Nigeria in war situation, says Soyinka

Professor Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the state of the nation as a war situation going by the incessant killings of innocent people by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

Soyinka also decried  the way and manner the Federal Government was handling the insurgency,  saying it was looking at it as a short term phenomenon that could be tackled with short-term solutions.

He spoke on Wednesday via a video conference with privately owned television station, Al Jazeera, on the programme, The Stream, which focused on ‘Bringing Down Boko Haram’.

The programme also featured the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and publisher of online news portal, Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.

He said, “Nigeria is in a war situation and the entire population of Nigeria must consider itself as being in a war situation and that means the Boko Haram phenomenon should not be regarded as been limited to the Northern region alone or Borno and Yobe states.

“No, its is something that affects the entire country because these people have declared categorically that they would not  be satisfied with nothing less than not only the islamisation of Nigeria but  islamisation in their own very narrow, distorted and vicious mode; and they will not be satisfied.”

Soyinka linked the proliferation and availability of  foot soliders to the Islamist sect to corruption, misgovernance and massive youth unemployment.

He lamented that he was often at a loss on whether  to describe the sect as human or not.

He said, “The nation, the government are responsible for the proliferation and availability of foot soldiers and this is due to corruption, mammoth corruption, misgovernance, alienation, the level of unemployment, the distinct feelings – impressionable youths – of not being part of the entire polity.

“What makes it possible for a human being to behave in a way that we look for a new definition of humanity?  Even  many of our politicians got their (to power) by violence.”

The prof has said it all. What more can I say?

Boko Halal, not Boko Haram- Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate; Prof Wole Soyinka has advised the Federal Government and government at all levels to use quality education to address the nation’s growing illiteracy, noting that it is lack of education that breeds sinister groups like the Boko Haram.

Prof Soyinka made this remark on Monday, while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where he noted that Halal is the opposite of Haram.

He commended the state government for winning and hosting the World Book Capital city next year, stressing that both the state and the country will benefit from the festival.

Prof Soyinka suggested that the slogan ‘Nigeria is Boko Halal’ should be adopted as the campaign slogan for the World Book Capital.

“When they (Boko Haram insurgents) say Boko Haram, we say Boko Halal” he said.

He explained that Halal; an Islamic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, means “virtue, goodness and peace.”

Islamic fundamentalists that seek the imposition of Sharia law across Nigeria are known as Boko Haram which means ‘western education is sinful.’