State Of The Nation: Citizens Have Right to Run From Nigeria, Says Wole Soyinka
- Nigerians have the right to run from the country if they are not comfortable with it according to Professor Wole Soyinka
- The Nobel laureate who also described Nigeria as a plane that is on a terrible slide said the country cannot continue this way
- Specifically, Wole Soyinka called for Nigeria to decentralise, insisting that this is the only way to move the country forward
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For those who desire to run from Nigeria, Professor Wole Soyinka has sent a crucial message to them.
The Nobel laureate said citizens who are not happy with the way things are going in the country have the right to exit the country if they feel that it is going on a terrible slide.
According to Tribune Newspaper, Soyinka said this during an interview session he had with Arise Television.
Source: Depositphotos
He said the only way Nigeria can continue as one is to decentralise as the continued situation in the country cannot make Nigeria to stay together, Sahara Reporters added.
He said:
“If a plane is on a terrible slide, the people who feel that they do not deserve that kind of slide have the right to say sorry, we are getting off this plane before it nosedives.”
“Do I think Nigeria can continue as one? Not if it continues this way, not if it fails to decentralise; some people call it restructuring, others use whatever word. But if Nigeria fails to decentralise, as fast as possible, manifestly and not rethorics, then Nigeria cannot stay together.
“Ex-heads of state have said it, politicians, Generals, analysts, economists, others have all said it. When sectional leaders cannot answer the people’s existential yearnings, don’t be surprised if the people start saying we want Tiv nation, we want Kanuri nation, we want Biafra nation, we want Yoruba nation, don’t be surprised to hear it. It’s because you are not being taken seriously.
“That is why people are demonstrating in the streets, that’s why they are defying threats from the police and the government.”
Soyinka sends message to governors
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.
Nigeria had failed in the practice of democracy, federalism - Dr. Oby Ezekwesili
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
