Tinubu’s Speech Fails to Address Police Brutality Says Soyinka
Nobel Prize winner Prof. Wole Soyinka criticized President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast for failing to address the harsh crackdown by security forces on #EndBadGovernance protesters. Soyinka was disappointed that the president didn’t mention this crucial issue.
He said he had set an alarm to ensure he wouldn’t miss the president’s address about the current unrest. Soyinka noted that while the president’s plan to prevent such protests deserves expert analysis, his speech overlooked the worsening situation of how protests are being handled.
Soyinka argued that ignoring this issue only encourages security forces to act with impunity, leading to a cycle of anger and retaliation. He criticized the use of live bullets and excessive force against peaceful protests, suggesting that hunger marches are a global cry for help, not unique to Nigeria.
He compared the current situation to colonial times, referencing a past opera that criticized the government’s harsh responses. Soyinka pointed out that other countries, like France during the Yellow Vest protests, have shown that peaceful alternatives to handling protests are possible.
He urged for a permanent end to the use of violent methods by security forces and called for a transformation in how protests are managed. Soyinka suggested that today’s protesters might use the songs from the opera as a reminder of the need to move beyond colonial-era practices and break the cycle of violence.
