Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Monday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to show quality leadership in order to save Nigeria from collapse.
Soyinka, who stated this on a television programme, was referring to the various challenges plaguing the country, especially insecurity.
The playwright said: “First of all, he should start talking to people like a leader — and a leader who is awake to the realities of the situation. Then, let us see actions being taken.
“I’m tired of hearing things like ‘you will see differences in a few weeks’ time’. We are tired of that. He’s got to put his cards on the table and take people into confidence.
“He’s got to stop exuding false confidence, because that kind of confidence is totally false. It is not based on realities, and we have got to see an acceleration of actions to retrieve this nation from the very edge.
“It is no longer a problem of the people. It is a problem of leadership because the people have shown themselves ready to act, to save their own community.”
He added: “Members of NASS are not doing enough. If you study the constitution very carefully, you will realise that they have certain powers which they haven’t touched.
“There are certain areas they can compel this government to act the way it should, and that applies especially to governors — the governors themselves are too timid.”
Soyinka also cautioned the Nigerians against spreading fake news, pointing out that such would make them to lose his support.
“I appeal to people to stop putting words in my mouth. If you think you can pressure me to speak by stealing my identity and putting words in my mouth on social media, you are wasting your time. Not only that, you are acting in a distorting way.
“At this sensitive time, I must warn Nigerians to stop playing around with such serious issues, otherwise they are going to lose the kind of support they have from people like me,” he concluded.
