₦airaland Forum

ejihand:
I owe you a crate of beer when next you visit East. Naked truth! One governor even recommended fasting and prayers instead of calling a spade a spade. Like i said, visit East and be my guest.

Anwulisomto:
Leaders from the SW standing up for the truth with braveness but our own is saying we should fast and pray.

ricsman:
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has lashed out at the presidency for its seeming inability to rein in the violent activities of herdsmen across the country.
In his address to the National Conference on Culture and Tourism, Wednesday, Mr. Soyinka said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was yet to come up with an articulate solution to tackle the menace.
“I have yet to hear this government articulate a firm policy of non-tolerance for the serial massacres that have become the nation’s identification stamp,” said Mr. Soyinka.
“I have not heard an order given that any cattle herders caught with sophisticated firearms be instantly disarmed, arrested, placed on trial, and his cattle confiscated. The nation is treated to an eighteen-month optimistic plan which, to make matters worse, smacks of abject appeasement and encouragement of violence on innocents.
“Let me repeat, and of course I only ask to be corrected if wrong: I have yet to encounter a terse, rigorous, soldierly and uncompromising language from this leadership, one that threatens a response to this unconscionable blood-letting that would make even Boko Haram repudiate its founding clerics.‎”
Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Monday unleashed terror on Ukpabi Nimbo, a community in Enugu State, killing dozens of people.
The attack came weeks after a similar wave of violence by herdsmen in Agatu in Benue State.
After weeks of apparent silence on the killings that have spread to other states, the presidency on Wednesday ordered the police to go after the suspected herdsmen.
Foramfera
“When I read a short while ago, the Presidential assurance to this nation that the current homicidal escalation between the cattle prowlers and farming communities would soon be over, I felt mortified,” Mr. Soyinka said.
“He had the solution, he said. Cattle ranches were being set up, and in another 18 months, rustlings, destruction of livelihood and killings from herdsmen would be ‘a thing of the past’. 18 months, he assured the nation. I believe his Minister of Agriculture echoed that later, but with a less dispiriting time schema.
“Neither, however, could be considered a message of solace and reassurance for the ordinary Nigerian farmer and the lengthening cast of victims, much less to an intending tourist to the Forest Retreat of Tinana in the Rivers, the Ikogosi Springs or the moslem architectural heritage of the ancient city of Kano. In any case, the external tourists have less hazardous options.‎”
Mr. Soyinka recalled with nostalgia how he – in the company of the late Segun Olusola – journeyed across Nigeria in the pre-war 60’s, mostly out of curiosity.
“But now, would the young adventurous set out to visit the mystery caves of Anambra and its alleged curative pools from mere interest?
“They would think twice about it. It is not merely arbitrary violence that reigns across the nation but total, undisputed impunity. Impunity evolves and becomes integrated in conduct when crime occurs and no legal, logical and moral response is offered.‎”
Mr. Soyinka also said he had a personal experience recently with the cattle herders, right at his doorstep.
‎”I returned from a trip outside the country about to find that my home ground had been invaded, and a brand-new ‘Appian way’ sliced through my sanctuary,” said Mr. Soyinka.
“That ‘motorable’ path was made by the hoofed invaders. Both the improvised entry and exit are now blocked, but interested journalists are invited to visit.
“In over two decades of living in that ecological preserve, no such intrusion had ever occurred. I have no idea whether they were Fulani or Futa Jalon herdsmen but, they were cattle herders, and they had cut a crude swathe through my private grounds.
“I made enquiries and sent alerts around, including through the Baale of our neighborhood village. There has been no repeat, and hopefully it will remain the first and last of such invasion. What it portends however is for all thinking citizens to reflect upon, and take concerted measures against.”
Mr. Soyinka noted that herdsmen are among humanity’s earliest known tourists and must be taught a culture of settlement with their hosts.
“The leadership of any society cannot stand idly and offer solutions that implicitly deem the massacres of innocents mere incidents on the way to that learning school,” he said.
“For every crime, there is a punishment, for every violation, there must be restitution. The nomads of the world cannot place themselves above the law of settled humanity.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/202563-soyinka-blasts-buhari-herdsmen-killings

Dollyak:
If there is one thing I have learnt from this unfortunate event is that Yorubas are the most influential and most fearless ethnic group in Nigeria. No Igbo leaders would dare say some of the criticism I have heard from some Yorubas. SE people needs to go and do some soul searching because they have been found out on a massive scale. The response from your Governors was a disgrace.

