Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged the Federal Government to employ more diplomacy in handling the agitation for the Republic of Biafra.
Soyinka said statements like “Nigeria is indivisible”, “This won’t happen under my watch,” “Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable” would not help matters.
The Nobel laureate spoke in an interview on Channels Television programme, Channels Books’ Club.
Agitation for the Republic of Biafra gained more traction recently following the arrest of Director of outlawed Biafra Radio, Nnamdi Kanu.
The protesters had taken over the Niger Bridge, Onitsha, Anambra State blocking traffic and it took the intervention of security agents before they could be dislodged, leaving some persons dead in its wake.
Soyinka asked President Muhammadu Buhari to approach the agitation in a more diplomatic way, pointing out that he had said earlier that Biafra cannot be defeated.
According to him, ”Once an idea has taken off, you may defeat those behind it in a war but that does not mean the end of the idea.”
But he lamented that he had been misunderstood at the time.
He said the attitude of the government should be to sit down with the those leading the renewed agitation and ask: “What can we do to make the Igbo feel part of the country, what can we do to make them to feel that they belong and not alienated.
“This is what we are ready to push for in the overall governance content of the country. It is not to be carrying on that this will not happen under my watch; Nigeria is indivisible, Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable, he stated” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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You we live long sir,our govt.is so blamd to look beyoung they young youth that is they cause
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment...Yes, good reasoning, good talk, good advice. I hope new sherrif is listening. God bless Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteBuhari think that biafrans
ReplyDeletenation talk with wisdom stop talking anyhow because I know very well that u are no body do things with wisdom stop doing thing anyhow because I know that u can't stand war some Nigerians who don't know u see u as a great man but me and u knows that u are not people that know u well knows that u are just a woman soldier and wicked
Buhari think that biafrans
ReplyDeletenation talk with wisdom stop talking anyhow because I know very well that u are no body do things with wisdom stop doing thing anyhow because I know that u can't stand war some Nigerians who don't know u see u as a great man but me and u knows that u are not people that know u well knows that u are just a woman soldier and wicked
Guy, reading this has caused me pain yet I still did not get your point. Is this supposed to be English please?
DeleteGuy, reading this has caused me pain yet I still did not get your point. Is this supposed to be English please?
DeleteWole Soyinka you will live long,instead of buhari applying sense, the aboki that ought to have been in his cattle farm grazing with cattle, wants to use his dictator power to kill Ibos.
ReplyDeleteWole Soyinka you will live long,instead of buhari applying sense, the aboki that ought to have been in his cattle farm grazing with cattle, wants to use his dictator power to kill Ibos.
ReplyDeleteGod is watching althings that was halping in nigeria today becuse biafra have the to protise there fredom
ReplyDeleteSoyinka will be insulted by Igbos in the end and accused of tricking Igbos to go to war. Leave them alone. Igbos have had it nice in Nigeria. They should learn to be in opposition. It is now clear that they have had their slot in the Jonathan Presudency. Otherwise why mourning the Jonathan loss more than Ijaws. Why continuing to irritate and hate Yorubas for choosing Buhari over Jonathan. But I agree that we should have a referendum for them so that they can go if they choose to. They are the ones that will suffer. Nobody that is not Igno lives in Igboland. So they are the ones that will suffer as they will need work permit and Niafran Passport to come to Kaduna and Kano or Lagos and Southwest to trade.
ReplyDeleteNortherners are now wiser and agree with Southwest and South South that igbos are traitors, expansionist and cannot be satisfied
SECRETARY, MAIKANO COLLECTIVE
Maikano just admit that you are jealous of the Igbos before you die young
DeleteMaikano, this shows that you are the greatest fool on earth. Even you name cant show ur origin. Maikano
DeleteYou think we need oil. We need freedom. If biafra was only desert we will still be one of the richest counties in the world. Why? Because Igbo are the richest in Nigeria ok average despite giving them only 20 pounds after the war. The entrepreneur nature of the igbo man will see him through. Just remember that.
DeleteToo pompous, arrogant and lacking depth in logics. In Nigeria today the Ibos will not appear in top 10 richest persons. They can struggle to share in 10 erudite scholars. They can take all top 10 money ritualits. Share top 10 drug barons/fraudsters etc. Biafra I support if that will make our passports to be respected worldwide
DeleteHahahahahahahahahahaha Hahahahahahahahahahaha yh we are all jealous that is why we are protecting the future of your children who will have no future if you stupidly divide your country
DeleteFace it, Biafran problem is more internal than external. If erstwhile governors of the South Eastern States had honestly put service before gains, it would have been different. Granted that no former governor of the Nigerian states qualifies as clean, the Igbo-state governors have been very heartless, notorious kleptomaniacs. For a people who love their freedom like the Biafrans, political leaders should be at the forefront of using the Federal Government allocation, to which they do not contribute, in re-ordering their lives, develop their homelands as a prerequisite for autonomy and maybe breakaway with honour, if they so wished.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Buhari would want to see a break up now because both the north and Biafra enclaves cannot stand on their feet.
