Nigeria not working, it’s time to restructure, says Soyinka

Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called for decentralisation or restructuring to accelerate efforts towards nation building and ensure sustainable development.

He said Nigeria as currently constituted was not working and urgently required decentralization of the system to put it on the path of growth even as he noted that many Nigerian leaders recognised the importance of restructuring but failed to implement it.

Soyinka spoke on Thursday as a guest speaker at The Punch 50th Anniversary Lecture held in Lagos.

The lecture also in memory of Chief James Olubunmi Aboderin, the founding Chairman of the newspaper, who died on February 28, 1984, was attended by a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, and a former presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, among others.

Soyinka said, “Certain facts, however, implicitly admit that the word has a number of common, pragmatic implications for both governance and the governed, that indisputable commonality being as follows: the present contraption is not working – neither economically, developmentally, nor even as a material expression of any functional social philosophy.

“Another is that those who come in power have indulged in pretend exercises in that direction, engaging the populace in totally phoney exercises – obviously just to ‘pacify the natives’. It is surely time that this demand be taken seriously, and addressed head-on.”

Although the Nobel laureate said restructuring might not be a magic wand to address all Nigeria’s challenges, it remained a precursor to nation building.

He said, “To anticipate accustomed banal responses, let me state quite clearly that no one has ever claimed that decentralisation – a precise word I personally prefer – will end hunger in the land or terminate religious conflicts and other forms of national malaise, no. We simply insist that this is central to the incomplete mission of – nation-being.

“It is essential to activities of basic existence such as food production, and access to such products. Palliatives remain crude, short-term, stop-gap measures only.

“As a veteran of food security working conferences from Uganda to India, from Paris to Sochi, I insist that, for a nation to be food self-sufficient, and sustainably, decentralisation is the key, not collectivisation.”

Soyinka also said there was no shortage of reasoned and implementable propositions in past conference papers.

“It is high time we stopped the cyclic distraction of re-inventing the wheel. The spokes are in place; the rims intact; only the will, not the wheel, is missing in action.

“The press, needless to urge, has a crucial role to play in this! However, be it noted that the press is only one of the enabling estates – all arms of governance, most pertinently, at the state level, have a propulsive, even commanding role to play in the effort.

“Repeatedly, backed by constitutional authorities, both publicly and privately, we have pointed out to them that there is sufficient constitutional leeway in the present protocols of association – if I may quote myself unapologetically – to ‘push the envelope as far as it can go without actually bursting’ – if the centre continues to shirk away from this now strident imperative.

“I repeat that wearisome call yet again. There can be no further evasion.

“That assertion is made both as a general principle of socio-political volition that is fundamental to any free, truly liberated people, and as an informed response to the actualities in which we struggle to exist as a sentient people, responsive to the exigencies of daily manifestation of change.”

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, commended Soyinka’s fatherly role in nation building.

He also said, “The Punch has been here for 50 years, and what that tells you is that it’s a story of resilience, trust, hard work, and commitment to the Nigeria project. These are the exact virtues President Bola Tinubu upholds.

“Nigeria is going through hard times now, but it’s not new and it’s not peculiar to this country.

“All the issues we are discussing now are issues other countries are discussing. A few weeks ago, we heard that the United Kingdom had gone into an economic recession.

“President Tinubu has taken very bold steps. The first day after he assumed office, he took away fuel subsidy. Before he assumed office, the economy was a dead horse standing.

“So, whether the subsidy is removed or not, the economy is going to be challenging. He ensured that the subsidy went away for the benefit of all.

“We knew from day one that it’s not going to be an easy sail, but we are seeing the effects of the decision, and the good story is that the government is taking very pro-active decisions to ensure that we turn the corner and Nigeria’s economy bounce back again.

“All these things happening are for the good of the country, and the economy is going to bounce back. We foresee a situation where, in another year, this country is going to get better.”

The Punch Chairman, Mrs Angela Emuwa, said the theme “Recovering the narrative” was a call to action in shaping the future all Nigerians would be proud of.

She said, “As the most widely read newspaper in the nation, PUNCH has not only been a witness to history but a key player in shaping narratives.

“Our 50-year resilience is a testament to the power of the press in influencing positive change, upholding the values of democracy, and championing the cause of the people.

“We hope that the impact of our 50-year journey will serve as a source of inspiration to all. We have weathered storms, stood against oppression, championed the cause of justice, and yet we remain unbowed and unbroken.”

The event had in attendance media executives, captains of industry, academics, leaders of thought, and security chiefs, among others.