Professor Wale Soyinka has joined the league of other Nigerians currently condemning the gruesome murder of four students of the University of Port Harcourt in Aluu, a suburb of Rivers State.The literary doyen who described the heinous act as the height of man inhumanity to man, said it was so painful watching the video clips of how the students were massacred.
Soyinka said this on Thursday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital at the public presentation of Port Harcourt as UNESCO World Book capital for 2014.
The celebrated writer-cum-dramatist asserted that the killing is an indication that “there was war between the forces of darkness and light in the country.”
The ace writer said that Nigeria will never bow to any of these forces.
He voiced his conviction thus: “I believe quite frankly this country is at war, the war is between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. The forces of intellect, the forces of rationality and the forces of atavism retrograde thinking, the forces of hatred against humanism.
He voiced his conviction thus: “I believe quite frankly this country is at war, the war is between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. The forces of intellect, the forces of rationality and the forces of atavism retrograde thinking, the forces of hatred against humanism.
“I believe that if we surrender to these banal forces in our society we cease to be human beings because we succumb completely to fear and it is the same message we must take to those in this nation, who believe that books are wrong.I don’t care whether they call themselves the final defenders of the pure road and the ultimate salvation or call themselves Boko Haram.“
Boko Haram and all organisations, all movements that wage war against books, against literacy, against education, enlightenment in any form have declared war, not on the state, but on humanity itself and in spite of such setbacks, in spite of such horrors we have the responsibility to support and to sustain efforts such as being made by Rainbow Club and allied societies and organizations.“
This recognition indicates very clearly that something, at least, is going right in Nigeria despite the avalanche of negativism.” he said.
This recognition indicates very clearly that something, at least, is going right in Nigeria despite the avalanche of negativism.” he said.
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