from Boko Haram, noting that the sect in its latest attacks has pushed patience to its limits.
He also cautioned that while fighting the menace posed by the Islamic sect, measures capable of attracting reprisal should be avoided by the Federal Government.
Soyinka made the call at a Town Hall meeting convened by the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, with the theme: Endemic Corruption: The bane of good governance, held at Central Business District area of Alausa, Lagos.
According to him, “I want him (Jonathan) to concentrate on tackling Boko Haram militancy and confront them frontally.”
On the recent protest against the removal of fuel subsidy, organised by Labour and civil society groups, Soyinka said: “Nigerians have demonstrated a solidarity that is uncommon. I congratulate you.
The organisation was very interesting. I warn those trying to add ethnic colouration to the protest to desist from that because it is detesting and demoralizing to add ethnic colouration to such protest against unpopular policy of government.”
He said “the subsidy protest in Nigeria could be likened to that of Greece, where people saw government policy as an attempt to impoverish them and decided to resist it.”
While taking a swipe on the increasing rate of corruption in the country, he described it as a hydra headed monster that must be dealt with in the interest of good governance.
He said: “If Nigeria must reform on corruption, it must start from the legislature. We are talking of a system change where some legislatures are earning more than the US President. The present system of governance in Nigeria is a total disaster.”
Advocating for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference, the Nobel Laureate said: “It is on this basis that we are calling for national conference. Not because the legislatures can’t make laws but because they can’t make laws against themselves. Why should there be full time legislature, which has become a cancer in our system?”
