Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has berated President Muhammadu Buhari over his “inability to get justice” for victims of the crises between farmers and herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgency.
The renowned playwright made the statement while delivering the keynote paper at a dialogue organised by Ripples Centre for Data and Investigative Journalism in Lagos on Thursday, March 15., The Cable reports.
Prof.Soyinka said that what we need now is justice and not sympathy, adding that rather than visiting the affected areas, Buhari should speak to people’s security needs, and bring perpetrators to book.
He said: “I get impatient when I hear things like Buhari has failed to go and sympathise with the people of Benue, with the people of Nassarawa, with the people of Dapchi or wherever.
“Who needs sympathy? Is it sympathy that will reorder their broken lives? Is sympathy the issue? We are speaking here of one commodity that is fundamentally human deserving: justice.
“There should be an internal measure to avoid repeat. We are speaking here of a president that will respond with massive action and not showing up at the arena of human desecration to shed any unjust tears, but give orders that the bloodthirsty terrorists are brought to book.”
He said that failure on the part of government has been the reason the country is yet to get over the security challenges.
Soyinka also stated that the move by the Senate to pass Hate Speech bill is to silence criticism, calling on Nigerians to kick against it, Vanguard reports.
He added: “Nigerians should not be afraid to kick against it, there is no way they will cut off any body’s head.”
The laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, assessed the government of Muhammadu Buhari and concluded that the president was under a trance.
Wole Soyinka reportedly expressed his frustration about the government at a press briefing where he spoke on the increasing agitation across the country following attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on farming communities.
Asked what he would tell Buhari if he met him, Soyinka said: “I would say: Mr President, I think you are under a trance."
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