- Title: NIGERIA: Nigerian playwright Soyinka analyses 50 years of indepndence
- Date: 29th September 2010
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) SOYINKA TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN PLAYWRIGHT, WOLE SOYINKA, SAYING: "There are many 'patriots' who really have no feeling whatsoever for Nigeria or for their nations but are willing to sacrifice any number of people simply in order to maintain the size of what they consider their personal real estate that is where the contradiction is. I believe however that this national space called Nigeria can be made to work but it's still a project in the making, let's not be sentimental about it. You can unveil the flag as much as you want, you can recite the national pledge as long as you want you can sing that banal, tawdry national anthem as loudly as you like, that project is still in the making." VARIOUS OF MARKET / PEOPLE IN MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN PLAYWRIGHT, WOLE SOYINKA, SAYING: "First of all we have a huge problem of unemployment and when there is unemployment the gap between the rich and the poor widens. For the simple reason that the rich always know how to look after themselves, and even know to exploit a situation of impoverishment and therefore it's a dangerous social situation and it has to be addressed, more jobs have got to be created and in a very dynamic way I mean really purposefully." SOYINKA TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN PLAYWRIGHT, WOLE SOYINKA, SAYING: "If Nigerians still go to this election hammer and tongs with that mentality of the most ruthless killer take all not just winner take all, but killer take all, then of course this election is going to be a disaster. It's possible; a free and fair election can only come about if Nigerians recover that sense of self worth that made them act in a disciplined and truthful manner towards one another in the election of 1993." VARIOUS OF LAGOS STREETS
- Embargoed: 14th October 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: History,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA88R4JUGM9U6JV0O23KFHQ7LWV
- Story Text: October 1st this year will mark 50 years since Nigeria won independence from British colonial rule.
Many people in Africa's most populous country will be reflecting on the country's development so far after the end of nearly three decades of oppressive military rule in 1999.
Professor Wole Soyinka has been one of the staple figures through out Nigeria's post-independence politics - even as the people at the top came and went. He fought for democracy and human rights and spoke against corruption. Whether in street protests or through the messages in his plays the writer, poet and playwright condemned Nigeria's oppressive regimes.
Soyinka was released in 1969 after being jailed for almost two years when he called for a ceasefire during Nigeria's civil war.
His works earned him a Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. He went into exile in 1994 and returned home four years later after the death of military ruler, Sani Abacha.
Seventy-six year old Soyinka remains vocal in the country's politics and has his own views about Nigeria's 50 years of independence.
He said making Nigeria work as a country was possible but the vision was still a long way away because of people who were only championing selfish interests.
"There are many 'patriots' who really have no feeling whatsoever for Nigeria or for their nations but are willing to sacrifice any number of people simply in order to maintain the size of what they consider their personal real estate that is where the contradiction is. I believe however that this Nation space called Nigeria can be made to work but its still a project in the making, let's not be sentimental about it. You can unveil the flag as much as you want, you can recite the national pledge as much as you want you can sing that banal, tawdry national anthem as loudly as you like, that project is still in the making," said Soyinka.
Soyinka also said unemployment was one of the major problems the country was facing. According to Nigeria's finance minister, unemployment in Nigeria is at around 19.7 percent on average but almost half of the 15-25 year olds living in urban areas are jobless.
"First of all we have a huge problem of unemployment and when there is unemployment the gap between the rich and the poor widens for the simple reason that the rich always know how to look after themselves, and even know to exploit a situation of impoverishment and therefore it's a dangerous social situation and it has to be addressed, more jobs have got to be created and in a very dynamic way I mean really purposefully," said Soyinka.
Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer and one of the continent's economic powerhouses. Preparations are underway for elections next year.
"If Nigerians still go to this election hammer and tongs with that mentality of the most ruthless killer take all not just winner take all, but killer take all, then of course this election is going to be a disaster. It's possible; a free and fair election can only come about if Nigerians recover that sense of self worth that made them act in a disciplined and truthful manner towards one another in the election of 1993," said Soyinka.
Sub-Saharan Africa's second-biggest economy, which grew 6.66 percent in 2009, is expected to grow 7.0 percent this year and 7.3 percent next, according to the median of forecasts from nine analysts who took part a recent survey.
Experts say that rising oil prices and increased production are expected to drive Nigerian economic growth higher but food prices remain high. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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