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Nigeria may not remain one if we don’t decentralize fast—SOYINKA
By Modupe Shodeinde
Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Monday said that Nigeria is on a suicide slide, if the federal government fails to urgently address the acceleration of disintegration.
According to him, it will be difficult for Nigeria to remain one, if the present government fails to decentralize as fast as possible.
Soyinka, who spoke in an interview on Arise TV, said: “On this so-called democracy, we are embarking on a nose-dive or what I will describe as suicide drive and Buhari needs to listen to all different agitations and initiatives which are taking place around him.
“He should recognize the fact that the tempo of disintegration of this country has accelerated in the last couple of years beyond anything we ever knew since the civil war, and I’m not sure Nigeria can remain as one if we fail to decentralize.
“If Nigeria fails to decentralize as fast as possible, in such a way that people will see it manifesting, then Nigeria cannot stay together. If a nation is on suicide slide, the people who feel that they do not deserve that kind of suicidal slide have a right to say sorry, we are getting off this plane before it nose-dived.
“I am beginning to believe that people have different definitions for democracy, particularly our political leaders and I’m beginning to wonder whether this government, led by Buhari, really understands the implication and full responsibility and commitment involved when people say they are practising democracy.”
Also speaking on the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, Soyinka said the manner the Federal Government is handling agitations across the country showed that it is not ready to listen to the people.
He said cutting off various channels of expression open to any populace, is abrogating the very essence of democracy.
“When you truncate any channel of self-expression of people, you literarily become an enemy of democracy.
“Also the language used by Buhari in responding to agitation for secession is very unfortunate. Any sensitive leader must understand and respond to reasons behind those agitations, not to start to threaten, bully or intimidate people.
