Nigeria has Tolerated Herdsmen Destruction For Too long-Wole Soyinka
The irrepressible Noble
Laureate and Professor of Literature, Wole Soyinka, has demanded the immediate
dismissal
of Nigeria’s Defence Minister for comments made in defence of
herdsmen continued killing and sacking of villages in Nigeria.
The Nobel Laureate, Wole
Soyinka commenting on the ravaging killer herdsmen and their activities across
the country, said that the country has accepted and tolerated the destruction
by herdsmen for a long period of time.
Soyinka further maintained that the long acceptance is what led to the situation the country is facing with the herdsmen killing uncontrollably and unchecked
He said, “We have accepted
the destruction of farmlands in a manner that any kind of community has ever
tolerated. When you are complacent and tolerant, sooner or later maybe your
entire living space and the space you earn your living is taken over.”
Urging farmers and
community dwellers to protect themselves from herdsmen killings, Soyinka said
that the people should not wait until they are dead before actions would be
taken to curb and permanently put an end to killings by herdsmen.
Soyinka also called on
Nigerians to hold security agencies accountable and demand more security is
being provided for lives and properties.
“I wish to commend various
and organizations that are now policing themselves. The important thing is the
consciousness of a need for organized resistance against the incursion of cows
and their herders. We should not wait until we found ourselves lying in our
coffins as it happened recently.”
“We have reached the state
where we must demand of the security agency of this nation to clean out also
the forest. The responsibility of security should not be ours but when we
reached the point where trees are being imprudently destroyed, it’s time that
we understand there is a kind of negligence somewhere,” he expressed.
Professor Soyinka advising
the president on tackling and preventing further clashes between the two groups
said that though the clash between farmers and herdsmen is inevitable, it
should be handled in a manner that would be pleasing to both parties.
Meanwhile, Governor Dave
Umahi of Ebonyi State has commissioned by the Federal Government as the
Chairman Benue peace committee on herdsmen crisis which has claimed thousands
of life in the state.
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