Nobody is in charge of Nigeria – Soyinka

Literary Icon, Professor Wole Soyinka, has described Nigeria’s 2020 as the most challenging year, owing to the turbulence that has characterized it.

He described Nigeria’s situation as a parlous one where no one is in charge.

Soyinka noted that Nigerian situation has been exacerbated due to the imperial nature of its leadership at the socio-political and religious levels.

As gathered by Eko Hot Blog, the professor of Comparative Literature was speaking at the Booksellers, venue of the presentation of his new book, ‘Chronicles of the happiest people on earth,’ a book over 500 pages and 40 years in the making.

READ ALSO: Falana Bags Wole Soyinka ‘Human Rights Defender’ Award

Soyinka said, “With the turbulence that characterises year 2020, and as activities wind down, the mood has been repugnant and very negative. I don’t want to sound pessimistic but this is one of the most pessimistic years I have known in this nation and it wasn’t just because of COVID-19, no. Natural disasters had happened elsewhere but how have you managed to take such in their strides?

“Was calamity as a result of human negligence or as a result of malignant activities when people find themselves under the control of other beings which I am afraid what most Nigerians find themselves in, it is like you don’t know from where the blow would descend. That is not the way a nation should be and that is not the way the citizens should exist.

“Situation has reached a point where you are not very sure of where you are going and where you will end it. As I had said before, you don’t believe, in many instances, that anybody is in charge. That, really, it is a parlous condition for any nation. So, I am afraid it has not been a very good year for me generally.”