Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to share what he has learnt, if any, regarding the murder of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, late Bola Ige, since he became President.
Recall that on this day twenty years ago, Ige was killed in his home in Oyo State.
In a letter to Mrs. Funso Adegbola, daughter to Ige, Soyinka, who says he regrets missing this year’s memorial symposium in honour of Ige, in a poser to Buhari, asked: “What happened to the robust pledge of President Muhammadu Buhari to open an enquiry into the spate of political murders that the nation has undergone in recent years.
“Does it all amount to yet another instance of political bravado?
“While we all accept that all lives should be valued equally, some impose a special responsibility on those in governance. Bola Ige, as the nation’s Minister of Justice, and United Nation’s civil servant designate, was unarguably one such.
“A nation’s honour is in question and remains so until the hour of closure. Thus, she must never relent in demanding an explanation for his brutal murder, expose the perpetrators, identify the conspirators and reinstate the broken lines of justice.
“At the very least, we need a formal declaration regarding those who displayed an abnormal interest in the fates of those accused, to a level of proven, documented interference both in the Investigative process, and within the judiciary.
“I am not alone in having written and lectured on these sordid aspects that fuelled the subversion of justice. There are surviving witnesses.
“Unsolved Crimes only lead to a culture of impunity. This puts the entire nation at risk, no matter the privilege of high-level protection. This is a lesson that Nigerian leadership has yet to learn. President Buhari, share the rewards of your investigations, if any.”
A full text of the statement by Professor Wole Soyinka reads:
(Being text of a message by Professor Wole Soyinka to the family of the late Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, on occasion of an event, “20TH YEAR OF BOLA IGE MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM, 2 DECADES OF INJUSTICE: WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS ON NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY, organised by the BOLA IGE FOR JUSTICE CENTRE, held at the Lagos Airport Hotel Ikeja today, December 21, 2021. The letter was addressed to the daughter if the late Ige, Mrs Funso Adegbola).
Mrs. Funso Adegbola
@ Bola Ige 20th COMMEMORATION
Ikeja, Lagos
December 23, 2021
My dear Funso,
An eleventh-hour, sadly insurmountable impediment, alas, prevents my joining you on this bitter-sweet occasion. Bitter for obvious reasons, but also a source of joy, since it provides yet another opportunity for celebrating the passage of a remarkable individual – your late father — through the lives of the rest of us yet living. Let us be unstinting in our sustaining reminiscences.
I particularly regret my absence, as it provides a mandatory, inescapable occasion for directing a question at the nation’s current leader, President Buhari, a DEMAND that the entire nation, no matter the political inclination of her citizens, is morally obliged to make. MY message proceeds:
PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, WHAT HAS BECOME OF YOUR ROBUST PLEDGE TO OPEN AN ENQUIRY INTO THE SPATE OF POLITICAL MURDERS THAT THE NATION HAS UNDERGONE IN RECENT YEARS? DOES IT ALL AMOUNT TO YET ANOTHER INSTANCE OF POLITICAL BRAVADO? WHILE WE ALL ACCEPT THAT ALL LIVES SHOULD BE VALUED EQUALLY, SOME IMPOSE A SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THOSE IN GOVERNANCE. BOLA IGE, AS THE NATION’S MINISTER OF JUSTICE, AND UNITED NATIONS’ CIVIL SERVANT DESIGNATE, WAS UNARGUABLY ONE SUCH. A NATION’S HONOUR IS IN QUESTION AND REMAINS SO UNTIL THE HOUR OF CLOSURE. THUS, SHE MUST NEVER RELENT IN DEMANDING AN EXPLANATION FOR HIS BRUTAL MURDER, EXPOSE THE PERPETRATORS, IDENTIFY THE CONSPIRATORS AND REINSTATE THE BROKEN LINES OF JUSTICE.
AT THE VERY LEAST, WE NEED A FORMAL DECLARATION REGARDING THOSE WHO DISPLAYED AN ABNORMAL INTEREST IN THE FATES OF THOSE ACCUSED, TO A LEVEL OF PROVEN, DOCUMENTED INTERFERENCE BOTH IN THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS, AND WITHIN THE JUDICIARY. I AM NOT ALONE IN HAVING WRITTEN AND LECTURED ON THESE SORDID ASPECTS THAT FUELLED THE SUBVERSION OF JUSTICE. THERE ARE SURVIVING WITNESSES.
UNSOLVED CRIMES ONLY LEAD TO A CULTURE OF IMPUNITY. THIS PUTS THE ENTIRE NATION AT RISK, NO MATTER THE PRIVILEGE OF HIGH-LEVEL PROTECTION. THIS IS A LESSON THAT NIGERIAN LEADERSHIP HAS YET TO LEARN.
PRESIDENT BUHARI, SHARE THE REWARDS OF YOUR INVESTIGATIONS – IF ANY!!!
Wole SOYINKA