Let us not forget that Ojukwu, who, insulated from the suffering that followed his bloody attempt at secession, enjoyed every moment of his elitist existence cozying up abroad, and later marring a beauty queen, who, but for also being a member of the Igbo oligarch clique, would have been counted among the dead victims of Biafra war. Born with silver spoon, Ojukwu didn't share in the misery and loss that majority of his kinsmen suffered. Kanu, the new kid on the Biafran block, echoes same pattern. A son of some potentate in his village, holding a UK citizenship, Kanu would have hardly done this if there were no safety valves. To show his commitment, ask him to fully claim his Igbohood and renounce his UK citizenship. Then, I will join his crusade! Meanwhile, prevail on your governors and political officeholders to work for the collective good of the people, so that when your region is seen to have left other regions behind, you will be respected as having worked too hard to share your fortunes with the lazy others.
Wow! Amazing write up. So amazing. Lovely piece. I wish this Igbos could see beyond their eyebrows. South Sudan is more than enough an example that should set their thinking straight. Your predicament, if at all you succeed in seceding, would be worst. Sheathe your swords and let's work for a better and united Nigeria. The entire world itself is temporal. Why the hype?
DeleteIt's Suraj.
Why only South Sudan to use as an example. They where killing each between them in the south before independence so it a daft example to use.
DeleteAt MAIKANO COLLECTIVE, You are the biggest fool that needs to go back and continue to beg like aboki you are before saying that igbos are traitors etc.
ReplyDeleteGood comment Safari! I'm an Igbo and I totally agree with you on this! Regardless that we hv been marginalized as seen in d loop-slided appointments by Gen. Buhari, our major enemies r d Governors in d south-east that has made no effort to develop the region; all they care about is their stomach and pockets...wat an ignominy!!! take for instance Aba in Abia State; that should be d biz hub in d south-east. Go 2 Aba and see raw-talent yet to be harnessed! Yet no infrastructure whatsoever 2 make dis dream a reality. No road, no water, no light...Shame! And d last buffoon of a Governor (T.A Orji) is lounging in d Senate quarters against d mandate of d people. My fellow brothers, Charity they say begins @ home. We hv 2 Love ourselves 1st before we expect others to show us Love...Ndewo nu!
ReplyDeleteYou are an intelligent person. Respect!!
DeleteGood comment Safari! I'm an Igbo and I totally agree with you on this! Regardless that we hv been marginalized as seen in d loop-slided appointments by Gen. Buhari, our major enemies r d Governors in d south-east that has made no effort to develop the region; all they care about is their stomach and pockets...wat an ignominy!!! take for instance Aba in Abia State; that should be d biz hub in d south-east. Go 2 Aba and see raw-talent yet to be harnessed! Yet no infrastructure whatsoever 2 make dis dream a reality. No road, no water, no light...Shame! And d last buffoon of a Governor (T.A Orji) is lounging in d Senate quarters against d mandate of d people. My fellow brothers, Charity they say begins @ home. We hv 2 Love ourselves 1st before we expect others to show us Love...Ndewo nu!
ReplyDeleteNIgerian are u looked upon as a group of talented, educated, gifted set of people all over the world. Yet at home our people are very sentimenta, irrirational and bias set of people. Our major problem is our leaders are selfish greedy and ungodly set of leaders and our people are just zombie or merely follow follow. Ujukwu fought a war and ran away came back and has forgotten all his ideologies that he said he believed in for taking the igbos to war, if u believe in something live it and die for it,he later became a senator and was given his entitlements.those innocent people, who lost their lives during the war were gone.may their innocent seouls rest in perfect peace.The innocent always suffer. Now a young man from Europe with dual citizenship is here again to carry us into war, for the innocent to suffer again, while he hold onto his uk citizenship so whenever the war start the zombies starts dying again the main actor find his way.let think NIgerians.Our love for our country should be paramount and we can only do that by making a positive change.where are the governors, let turn things around in the east let encourage our tallented young men let build and stop shedding their bloods.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous December 9, 2015 at 10:17 AM coment... do you know that your a fool. your a judas among the igbos
ReplyDeleteI think the best way is for the FG to conduct referendum for the IGBOs if majority decides to have their Biafara country let it be but avoid blood shed again.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Biafrans don be foolish instead of making noise or calling Buhari names you guys should declared war in nigeria and see the outcome of it.
ReplyDeleteMajority of Ibo folks does not know what they are asking for..
ReplyDeleteIn 2004 i saw ibo folks during a harsh winter in helsinki finland buying containers
upon containers of clearance stock fish (okporoko) to be exported to lagos port..
last year I also saw ibo boys buying containers of used vehicle tyres in Australia
to be exported to apapa port. If they cut away will they still be using nigeria ports to import their stuff???????
Cant people like Ngozi Okonjo Iweala who is an expert economist and president at world bank
educate her people on economic implications of their request??? ??
where is charles soludo former CBN president ..where is Oghuma former CBN president too..
Gov Willy Obiano is a renowned accountant in the United States b4 he returned to Nigeria to head
Fidelity bank , can he construct a deep vessel port at River niger in Onitsha????
where is Prof Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School ????
I wonder why the ibo professionals are silent on this issue.....
Truely,Igbos are never cooperative.They are only selfish.Buhari,Pls,use diplomacy and wisdom to deal with them.May God continue to guide u.Thank u prof.
ReplyDeleteThe igbos should call for a referendum, they are free to leave if they want to, I believe there is more to this call for Biafra, this same people did not ask for Biafra when Jonathan was in government. Those who call for war won't be alive to witness the break up. Check history.
ReplyDeleteTrue talk! Thé government needs to change their strategy or risk having to manage something like another Boko haram or something even worse.
ReplyDelete