Be bold enough to pronounce yourself as patron of cattle rearers association, Soyinka tells Buhari

The Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to be bold enough and come out to pronounce himself as patron of the cattle rearers association, warning that his silence over the misdeeds of the herdsmen may provoke civil war in Nigeria.

Penpushing reports that,Soyinka have the advise while featuring on British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) pidgin in an interview, adding that it is clear fact that, the Nigerian President is  cattle rancher

‘The president should say openly that yes, I know I am the patron of the cattle rearers association etc., and I am a cattle rancher myself and it is a business. And I do not run my business by killing people’.

Penpushing further reports that, a word of warning from the President to checkmate excesses of the Fulani herdsmen, which include; killings, maiming and kidnapping will safe the situation, rather than keeping mute as if nothing is amiss

‘I do not run my business by raping, by displacing, by torturing. I do not run my business by occupying land that does not belong to me and I am warning a business people in the food commodity, all cattle reared, whatever comes to you for illegal occupation for trespassing on other people’s property is your business and I am ordering the army, I am ordering all the security forces to back citizens’ efforts in flushing you out”

Penpushing also reports that, the Professor of Comparative Literature and Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1986, noted that its unfortunate that  Buhari has failed to address the nation especially as the buck stops at his desk.

The prolific write pointed out that the current situation  across the country, particularly in the Southwest, may develop into a civil war, stressing that there is war on the country doorstep, but pledged to support whatever decision is taken to secure people’s rights to live in dignity.

“What do they expect of us now that the war is on our doorstep? Of course there will be mobilisation and if we keep waiting for this to be centrally handled, we are all going to become, if not already slaves in our land. That to me is personally intolerable. It is not an acceptable condition.

“And whatever it takes, I stand ready to contribute in any way and I have made my governor understand this, that we are here not just to live in but to live in dignity. Right now, our dignity is being rubbished. My forest is being taken over, it’s been shrinking, my normal hunting ground is shrinking. My family tells me that if I go in depth again, they will have me institutionalised.”

‘Many Nigerians have condemned President Buhari for not doing enough to check the criminality by armed herdsmen. Many have suggested the president’s inaction is because he is also Fulani and a patron to the main herders’ association, Miyetti Allah’.

Penpushing reports that Soyinka stated that  the first solution to the recurring menace is for Buhari to address the nation on insecurity and the way forward, stressing that he expects nothing else at this stage from him  than the statement he suggested.

“It is very late already but it is not too late. This is a language that we expect from President Buhari and as much as that language does not come, I must consider him as quite complicit in what is going on because the buck stops at his desk’.

“We may enter a phase of serious skirmishes which get more and more violent and may develop into civil war and a very untidy mercy one. That’s my biggest fear. Unless  action is taken… I am very glad that the governors are coming together and are discussing in all seriousness’.

‘I’m happy they are pulling in groups like Miyetti Allah, obviously knocking some sense into the head of their leaders and they are talking about accepting the decision of governors and agreeing to obey.”

Penpushing further reports that, Soyinka on the actions of the Yoruba warlord, Sunday Adeyemo popularly called ‘Sunday Igboho’, said he has never met him, contrary to report in some quarters that he called him a hero, but admitted that, Igboho as responded to the situation in a way he knew how

“We’ve never met, I hope people will always report things properly. I saw a byline of one media report that Wole Soyinka calls Igboho a hero; I never made any such thing. Sunday Igboho has responded to the situation in the way he knew how. Now you will see that he’s trying to work with others’, he explained.

“Somebody one day reaches an explosion point and he says I cannot take this any longer and he takes unilateral action. It may be excessive, it may be wrong but what matters is that somebody has responded to an unacceptable situation. Any error which he makes is for the rest of us to correct by calling him and I know that a number of people are doing that”,Soyinka said

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