Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has described as slammed
the old governor of the old Kaduna State, Mr. Balarabe Musa, over his comment
that the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Operation Amotekun is a
prelude to the declaration of Oduduwa Republic by the southwest.
Balarabe, who spoke in an interview with a national daily, had also queried the presence of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Afenifere, the Yoruba socia-cultural organisation, insisting that the two are secessionists in nature and practice.
“First of all, taking into account what happened in the history of Nigeria, this Amotekun will lead to a declaration of Oduduwa Republic. Look at the composition of those who constitute the organization in addition to the six state governors. There is also the OPC, Afenifere, and others. So, the fear is quite obvious. And this is in spite of the fact that this government is incompetent. Definitely, this government is incompetent. And it is because of the incompetence of this government that this problem has arisen….
“And unfortunately for them in spite of the intellectual aura of the elite class in the Southwest they couldn’t be articulate because they could have been articulate like the Kano State did in the case of Hisbah. They went through the State House of Assembly.
“Now, if this Amotekun had been taken through the six state Houses of Assembly before it was formed you could say they have a case in the sense that the state Houses of Assembly are in charge of law making.
“Secondly, the governor of each state is the chief security officer of his state. So, if you combine this two and enact a law allowing for the formation of Amotekun, they would have gotten it right. But in spite of their articulation they failed to do so, which means it must be deliberate that what they are concerned exactly is an Oduduwa State.
But Soyinka in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, said urged Nigerian to avoid the blunder by Musa.
He described Musa’s statement as a “recipe for tragedy.”
In a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, Soyinka said he wished Nigeria to avoid the blunder by Musa.
Soyinka said: “Balarabe is sadly but I hope not tragically wrong. I invoke the tragic dimension here because the making of tragedy, especially for nations, often begins when fears are mistaken or promoted as facts, and governments either by themselves, or together with interest groups, are enticed by fears into embarking on precipitate, irrational, and irreversible acts.
“Such acts turn out, in the end, to be based on nothing but fears, sometimes generated by guilt over past injustices, such as inequitable dealing. That is the basis of tragedy, towards which nations are propelled by a partial, or wrongful reading of socio-political realities and history. I would like to see this nation avoid such a blunder. So, I am certain, would Balarabe Musa.
“Raising the spectre of secession is a facile approach to the dangerous, self-evident lapses in governance which Balarabe himself acknowledges in his response to the Amotekun principle made flesh.
“The midwives of Amotekun have repeatedly acknowledged that theirs is only a contribution towards a crisis of escalating proportions. Other states should be encouraged to emulate, not misread such initiatives, then demonise them by false attributions. That is the certain recipe for tragedy.
Also reacting, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Mr. Gani Adams said the fear of the North is that the existence of Amotekun would jeorpadise their conquest agenda.
He said the northern leaders are not for good governance, but to plan conquest agenda.
“Let me say this clearly, the emergence of Amotekun is the beginning of wisdom, and the fear of the northern oligarchy is that the existence of Amotekun might jeopardise their conquest agenda. They are not for good governance, but interested in their conquest agenda,” he said.
Adams added: “The Hisbah and Civilian JTF in the north, are they plot to establish Arewa Republic?
“Since criminal Fulani have been killing people in the past four years, even when they overran Falae’s farmland, have you come to pay a condolence visit to Olu Falae as your friend or made a statement of condolence to the South West?
“As a former governor in Nigeria, when did he become a spokesman for the North, that he is now addicted to condemning any good initiative from the South West?
“It is on record that, he is the only former governor in Nigeria, who operated a one-man show, had no aide, and had no followership.”
Reacting to the comment on OPC from the North, Adams said: “We are pleased because, the fear of OPC against the criminals in the North is the beginning of wisdom. Their fear in the North is that OPC will not compromise on the security situation.”
He urged traditional rulers in the southwest region, state houses of assembly and all political leaders to support Operation Amotekun.
“As we can see and observe, since the launch of Amotekun few weeks ago, criminal activities are gradually going into oblivion; examples include kidnapping, invasion of farmland and other social vices. The existence of Amotekun is now the beginning of wisdom.
“I’m equally calling on southwest state houses of assembly to pass the initiative into law within two weeks like what had happened in some northern states on Hisbah Commission and civilian JTF in Bornu State,” Adams added.
