Soyinka Warns Northern Elites against Ransome paying, says Nigeria’s Sovereignty in Terrorists hands, asks Citizens to take responsibility for survival
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has warned Northern Nigeria elites against paying ‘protection money to killers’ stressing, you don’t appease evil.
Soyinka who was speaking on a live TV show today dwelt on a range of burning national issues noting that the sovereignty of Nigeria is now in the hands of insurgents and murdering herdsmen who have no respect for national integrity.
“The country’s security situation now concerns the lowest commoner citizen in this nation because that lowest individual has become a prime target. So, it’s a collective issue,” Soyinka said.
“I am not surprised therefore that some governors have reached a point where they say let’s seek outside help. It is something which I have said also, I am not saying mercenaries necessarily, but I am saying this has gone beyond a Nigerian problem.
“And instead of that, what do I hear, someone gets on the podium and says the sovereignty of this nation cannot be challenged, please let us not hear any more of that rubbish.
“The sovereignty of this nation is in the hands of the murdering herdsmen, the sovereignty of this nation has already been taken over by Boko Haram, it has been taken over by ISWAP, it’s been taken over by those who absolutely do not have the slightest respect for what is called national integrity, so why do we keep hearing this chorus.”
Against this backdrop, the Nobel laureate urged Nigerians to take responsibility for their survival and of rectifying the huge gaps in the President Buhari administration, which has shown “outrageous nepotistic tendencies”. He added that citizens cannot depend on the government after what he described as ‘its abysmal first term.’
“We the citizens have to take a very good look at the huge gaps, the huge lacuna in governance in this nation and then take responsibility for our own survival,” he said.
“We talked about community policing, Amotekun, it’s a recognition of the fact that the civic part of the entire national polity has got to wake up in its own, not just defence, but for its survival.”
