Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has said Nigeria should break up if the way would solve the country’s challenges.
Soyinka stated this during the PUNCH Newspapers’ 50th-anniversary lecture that took place in Lagos.
While delivering his lecture titled ‘Recovering the Narrative’, Soyinka said Nigeria should be decentralized for Nigerians to enjoy the country better.
The lecture was delivered by the Nobel laureate and it was part of the weeklong activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of PUNCH.
Soyinka said decentralization would allow governance to get closer to the people and added that it was high time for leaders to stop taking Nigerians for a ride.
He said: “I know the fear. The fear is collapse, break up. That’s been the excuse given by several regimes. But suppose the nation is breaking up informally, in other words as a fact rather than as a theory. Then, and you better just address this. Come straight on and see exactly what happened. What is wrong with general representatives seeing them and saying this is the protocol of our association, Anything outside of it? Anyone who does not want to accept these protocols, abide by these protocols and manifest these protocols in the act should take a walk. I have no problem at all.
“We live in what is known as the nation beginning as a vast football field is ending up as a ping pong table. If that is going to restore dignity to citizens. If that is going to guarantee three square meals a day then so be it. One of my favourite expressions with people is “Let nations die, that humanity may live.”
He explained that though Nigerian politicians know the importance of restructuring, they change their stance when they get to power.
He said: “What do you mean by restructuring? Well, I don’t even like the word restructuring. I use, I prefer expressions like reconfiguration and decentralization. Everybody can grasp that, decentralization. And those who lead, recognize the necessity of it. They recognize the importance, almost the inevitability of it until they get into power, yes, that’s the difference.
“It’s about time, I think leaders stopped taking this nation for a ride, you know, we must decentralize. Security, you know, has become a burden to bear. From all corners of the nation, that is the crime.
“Decentralized so that government can come closer to the people, and productivity can really be manifested as a product of citizens, not simply as a manna from heaven.”
