Nigeria should not to break up, but… —Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has said that Nigeria has a
country has to be negotiated on the premise that the most virile
nations came to being through negotiation, even as he answered no
to the question as to whether Nigeria should break up as a
country.

This, Prof. Soyinka at a grand programme organised by the
Bayelsa State government with the theme “A Day with Nobel Laureate
and Literary Icons” at the Ijaw National Academy commissioned by
former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, in Kaiama,
Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.

The Nobel Laureate said there is a lot of mix up over argument
bordering on restructuring, stressing that sometimes when people
say negotiate, what they really mean is restructure, even as he
noted that nobody should tell him that Nigeria, as it stands is not
negotiable.

Prof. Soyinka averred that contrary to views held by some
Nigeria, the nation has got to be negotiated and it includes:
ensuring there is no marginalisation, with control of resources,
structuring the nation in a way that the constituents are not
feeding an over-bloated centre to the detriment of their own
development.

He alluded that instead of the rhetoric over whether the nation
should break up, the question, or what should dominate the
reasoning of Nigerians is what are we ready to sacrifice, what
effort are we willing to make to ensure our country remain intact
in the face of myriad agitations and issues.

Also, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on the question
as to whether Nigeria should continue to exist as a united country
said the continuous existence of the nation as a united country is
desirable, but that several issues raised in the front burner has
to be addressed.

He noted that the Ijaw nation has feed Nigeria for the past 61
years, yet no commensurable return to the state, adding that what
they call oil bloc is the portion of land taken from Ijaw people,
even as he told the students that the land his their heritage.

Dickson said “what is going on in your backyard, oil blocs,
pollution and emission of toxic waste that has desecrated your
environment, I call it environmental terrorism and injustice, feel
free to ask questions, negotiate and do not let anybody intimidate
you, that is why we invested in education as a weapon to fight
intimidation and oppression.

The Governor posited that nobody would tell Bayelsans that they
have nothing to negotiate, because there are so many things to
negotiate, regretting that the state by decree was created with
eight councils while some other have over 40 councils is
unacceptable, adding that Bayelsa get less than one quarter of what
these states get, even as he noted that it accounted for councils’
inability to pay up salaries of workers because the state does not
have control over what it produce.

Said he “if I have been able to build the Ijaw National Academy
and several other infrastructures with scare resources in time of
recession, you can imagine what I would have done if we are given
our full entitlement or allowed to control our resources, the state
would have looked like Dubai.

He charged the students to always stand up for their right,
stressing that government investment in education would amount to
waste if they are unable to say no when no is the right answer,
because he expects them reason intellectually and to always use
their mind to stand, support and promote justice.

Dickson reiterated that negotiation must be sustained, saying
“All of us have issues to bring to the table for amicable
resolution so that we can make our union perfect, enduring and
sustainable.

He emphasized that the literary icon were brought to interact
with the students to motivate them to aspire to become the best in
their academic pursuit, stressing that government desire is
targeted towards grooming a new generation of leaders for the Ijaw
nation.

The Governor urged them to shun cultism, militancy, criminality
and all negative vices that crept into the state as a result of
ignorance that pervades Ijaw land prior to now, even as he noted
that government would not relent but do more in the area of
educating human minds.

Dickson averred that government have built several
infrastructures, including the world class Diagnostic hospital,
State Specialist hospital with Dialysis machine, the iconic
government house commissioned by Gowon, but all remains in vain
without building the minds of the young ones.

“In vain do we build the roads, bridges and government house
because in the end all amount to mere bricks and cement, if we
don’t first build your minds” Dickson said.

High point of the events was the cutting of the 83rd birthday
cake of Prof. Soyinka, others were drama presentations, cultural
dance, recitation of poems (Abiku) written by Prof, Soyinka,
casualty by John Pepper Clark and River Nun by Pa Gabriel
Okara.

Dignitaries at the event include, former deputy governor of
Sokoto State, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, former minister, Labaran
Maku, state deputy governor, Gboribiogha John Jonah, members of the
national and state assembly and top government functionaries.