Legitdeals:
you sure say na only guest? or you have hidden agendas too

Dollyak if you like go.. but make sure you carry raincoat along else belle fit enter

ejihand:
Lol. You mean she's female? I thought I am talking to a guy. Alright, i withdraw my earlier promises

jerseyboy:
Soyinka's support for Buhari in 2015 was perplexing for a man of letters. So many were blinded by hatred for Jonathan that they failed to see clearly that they were marching us back to the Egypt of our Fulani internal colonial masters.

jerseyboy:
Jonathan was mediocre at best. He was a weak and indecisive leader. So much so that he can hardly get credit for the few good things he accomplished. It was easy for any person given to uncompromising standards to not like Jonathan. But then elections are about choices. And given not much of a choice between Jonathan and Buhari anyone with the love of civil liberties would have held their nose and supported Jonathan.

There is a Yoruba saying that even when we are crying we must still be seeing.

I could understand the generation that came of age after Hausa-Fulani military rule not having experienced the complete subjugation of other Nigerians to second class citizenship. But Soyinka's generation witnessed the conquest and effects first hand.

Obasanjo's greatest achievement as president was the neutralization of some of the institutionalized 'privileges' the military had built for the Hausa-Fulani oligarchs. This first grabbed my attention when during his regime when at a Nigerian Embassy I over heard a conversation between two northerners complaining bitterly how the unimaginable is happening at the villa as Yoruba language is being spoken in the corridors of power at Aso Rock Villa. Hither to Hausa had become the semi official language of the military and of government. By insisting on merit on many things Obasanjo began a roll back than at the end of his tenure he was the most hated Nigeria by the Hausa-Fulanis.

On a last note for those who say 'if they don't perform we will vote them out in 2019 just as we did Jonathan' you are on a long road. Obasanjo who was brought in by the north because theytrusted him having been at their beck and call as military head of state became their biggest regret the second time around. The more time removed them from direct power at the center the more desperate they got. Jonathan became a nightmare for them. They imagined as an Ijaw man he could announce one day that Nigeria was dissolved. Now that they are back in charge they will never give that power away again.

vinscent:
Heartless man,he could talk when it becomes his problem with them naw...not when others were suffering from fulani invasion...I hold nothing against you but you seems to care about yourself alone with all the respect we Nigerians got for you...

