Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Sunday as a message to the South West by those who are obsessed with domination.
The playwright said this when he visited Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), on Friday.
During the condolence visit to Akeredolu in his office in Alagbaka area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, Soyinka said: “We are dealing with people who are obsessed with domination.
“It is in their blood, it is in their creed, their psyche that they need to dominate.”
He said the attack was on Akeredolu who has shown leadership in terms of internal liberation.
He added: “He was targeted and there is no question about that.
“It was not an accident, and it is passing a massage to the rest of us.
“That is why I’m here. I want the Governor to know that we have received the message.
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“We understand it and we came to sympathise with him that he was selected as a medium of that message.
“So, the answer we must give to the message we all received is that we are not slaves.
“Here, on our own soil, having had the experience of century of disdain, contempt about us as black people.
“Again some characters come along calling themselves whatever: ISWAP (Islamic State of West Africa Province), Boko Haram.
“So, all those groups, including those who are just opportunists: the herdsmen, they are making a mistake.
“I want the Governor to realise they are making a mistake.
“I have been on this issue for quite some time.
“This invasion has been on and these herdsmen are all over the forests.
“At a time we thought it was Boko Haram.
“We didn’t know that Fulani herdsmen were capitalising on the fundamentalist insurgency and brutality.
“And that is why we see a nexus of operation between ISWAP, Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.
“They work singularly, individually and they work collectively.
“I Know Ondo State has always been at the forefront of awareness.”
Responding, Akeredolu appreciated Soyinka for the condolence visit.
He said: “It is a cause that he has dedicated his life to and I thank God for his life.
“The state wants to appreciate you for finding time to come at this hours of grief.
“This is like a dagger drawn to our heart and it is an assault on our psyche.
“The psyche of those of us in the South West and Western Region.
“I think they think they can create some fears in us, but they made a mistake because this will make us more fierce in our condemnation of their actions.
“And we are not hiding it.”
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