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North breaking away, Soyinka warns
VINCENT ADEKOYE,
Benin
NOBEL Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka,
yesterday raised alarm on what he called the "systematic secession of some
states from the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Prof. Soyinka who raised this alarm at Okada, in Edo State
while delivering a lecture entitled: "Myth and History in the Quest for
Identity," to mark the 70th birthday of the Esama of Benin, Chief
Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, said the much-talked about Okija shrines is of no
importance.
He said the agitation by the Movement for
the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB)," although has
become a nightmare to the entire country", may not be the real signal of
secession, adding that the gradual breaking away of some Northern states should
be of grave concern to everybody.
The Nobel Laureate who spoke at the
auditorium of the Igbinedion University, Okada stated that the actions of some
northern states who had broken away from the common penal code of the federating
units and adopted Sharia constitute great danger for the rest of the
components of the federation.
He observed that in the quest for
identity, some states are already on their own, adding, that he had a duty to
"draw the attention of Mr. President to this situation".
"Are you all not aware that Zamfara State
has seceded from the nation? Or, let me tell Mr. President that Zamfara has
opted out of the federating unit with the adoption of its own penal code and way
of living.
"How do you define secession? Is it only
by war or agitation? No. This is why we have been calling for the convening of
National Conference so that we can re-define the real identity of Nigeria as a
federating unit," he said.
Prof. Soyinka frowned at the controversy
that had trailed the historical origin of Yoruba race and Benin kingdom, saying
that this calls for a more research rather than personal self esteem.
He attributed the ugly situation at the
Okija shrines in Anambra to the quest for myth, asking: "Of what importance is
the deity who demands human sacrifice, kills and requests that corpses of the
victims be deposited to its shrines?"
According to him, the quest for identity
is the major cause of religious violence across the country "and even the entire
world."
He advised the people to put the past and
abstract belief about myth behind them "so that the nation can move forward
politically, economically and socially."
The 45-minute thought-provoking lecture
was attended by dignitaries from all parts of the country including the Edo
State Governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.
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