Buhari’s failing government can’t unite Nigeria, Soyinka insists
- Soyinka has blasted the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari
- The playwright emphatically that the current administration cannot unite the country
- Going further, he said injustice in the country will not make unity possible
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As many Nigerians continue to call for unity in the country, Prof. Wole Soyinka has revealed that achieving that will be possible under the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He attributed this to the country's systemic failure, Punch reports.
Source: Twitter
He disclosed this in Abuja at the book reading and signing of two of his books titled ‘Trumpism in Academe’ and ‘Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth’ organised.
He said this while responding to a question by former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state who asked him if he could write a Nigerian story where the country is united.
Soyinka said:
"We had a critical moment and we lost that moment. The moment when this country could have come together; and the sense of oneness, belonging. That vision of oneness. We lost that moment. There has been more than one moment and we lost the moment. Will another one come? I don’t know. Right now I don’t see it under this government quite frankly.
“There is a failure, a systemic failure in present governance and I don’t know who can put it together. These days, I try to go some days without reading the newspapers. It is so depressing.”
Meanwhile, he said he personally believed that Nigeria should not break up but should remain one entity.
In another report, Legit.ng reported that Soyinka advised Nigerian governors to shun timidity and push for greater autonomy.
He re-echoed the call for restructuring while speaking at the virtual Obafemi Awolowo lecture with the theme, ‘Whither Nigeria?’ on Saturday, March 6.
Challenging the governors to take charge of the welfare of their people, he said if they study the constitution carefully, just as he has done with his lawyers, they will realise that a lot can be done at this moment.
According to him, the governors have too much centralised mentality embedded in their minds and are afraid to come out of their cocoons.
Legit.ng had also reported that former presidential candidate, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, joined the calls, stating that every geopolitical region dislikes the way the nation is presently constituted.
She stated that Nigeria had failed in the practice of democracy, federalism, and constitutionalism, noting that restructuring was the only way to save the nation.
Source: Legit.ng
