Jonathan’s era of denial of terrorism has ended –Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, granted an interview to the Cable Network News on the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State. Excerpts

What did you make of the swaggering, gleeful laughter of this leader when he just sort of appeared with face uncovered to the world and said he was going to sell these girls?  Just give me your impression psychologically of what he’s up to.

Hmmm…most bullies whether on a small scale, on a national or international scale…they bluster, they do more of the same thing when they spite a community or nation state which is on its knees, which doesn’t confront them directly. It’s a normal condition. If you remember, when the United Nations headquarters was blown off in the capital of the nation; you want to go further back when extreme Islamists literally sacked the capital (Abuja) under former President  Olusegun Obasanjo because they claimed that religion was offended because there was a beauty contest going on there…there have been numerous instances like this. And when Yussuf (first Boko Haram leader), remember, a former head of state went on a mission of appeasement to Boko Haram family asking, virtually on his knees, “please forgive and forget.” But these were killers. I mean, those who killed the leaders should have been punished, yes, but you should not go and appease killers.

Now with these girls, the longer this goes on, the fact that it is so public…what do you think is going to happen to these girls? Are they all together? What do you think? Will they be sold? What do you think? I know nobody knows.

I made a statement during  the World Book Fair in which I said, “confront the reality!” It’s painful, it’s horrifying. I said these girls are going to be sold as sex slaves. I used that expresion. I said let’s not beat around the bush. We’re dealing with a monstrosity. We’re dealing with an affliction, the like of which the nation has never encountered, understand that you must go in quickly. You must act rapidly because these girls are going to be traumatised in a way that will blast the rest of their lives. When they’re retrieved start getting ready. Expect who will assist them psychologically to get over this phase. So this charade, this gleeful obscenity we just watched from the leader of Boko Haram is something which is anticipated. It’s shocking to see it but it doesn’t surprise me. That’s the nature of what these people have made themselves into.

And do you think it’s right the report that we hear about the first lady of Nigeria criticizing activists who have been protesting in the streets, basically accusing them of bringing bad publicity to, and criticizing her husband’s government?

I’ve made public statements about this woman who calls herself the First Lady of Nigeria. I don’t want to say anything more about her.

Hmmm….hmmm….ok, I won’t push you on that…erm, there are many, many people who look at for instance Uganda where we have Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army. They also took girls for years. It was going on for years and it took years to get them back except for, for instance, that famous nun, Sister Rakele who in 1997, followed them and brought at least some of them back. This has been going on for a long time. It’s afflicting different parts of Africa…and by the way Joseph Kony is a Christian monster.

I’ve called attention to Kony. I’m very glad you mentioned it because I have mentioned it at a number of lectures as a parallel to what is happening now. So that is to tell these Muslim fundamentalists they shouldn’t take pride in bestiality, that the Christian side also knows it. The issue is not religion. It’s start from mentalist fascism. It’s an act of domination. You prove what power you have in the environment in the little pond where you’re operating. It is a mentality entirely.

And for a long, long time Nigeria wasn’t as it is now. We saw this stuff happening, it didn’t affect the whole country and the whole country wasn’t up in arms and they weren’t demonstrating in the streets. Has this abduction changed the Nigerian people and what does that mean for the government particularly for these upcoming elections?

I think anyone at all with a humane trait in his or her makeup has got to take this government to task on any level because there are many things which could have been done and I’ve stressed this over and over again. Abduction, terrorism, suicide bombings…these are very difficult situations to deal with but they are not unique and it’s easy to anticipate especially if you’re running a country and you have any sense of history. It is very easy to anticipate in what direction this would go. So, those who are coming out in the streets now have always been conscious to some extent but didn’t realise how soon the enormity would catch up on them. Now, if you like, the worms are turning. Where it would end I do not know but one thing is certain, the President and his government cannot sleep easy after what has happened to Nigeria. It is not possible. Any other pretence, or indifference or denial has ended. I’m convinced about that but also, the situation is now beyond the capacity of the government. That’s why I say the situation must be internationalised