SOYINKA, OWN UP TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR INACTION

Like Pontius Pilate, as renowned Nobel laureate and famed sociopolitical critic Prof. Wole Soyinka, treads on the comforts and security his elevated status in the society provides him, satisfied that he has cleared himself of any culpability in the eyes of the public, he should observe closely that the bowl of liquid which he is about to cleanse his hands in is not filled with clear water, but with the blood of the innocent.

With his latest press conference, informing Nigerians that he never supported the election of President Buhari, whatever modicum of respect Nigerians still hold for the octogenarian, especially those of a younger generation, is being eroded.

Such equivocation by Soyinka is very insensitive to the sensibilities of Nigerians, especially at a time when insecurity is so heightened such that it is no longer news to hear scores of lives being killed or maimed, victims kidnapped, women and minors raped across northern cities and communities on a daily basis. So, sir, in your compulsion to exonerate yourself of any responsibility in installing an 8-year rule of one of Nigeria’s most incompetent governments, did you take a moment to ask yourself the consequences of your actions or inaction?

By his own admittance, not only was Soyinka vociferous in pillorying Goodluck Jonathan and campaigning against his reelection, the revered critic also claimed not to have exercised his right to participate in choosing who became Nigeria’s next president. And you excoriate Jonathan for his actions and inaction?

Election outcomes are critical to the development of a nation and voting choices are not to be treated flippantly. By his actions, Soyinka railroaded the Jonathan administration out of Aso Villa and by his inaction, he left the gates open for the Buhari-led government to ride in triumphantly. So, would it not have been better he just owned up to his failings and let Nigerians decide what dignity he still deserves as one who has been a highly respected voice in the polity?

In electing our next president, the words of American investor and one of the world’s wealthiest persons come to mind. “You’re looking for three things, generally, in a person;” says Buffett, “Intelligence, energy, and integrity. And if they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two.” These translate to the physical, intellectual and moral capacities of the aspirant, and not merely about age, tribe, or religion as the contention is often about. Leadership is beyond all of that; it is about capacity. Does the individual have the capacity to govern and to deliver on his/her mandate?

Without critically considering his leadership antecedents, millions of Nigerians jumped on the Buhari train when they heard the powerful word – CHANGE! “Anyone else was better than a clueless Jonathan,” they retorted when confronted with the reality that the option was a dictator who lacked both the intellect and vigour to rule. That is where the respected playwright missed the script.

Like 2015, 2023 provides another opportunity to effect a leadership change in Nigeria. We must not be sold on a leader that paints illusory pictures with vain words, empty promises and catchy slogans. We need a leader that understands the complexities of the problems that have turned this great nation into a sinking ship; a leader that has demonstrated enough capacity to be able to redirect the trajectory of a nation with so great a promise from a land of waste to fulfilling her great potential.

It is bad enough that after their primaries, the frontline parties may present options we may not necessarily fancy, but choices still have to be made, no matter how difficult they may be: Because the consequences of our actions and inaction, unlike Soyinka failed to own up to, will determine the fate of our dear nation, and the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of Nigerians, born and unborn.