21st January, 2020
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has blasted former impeached Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa over his comment that the Southwest established Amotekun because they wanted to create Oduduwa Republic.
Soyinka, in a statement, on Tuesday said Musa was wrong about his assertion on the reason Amotekun was established by the Southwest region.
“Balarabe is sadly, but I hope not tragically wrong. I invoke the tragic dimension here because the making of tragedy, especially for nations, often begins when fears are mistaken or promoted as facts, and governments either by themselves, or together with interest groups, are enticed by fears into embarking on precipitate, irrational, and irreversible acts.
“Such acts turn out tin the end to be based on nothing but fears, sometimes generated by guilt over past injustices, such as inequitable dealing. That is the basis of tragedy, towards which nations are propelled by a partial, or wrongful reading of socio-political realities and – history. I would like to see this nation avoid such a blunder. So, I am certain, would Balarabe Musa,” he said.
Soyinka added that raising the spectre of secession was a facile approach to the dangerous, self-evident lapses in governance which Balarabe himself acknowledged in his response to the Amotekun principle made flesh.
He said the midwives of Amotekun had repeatedly acknowledged that theirs is only a contribution towards a crisis of escalating proportions and that other states should be encouraged to emulate, not misread such initiatives, then demonize them by false attributions, saying “that is the certain recipe for tragedy.”
However, Musa had said in an interview that the Southwest established Amotekun because it wanted to create Oduduwa Republic, warning that it was a ploy to secure Yoruba land and a prelude to the declaration of Oduduwa Republic.
Musa further said that some of the security components of the outfit like the OPC had records of recklessness in terms of securing the lives and property of non-Yoruba.
“First of all, taking into account what happened in the history of Nigeria, this Amotekun will lead to a declaration of Oduduwa Republic.
“Look at the composition of those who constitute the organization in addition to the six states governors. There is also the OPC, Afenifere, and others. So the fear is quite obvious. And this is in spite of the fact that this government is incompetent.
“Definitely, this government is incompetent. And it is because of the incompetence of this government that this problem has arisen. But let us also not forget that this Federal Government is an alliance between the North and the Southwest.
“So, why should this happen? Any correction in the set up of the country is possible if this alliance, which controls the government in the country can do its work,” he said.