Nobel Laureate, Mr Wole Soyinka, has said President Muhammadu Buhari cannot brush aside the four-page open letter addressed to him by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday.

Soyinka, in response to an inquiry by Daily Sun, said the Federal Government cannot brush aside voices as ideologically separated as Obasanjo and former governor of old Kaduna State, Mr Balarabe Musa.

Soyinka said: “Read the Obasanjo statement. It should be obvious to  government, by now, that the nation is not sleeping easy. When voices as ideologically separated as Obasanjo and Balarabe Musa harp on the same theme, government should understand that this is not the time to play deaf.”

Obasanjo, had in the letter, which centred largely on insecurity in the country, said as a result of the herders-farmers clashes, very onerous cloud is gathering.

The former president added that as a result of the prevailing situation, rain of destruction, violence, disaster and disunity can only be the outcome.

Obasanjo also submitted that the country is at the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at bay.

Soyinka further told government that those who have been speaking against the current state of affairs in the country, including Obasanjo, cannot all be mere idle alarmists.

He also noted that the country is hurting, Soyinka also said things had never been this bad in the country.

Soyinka added: “We cannot all be mere idle alarmists and all at the same time.

“The nation is hurting. It’s hurting like none of us can recall in our lifetime.

“It’s a time for unprecedented approaches. The call for a national conference is not new;  it is, however, taking on an accelerated urgency that no one should ignore.”

Sun