Wole Soyinka reacts to Operation Amotekun, Balarabe

Admin l Tuesday, January 21, 2020

LAGOS, Nigeria – Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has reacted to Operation Amotekun, which was set up by the 6 governors in Western Nigeria, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Osun and Oyo State.

Membership of Operation Amotekun is drawn from Oodua Peoples Congress(OPC), the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, South-West Hunters Association, the South-West Agbekoya Group, Agbekoya Farmers Society Group, Yoruba Youth Council and the Community Security Awareness Initiative Corps of Nigeria.

Reacting to the formation of Operation Amotekun, former Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Balarabe Musa said this Amotekun will lead to a declaration of Oduduwa Republic.

“Look at the composition of those who constitute the organization in addition to the six states governors. There is also the OPC, Afenifere, and others. So the fear is quite obvious. And this is in spite of the fact that this government is incompetent.

“Definitely, this government is incompetent. And it is because of the incompetence of this government that this problem has arisen. But let us also not forget that this Federal Government is an alliance between the North and the Southwest. So, why should this happen? Any correction in the set up of the country is possible if this alliance, which controls the government in the country can do its work.

Reacting to the outburst of Balarabe Musa, Professor Wole Soyinka explained that the midwives of Amotekun have repeatedly acknowledged that theirs is only a contribution towards a crisis of escalating proportions adding that other states should be encouraged to emulate and not misread such initiatives, then demonize them by false attributions.

“Balarabe is sadly, but I hope not tragically wrong. I invoke the tragic dimension here because the making of tragedy, especially for nations, often begins when fears are mistaken, or promoted as facts, and governments either by themselves, or together with interest groups, are enticed by fears into embarking on precipitate, irrational, and irreversible acts.

“Such acts turn out to the end to be based on nothing but fears, sometimes generated by guilt over past injustices, such as inequitable dealing. That is the basis of tragedy, towards which nations are propelled by a partial, or wrongful reading of socio-political realities and – history. I would like to see this nation avoid such a blunder.

“So, I am certain, would Balarabe Musa. Raising the spectre of secession is a facile approach to the dangerous, self-evident lapses in governance which Balarabe himself acknowledges in his response to the Amotekun principle made flesh.

“The midwives of Amotekun have repeatedly acknowledged that theirs is only a contribution towards a crisis of escalating proportions. Other states should be encouraged to emulate, not misread such initiatives, then demonize them by false attributions. That is the certain recipe for tragedy”, he said.