Who is ruling Nigeria now? ''GEJ is Immoral''-implies Soyinka

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/11410-immoral-people-now-rule-nigeria-soyinka

Immoral people now rule Nigeria -Soyinka


Written by Adewale Ajayi, Lagos
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday said reprobates had hijacked the leadership of the country from those who made enormous sacrifices to restore democracy in Nigeria.

Soyinka, who along with members of the Civil Society Groups, marked the fifth anniversary of the death of former Civil Liberty Organisation leader, Comrade Chima Ubani, therefore, called on the Federal Government to create room for a just society.

He said it was sad that most of the societal ills Ubani fought against had not been corrected, but were only being relegated and overshadowed by other issues.

Soyinka said to compound the ugly trend, immoral people that Ubani fought to keep in check were now parading themselves as aspirants for key political offices in the country. He added that Ubani would have been alive today if the society placed much value on the citizenry.

Soyinka explained that if not for what he called a “silly report” from the police, which was demanded by the hospitals Ubani was taken to after the accident in 2005, he would not have died.

“A careless driver mowed him down with about five other people. This individual would have been with us today. The stupid and misnomer regulations that govern the conduct of those who are supposed to protect their entirety, if those rules were not enforced, maybe Chima also would have been alive today.

“What happened was, as soon as the accident happened, they were picked up; this man who was still breathing, injured, still bleeding, and they went to hospital. They went from one to the other, and these hospitals would not admit these patients unless, until they had a police report. I don’t know in which society this barbarism is allowed to happen,” Soyinka stated.

He described Ubani as the backbone of the civil society groups, which were always ready to mobilise people for rally at any time, adding that the deceased was a foundation member of a new party to be launched next Saturday.

Speaking at the event, another activist, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, called on Nigerians to rise against the presidential ambition of former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, because of his alleged role in frustrating the democratic will of the people in the past.

A legal practitioner, Mr Bamidele Aturu said Ubani died in the process of delivering Nigerians from modern slavery, as he was passionately against politicians, who were acting contrary to what they promised the people.

It will be recalled that Ubani died along with four others in an accident when coming from a rally organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to protest against fuel hike during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Wole Soyinka is a man of great virtue. I wish he was leading us. This man is someone who I have the deepest respect for. If Nigerians invested in people such as this, our country would be a much better place.