Unilag professors move against war in Nigeria

Following agitations by various ethnic groups across the country, particularly ethnic sovereignty, two professors in the University of Lagos have counseled against the dismemberment of the country.

The university dons said that while some of the agitations, especially by the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, Arewa Youth, Middle Belt agitators, MASSOB, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), Afenifere, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), among other groups have genuine cases for their agitations, such as restricting of the federation, fiscal federalism and resource control, they were not enough reasons for Nigeria’s breakup.

The professors were Samuel Timothy-Asobele and Hope Eghagha who both spoke separately as presenter and moderator at one of the lecture rooms, which also had the University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Ola Rotimi and scores of students in attendance.

Speaking at a theatre presentation, entitled, ‘Reading from 3 unending Transition Plays’ (The Commander’s Telegram), organized by the Department of European Languages of the university recently, Professor Samuel Timothy-Asobele of the same department and author of the book, said that efforts should be made by well-meaning Nigerians to stop any impending war hovering over Nigeria from taking place at all/aid he was using theatre as tool to campaign against war because of its consequences on the nation should it not be nipped in the bud,

Quoting references from the play, which were satires of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) and the involvement of the Europeans, who had little regard for the Biafrans, who incurred colossal human and material losses during the war, Timothy-Asobele said, “Mathematicians of the world, how many African dead is equal to one European dead; mathematicians, tell me how many Africans dead make one European dead?; adding that, “We are victims of a hoax, a sort of April Fool!”

He said, well-meaning Nigerians, such as Professor Wole Soyinka, who had said that Nigeria’s sovereignty was negotiable; Igbo leaders have moved against war in the country, and urged the youths, whom he said never experienced war and its atrocities before to rise against hate speeches and any attempt to fan embers of discord, such as, religious bigotry and political annihilation.

He described Nigeria as a ‘collective responsibility’, pointing out that “Self-sufficiency, avoidance of ‘cake’ sharing mentality and ‘Go On With One Nigeria’ (GOWON), as propounded by the former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.

On his part, Professor Hope Eghagha, who is the Head, Department of English in the university, said there was the need to employ theatre to correct the ills of the society. While also commending the author of the book, Professor Timothy-Asobele for displaying passion and energy in the play, he urged Nigeria to “restructure and entrench true Federalism in the country” in the overall interest of the federating units and save the country from its impending collapse.

The former commissioner in Delta state, described his university as a leading light in theatre and other distinguished endeavours.