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Wole Soyinka Replies Garba Shehu, Calls PBuhari’s Administration Clueless
Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has responded to an attack on him by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu.
Shehu, speaking on behalf of the Presidency, had urged Nigerians to ignore Soyinka’s comments on the lockdown order declared by Buhari on Sunday during a broadcast.
The lockdown to take place in Lagos, Ogun and FCT, was part of wider measures adopted by government to halt the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
Shehu therefore said that Nigerians should ignore Soyinka for kicking against the move because he lacked knowledge on issues of health and science in general.
However, responding on Thursday morning, Soyinka described Shehu as a paid propagandist doing the bidding of a clueless administration.
He said: “Mr, Shehu Garba failed to mention a most important profession in which I am confirmed: Alarmist. Unpaid. It’s a universal function of humanity even in the midst of the worst of crises.
“To save me the trouble of responding to the mind boggling irrelevances of paid errand voices, a professional colleague kindly sent me an affirmative article in the New York Times.
“You will understand that I cannot take issues with a propagandist whose clear mission is to distract public attention from the complex issues of health – both the physiological and the mental.”
The New York Times article referred to by Soyinka raises concern on how the global health crisis was creating an avenue for political leaders to exhibit dictatorial tendencies.
The article went on to express fear over whether the new powers acquired by heads of governments in many countries of the world including in Nigeria will be relinquished by the end of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Recall that several leading Legal Practitioners in Nigeria including Femi Falana had said that the lockdown order by Buhari could not stand except backed by law.
Shortly afterwards, Buhari on Monday announced the signing into law of the COVID-19 Regulations.
Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Quarantine Act (CAP Q2 LFN 2004) conferred such powers on him.
It was the legal framework needed to enforce the lockdown order in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT.
The order has taken effect in Lagos and FCT while it will be enforced in Ogun starting from Friday.
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described the planned increase in electricity and telecom tariffs as unconscionable.
The statement comes after the telecoms regulator last week approved the increase in mobile tariffs.
The federal government also recently said that plans were ongoing to increase electricity tariffs “over the next few months.”
However, Sani, who said the government’s plan is unreasonable, insisted that it should be halted.
The ex-lawmaker also expressed his support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the scheduled protest against the government’s proposal, calling it a welcome development.
“The planned increase in electricity tariffs in the midst of poor power supply and the proposal to increase telecom tariffs is unconscionable and should be halted. The scheduled labour union protest is a welcome development,” he posted on X.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has revealed his decision to cut off all future funding to South Africa, citing poor treatment of “certain classes of people.”
Trump made this known on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
According to Trump, South Africa was seizing land and mistreating some citizens without concern for the violations of their rights.
“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.
Reports suggest that the American leader may be defending White South Africans, some of whom have alleged that the South African policy is unfair to them.
There are indications that the federal government will on Monday meet with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to stop the planned Tuesday nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications tariff hike.
A reliable source familiar with the matter, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this on Monday morning, noting that the meeting between the NLC leadership and the federal government is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday.
The source said the meeting was a “dialogue on matters of national interest as it affects Nigerian workers.”
According to the source, it will be an inter-ministerial meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), purposely to resolve issues raised by the NLC concerning the federal government’s approved upward adjustment to telecommunications tariffs, which the NLC, its allies, and others are vehemently opposing.
This comes as the NLC is already mobilizing workers for a mass protest tomorrow (February 4) against the 50 percent tariff hike approval.
On Thursday last week, in a letter to affiliate unions and state councils, NLC General Secretary Emma Ugboaja urged them to mobilize other Nigerians to send a serious message to the government.
The planned protest follows the 50 percent telecom tariff approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on January 20, 2025.
The approval had sparked widespread rejection among telecom subscribers.
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