While speaking at Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, before unveiling the logo of 2018 OAU Ife Festival of Foods and Identity, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, implored the Federal Government to reverse what he described as “the seeming triumph of evil over good” as being witnessed across the country.
According to Vanguard, the Nobel Laureate and social critic equally expressed worries over the state of the nation, saying it was not the best of time for the nation and its citizens.The renowned literary giant who spoke at the event organised by the Institute of Cultural Studies, said; “This is not the best of times for this nation. For us as a people, it is not the most cheerful of times, we have a responsibility to ourselves as living beings not to allow destruction to overtake or overwhelm our creativity. We shall beat swords into plough shears, it means the instrument of cultivation. We must overcome the instrument of destruction.
“Between the time of the launching of this logo and the action manifestation of the festival itself, we should have seen signs that the clash between swords and the ploughshares is reversed.
“This would have given us total fulfilment as people with culture, peace and harmony. We cannot continue to see the seeming triumph of the guns over the ploughshare. We want to see this government’s reversal of the triumph of the swords over the plough shears. If this has not taken place, it means we have no government.
“If those who have been displaced, the farmers that has been displaced in their hundreds from various parts of this nation especially in the north, if the farmers have not been taken back to their productive environment, it means we have no government. Let us all join hands to bet the sword into ploughshares.”
