I’m Pro-Biafra –Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has, again, explained his support for Biafran agitators.Soyinka said the Igbo people have been so wronged that they have no choice than to consider opting out of Nigeria.Prof. Soyinka spoke on Al Jazeera, yesterday where he shed light on his support for Biafra agitators.

“I am very much pro- Biafra because I recognise that the Igbo have been wronged desperately.

“They have been brutalised in a way that justifies their feeling that they were not part of the nation.

“Let me also say this, Biafrans are not entirely innocent in this affair. They were not, but the unleashing of such venom, such devastation on them as a people, was sufficient to justify their decision not to be part of the nation.

“I was pro-Biafran in the sense that I felt that they needed justice.”

Soyinka denied he was a troublemaker, especially in the Biafran crisis, but added, “I grew up in certain circumstances being very conscious politically, in this very Abeokuta; my mother was involved in the politics, my aunt, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a leader…

“I grew up among political arguments on issues that concern humanity and I find that basically gravitated towards recognising the basic worth of human beings.

“Something I disagree when they call me a patriot because I don’t agitate on some certain entity called a nation; I agitate on humanity.”

He criticised the removal of History and teaching of the Biafran crisis in schools.

“Officials do not want to confront their own history, especially the history in the making of which they feel uncomfortable but, if you do not confront your past, you are going to mess up your future.”

On Boko Haram and the breakup of Nigeria, he said ironically, Boko Haram might be part of the reasons Nigeria may stay together.

Soyinka said a few years ago, he would have agreed that Nigeria would break, but, now that a section of the country is in trouble, there is some kind of pulling together. He added that the conscience of many Nigerian has been awakened such that they cannot abandon that section of the country.

He urged Nigerians to recognise the plurality of Nigeria, how it came together and begin to devise and adopt a method of governance which cannot only be of massive decentralisation. “That way, we can stay together. If we continue to have a centralist government, then, Nigeria is on the brink.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/im-pro-biafra-soyinka/#comment-75408

well

The Arewa youths are even more pro Biafran. They want it to happen this October

I care neither for Nigeria nor Biafra. I am pro - me.

The zoo must surely fall

...Good to know

.

Soyinka almost made a sound point......but he come spoil am with yeye sympathy for bokoharam...

Who sympathy for bokoharam epp??

We need change..... Referendum or restructure...!!

The sun shall indeed rise soon...

lol

Good, the nobel laurete has spoken, but children and some infant reasoning adults from there are still saying Nigeria for life even when the same Nigeria has made them miserable. If the issue of Biafra & break up can get to this height within a short period of time and the new awareness sweeping across SE/SS, then I doubt if Nigeria stay intact beyond 2019. Some will argue that Nigeria is a cat with 9 lives that have survived despite the chaos but they forget that there is a limit to luck!

[s]

0b100100111:



Same with me too! A strong advocate I happen to be!

Anything that will make flat-heads exit Nigeria, I fully support

[/s]Mr. Man u cant b pro biafra
u belong to Indigenous people Of Odua (IPOO) (ISHIT)

61Penguins:
[s][/s]Mr. Man u cant b pro biafra
u belong to Indigenous people Of Odua (IPOO) (ISHIT)

In 1967 he was imprisoned for Biafra.

ok

The truth of the matter is that Southerners in general and Igbo people in particular are the greatest investors in the Nigerian project. Boko Haram thought that by attacking Christians in the north southerners would attack northerners in the south and a civil war will break out but Southerners disapointed them by rising up to the challenge and contributed to fighting Boko Haram to a stand still. Everybody thought that Naija will break up by southerners showed great enlightment; can we say same of the north.
God help Nigeria.

igbodefender:
In 1967 he was imprisoned for Biafra.

its not wole Soyinka im talking about
See d guy I quoted

Baba i have not met you before but i respect and admire you. You are a great man.Let the country separate. We are not compatible. We share nothing in common. We are not a nation.
We cant be doing same thing and expect a different result.
Yoruba form oodua republic.
Igbos form Biafra republic.
Hausas form Arewa republic.

feelgoodInc:
I’m Pro-Biafra –Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has, again, explained his support for Biafran agitators.Soyinka said the Igbo people have been so wronged that they have no choice than to consider opting out of Nigeria.Prof. Soyinka spoke on Al Jazeera, yesterday where he shed light on his support for Biafra agitators.

“I am very much pro- Biafra because I recognise that the Igbo have been wronged desperately.

“They have been brutalised in a way that justifies their feeling that they were not part of the nation.

“Let me also say this, Biafrans are not entirely innocent in this affair. They were not, but the unleashing of such venom, such devastation on them as a people, was sufficient to justify their decision not to be part of the nation.

“I was pro-Biafran in the sense that I felt that they needed justice.”

Soyinka denied he was a troublemaker, especially in the Biafran crisis, but added, “I grew up in certain circumstances being very conscious politically, in this very Abeokuta; my mother was involved in the politics, my aunt, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was a leader…

“I grew up among political arguments on issues that concern humanity and I find that basically gravitated towards recognising the basic worth of human beings.

