By Philip Nwosu
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has, again, explained his support for Biafran agitators.
Soyinka said the Igbo people have been so wronged that they have no choice than to consider opting out of Nigeria.
Prof. Soyinka spoke on Al Jazeera, yesterday where he shed light on his support for Biafra agitators.
“I am very much pro- Biafra because I recognise that the Igbo have been wronged desperately.
“They have been brutalised in a way that justifies their feeling that they were not part of the nation.
“Let me also say this, Biafrans are not entirely innocent in this affair. They were not, but the unleashing of such venom, such devastation on them as a people, was sufficient to justify their decision not to be part of the nation.
“I was pro-Biafran in the sense that I felt that they needed justice.”
Soyinka denied he was a troublemaker, especially in the Biafran crisis, but added, “I grew up in certain circumstances being very conscious politically, in this very Abeokuta; my mother was involved in the politics, my aunt, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a leader…
“I grew up among political arguments on issues that concern humanity and I find that basically gravitated towards recognising the basic worth of human beings.
“Something I disagree when they call me a patriot because I don’t agitate on some certain entity called a nation; I agitate on humanity.”
He criticised the removal of History and teaching of the Biafran crisis in schools.
“Officials do not want to confront their own history, especially the history in the making of which they feel uncomfortable but, if you do not confront your past, you are going to mess up your future.”
On Boko Haram and the breakup of Nigeria, he said ironically, Boko Haram might be part of the reasons Nigeria may stay together.
Soyinka said a few years ago, he would have agreed that Nigeria would break, but, now that a section of the country is in trouble, there is some kind of pulling together. He added that the conscience of many Nigerian has been awakened such that they cannot abandon that section of the country.
He urged Nigerians to recognise the plurality of Nigeria, how it came together and begin to devise and adopt a method of governance which cannot only be of massive decentralisation. “That way, we can stay together. If we continue to have a centralist government, then, Nigeria is on the brink.”
You have always said the truth no matter how difficult it may seem. I pray that God will keep you in good health and allow you more years. Nigeria needs people like you. Your commitment to humanity goes beyond your personal achievement and to me that is the greatest measure of success. Several years ago, I had a project in Conakary, Guinea and was taken around different parts of the city- Belview, Hamdaleya, Dixon, Tawiya and other areas, but something very special was shown to me the English secondary school you founded in Conakary. That indeed shows that truly you agitate for humanity.
Heaven Is Rejoicing……As The Truth Has Been Spoken. Dear Prof…..More Rewards Await For You.
Prof. you are not biased you always stand on the truth.No matter how long you hide the truth it will always manifest.Nigeria government did not allow the younger generation born during the Biafra war and after to know the history of the war. That was a great mistake they are now hearing the story by reading novels,newspapers and through you and others. Many biafran youths will never forgive Nigeria for this devastation in our land in, God bless Igbo nation.
I have great respect for this old man and the likes of Late Tai Solarin and Late Ghani Fahwemi of the blessed memories ,not just because of what he said above but because he has some conscience and moralities running in him.Where I differ with him today and even till tomorrow is his acceptance and endorsement of Buhari as a democrat having himself been a victim of serial dictatorships like Buhari,Ibb and Abacha.I will never forget the interview he granted BBC immediately after the election of 1983 which saw former president Shehu Shagari being re-elected for the second term.He told the reporter that what we had was selection and not election.When the reporter asked him his assessment of the FEDECO chairman the rtd Justice Ovie whiskey,he asked the reporter how could a person whose name implies intoxication be in the right sense of mind to conduct a free,fair and credible election.When real professors speak,they speak for history,posterity and for humanity,they speak above ethnicity and religion but when the quota professors talk,their talks are limited to their enclaves, tribes and religion.They are always egocentric.May God preserve Soyinka and elders like him,if not for them the children would have eaten vultures long ago in place of kites.
Sir you made sense, you are a wise man indeed, buhari should conduct referendum or allow biafrans go than plunging Nigeria into anarchy that may result to their waterloo.
Sir you made sense, you are a wise man indeed, buhari should conduct referendum or allow biafrans go than plunging Nigeria into anarchy that may result to their waterloo. Pmb should hear pws and consider his view and save Nigeria from chaos.
I love the Yoruba. They are champions, yes, masters of indirectness. Can any one, after reading this, say that prof Soyinka is a supporter of the break up of Nigeria, a supporter of the secession of Biafra? Nor can be convincingly said he is against it. It is typical, it is not often easy to tell where they stand on most issues, particularly issues pertaining to restructuring.
When I see asiwaju Tinubu rambling on restructuring, I pardon him, because he is a politician with an eye to the presidency. Which the Fulani would never allow him, unless a situation similar to June 12 arises, and they would give it to a softer Yoruba. They mistakenly thought that Obasanjo was soft, they would have preferred a Shonekan like man. Nothing has polarized the nation, in recent times more than restructuring, and a man aiming for the presidency should be circumspect, and not dabble into divisive issues.
But Soyinka is not a politician, at least, not partisan; yet this display of rigmarole and indirectness. To imitate literary people, of which prof Soyinka is a great grand master, and use one of their words: “Methink”, Soyinka is in favour of restructuring and was only using Biafra, to force the hands of those who might be relunctant to tow his line.
Igbo should get out of Nigeria, as fast as it is possible. The Fulani are undpubtably, the masters of Nigeria. They have never loved the Igbo and would never. They are breeding like guinea pigs now, and infant mortality is reducing fast. With the mass of their people who are economically useless, soon they will achieve their objective of ruling and completely dominating Nigeria, the way they have done to the Hausa. Igbos will be the worst for it. They have no Muslims among them, and do not no how to prostrate to a man or lick his his boots. The future does not portend well for the people of former Eastern Nigeria, under Fulani complete mastery.
So will Republic Of Biafra fully support Oduduwa Peoples Republic if majority Yorubas stand for it.
I do not blame those of you who are praising Prof. Soyinka because you are doing so out of ignorance. The current oppression of the Igbos by Buhari was plotted by Soyinka, OBJ, Tinubu, who felt that Jonathan’s government treated Igbo’s as equal Nigerians and refused to adopt a 2nd Class attitude against the Igbos. They know Buhari inside out. They know Buhari will never allow Igbos any space close to even second class status. They mobilised South west to vote for Buhari just to repress and oppress the Igbos. Is it not the same Soyinka that cursed the Igbos for not voting for Buhari, that gave Buhari the cover to decimate the Igbo’s that is now playing a double edged sword, just to swell the heads of ignorant Igbo’s that he is with them. Ask Soyinka,when he was patnering with the military government and was given the Chairman of FRSC, how many Igbos he employed in FRSC? Please ignore Soyinka.
No tribe is better than Igbos in this territory. Other tribes are just dying in silence either because they do not feel needs of nature or do not have capabilities and capacity to fight like the Igbos.
Prof. Soyinka has to ran away from his native land under Abacha regime, what happen to Abiola and his wife? What happen to Bola Ige and south west election of the time? What is presently happening to Osinbajo? The same tribe or any other tribe will pretend they are fine or better than Igbos because only Igbos are fighting? That is self deception.