Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has faulted security operatives for attempting to clamp down on demonstrations by the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG).
Prof Soyinka spoke while delivering the keynote address at the 20th anniversary of Halifield Schools, Maryland, Lagos yesterday.
He said: “Do not forget the missing girls of Chibok. Democracy is not about campaigning. It is exercising human right. It is about helping the children and the adults build society. Demonstrations cannot be too much as long as those girls are missing. Demonstrations are an act of solidarity. Wherever those girls are today, when their mothers demonstrate, their morale is raised. That is my message to security operatives who get scared of those who are agitating for a cause and tear gas them. They must be treated with utmost respect and must be given their space.
“It is an act of solidarity for the children. Otherwise, when you stop these demonstrations, you are saying “forget about the children, because we have important things like reviving the economy, corruption among others, to worry about.” Yes those things are important but ultimately, society is for humanity and when one of us is hurt, we must allow ourselves to protest.”
Soyinka, who was presented with the role model award at the ceremony, added: “I hope we don’t get the negative effects when they bring back our girls. And when we talk about democracy to our children, it is to teach them their rights. Therefore there has to be greater coherence from the government and its agencies. We don’t have to know one single individual among the girls. We should demonstrate democratic responsibility. Let us continue to recognise solidarity with these girls and one day, they will come back or we will get to know what has become of them.”
The professor of comparative literature also counselled society to engage alternative means of survival in the face of the harsh economy, rather than sit and wait for government.
He suggested that ‘soup kitchens’ be created in every local government to reduce the impact of poverty.
“There is no reason why a community like this cannot come up with soup kitchen. Save a little, and even the children have been known to contribute their pocket money in order to reach out to the less privileged in the community. We must put ourselves in the position of the internally displaced persons. It is even a good self interest and can help boost your conscience. Let’s not wait for poverty to eat us squarely and flatten us to the point where we are no longer able to do anything. We should act accordingly, starting from the communities, the local governments, the states and hopefully, the federal government. I consider myself an economics illiterate but I am a consumer and I know where the shoe pinches. These efforts can at least blunt the edge of abject poverty,” Soyinka said.
The Proprietress of Halifield Schools, Mrs Halima Oke, urged government to work on population control to reduce poverty and starvation.
She said: “If people are allowed to have children indiscriminately, my belief is that Nigerians will face excruciating hardship never imagined very soon. It is time for citizens, particularly our brothers and sisters in villages to be schooled on the benefits of a small family that can be catered for by the parents, without going cap in hand to beg for hand outs from struggling citizens.”
