Yar’Adua’s Absence: Ministers Commit Economic Crime, Says Soyinka

The Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has alleged ministers of taking advantage of the absence of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, to commit economic crimes.

Soyinka said this yesterday during his visit to Lagos State Agricultural Training Institute in Epe, saying most ministers in the cabinet now work without instruction,  apparently because of Yar'Adua's absence.

According to him, ministers are enjoying the absence of  Yar'Adua, because everyone is now going on his/her own direction without presidential order. In this light, economic crime is being committed in this country, and this is an index of bad governance.
He said there were many unfinished issues that were supposed to be handled by the president,  which his absence had stagnated.

He said, "for instance, the issue of Amnesty in Niger Delta is still pending. I discussed with the president before he traveled out with the hope that he will complete it when he arrives, but till now, nothing has been done on it."
Soyinka, who was at the Institute to motivate the students, called on Nigerians to protest the absence of the president now.
According to him, your president is away for more than 40 days and some of you are here planting cassava.

 The ministers are enjoying themselves with the absence of Mr. President, adding that the situation in the country might not change unless the citizens could mobilise to speak against the unjust and unacceptable way the leadership of the country was being handled.