Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, says Nigeria is “in a mess”.
He spoke on Thursday at a media briefing held at the Freedom
Park in Lagos.
Soyinka, who said the present administration doesn’t appear
to have a grasp of solutions to the country’s challenges, said Nigerians need
to embrace unity to foster true development.
“We’re in a mess. This country is in a mess. It is disintegrating before our very eyes. The government is floundering. It’s not merely that the government is devoid of a holistic solution, the problem really is that this government does not have a holistic grasp of the problems of the nation and the environment in which we live and the time also in which we live in,” he said.
“After all, look at
Sudan right now; it’s in turmoil simply because some people got up one day and
decided that an arrangement come into for the governance of that nation be
abrogated, because they’re carrying the guns. And of course, the people have
responded in a marvellous, united way. Doctors, workers, students, market
people and the last time, the oil workers, they’ve all got up and said ‘no’.
“Part of the problem which we have in this nation, and which
has plagued us, except for a few memorable times, is this ability to act in
concert. From time to time, we have a section of the nation come together and
say ‘enough; we’re human beings; we will not be treated like beasts’.
“Like #EndSARS for instance, that’s one such movement.
Unfortunately, it ended somewhat tragically. But it doesn’t matter; it was a
step in the right direction.
“What I’m trying to say to you is this. If we’re still
looking to this government for solution, then I think we really are lost. We’ve
got to find a way of piling up pressure to enable us to meet as equal beings
across the entire nation for a national indaba, involving the various
professions, group interests, ethnic groups — any productive sector of this
nation should be encouraged to come together and really debate the future of
this nation.
“We’re going along piecemeal solutions all the time. One way
or the other, one misses that sense of a grasp of the totality and
understanding of the connection of one part of governance, one part of civic
society to the others.”
While speaking on his latest book, ‘Chronicles from the Land
of the Happiest People in the World’, he said people should read and “decide
whether that title is justified or it’s meant to be ironic, and if it’s the
latter, what really it is trying to say”.
He also lamented the “unnecessary” questions Nigerian
travellers are expected to answer as part of the COVID protocol.
“When you go through
this questionnaire — the thing you have to fill on your computer — you just
wonder what it’s all about. Is it really about COVID prevention or is it to
gather information on Nigerians in a covert way utilising the COVID
requirements?” he asked
“It’s unnecessary. I’m not saying an attempt was made to
banish me, but I felt like I was serving a decree of banishment, at least for
24 or 48 hours. That’s exactly how I felt. You know, you have to carry your bag
as we’re about to enter the plane, then go all the way back, then you go
through immigration again, to be let into France.”
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