LAGOS—NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, yesterday, warned that Nigeria was on the brink of another civil war and called for concerted actions to prevent the disaster. Soyinka, who spoke at the 5th Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos, also chided President Goodluck Jonathan for failing to address the deteriorating level of insecurity in the country.

He said: “Let us face it; this nation is on the brinks. Those who do understand it, I feel very sorry for them because they will one day wake up and find out that we have fallen as a nation. This is not what we envisaged when we struggled for independence. This is not what we envisaged when we struggled to overthrow military dictatorship and restore the rights and dignity of human beings. But whether we like it or not, it has come upon us.”

Berating President Jonathan for the worsening waves of insecurity, he said: “My problem with the government, especially the president of this nation is that he does not seem to realise, he has not taken into consideration, into cognizance that by now the president should be addressing the nation, giving details explaining why this nation is at war.” To avert a second civil war, Soyinka said Nigerians should not see the Boko Haram insurgency as a regional problem, but as a national one. He said: “Certain things have to be done to ensure that this nation is pulled back from the second round of what is leading towards a civil war. By now, we should be tightening our belt, we should not see what is happening in the North as being confined to the North; it is obvious all along that this is not a northern affair. No! We heard that recently that some cells have been found in Lagos, that is not new, it started years ago. Boko Haram, a national problem “Everyone should understand that the problem we are facing right now is not regional it is national and a human problem. It is called Boko Haram. That is the kind of language I believe the leadership of this nation should be imparting on Nigerian citizens.” The Nobel Laureate, while commending the youths for utilizing the platform to make known their ideas said, “I was delighted when I learnt that the younger generation wanted to use this platform to voice their ideas. I want to thank the younger generations for utilizing whatever platform to reinstate our consciousness by speaking, I expect more, beyond politics, beyond mergers, beyond political parties, beyond partisanship, beyond regionalism and Roll call of personalities

Meantime, Mallam Sanusi identified corruption as the bane of the development in the country. He said: “Corruption is a big issue in the country today as in other parts of the world but why are they eradicating poverty and Nigeria isn’t? It is not just corruption. It is the failed interventions that are procured with the proceeds of corruption. Everyone agrees that corruption is bad. It has economic cost if you take a bribe and pay subsidy to someone who hasn’t delivered the required goods. “In Nigeria, people collect money for contract and they wouldn’t fulfill their own parts of contract and nothing is done about it. This is compounding the state of corruption in the country. What is destroying this country is that people are corrupt and nothing is done about it. “We need to be asking the civil societies what they are doing to ensure that this act is checked for the development of the country. “Some parts of Lagos are getting cleaner because of the sewage process in LagosState. These are some of the questions that we should begin to ask our public office holders today. How can someone be governor for four years and he or she fail to provide the needed facilities for his people?”
vanguardngr.com/2013/03/nigeria-on-the-brink-of-another-civil-war-soyinka-warns/

Now someone should tell me why Jonathan is sending all these "former militants" on overseas military training. He is sending them there just to prepare for war he is trying to create. They are spreading the country's wealth to Southsouth people because they believe they have been marginalized for too long. Jonathan thinks he has a score to settle between his people (SS), Southwesterners and Northerners.

Jonathan is trying to create unrest to perpetuate him to stay in power. He rather stays in power by raining havoc than to face an election. Mark my word, Nigeria is heading for war. Why did Bayelsa government buy a house in Lagos to accomodate those Chadian terrorists? Their next target is to create havoc in Lagos by denotating bombs and maim innocent children, men and women.

Jonathan is an inept President with nothing to offer other than chaos. Nigerians, wake-up!

Soyinka abeg pack 1 side joor....... It was northern problem until security agents found bomb in lagos, it automatically turn to national problem, Simply call it north/western problem not national problem

payless: Now someone should tell me why Jonathan is sending all these "former militants on overseas military training. He is sending them there just to prepare for war he is trying to create. They are spreading the country's wealth to Southsouth people because they believe they have been marginalized for too long. Jonathan thinks he has a score to settle between his people (SS), Southwesterners and Northerners.

