Our current economic situation due to years of bad governance – Soyinka

Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has blamed
the current economic situation in the
country on years of bad governance, and
urged the federal government to call an
emergency economic conference to
address the situation.
Prof. Soyinka, who spoke during a
courtesy visit to the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, in his office in Abuja on
Thursday, also reiterated his earlier
support for the Administration’s fight
against corruption
“The economic condition of a nation, of a
people does not deteriotate overnight.
Something came before that
deterioration,” he said, while answering a
question on the current state of the
nation’s economy.
He blamed the deterioration of the
economy on “a certain prolonged and
unchecked process of attrition”, adding
that Nigerians should not expect a quick
turnaround of the economy.
“Recovery is going to take quite a while…
The President should call an emergency
economic conference, with experts to be
invited. Consumers, producers, labour
unions, university experts, professors, etc.
“I think we really need an emergency
economic conference, a rescue operation
bringing as many heads as possible
together to plot the way forward,” the
Nobel Laureate said.
Prof. Soyinka said the government must
remain resolute in its ongoing fight
against corruption, while also expressing
satisfaction with “both the target and
tempo of motion” as far as the
government’s efforts are concerned.
He urged the government to pursue the
anti-corruption battle within the confines
of the law, saying that if that goal (of
fighting corruption) is attained by positive
means, if nothing else, the government
would have moved the nation forward by
many years
According to him, the government must
recover stolen funds and punish those
who are responsible “for the
improverishment of the nation, of the
people and those who robbed the nation
with contempt”.
Earlier, while welcoming Prof. Soyinka, the
Minister said it was a great pleasure to
host the Nobel Laureate whom, he said,
had come on a private visit.
He however said that with his level of
fame and accomplishments, it was
practically impossible for Prof. Soyinka to
go anywhere unnoticed.
Alhaji Mohammed thanked Prof. Soyinka
for making the MInistry of Information
and Culture his first port of call.