Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has given President Muhammadu Buhari a pass mark in the administration’s fight against corruption, saying it is no longer business as usual in Nigeria.

Soyinka speaking on a BBC programme “Hard Talk” anchored by Zeinab Badawi, however, faulted the President’s approach in handling the Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash.

He said,

“The issue of corruption is a humongous issue, and I frankly despise those who tried to trivialised it because they do not like that face of those or the man behind it or he has failed in other respect but it is no longer business as usual in Nigeria you have bankers who are on trials, you have legislatures, who are on trails.

“You have former governors the moment they stepped out of office they were grabbed by the anti-corruption agencies they are standing trails so there is a change in as far as corruption is concerned. On corruption as far as I am concerned Buhari has scored a pass.

Speaking further on the Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen attacks in the country, the Nobel laureate said Buhari made the mistake of slow response and was apathetic in the way he handled the issue.

He said:

“If action had been taken at the being and by the beginning of Boko Haram, I am not talking about the reign of Jonathan. When the first governor decided to make his state a theocratic state that is when the action should have been taking.

“The president at that time compromised because he was ambitious and he needed the support of that governor and so one state after the other.

‘When you start operating a theocracy a movement will get up and say you are not holy enough and begin by killing first of all those who do not belong to the faith and then turn on even his own, co-believer and say you are not holy enough I am going to kill you.”

And this is what happens with Boko Haram. You had a president who said for instance at one time any attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the north. Well, he barely escaped death and he changed his tone. Leaders should not wait for things to happen to them personally.

“He (Buhari) certainly has made progress but then another menace (Speaking on the Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash) came up and Buhari made the same mistake of slow response. Buhari has failed in that respect because he did not act, he behaved exactly like Jonathan, he was apathetic.”