Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is leaving the government after eight years on a sour note and on a note of sadism.
Professor Wole Soyinka who was asked to assess President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime while speaking on Arise Television Programme Morning Show on Wednesday said: “I don’t think we need to spend little energy to assess Buhari government’s tenure, because he is leaving on a very sour note, on a note of sadism,” he said.
“I am referring to the policy which overnight impoverished millions and millions of Nigerians, by this, I mean the currency change and others.
He said if was hoping to leave the government on a high note, he would find himself disappointed, as that single action has really wiped out the major part of his achievement.
“This is because to have embarked on an action like that, to have moved to disobeyed the judgment of the Supreme Court over the currency validity, is, for me, a sour legacy to those who believe in democracy, who believe that the primary duty of any national leader is the welfare of the people.
He said if President Buhari hopes that history would be kind to him, his final act in office, he said, he is afraid has soured the positive aspect of the overall achievement.
The Professor also advised that whoever happened to be the next president of the country should ensure that there decentralization of activities in the country.
Given an example of the actions of some state governments against the Federal Government over the currency policy issue, he said, they did not only take the Federal Government to court, but they told their people to ignore the directive of the central government and obey the decision of the supreme court. “ They said in our states the old currency remains rallied for as long as the supreme court says so “
Now, that to me, is true federalism in action on behalf of the people and respecting the law of the land. It is this kind of transformation I am looking forward to seeing in the activities and political attitude of whichever government that comes to power.”
He said anything short of this, would still be trekking on the same old route of centralization in new guises, and this means the economic, political and ideological retardation of the nation.
