ZAMFARA INCITEMENT: PROF. SOYINKA WANTS EX-GOV, DEPUTY PROSECUTED

ZAMFARA INCITEMENT: PROF. SOYINKA WANTS EX-GOV, DEPUTY PROSECUTED

prof. soyinka

By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday demanded the prosecution of former governor of Zamfara state, Ahmed Yerima and his deputy, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkarfi over alleged inciting comments, resulting in the death of a teenager and other students.

He also dared pertinent establishments of government to investigate and prosecute the suspected religious fanatics responsible for the recent murder of eight students of Abdul Guzau College in Zamfara under the guise of blasphemy for vicarious liability.

Soyinka made this known at the University of Benin 2nd eminent lecture series entitled: "culture at risk", wondered why the former leaders of Zamfara state have not been called for questioning in connection with the act which he claimed was widely condemned by the Nigeria supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

"Those behind the alleged murder of eight people are alive. Those people killed were not even around the original scenario. I call them stupid and disgrace to their school, Abdul Guzau College ethnic school.

He said the sloppiness of installations of government to act fast against acts of impunity in the past accounted for the rise of deadly religious sects such as Boko Haram, 

"Earlier I made mention of Zamfara with a special implicit. There are no real names. On the 26th November 2002, the deputy governor of Zamfara state, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkarfi announced, made a proclamation regarding a Citizen of this nation, one Miss Isioma Daniel who had served at a beauty contest. 

"He (Shinkarfi) was said to have said if it was when Prophet Muhammad were alive, he (Prophet Muhammed) would have picked one of the Contestants as a wife. 

"Now, for that alleged crime, I repeat which I considered by the way, a compliment. The ecstatic existence of any judgment of any Prophet in the world, She was sentenced to death. This deputy governor said it is abiding on all Muslims wherever they are to consider the killing of that fragile girl as a religious duty. 

"Now, let us also emphasize the fact that the supreme Islamic Council rejected this so called practice. But what about the followers who heard only the words of that deputy governor? Are they perhaps the ones who recently killed fellow beings because of an alleged blasphemy? Up till this moment, we haven't heard what was said...In my view it is that toxin injected into the social consciousness of the followers of that religion which resulted in the murder of a Citizen.

"Is there something called vicarious guilt or not? And the question I ask is was that deputy governor ever brought to trial? Was his boss Ahmed Yerima who rides...

"People are good going, loosed running around without being made to pay restitution for incitement to murder either the cultural relativism or should we be surprised and start shouting Allah? Some stupid youngsters who took the laws into their own hands and kill, eight people are alive. 

"Those people were not even around the original scenario. I call them stupid and disgrace to their school, Abdul Guzau College ethnic school. I say, they are stupid and disgrace to learning anywhere because even a child who lives in a community that if you want to create a serious fight between two people just say that one of the individuals has abused another. It is as elementary as that. Oh, he has abused my father. So, these must be idiots been trained in that school.

"The lessons have been implanted. It enters their brain and the consequences are happening. 

"Is this kind of mentality that led to the latest Boko Haram and all its sense of intolerance, failure to understand that we are just other members of society and has no right over other human beings and that they are not slaves. 

"My view is that we can complain, we can protest, we can condemn as much as we want. Until those who are guilty even on vicarious liability when a murder is committed are brought to book and made to apologize to the whole nation.

The eminent lecturer faulted the removal of history from the nation's school curriculum considering the dare consequences for the future for the incoming generation and the pit of ignorance which lies ahead. 

Earlier, the Vice-chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, described the lecture series as a moment to savor the intellectual proficiency of the Nobel Laureate and the Academic who have made a unique mark literature