By Olawale Olaleye

Professor Wole Soyinka’s generation suffered excessive military incursions, after a tough struggle with colonialism. Fought and forced power from the Khaki boys, installed Democracy and ensured its stability. Need I remind anyone this elementary history?

Yes, we are not there yet. It’s arguable, and I agree. But what we currently have is nothing close to where we were coming from. The comparison shares metaphorically with night and day.

Whatever WS did then that this irreverent and ill-bred generation talks about with condescending temerity was triggered by the fear and the scar of the roles the military had played in the body polity. How is that by any stretch relatable to Datti’s fascist comments?

Perhaps, Datti and his ring of supporters should tell us the role he played in the Democracy he enjoys today, that he became unmeasured in his utterances following an election in which he came third? History has nothing on him. He can as well trample on it.

Datti, apparently with a poor sense of history, would rather the military returned to power. It’s a case of “if I don’t have it, no one else should.” And he went miles further, intimidating the judiciary. What a wawu!

Conversely, however, looking back through the window of time and having spent his productive adult life fighting for the nation, WS sees better with his lenses and his words are truer than what Datti and others can see.

For a man, who was imprisoned for supporting Biafra, it’s a shame that these new age historians would leave this and pick the other because it suits their warped narrative. You can’t demystify Kongi. Baba yin o to be.

He is right, after all, and I support his timely and well-stated condemnation of Datti.

istandwithws