Buhari Is Following Abacha’s Style – Soyinka

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has faulted the continued detention of civil rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of State Security, DSS, noting that the term ‘revolution’ does not necessarily means undemocratic and forceful change of government.

Wole Soyinka, who had in the past masterminded protests noted that the arrest of the Saharareporters’ publisher is a violation of the fundamental human right of people to congregate and make public their concerns, adding that the Nigeria Police Force should face its responsibility of managing protests rather than declaring intent of the term ‘revolution’.

He made this known in a statement titled: “Surely, Not Again!!!”. 

The Nobel laureate urged the Inspector General of Police to scan through daily media reports to know the prevalence of societal ills in the Nigerian society and the need to drawn attention to them through mass action for societal change.

He described the reasons for the arrest of Sowore by the IGP as ” totally contrived and untenable, unsupported by any shred of evidence” while noting that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari shared similarities with the military regime of General Sani Abacha in that citizens are arrested in Gestapo-like manner.

He said: “Nothing that he said to me in private engagement ever remotely approached intent to destabilize governance or bypass the normal democratic means of changing a government. I therefore find the reasons given by the Inspector-General, for the arrest and detention of this young ex-presidential candidate totally contrived and untenable, unsupported by any shred of evidence. His arrest is a travesty and violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to congregate and make public their concerns.

“Religious bodies have urged such remedies, so have civic associations. The ready recourse to arrests, incarceration and threats to civilians are ultimately counter-productive. They alienate the citizens, erode their confidence in governance responsiveness, and thereby advance the very extremist nightmare that security agencies believe they are acting to thwart.

“If we cannot learn from the histories and experiences of other societies, let us at least learn from ours. Freedom is not so glibly qualified. It cannot be doled out like slops of charity from soup kitchens. Let the Police stick to their task of protecting and managing protests, not attempt to place their own meaning and declaration of intent on bogey words like – revolution,” Soyinka stated.

“This is all so sadly déjà vu. How often must we go through this wearisome cycle? We underwent identical cynical contrivances under the late, unlamented Sani Abacha, when he sent storm-troopers to disrupt a planning session for a similar across-nation march at Tai Solarin School, Ikenne. This was followed up by a personalized letter that was hand delivered by the State Security Services to me under their summons, at their Abeokuta so-called ‘Annexe’ with near identical wording to the threats contained in today’s release from the desk of the Chief of Police. At least, I was summoned, not subjected to a terrorist midnight arrest. Some irony!

“And yet again, even a faceless cabal under yet another civilian regime refused to be left out of the insensate play of power. A march on Aso Rock calling for an end to governance by a ghostly entity was slated to be crushed, but fortunately, a conflicting balance of interests decided in favour of a reduced trajectory of protest.

And so on and on and on, in a nation which continues to speak at once through both sides of the mouth, spewing out the same Treason monotone, as if this was a magic incantation that could substitute for the venting of mass feelings, even as collective therapy.”

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG