SOYINKA TO BUHARI: STOP SHEDING UNJUST TEARS, DEAL WITH TERRORISTS

By Prince Okafor

LAGOS—Renowned playwright and Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop shedding unjust tears and deal with bloodthirsty terrorists unleashing mayhem in the country.

He also described the proposed death sentence as punishment for hate speech in Nigeria currently being deliberated in the National Assembly as an instrument to silence fierce criticism and opposition in the county.

In his keynote address at the maiden edition of Ripples Nigeria Dialogue, entitled, “Rebuilding trust in a divided Nigeria,” yesterday in Lagos, Soyinka said: “I get impatient when I hear things like Buhari has failed to go and sympathise with the people of Benue, with the people of Nasarawa, with the people of Dapchi or wherever.

“Who needs sympathy? Is it sympathy that will reorder their broken lives? Is sympathy the issue? We are speaking here of one commodity that is fundamentally human deserving—justice.

“There should an internal measure to avoid a repeat. We are speaking here of a President that will respond with massive action and not showing up at the arena of human desecration to shed any unjust tears, but give orders that the bloodthirsty terrorists are brought to book.”

On Hate Speech Bill

Soyinka also described move by the Senate to pass Hate Speech Bill with a proposed death sentence as punishment merely to silence criticism from opposition in the country...

Source: Vanguard