Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has expressed disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast on Sunday, which he believes failed to address the violent actions taken by security forces against #EndBadGovernance protesters.
In a statement, Soyinka highlighted the president’s omission of this critical issue, expressing concern over the government’s handling of the unrest.
Soyinka stated, “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation.”
He acknowledged the government’s efforts to prevent such outbreaks but emphasized his primary concern:
“the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.”
He criticized the use of live bullets and tear gas against peaceful protesters, referring to such actions as “an ominous retrogression.”
He stressed that hunger marches are a global signal of desperation, not unique to Nigeria, and should be met with understanding rather than force.
Drawing a parallel with historical events, Soyinka recalled the pre-independence era and the persecution of nationalist pioneer Hubert Ogunde, whose work “BREAD AND BULLETS” criticized the colonial government’s response to public outcry.
He suggested that the current situation is a continuation of this oppressive legacy.
Soyinka urged a permanent abandonment of lethal responses to civic protests, suggesting that security agencies adopt more civilized models of intervention.
He cited the example of the “YELLOW VEST” movement in France, where despite confrontations, firearms were not used against protesters.
“The serving of bullets where bread is pleaded is ominous retrogression,” he warned, suggesting that such actions could lead to more severe upheavals.
He concluded with a call for change, urging today’s protesters to consider adopting the songs of Ogunde’s “BREAD AND BULLETS” to instill a sense of shame in the ongoing failure to move beyond the colonial inheritance of oppression.
“One way or the other, this vicious cycle must be broken,” Soyinka asserted.
