A Catholic missionary priest in Gambia, Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, has criticised Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka for remaining silent on what he described as the hardships facing Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a Facebook post titled “Prof Soyinka then vs Prof Soyinka now” on Saturday, Fr. Ugwu contrasted Soyinka’s past activism under previous administrations with his perceived quietness in recent times.“During the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Soyinka was a movement and a social crusader who openly challenged government excesses,” Ugwu wrote.
He added that Soyinka’s criticism became less vocal during the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure and has now, according to him, completely faded under Tinubu’s government.“Then came Tinubu, a man with no clear identity and whose academic records are in question. In just two years in office, he has plunged Nigeria into deeper debt and Nigerians into multidimensional poverty,” Ugwu lamented.
The priest expressed disappointment that Soyinka, once a prominent voice for the people, had “suddenly become deaf and dumb” under the current administration, questioning the reasons behind the shift.
Ugwu dismissed claims that ethnic loyalty explained Soyinka’s silence, noting that the Nobel laureate had previously criticised Yoruba leaders, including Obasanjo. He further insinuated, with a touch of humor, that Tinubu’s influence over critics might be inexplicable, saying, “If this is what people mean by juju, then juju is powerful.”