By Abisoye Johnson
NOBEL Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has asked Nigerian Governors, especially those affected by the violence that has trailed the #EndSARS protests, to immediately demand the withdrawal of soldiers deployed nationwide by the Federal Government from their states.
Soyinka, in a statement on Wednesday, advised the governors to take over the security of their states with resources at their disposal.
He said this while insisting that the Army must apologise, not merely to the nation, but to the global community for the Tuesday attack on innocent citizens.
“The facts are indisputable – you, the military, opened fire on unarmed civilians,” Soyinka stressed.
The Nobel laureate said, “To the affected governors all over the nation, there is one immediate step to take: demand the withdrawal of those soldiers. Convoke town hall meetings as a matter of urgency. 24-hour curfews are not the solution.
“Take over the security of your people with whatever resources you can rummage. Substitute community self-policing based on local councils, to curb hooligan infiltration and extortionist and destructive opportunism. We commiserate with the bereaved and urge state governments to compensate material losses, wherever.
“To commence any process of healing at all – dare one assume that this is the ultimate destination of desire?– the Army must apologise, not merely to the nation but to the global community – the facts are indisputable – you, the military, opened fire on unarmed civilians.’
He said there must be structured restitution and assurance that such aberrations would not again be recorded, adding, “Then both governance and its security arms can commence a meaningful, lamentably overdue dialogue with society. Do not attempt to dictate — Dialogue!”
Soyinka said he was happy indeed to be alive to watch youths finally beginning to take the future into their own hands.
