NOBEL
Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has frowned at the practice of naming
national institutions and infrastructure after leaders known to have
committed grievous harm against humanity.
Prof. Soyinka bared his mind in Asaba,
Delta State capital, as a special guest of honour at the ceremony
marking the 50th commemoration of Asaba Massacre with theme: “In Pursuit
of Rebirth”.
According to Soyinka, to glorify the
perpetrators of the Asaba Massacre with streets and important public
infrastructure desecrates the memory of the innocent people killed by
federal troops in 1967. His words: “How do we talk to future generations
about corruption if they find a street named after Gen. Sani Abacha?
“Do we not think it is about time that
somebody took the bull by the horns and wipe out the memory of that
individual, it is a small restitution.”
“We do not say dig up Abacha’s remains
and put in the evil forest, but do not leave lying around the
provocative symbols, the trauma that this nation went through.”
“What does that make of the ethical
foundations from which they pull them out to assist in peace keeping in
areas all over the world in the enthronement of peace in the world?”
“We are saying that to complete that
archway of healing through which all of us must pass, the capstone is
restitution,” he said.
Soyinka who along with other speakers
advocated restitution to complete the healing process for the October
7, 1967 massacre, said “restoration is only possible ultimately, when it
is closed by a consciousness of remorse and compensation, no matter how
symbolic.”
Recounting his experience before the
civil war finally broke out, Soyinka said the Asagba of Asaba, Prof.
Chike Edozien, hosted him in his house as mediatory efforts intensified
to avert a full blown war.
“It was here that I crossed through the
bush paths, through the then Biafran enclave on behalf of not just
myself but of a group which believes passionately that the civil war was
still avoidable,” he explained.
The experience he disclosed, inspired his publication: The Man Died.
While urging forgiveness, he stressed
that the knowledge and wisdom derived from such experiences were
ingredients that helped to shape the moral foundations of nations.
Bishop of Catholic Diocese, Dr. Hassan
Kukah, described the Asaba Massacre as a black spot in the nation’s
history, adding that Nigerians must embark on the process of healing
with mutual trust and love.
Other speakers recounted their personal
experiences during the period, and cautioned against keeping the
memories for future generations.
They urged the Federal Government to
build a memorial plaque with the names of victims in Ogbesowa Quarters
in Asaba metropolis, the spot where the most heinous acts of violence
were committed against the Asaba indigenes.
A book co-authored by Prof. Elizabeth
Bird and Prof. Fraser Otanelli of the University of Florida, Tampa on
the event and entitled: ‘The Asaba Massacre: Trauma, Memory and the
Nigerian Civil War’ was unveiled at day two of the ceremony.
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