I’m no longer certain I believe in Project Nigeria – Soyinka
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Friday said he is no longer certain if he believed in project Nigeria anymore following the trends of things in the country.
Soyinka, in a statement, titled: “Fascism on Course,” had lamented the downturn of events in Nigeria in which some people sought to muzzle others to believe only in what they think.
He decried that project Nigeria had become near terminally soul-searing, which he is not certain if he still believe in it.
He said “Project NIGERIA, I must confess, has become near terminally soul-searing. Do I still believe in it? I am no longer certain but – first, we must rid ourselves of the tyranny of the ignorant and the opportunism of time-servers.
“In any case, there is not much else to engage one on a foundation of ownership stakes. There is of course, always the possibility of a Revolution, with a clarity of purpose and acceptance of all attendant risks, including costly errors.
“Revolutions are not however based on the impetus of speculative power entitlement. No matter, until that moment, the structures that ensure just and equitable cohabitation must be protected from partisan appropriation – be it from material inducement, fake news, or verbal terrorism – the last being the contribution of one who is positioned to assume co-leadership of the nation, no less.”
Soyinka stated that revolution is not about lining up behind the nearest available symbol, saying that “When a symbol does emerge however, we are still obliged to examine every aspect of what is fortuitously on offer, and continue to guard our freedoms every inch of the way.”
The Nobel Laureate also condemned the sanctions imposed on Channels Television which anchored the performance of the LP candidate.
He said he watched the programme keenly – saw the valiant efforts of the interviewer to ensure fair hearing, saying he failed to understand just where the station could be faulted, except from a disposition for injustice.
“To sustain that penalty is to give joy to others who turn Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced.
“If CHANNELS feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr. Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer,” he said.