ricsman:
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has lashed out at the presidency for its seeming inability to rein in the violent activities of herdsmen across the country.
In his address to the National Conference on Culture and Tourism, Wednesday, Mr. Soyinka said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was yet to come up with an articulate solution to tackle the menace.
“I have yet to hear this government articulate a firm policy of non-tolerance for the serial massacres that have become the nation’s identification stamp,” said Mr. Soyinka.
“I have not heard an order given that any cattle herders caught with sophisticated firearms be instantly disarmed, arrested, placed on trial, and his cattle confiscated. The nation is treated to an eighteen-month optimistic plan which, to make matters worse, smacks of abject appeasement and encouragement of violence on innocents.
“Let me repeat, and of course I only ask to be corrected if wrong: I have yet to encounter a terse, rigorous, soldierly and uncompromising language from this leadership, one that threatens a response to this unconscionable blood-letting that would make even Boko Haram repudiate its founding clerics.‎”
Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Monday unleashed terror on Ukpabi Nimbo, a community in Enugu State, killing dozens of people.
The attack came weeks after a similar wave of violence by herdsmen in Agatu in Benue State.
After weeks of apparent silence on the killings that have spread to other states, the presidency on Wednesday ordered the police to go after the suspected herdsmen.
Foramfera
“When I read a short while ago, the Presidential assurance to this nation that the current homicidal escalation between the cattle prowlers and farming communities would soon be over, I felt mortified,” Mr. Soyinka said.
“He had the solution, he said. Cattle ranches were being set up, and in another 18 months, rustlings, destruction of livelihood and killings from herdsmen would be ‘a thing of the past’. 18 months, he assured the nation. I believe his Minister of Agriculture echoed that later, but with a less dispiriting time schema.
“Neither, however, could be considered a message of solace and reassurance for the ordinary Nigerian farmer and the lengthening cast of victims, much less to an intending tourist to the Forest Retreat of Tinana in the Rivers, the Ikogosi Springs or the moslem architectural heritage of the ancient city of Kano. In any case, the external tourists have less hazardous options.‎”
Mr. Soyinka recalled with nostalgia how he – in the company of the late Segun Olusola – journeyed across Nigeria in the pre-war 60’s, mostly out of curiosity.
“But now, would the young adventurous set out to visit the mystery caves of Anambra and its alleged curative pools from mere interest?
“They would think twice about it. It is not merely arbitrary violence that reigns across the nation but total, undisputed impunity. Impunity evolves and becomes integrated in conduct when crime occurs and no legal, logical and moral response is offered.‎”
Mr. Soyinka also said he had a personal experience recently with the cattle herders, right at his doorstep.
‎”I returned from a trip outside the country about to find that my home ground had been invaded, and a brand-new ‘Appian way’ sliced through my sanctuary,” said Mr. Soyinka.
“That ‘motorable’ path was made by the hoofed invaders. Both the improvised entry and exit are now blocked, but interested journalists are invited to visit.
“In over two decades of living in that ecological preserve, no such intrusion had ever occurred. I have no idea whether they were Fulani or Futa Jalon herdsmen but, they were cattle herders, and they had cut a crude swathe through my private grounds.
“I made enquiries and sent alerts around, including through the Baale of our neighborhood village. There has been no repeat, and hopefully it will remain the first and last of such invasion. What it portends however is for all thinking citizens to reflect upon, and take concerted measures against.”
Mr. Soyinka noted that herdsmen are among humanity’s earliest known tourists and must be taught a culture of settlement with their hosts.
“The leadership of any society cannot stand idly and offer solutions that implicitly deem the massacres of innocents mere incidents on the way to that learning school,” he said.
“For every crime, there is a punishment, for every violation, there must be restitution. The nomads of the world cannot place themselves above the law of settled humanity.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/202563-soyinka-blasts-buhari-herdsmen-killings

Dollyak:
If there is one thing I have learnt from this unfortunate event is that Yorubas are the most influential and most fearless ethnic group in Nigeria. No Igbo leaders would dare say some of the criticism I have heard from some Yorubas. SE people needs to go and do some soul searching because they have been found out on a massive scale. The response from your Governors was a disgrace.

