Expdonaloaded News; Soyinka opens up on Jonathan

More than four months after the presidential election that saw the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has finally given his verdict on the administration. He said Jonathan was in bondage, insisting that he was caged by some powerful forces. Soyinka opined that the former president was not aware of some of goings-on around him.

In an interview he granted Zero Tolerance magazine, published by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Soyinka said the nation was compromised and battered during his tenure. He revealed that Jonathan was not in the know  until he brought some issues to his notice.
“There were forces around Jonathan, which he himself did not understand and that is why I stressed that you’ve got to choose your circles of advisers very carefully, when you are in charge. He was caged; things were going on that he did not know about,” Soyinka noted.
He said: “On a lighter note, I asked him, ‘what are you doing about madam’ because that one seems to be embarrassing the nation as usual because that seems to be her function as so-called first lady. You go to a section of the country and tell your supporters to stone those who campaigned for change and you insult another part of the nation by calling them those who produce children that they cannot look after. That woman should be charged with inciting chaos. It is incredible that she is allowed to run loose.”
Soyinka also spoke on the alleged telephone conversation between Jonathan and the King of Morocco. He alleged that Jonathan was unaware of some happenings around him.
He said: “I will tell you one interesting aspect of what we discussed. I will reveal to you that Jonathan did not know that the nation had been compromised so badly in this telephone thing with the King of Morocco. I was the one who told him when we met over an issue and I said to him, ‘by the way, how is the king of Morocco? Jonathan didn’t know what I was talking about.
“When I mentioned the telephone issue, he thought I was talking about is campaign for AfDB managing director for which he was lobbying other heads of state. He said, ‘I haven’t spoken to him in a long time’, and I said, ‘no, you spoke to him a few days ago.’ He said, ‘no, I intend to speak with him. I even asked my foreign ministry to link me up with him because I am campaigning for a candidate but I haven’t spoken to the King of Morocco.’ Then I said to him, ‘you better go and read the newspapers of last week.’ And I can tell you he did not know.”
Soyinka said: “So you can imagine that the president did not know that a scandal had developed that involved a withdrawal of an ambassador
“And again, I am revealing this to you since this interview won’t be published till after the elections because I wouldn’t want to be seen as campaigning for or against any one side. It shows how in deep trouble governance can be; governance can dig itself into a huge hole and not even know it’s in there. The statement that was issued was issued the night when I met him.
“This is what we are talking about. How can a public figure, an intelligent person like that come out to tell the public that corruption is not stealing,” Mr. Soyinka said. As president, you’ve got to show some example …Why should a president involve himself in what is already structurally established and dedicated to that purpose?”