Soyinka laments takeover of Northern Nigeria by Herdsmen, Boko Haram, ISWA

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has decried the insecurity in the Northern parts of Nigeria occasioned by the trio of herdsmen militia, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa, ISWA.

Professor Soyinka who spoke today at the Benue Peoples House Makurdi during a courtesy call on Governor Samuel Ortom said urgent steps need to be taken to curtail the trend, stressing that it is the moral responsibility of leaders at all levels to ensure that the present generation also enjoys a glimpse of what they enjoyed during their days as children.

The Nobel Laureate noted that for any one section of the country to come out and say no to a legitimate legislation without any prosecution from relevant authorities means a failure of the leadership in the country.

He expressed worry that Internally Displaced Persons were still languishing in the camps, stressing however that relative peace had returned to the state compared to when he came visiting at the peak of the herders invasion in 2018.

Professor Soyinka acknowledged the contributions of the governor to the activities of the Association of Nigeria Authors, ANA, through the State Chairman, Dr. Charles Iornumbe, even as he appealed for a parcel of land for the state chapter of the association to build a befitting secretariat.

Governor Samuel Ortom who corroborated the Nobel Laureate on the need to ensure peaceful coexistence especially in the northern part of the country, pointing out that upcoming generations should not be made to grow up with the impression that Nigeria is a violent country and so they would take to violence as the only way of life.

He called on Nigerians to speak out against the ills in the society just the way Professor Soyinka does, saying the elderstatesman represents an epitome of truthfulness and peaceful coexistence and also speaks for the oppressed.

The Governor said it was indeed worrisome for a country with an exponential population growth could not plan well for her people, pointing out that if Nigeria could copy democracy from the United States of America, USA, it could as well do same for ranching as the global best practice in animals husbandry.

He vowed to petition the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Director General, Directorate of State Services, DSS, and other security agencies on the recent inciting statements credited to the leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo, saying such threats were treated with levity in the past and the state suffered the consequences.

The Governor said he is always ready to accept superior opinion on issues of state and national development, stressing however that Ruga settlements and cattle colonies can never be an alternative to ranching as far as animals husbandry is concerned in Benue.