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has said that Nigeria has a
country has to be negotiated on the premise that the most virile
nations came to being through negotiation, even as he answered no
to the question as to whether Nigeria should break up as a
country.

This, Prof. Soyinka at a grand programme organised by the
Bayelsa State government with the theme “A Day with Nobel Laureate
and Literary Icons” at the Ijaw National Academy commissioned by
former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, in Kaiama,
Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.

The Nobel Laureate said there is a lot of mix up over argument
bordering on restructuring, stressing that sometimes when people
say negotiate, what they really mean is restructure, even as he
noted that nobody should tell him that Nigeria, as it stands is not
negotiable.

Prof. Soyinka averred that contrary to views held by some
Nigeria, the nation has got to be negotiated and it includes:
ensuring there is no marginalisation, with control of resources,
structuring the nation in a way that the constituents are not
feeding an over-bloated centre to the detriment of their own
development.

He alluded that instead of the rhetoric over whether the nation
should break up, the question, or what should dominate the
reasoning of Nigerians is what are we ready to sacrifice, what
effort are we willing to make to ensure our country remain intact
in the face of myriad agitations and issues.

Also, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on the question
as to whether Nigeria should continue to exist as a united country
said the continuous existence of the nation as a united country is
desirable, but that several issues raised in the front burner has
to be addressed.

He noted that the Ijaw nation has feed Nigeria for the past 61
years, yet no commensurable return to the state, adding that what
they call oil bloc is the portion of land taken from Ijaw people,
even as he told the students that the land his their heritage.

Dickson said “what is going on in your backyard, oil blocs,
pollution and emission of toxic waste that has desecrated your
environment, I call it environmental terrorism and injustice, feel
free to ask questions, negotiate and do not let anybody intimidate
you, that is why we invested in education as a weapon to fight
intimidation and oppression.

The Governor posited that nobody would tell Bayelsans that they
have nothing to negotiate, because there are so many things to
negotiate, regretting that the state by decree was created with
eight councils while some other have over 40 councils is
unacceptable, adding that Bayelsa get less than one quarter of what
these states get, even as he noted that it accounted for councils’
inability to pay up salaries of workers because the state does not
have control over what it produce.

Said he “if I have been able to build the Ijaw National Academy
and several other infrastructures with scare resources in time of
recession, you can imagine what I would have done if we are given
our full entitlement or allowed to control our resources, the state
would have looked like Dubai.

He charged the students to always stand up for their right,
stressing that government investment in education would amount to
waste if they are unable to say no when no is the right answer,
because he expects them reason intellectually and to always use
their mind to stand, support and promote justice.

Dickson reiterated that negotiation must be sustained, saying
“All of us have issues to bring to the table for amicable
resolution so that we can make our union perfect, enduring and
sustainable.

He emphasized that the literary icon were brought to interact
with the students to motivate them to aspire to become the best in
their academic pursuit, stressing that government desire is
targeted towards grooming a new generation of leaders for the Ijaw
nation.

The Governor urged them to shun cultism, militancy, criminality
and all negative vices that crept into the state as a result of
ignorance that pervades Ijaw land prior to now, even as he noted
that government would not relent but do more in the area of
educating human minds.

Dickson averred that government have built several
infrastructures, including the world class Diagnostic hospital,
State Specialist hospital with Dialysis machine, the iconic
government house commissioned by Gowon, but all remains in vain
without building the minds of the young ones.

“In vain do we build the roads, bridges and government house
because in the end all amount to mere bricks and cement, if we
don’t first build your minds” Dickson said.

High point of the events was the cutting of the 83rd birthday
cake of Prof. Soyinka, others were drama presentations, cultural
dance, recitation of poems (Abiku) written by Prof, Soyinka,
casualty by John Pepper Clark and River Nun by Pa Gabriel
Okara.

Dignitaries at the event include, former deputy governor of
Sokoto State, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, former minister, Labaran
Maku, state deputy governor, Gboribiogha John Jonah, members of the
national and state assembly and top government functionaries.