Insecurity: Soyinka makes case for state of emergency in southwest

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Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the southwest region in the face of heightened insecurity.

Soyinka made the call at D.O Fagunwa Study Group International Conference held in Akure, Ondo State on Thursday to celebrate his 85th birthday.

The conference had as theme ‘Wole Soyinka, DO Fagunwa and the Yoruba Artistic Heritage.’

The playwright said that the most appropriate measure to take in view of the insecurity that had pervaded the whole of the South West was to declare a state of emergency across the region.

“As regards the insecurity in the South West, there is an emergency. There should be a declaration of security emergency throughout the land and measures taken accordingly.

“There are many directions of security lapses, you know it here, especially in Ondo State. It is a calamity throughout the whole nation. Indeed, there is an emergency,” he said.

Soyinka said the governors must work assiduously toward tackling the menace of insecurity. He noted that this applies especially to those in the South West geo-political zone.

However, Soyinka expressed gratitude to Ondo State Government for celebrating his 85th birthday.

Further, he expressed appreciation for the completion of the ‘Dome’ which was meant to celebrate art and culture.

Speaking, the Ondo State governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu said the nation had allowed unreasonable competition, ethnicism, tribalism, corruption, political and economic ownership of the nation to slow down the pace of self-realisation.

He affirmed that in Africa, the challenge has moved largely from the legitimacy of governance institutions to its responsiveness to the need for a coordinated plan for cultural integration, economic development and general human capital development.

Nevertheless, he expressed excitement at the 85th birthday celebration of Soyinka.

The governor described Soyinka as his mentor and supporter, a first class academic, playwright, poet, novelist, and great human condition activist.

He said Soyinka’s life is a lesson for public office holders. He attributed this to his elevation of the art of partisan living as the biggest ideal of social reclamation.

“I join other well meaning Nigerians and the world at large to wish you, our great emblem of decency and justice, a happy 85th birthday!

“I am fully convinced that your gathering here is another of those creative moments of rethinking our journey as a nation and our health as a society in search of its own civilisation.

“I have read a bit of the book of proceeding of your last conference and I am convinced of the vigour, depth and clear headedness with which your Study Group addresses the myriad of challenges that the human mind faces in its quest for self reinvention and reclamation.

“For all that we know, humanity is passing through some of its trying periods. Globally, definition of peace, progress, liberty and prosperity is interrogating the best of our civilisation today.

“From leadership crisis which torments the sanest of public organisations to the fearful response of a traumatised followership, the narrative is clear: we must check and recheck the path on which we tread,” Akeredolu said.

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