ricsman:
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has lashed out at the presidency for its seeming inability to rein in the violent activities of herdsmen across the country.
In his address to the National Conference on Culture and Tourism, Wednesday, Mr. Soyinka said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was yet to come up with an articulate solution to tackle the menace.
“I have yet to hear this government articulate a firm policy of non-tolerance for the serial massacres that have become the nation’s identification stamp,” said Mr. Soyinka.
“I have not heard an order given that any cattle herders caught with sophisticated firearms be instantly disarmed, arrested, placed on trial, and his cattle confiscated. The nation is treated to an eighteen-month optimistic plan which, to make matters worse, smacks of abject appeasement and encouragement of violence on innocents.
“Let me repeat, and of course I only ask to be corrected if wrong: I have yet to encounter a terse, rigorous, soldierly and uncompromising language from this leadership, one that threatens a response to this unconscionable blood-letting that would make even Boko Haram repudiate its founding clerics.‎”
Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Monday unleashed terror on Ukpabi Nimbo, a community in Enugu State, killing dozens of people.
The attack came weeks after a similar wave of violence by herdsmen in Agatu in Benue State.
After weeks of apparent silence on the killings that have spread to other states, the presidency on Wednesday ordered the police to go after the suspected herdsmen.
Foramfera
“When I read a short while ago, the Presidential assurance to this nation that the current homicidal escalation between the cattle prowlers and farming communities would soon be over, I felt mortified,” Mr. Soyinka said.
“He had the solution, he said. Cattle ranches were being set up, and in another 18 months, rustlings, destruction of livelihood and killings from herdsmen would be ‘a thing of the past’. 18 months, he assured the nation. I believe his Minister of Agriculture echoed that later, but with a less dispiriting time schema.
“Neither, however, could be considered a message of solace and reassurance for the ordinary Nigerian farmer and the lengthening cast of victims, much less to an intending tourist to the Forest Retreat of Tinana in the Rivers, the Ikogosi Springs or the moslem architectural heritage of the ancient city of Kano. In any case, the external tourists have less hazardous options.‎”
Mr. Soyinka recalled with nostalgia how he – in the company of the late Segun Olusola – journeyed across Nigeria in the pre-war 60’s, mostly out of curiosity.
“But now, would the young adventurous set out to visit the mystery caves of Anambra and its alleged curative pools from mere interest?
“They would think twice about it. It is not merely arbitrary violence that reigns across the nation but total, undisputed impunity. Impunity evolves and becomes integrated in conduct when crime occurs and no legal, logical and moral response is offered.‎”
Mr. Soyinka also said he had a personal experience recently with the cattle herders, right at his doorstep.
‎”I returned from a trip outside the country about to find that my home ground had been invaded, and a brand-new ‘Appian way’ sliced through my sanctuary,” said Mr. Soyinka.
“That ‘motorable’ path was made by the hoofed invaders. Both the improvised entry and exit are now blocked, but interested journalists are invited to visit.
“In over two decades of living in that ecological preserve, no such intrusion had ever occurred. I have no idea whether they were Fulani or Futa Jalon herdsmen but, they were cattle herders, and they had cut a crude swathe through my private grounds.
“I made enquiries and sent alerts around, including through the Baale of our neighborhood village. There has been no repeat, and hopefully it will remain the first and last of such invasion. What it portends however is for all thinking citizens to reflect upon, and take concerted measures against.”
Mr. Soyinka noted that herdsmen are among humanity’s earliest known tourists and must be taught a culture of settlement with their hosts.
“The leadership of any society cannot stand idly and offer solutions that implicitly deem the massacres of innocents mere incidents on the way to that learning school,” he said.
“For every crime, there is a punishment, for every violation, there must be restitution. The nomads of the world cannot place themselves above the law of settled humanity.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/202563-soyinka-blasts-buhari-herdsmen-killings

jerseyboy:
Soyinka's support for Buhari in 2015 was perplexing for a man of letters. So many were blinded by hatred for Jonathan that they failed to see clearly that they were marching us back to the Egypt of our Fulani internal colonial masters.

SimeoNwabekeyi:
Who is this kid? He is now an heartless man for coming out to say the fact when your own leaders are crying and doing fasting rubbish. So killings in Enugu is now Soyinkas problem? Some of you kids should be restricted from posting on this section.

jerseyboy:
Soyinka's support for Buhari in 2015 was perplexing for a man of letters. So many were blinded by hatred for Jonathan that they failed to see clearly that they were marching us back to the Egypt of our Fulani internal colonial masters.

kcnwaigbo:
well spoken!!! if power was suppoed to go back to the North for any reason whatserever.Buhari was never an option!!The man is an irredeemable bigot

jerseyboy:
Jonathan was mediocre at best. He was a weak and indecisive leader. So much so that he can hardly get credit for the few good things he accomplished. It was easy for any person given to uncompromising standards to not like Jonathan. But then elections are about choices. And given not much of a choice between Jonathan and Buhari anyone with the love of civil liberties would have held their nose and supported Jonathan.

There is a Yoruba saying that even when we are crying we must still be seeing.

I could understand the generation that came of age after Hausa-Fulani military rule not having experienced the complete subjugation of other Nigerians to second class citizenship. But Soyinka's generation witnessed the conquest and effects first hand.

