Being known for his assertiveness in matters of national importance and speaking up against the injustices the federal government of Nigeria has so far, metted out against innocent IPOB members and pro-Biafra agitators which have left many dead and the IPOB leaders, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and others locked up in jail, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka,has yet again, called on Nigerian government to accord the agitators their right to seek for self-determination, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, reportedly 74years old, to reveal his health condition after spending nearly two months in Britain on medical leave.

While speaking in an interview with AFP at Paris Book Fair weekend, Soyinka also said "indigenous people had right to assert themselves as a distinct people, even within a political and geographical zone anywhere in the world."

On Buhari's health he said: “He’s ill, there’s no question, and I wish for heaven’s sake that people in public positions would just be honest. Illness is part of our existence. Buhari owes it to the nation and I don’t know why he and his advisors are being so coy about it,” Soyinka said.

Soyinka, who also noted that US President, Donald Trump, exploited “latent xenophobia” to reach the White House, said a people had a right to agitate for self- autonomy within a geographical expression. He was obviously reacting to the agitation for declaration of independent state of Biafra in the South East of Nigeria.

He said: “It’s not the real estate for me that defines a nation or a people, no, it’s a history, a culture. What is a crime within an artificial entity like Nigeria? You have states being created which are not viable.” Biafra unsuccessfully fought for independence in a brutal three-year civil war — during which Soyinka was imprisoned for nearly two years over allegations of espionage.

With the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested in October 2015, more demonstrations, rallies and awareness have surged greater than expected. In many occasions, Security forces have had to use fierce restrictions to constraint the agigators who would march-out in intimidating numbers which often than not, ends bloody.

The military denied the evidences by Amnesty International in November of how they killed some 150 Biafra protesters in the past year.

Calling for the Biafran agitators to adopt peaceful means in actualising their aim, Soyinka said: “I cannot accept the notion that people have a right to kill other people because they want to assert their identity… It it doesn’t cost anything to recognise it.”

Recall, IPOB threw its support behind Trump’s presidential campaign in the belief he would recognise their independence movement.

Soon after Britons voted to leave the European Union in a referendum last July, the group pushed for its own version of “Brexit” from Nigeria that it dubbed “Biafrexit”.

Soyinka, reacting to President Donald Trump's attitude to non-American indigenes, said Trump exploited “latent xenophobia” to reach the White House, decrying the erection of walls, especially in people’s minds, anywhere

in the world.

He said: “He played to a latent xenophobic streak which exists in all societies including mine,” said Soyinka, who renounced his US green card upon Trump’s victory in November over the Republican’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. When I see that kind of conduct… to gain power, I’m completely revolted.”

Soyinka, who was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1986, said further: “To me a horrible moment was to watch hundreds of thousands of people actually applauding when (Trump) uttered these sentiments” during the election campaign.

“I’m against the erection of walls, especially in people’s minds,” the white-haired professor added. I’ve never made any bones about it, whether it’s happening in

Nigeria” or elsewhere.”

Credit: Vanguard

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Lalasticlala, Mynd44

What's this man saying again?abeg go siddon dey look jooor.

I hope this doesn't start another e-war Am for biafra tho.

While you identify with the truths in the information and contents from this Moniker...don't forget the source is Igbobia.com...the Pan-Igbo forum that reveals real facts about and discusses the Igbo people. I registered on the site as soon as it was launched a month ago , and ever since, I fell in love with it for the unique knowledge and unknown facts it springs. Of course, anyone can register there...it is fast rising

Na now this one wake up to talk? abeggiii