Professor Wole Soyinka has said Nigeria cannot progress unless the country is restructured. According to him, the three-year-long civil war that the country witnessed between 1967-70 would continue as long as the country continued to apply unfair and uneven policies among her citizens.https://nigeriancurrent.com/2024/02/29/recovering-the-narrative/
Speaking on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of The Punch Newspapers in Lagos, the Nobel laureate said the Japa syndrome was part of the citizens’ choice to flee their homeland and prefer to be second-class citizens in another country because of uneven policies. He said whether it is restructured, reconfigured or decentralized, the country needs to undergo a recalibration process to ensure fairness and freedom of all citizens.
He said he saw nothing wrong with the demand of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which had been canvassing for a plebiscite to determine whether the eastern part of the country was still interested in being of a part of the country called Nigeria.
Soyinka said, “The definition of a nation is not absolute. There is nothing sacrosanct about nation building, it is a work in progress. It is time leaders stop taking this nation for a ride. Decentralisation is necessary. Let nations die that humanity might live.”
He berated the authorities for allowing the murders of Deborah Samuel to go scot-free even as their pictures and weapons with which the crime was committed are all over the public media. He criticised the idea of sharing palliatives to the people saying the idea of the word is just a stop-gap measure and not a solution to any problems.
Speaking on the topic “Recovering The Narrative”, Soyinka lauded the role of the media saying it has the power to shape the narrative. He lauded The Punch Newspapers for its fierce stance against dictatorship.
In her speech, the Chairman of Punch Newspapers, Mrs Angela Enuwa described the media house as “a witness to history and part of shaping the country’s narrative” since its establishment. According to her, the paper has helped in championing the cause of justice in the country. She lauded those who contributed to the growth of the company.
Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Musa Idris Malagi said the government’s policies so far have been taken with the bet interest of the populace. He said some of these might be painful for now, but he assured that at the end of the day, people would rejoice.
The lecture was attended by a cross-section of leaders of industry, media leaders, publishers and politicians.
