For One’s Sense Of Balance, Forget The Existence Of Buhari Administration – Soyinka

For One’s Sense Of Balance, Forget The Existence Of Buhari Administration – Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says for the sake of sanity, one must imagine that the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari does not exist

He, however, hailed the new Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan standard gauge train, describing it as marvellous and long overdue.

Soyinka said this during a recent interview with Kaftan TV which was monitored by a Punch correspondent.

Speaking onboard the new train, the Nobel Laureate said he would not like to talk about Buhari’s government because he imagined the regime doesn’t exist.

When asked whether the new train was a plus to Buhari’s regime, he said, “I don’t want to talk about Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. I think it is best for my sanity just to avoid that overall question. I can take bits and pieces of Nigeria’s present predicament but I think for one’s sense of balance, one must forget the existence of the Buhari administration.”

The playwright said for years Nigeria had seen the roads turn to a death trap while rail transport had been neglected.

He said on two occasions he had spent over six hours on the road from Lagos to Abeokuta.

Speaking highly of the new train, Soyinka said, “It is a work in progress but it is a very impressive work in progress considering the difficulty of really executing anything in this country… I think we are looking at a virtual transport revolution which is long overdue.”

He noted the rail revival would not only change the people’s mentality but boost commerce.