Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday in the United States (U.S.) cautioned those playing the ethnic card in favour of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Olubunmi Etteh.
Soyinka rejected the insinuation in some quarters that Etteh was only a victim of ethnic domination, insisting on the pursuit of truth and justice in the issue no matter whose ox is gored.
In a short statement on Tuesday, Soyinka said that citizens would be partisan only for the sake of truth.
Some commentators and politicians from the South-West have sought to present the Etteh leadership crisis in the House as an affront against the Yoruba people. Some of those who have made such comments include Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun.
In recent reports, Fasehun actually threatened that any attempt by members of the House of Representatives to impeach the Speaker, will draw the wrath of the Yoruba.
While addressing a press conference tagged: "Unknown details of the Patricia Etteh drama" in Lagos last week, Fasehun said: "The people who want to impeach the Speaker of the House of Representatives do not love the nation." Fasehun stated that "the real unspoken reasons why some group or cabal itches for her impeachment lies in the fact that for eight years, their zone controlled juicy committees like Petroleum, Defence, Foreign Affairs, House Services, Niger Delta, Appropriation and Media. Etteh has now rocked the boat and allowed the leadership of those committees to shift to other zones."
But Soyinka told The Guardian that he was closely following the saga in the House, adding that he has been briefed about some of the ethnic sentiments involved. Nonetheless, the Nobel prize winner said he was prepared to rise above such limited ethnic sabre-rattling in favour of truth and justice.
According to him, "our responsibilities as true citizens of any nation do not extend beyond ensuring that due process is observed and the cause of justice is pursued. And by citizens I include being citizens of the Yoruba nation."
He added that all citizens "must be prepared to redefine partisanship as being partisans of truth and justice under any circumstances."
He, therefore, submitted that the "House of Representatives must rise up to its duty and having ascertained guilt or innocence (of all those involved in the house probe), act accordingly."
When asked to comment on the refusal of Mrs. Etteh to step down, Soyinka said he would hold further comments for now but expressed deep concern that truth is truth no matter who is affected.
From Laolu Akande, New York
The Guardian
Thursday, October 18, 2007