Jonathan is trying to create unrest to perpetuate him to stay in power. He rather stays in power by raining havoc than to face an election. Mark my word, Nigeria is heading for war. Why did Bayelsa government buy a house in Lagos to accomodate those Chadian terrorists? Their next target is to create havoc in Lagos by denotating bombs and maim innocent children, men and women.

Jonathan is an inept President with nothing to offer other than chaos. Nigerians, wake-up!

You say?

Uncle Soyimka!!! What has come over you these days?...

Watching closely

Remember somalia's condition

Ummmm.... actually, Nigeria has been fighting a civil war since around 1997-98/99 like everything else, theyve just been too stu.pid to realize it.

Mtcheeeeew

Soyinka is looking 4 an appointment...if nt why is he on air dis days?

Soyinka are you saying you didn't see it before. Abeg, the country is inching closer to war by the day. As long they don't invade Asaba again and leave us out of it, I don't care. Let everybody fight themselves.

payless: Now someone should tell me why Jonathan is sending all these "former militants" on overseas military training. He is sending them there just to prepare for war he is trying to create. They are spreading the country's wealth to Southsouth people because they believe they have been marginalized for too long. Jonathan thinks he has a score to settle between his people (SS), Southwesterners and Northerners.

Jonathan is trying to create unrest to perpetuate him to stay in power. He rather stays in power by raining havoc than to face an election. Mark my word, Nigeria is heading for war. Why did Bayelsa government buy a house in Lagos to accomodate those Chadian terrorists? Their next target is to create havoc in Lagos by denotating bombs and maim innocent children, men and women.

Jonathan is an inept President with nothing to offer other than chaos. Nigerians, wake-up!

This is real life, if you guys on NL want to make up all this allegations and conspiracy then join nollywood and give us a good movie to watch for once.

One_Naira:

This is real life, if you guys on NL want to make up all this allegations and conspiracy then join nollywood and give us a good movie to watch for once.

My friend mechi there... What is made up in his allegation?

Why did the Bayelsa state government buy a dirty shanty house in Lagos to accommodate weapons and Chadians?

Where are all the Ijaw only militants sent overseas for military training when Nigeria has military academy?

May it not happen
And if it does may it be far from Igbo land IJMN
Amen!

0lumide:

My friend mechi there... What is made up in his allegation?

Why did the Bayelsa state government buy a dirty shanty house in Lagos to accommodate weapons and Chadians?

Where are all the Ijaw only militants sent overseas for military training when Nigeria has military academy?

Yoruba muslims at it again, disgusting set of people. Always spreading lies and falsehood.

payless: Now someone should tell me why Jonathan is sending all these "former militants" on overseas military training. He is sending them there just to prepare for war he is trying to create. They are spreading the country's wealth to Southsouth people because they believe they have been marginalized for too long. Jonathan thinks he has a score to settle between his people (SS), Southwesterners and Northerners.

Jonathan is trying to create unrest to perpetuate him to stay in power. He rather stays in power by raining havoc than to face an election. Mark my word, Nigeria is heading for war. Why did Bayelsa government buy a house in Lagos to accomodate those Chadian terrorists? Their next target is to create havoc in Lagos by denotating bombs and maim innocent children, men and women.

Jonathan is an inept President with nothing to offer other than chaos. Nigerians, wake-up!

Uncle Jona is not as evil as you paint him to be.

I think he means well for Nigeria but he's got absolutely no idea what to do and that's dangerous for us all.

nor be only ex-militants dey go overseas training nah, the inclusion of 1 or 2 former militants is not enough to build a conspiracy like this infact some of your conspiracies are starting to sound like a Nollywood movie script*

Abeg, I no want war for Naija o. Amen !!

0lumide:

My friend mechi there... What is made up in his allegation?

Why did the Bayelsa state government buy a dirty shanty house in Lagos to accommodate weapons and Chadians?

Where are all the Ijaw only militants sent overseas for military training when Nigeria has military academy?

I don't give a flying f2k what your problem with Ijaw is. Go to bayelsa and ask your question.

Anyway since you have vast knowledge of what GEJ is planning to do and since in your view what's said is not an allegations neither is it a conspiracy theory. Tell us this war you claim he's trying to start where did you read or hear about it? Any link to support you? What year is he planning to begin in it?

Abeg spare us with beer parlor stories.