Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has said that President Muhammadu ‘Buhari is not listening to governors on open grazing’ and that he can not sits in Aso Rock says and instruct his Attorney-General to dig up some kind of colonial law.

Soyinka speaking on Arise TV said that Nigeria’s problem as a country is not that of people but leadership because people have shown that they are ready to act to save their own community.

He lamented that as people take to the streets in demonstration and expression of their grievances government needs to understand that the idea of threatening people doesn’t work any longer.

He also said that Nigeria’s democracy, was nose-diving or on a suicide drive and that Buhari needs to listen to all different agitations and initiatives which are taking place around him.

He said: “On this so-called democracy, we are embarking on a nose-dive or what I will describe as suicide drive and Buhari needs to listen to all different agitations and initiatives which are taking place around him.

“He should recognize the fact that the tempo of disintegration of this country has accelerated in the last couple of years beyond anything we ever knew since the civil war, and I’m not sure Nigeria can remain as one if we fail to decentralize.

“If Nigeria fails to decentralize as fast as possible, in such a way that people will see it manifesting, then Nigeria cannot stay together. If a nation is on suicide slide, the people who feel that they do not deserve that kind of suicidal slide have a right to say sorry, we are getting off this plane before it nose-dived.

“I am beginning to believe that people have different definitions for democracy, particularly our political leaders and I’m beginning to wonder whether this government, led by Buhari, really understands the implication and full responsibility and commitment involved when people say they are practising democracy.”

‘FG handling agitations badly’

“In truncating various channels of expression open to any populace, you are actually abrogating the very essence of democracy. Democracy is not sequence or symbolic gestures of June 12 as Democracy Day.

“When you truncate any channel of self-expression of people, you literarily become an enemy of democracy.

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“Also the language used by Buhari in responding to agitation for secession is very unfortunate. Any sensitive leader must understand and respond to reasons behind those agitations, not to start to threaten, bully or intimidate people.

‘Buhari not listening to govs on open grazing’

“For instance, Southern governors say on behalf of our people, we do not want open grazing anymore.

“Then somebody who sits in Aso Rock says he will instruct his Attorney-General to dig up some kind of colonial law so he can recover on behalf of certain private business the old route.

“That is an indication that he is not listening to what governors and the people they represent are saying.”