Presidency Ridicules Prof Soyinka Over COVID-19 Comments

The Presidency has come down heavy on Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka asking him to go and write more books instead of criticising government’s handling of corona virus pandemic.

The Presidency also enjoined Nigerians to trust the words of our doctors and scientists and not fiction writers.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, gave the advice while reacting to comments made by Prof. Wole Soyinka, on legal status of 14-day lockdown announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday.

He said Soyinka was ill-equipped to make such comments being a literary writer rather than a scientist,

Soyinka in a statement on Monday titled “ COVID and Constitutional Encroachment”, had called on constitutional lawyers and lawmakers to clarify the legality or otherwise of the subsisting lockdown affecting Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states as ordered by the President.

Said Soyinka, “Constitutional lawyers and our elected representatives should kindly step into this and educate us, mere lay minds. The worst development I can conceive of us is to have a situation where rational measures for the containment of the Coronavirus pandemic are rejected on account of their questionable genesis.

“This is a time for Unity of Purpose, not nitpicking dissensions. So, before this becomes a habit, a question: does President Buhari have the powers to close down state borders? We want clear answers. We are not in a war emergency.

“Appropriately focused on measures for the saving lives, and committed to making sacrifices for the preservation of our communities, we should nonetheless remain alert to any encroachment on constitutionally demarcated powers. We need to exercise collective vigilance, and not compromise the future by submitting to interventions that are not backed by law and constitution.

Buhari and Soyinka…courtesy Within Nigeria

“Who actually instigates these orders anyway? From where do they really emerge? What happens when the orders conflict with state measures, the product of a systematic containment strategy – `including even trial-and-error and hiccups – undertaken without let or leave of the Centre. So far, the anti-COVID-19 measures have proceeded along the rails of decentralised thinking, multilateral collaboration and technical exchanges between states.

“The universal imperative and urgency of this affliction should not become an opportunistic launch pad for a sneak re-centralisation, no matter how seemingly insignificant its appearance. I urge governors and legislators to be especially watchful. No epidemic is ever cured with constitutional piracy. It only lays down new political viruses for the future.”

Reacting, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, enjoined Nigerians to trust information coming from scientists and medical specialists as concerning virus diseases, instead of listening to Professors of Literary writings.

He advised Soyinka to wait and write a play on the coronavirus pandemic, after the emergency, rather than attacking measures put in place to contain it.

”In the meantime, we ask the people of Nigeria to trust the words of our doctors and scientists – and not fiction writers – at this time of national crisis.”

“Yesterday, the esteemed Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, made comments on the legal status and description of 14-day lockdown announced by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Professor Soyinka is not a medical professor. His qualifications are in English literature, and his prizes are for writing books and plays for theatres.

”He is, of course, entitled to his opinions – but that is exactly all they are: semantics, not science. They cannot – and should not – therefore be judged as professional expertise in this matter in any shape or form.

Citing authorities from other parts of the world positively disposed to the lockdown, the presidential spokesman added:

“As for the legality of the lock down, the Government of Nigeria’s primary duty in law and action is the defence of the people of Nigeria. We face a global pandemic. Nigeria is now affected.

”The scientific and medical guidance the world over is clear: the way to defeat the virus is to halt its spread through limitation of movement of people.

“Perhaps Wole Soyinka may write a play on the coronavirus pandemic, after this emergency is over. In the meantime, we ask the people of Nigeria to trust the words of our doctors and scientists – and not fiction writers – at this time of national crisis,’’ the presidential aide said.