Obasanjo's greatest achievement as president was the neutralization of some of the institutionalized 'privileges' the military had built for the Hausa-Fulani oligarchs. This first grabbed my attention when during his regime when at a Nigerian Embassy I over heard a conversation between two northerners complaining bitterly how the unimaginable is happening at the villa as Yoruba language is being spoken in the corridors of power at Aso Rock Villa. Hither to Hausa had become the semi official language of the military and of government. By insisting on merit on many things Obasanjo began a roll back than at the end of his tenure he was the most hated Nigeria by the Hausa-Fulanis.

On a last note for those who say 'if they don't perform we will vote them out in 2019 just as we did Jonathan' you are on a long road. Obasanjo who was brought in by the north because theytrusted him having been at their beck and call as military head of state became their biggest regret the second time around. The more time removed them from direct power at the center the more desperate they got. Jonathan became a nightmare for them. They imagined as an Ijaw man he could announce one day that Nigeria was dissolved. Now that they are back in charge they will never give that power away again.

Legitdeals:
that's a warped mentality..

you sounded brilliant at first buh then spoilt d whole thing

Fulani herdsmen did similar acts during GEJ's tenure buh no noise like we have now

all I see is some group of pained peeps trying to frustrate Buhari by all means

m not saying d herdsmen are justified tho.

buy why crucify Buhari, blowing things out of proportion.. some are even asking him to resign

beejaay:
Maybe there will be light after all if people of letters like Soyinka begin to speak up....maybe just maybe

benji93:
what do you mean actually by your statement, everyone had every reason to hate GEJ, cultured or uncultured, the case was simple GEJ or no GEJ PDp had ruled Nigeria for 16 years, and turned us into a system of electrons, whether there was progrees at one point in time, negated afterwards by another period of progress at another point, all i know is that Nigeria is hovering about a single point, at least regarding the standard of living of the people. Every party is an association of like minds, ''like they say birds of the same feathers flock together'', we had had enough of PDP reign, so it was only expedient to chose APC, it was perhaps the only party with a fairly better association of people, at least as far as history tells us, most of did complain of GEJs cluelessness in solving the problems of Nigeria, we do not care much abot if we tried, its no excuse, he was just not ready to rule a country of Nigeria's complexity, also most probably PMB was the only 1 close to dealing with our problems squarely, so our sudden inclination towards giving him the benefit of doubts, the ball is now in his court, he can either make us regret our confidence in him, or boost our confidence in him, on the court, if he decides to throw a 3-pointer, or a 2-pointer, or hit the ball against the board inorder to score, or slam dung or makes a rimless shot, all in all he has to make better it than it was, along the line we would tell him, man we need a 3-pointer, we need a 2-pointer, and if he fails to deliver periodically we have a reason to explode. However at the end of 4-years, if the latter Nigeria is not significantly greater than the former, we would then have another opportunity to reconsider our perspectives.It is important that we are objective in whatever argument we invest our time and intellect in. I still repeat, by hindsight, there is no reason to regret ever voting PMB into power, he was the best option we had in the heat of the moment. So the fact that Prof hated GEJ's government does not mean he hated the progress of Nigeria, nd the fact that he is criticizing PMb now ,does not mean he regrets ever pushing for his taking up the reins power, we vote people into power based on what we perceive they can achieve, so if they effect stagnation or retrogression eventually, fine, infact we will learn about other things to incorporate into our considerations for a better choice, it is just the most logical thing you cando. Would you rather not support someone who is yet to rule, though his record affords you some hope than someone, who was previously ruling without his hands.I would rather go for the former and hope the clouds would get clearer. I rest my case

loopman:
Eerie and chilling.
I just hope you are wrong and those of us that voted this government have no made the biggest and worst mistake ever in Nigeria.

jerseyboy:
Soyinka's support for Buhari in 2015 was perplexing for a man of letters. So many were blinded by hatred for Jonathan that they failed to see clearly that they were marching us back to the Egypt of our Fulani internal colonial masters.