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If Decentralising Nigeria Will Guarantee 3 Square Meals, Let Nations Die That Humanity May Live — Soyinka

March 1, 2024 • 3 min read

He added that most Nigerian leaders were aware of the fact but they chose not to do the needful because of lack of political will and commitment.

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka on Thursday said Nigeria should break up if that will solve the age-long socio-economic problems, majorly poverty and insecurity, facing the citizens.

Soyinka stated this during his speech at the 50th Anniversary of PUNCH Newspaper in Lagos State monitored by SaharaReporters, adding that the only way to rescue Nigerians from their plight was to implement decentralisation by drafting a new protocol in which all regions would be allowed to decide whether to join or leave through their representatives without resorting to war.

He added that most Nigerian leaders were aware of the fact, but they chose not to do the needful because of lack of political will and commitment.

He said, “What do you mean by restructuring? Well, I don’t even like the word restructuring. I use, I prefer expressions like reconfiguration and decentralisation. Everybody can grasp that decentralisation. And those who lead, recognise the necessity of it. They recognise the importance, almost the inevitability of it until they get in power, yes, that’s the difference.

“It’s about time, I think leaders stopped taking this nation for a ride, you know, we must decentralize. Security, you know, has become a burden to bear. From all corners of the nation, that is the crime.

“Decentralize so that government can come closer to the people, and productivity can really be manifested as a product of citizens, not simply as a manner from heaven. That is the attitude obtained at the moment.

“I know the fear. The fear is collapse, break up. That’s been the excuse given by several regimes. But suppose the nation is breaking up informally, in other words as a fact, rather than as a theory. Then, and you better just address this. Come straight on and see exactly what happened. What is wrong with general representatives see them and say this is the protocol of our association. Anything outside of it, anyone who does not want to accept these protocols, abide by these protocols and manifest these protocols in the act should take a walk. I have no problem at all.

“We live in what is known as the nation beginning as a vast football field is ending up as a ping pong table. If that is going to restore dignity to citizens; if that is going to guarantee three square meals a day, then so be it. One of my favourite expressions with people is “Let nations die, that humanity may live.”