In a powerful statement released on Sunday, Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka condemned President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide address regarding the ongoing protests across Nigeria.
Soyinka expressed deep disappointment with the government's handling of the situation, criticizing the use of live bullets and tear gas against peaceful demonstrators. He described these actions as a "retrogression" reminiscent of colonial-era brutality.
"I set my alarm clock to ensure I did not miss President Tinubu’s address," Soyinka revealed. He was critical of the government's failure to adequately address protest management in the speech, arguing that such missteps embolden security forces to act with impunity and perpetuate a cycle of resentment and reprisals.
Highlighting the universal significance of hunger marches, Soyinka stressed that these protests are a desperate plea for governance and should not be met with violence. He urged the government to learn from other nations, citing France's Yellow Vest movement, where security forces refrained from using lethal force.
"The serving of bullets where bread is pleaded is ominous retrogression," Soyinka warned, emphasizing the need for Nigeria to break free from its colonial past and adopt more civilized approaches to handling civic unrest. He called for a permanent end to the use of lethal means by security agencies and urged marchers to draw inspiration from Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera, "Bread and Bullets," to instill a sense of shame in the ongoing failure to transcend colonial legacies.
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