“Something I disagree when they call me a patriot because I don’t agitate on some certain entity called a nation; I agitate on humanity.”

He criticised the removal of History and teaching of the Biafran crisis in schools.

“Officials do not want to confront their own history, especially the history in the making of which they feel uncomfortable but, if you do not confront your past, you are going to mess up your future.”

On Boko Haram and the breakup of Nigeria, he said ironically, Boko Haram might be part of the reasons Nigeria may stay together.

Soyinka said a few years ago, he would have agreed that Nigeria would break, but, now that a section of the country is in trouble, there is some kind of pulling together. He added that the conscience of many Nigerian has been awakened such that they cannot abandon that section of the country.


He urged Nigerians to recognise the plurality of Nigeria, how it came together and begin to devise and adopt a method of governance which cannot only be of massive decentralisation. “That way, we can stay together. If we continue to have a centralist government, then, Nigeria is on the brink.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/im-pro-biafra-soyinka/#comment-75408

I do not know the section of Niger-Area which Soyinka alleged to be in trouble. In addition, it is very hard to understand who is pulling together for whom. Nigeria can be set ablaze today and I will not give ratass. It is Republic of Igbo land or Biafra period. If Boko Haram wants to turn northern region of Nigeria into Islamic state. I say kudos to them. After all, there is Islamic Republic of Iran.

Baba Soyinka, those flat-heads are ingrates... You deserved to be worshipped by them even more than kanu because you risked your life and even got jailed for supporting them during the bloody civil war...

But watch dem call you afonja coward on this thread

That's a wise man there... unlike his dull brothers making senseless rants all over Nairaland here.

Biafra will be a first world nation in 10 years


Israel is coming to help us build a prosperous and developed nation


I will advise other ethnic nations that were invited to join the first black advanced country

Any reasonable person would arrive at the same conclusion- Nigeria in its current form is a burden to everyone. Any thinking Nigerian knows dividing the country or at least confederation is in the interest of everyone.

I also want Biafrans to have their Lil country, but I just saw through the charade after the notice to quit, by the northern youth, that igbos only want to kill Nigeria and what ever booty left in the wake they can scavenge on. Go Biafra but leave my Nigeria alone.

cc; mynd44

Am from the part of the world where its geographical territories is included in the biafran map but I believe in a STRONG & UNITED NIGERIA; ONE NATION UNDER GOD where the cords of LOVE & POSITIVE VALUES bind us with unbreakable cords of UNITY as we collectively seek to create OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRESS and PROSPERITY for ALL regardless of tribe and tongue.

k

lalabrother:
Am from the part of the world where its geographical territories is included in the biafran map but I believe in a STRONG & UNITED NIGERIA; ONE NATION UNDER GOD where the cords of LOVE & POSITIVE VALUES bind us with unbreakable cords of UNITY as we collectively seek to create OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRESS and PROSPERITY for ALL regardless of tribe and tongue.

.....a.f.o.n.j.a......spotted

ZKOSOSO:

.....a.f.o.n.j.a......spotted

whatever u are called. Am from ITU Mbunuso. Does that sound like am Yoruba?

Dont mention me again.

The arewa youth are more pro-biafra than igbo herself.
They proposed that biafra come to fruition in October. Igbo claimed they cant leave 44trillion investment.

Soyinka's stance on this isn't new. As someone else already mentioned, Soyinka actually went to jail for his pro-Biafra stance as far back as 1967, though that hasn't stopped hordes of IPOB fanatics - who have done nothing in their lives that comes close to what Soyinka did - from repeatedly insulting and defaming the man on numerous online forums.

The sort of terrible treatment Soyinka has received is precisely the kind of behavior that holds back many Yoruba people from voicing any support for the Biafran cause: why would anyone give their backing to people who spend all their waking hours blaming them for everything wrong in their lives? Any time anybody raises any criticism of Kanu or IPOB, or dares to say they want no part of Biafran secession, idiots rush out of the woodwork screaming "Afonja" this or "Yoruba" that, and then the same people wonder why Yorubas keep silent in the face of Northern pushback against the Biafran movement! Who has ever won others over to their side of an argument by insulting and blaming them nonstop?

The irony of the IPOB movement is that while Kanu has been extremely successful in fostering a grassroots movement which has real passion behind it, the very means he has used to do so now stands in the way of the political moves required for Biafra to be achieved through peaceful means. Given how dependent the northern parts of the country are on the south, the "core" northerners will never willingly agree to any secessionist movement that threatens their access to southern revenues, which means Biafra supporters must win political support from most of the rest of the south and the middle belt, but how do you do that when you keep insulting them and boasting of your supposed superiority over the "slaves"?

There's an old saying IPOB and its sympathizers should keep in mind: "Honey catches more flies than vinegar". You need to give people reasons to support you, rather than pushing them to embrace "One Nigeria" even more tightly because they dislike your behavior.

But who am I fooling writing all this? I doubt the typical "Afonja!!!!" sh*tposter has the brains to digest what I'm saying, or even cares about Biafra as such, rather about than getting a chance to insult Yorubas, Hausas and Fulanis.