Nigeria’s Situation Similar To What Led To Civil War, Says Soyinka
*Backs Operation Amotekun
Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and other prominent Nigerians on Monday said the nation’s political situation is dangerously similar to what led to the Nigeria civil war, warning that the nation cannot afford to lose another 2.5 million people to another civil war.
Soyinka who spoke at Never Again Conference: Nigerian Civil War: 50 Years after pointed out that the nation’s political situation is unpalatable, saying humanity tends to forget history, hence they risk repeating it.
Soyinka who reminisced on the events that led civil war lauded the formation of the Amotekun security outfit of the southwest states, saying that it is the greatest New Year present for the people.
He declared support for the supplementary security outfit launched in Ibadan last week, saying its emergence signified that the yearnings of Nigerians prevailed.
Earlier, elder statesman, Prof. Banji Akintoye had warned that the country is sliding dangerously towards dissolution.
Akintoye who was the co-chairman of the event organised by the Nzuka Umunna and the Ndigbo, Lagos said that “the government of our country is being managed in ways that make it look like an exclusive preserve of a particular minority. There seems to be an agenda being pursued to establish minority in all positions of command in the executive, administrative, judicial and security services of our country. the voices of the majority register protests continually and are continually disrespected and ignored.”
According to him, “if we, in our sober deference to reality, find that we can no longer hold together as one entity, then let us together peacefully fins a rational solution, and let us never again plunge into any kind of war among us.
“It is subhuman to continue to suffer pain and brutalization without trying to get rid of it. And it is insanity to keep doing a thing the same way over and over again and expect a different solution.”
According to him, “refusing to recognise and harmonise with the fundamental would certainly continue our country’s slide towards dissolution, and might soon complete the process,” adding that “we fought and ended a civil war, but we have never really moved measurably away from the brinks of civil war.”
Akintoye lamented that the “character of the affairs of our country these days, and the prevailing mood among us Nigerians, are chillingly similar to the character of the affairs of our country in the months leading to our civil war,” he cried.
Earlier, the president of the Ndigbo in Lagos, retired Major General Obi Umahi had lamented that “mutual suspicion continues to serve as a tool used by politicians to further divide us hence, setting us towards the path of eternal hate and conflict. Nigeria has never been riddled with mutual suspicion and disunity as we are today.
‘” Besides, life is cheap and threats of insecurity can almost be touched. We cannot afford to allow this to continue,” he warned.
