Border closure’ll encourage small businesses – Soyinka

Professor Wole Soyinka Tuesday said the step taken by the country through closure of borders will assist in developing the local industries.

Soyinka who made this known in an interview with newsmen after he paid a courtesy call on governor Samuel Ortom noted that Nigeria had spend so much money on white elephant projects and it was time to reverse it.

He said most countries of the world like China and India developed because they encouraged cottage industries.

If I can make a contrast onnl what obtains in Nigeria and what is happening in India the difference will be glaring.

Countries like India encourage small industries popularly known as cottage industries that is why they have developed to where they are today.

“In Nigeria, white elephant project have continues swallow huge sums of money.

“I think part of the problem we have is the discovery of oil. We had over depended on that product and I think we were joking.

“We made a mistake from the beginning and I think we should correct it.

On the comment by Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore Soyinka said each state must take their own decision as best as they can regarding open grazing.

“For people who make that kind of threat I want to say that when they come to Ogun state we will have a suitable response for them,” he added. 

He noted that he was surprised that the IDPs were still in camp and more were still being displaced by other disasters.

Soyinka stated that the  situation that led to the humanitarian problems was the reluctance of the Federal government to timely resolve the herdsmen/farmers crisis.