IF we want to diversify the economy and bring in foreign investments, foreign entrepreneurs not mainly at the macro level but in assisting little industries in micro economy, we must stop the 419 syndrome. It has made us ridiculous in several parts of the world, it makes businessmen and women who are genuinely interested in coming here carry their bags and go away.

People just do not know the effect these letters they send everywhere to defraud people outside Nigeria have. The ordinary person does not know the effect it has on the possibilities of the expectancy of this country.

You cannot encourage the economy in the world in which we are today without being partners to business interests outside the country.

I just want my compatriots to know that they must declare war on 419 and expose it because it has brought us to ridicule and is turning our international passport into a laughing stock in the foreign affairs and economic world etc.

For me, the last elections were most unsatisfactory in many instances and the INEC should have the courage to cancel elections in a number of places. Then they go back there after you have taken care of the rest and say: We will not give certificate of returns to candidates until we clean up these areas and compelled the correct results to be announced.

I am saying this not because of general statements of people, international observers etc. In the last elections we had our own monitoring body. Some horrors happened, which disgraced the name of the election. Let's not kid ourselves about it. And INEC is not perfect, it is not pretending to be perfect. This organisation cannot be perfect. No organisation is perfect. The last presidential election in the United States of America was so untidy that the rest of the world was appalled and President Bush lacks credibility in some parts of the U.S.

But the method of protesting comes into play here. I am not against protests. It is the democratic right of people. Where I draw the line is to listen to a candidate call for the assassination of another. I never thought that a former Head of State and a member of the Council of State would descend to such total unconscionable means.

I am taking this opportunity to remind the legislators and the executive that some of us have called for the restructuring of the Council of State. A Council of State in a democratic dispensation should consist only of elected former Heads of State and selected wise heads that have proved themselves unambiguously. This automatic ascension to the Council of State is ridiculous. If President Obasanjo had enough foresight to retire the militicians, that is soldiers who had held political power for the safeguarding of democracy, then why are we having the very worst militicians sitting at the very top of the nation?

So, that particular job is not yet completed. Now that they have been reminded of the inappropriateness of the composition of the Council of State, the government, both the legislature and the executive should have the courage to take action. It is not a personal action. For me, the personal action is that General Buhari should be prosecuted for incitement to murder. He should be taken to court and let him come and defend that statement he made. It is unacceptable.

I disagree with the refusal of the police to give permit to politicians who wanted to stage protests. We have reached a stage where demonstrations should be permitted. They should not be menacing. They should not be disruptive. We have reached a stage where the police should in fact escort protesters. It is good for the well being of the nation; it purifies, purges and heightens the awareness of other parts of the country. When you see people moving in an orderly manner, carrying placards and singing aggressive songs of protests it is part of the democratic process.

On the call of The Patriots for an Interim National Government or a single term five-year presidency, which will extend the four-year mandate of President Olusegun Obasanjo by a year, I am shocked that they are repeating the call.

They flew this kite before when there was a threat of emergency. I was really shocked and made a statement at the time saying that you don't tackle an emergency, a crisis, an unusual situation, by eroding fundamental principles of what I call the protocols of cohesion. How can you in the middle of an incumbency period call for a change in the rules by which the incumbents were elected? The incumbent was elected for four years, simply because there is a small crisis, you don't say: "We give you one more year on the condition that you don't re-contest or that you go into exile or that you retire permanently. It is unheard of. I was shocked.

Now, The Patriots are bringing the suggestion back because of a different kind of problem. The electoral problem has rules by which it can be settled. These rules exist within the democratic structure. If the rules are insufficient, there are ways of going about a change in the rules. You don't use a pressure group to subvert the constitution of a nation.

They mean well obviously, they don't want to see this country descend into chaos. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt but definitely if they really thought that by making compromises of such a fundamental nature, they are really being counter-productive even in the direction of what they really want to change.

I compared the problem to the kind of action of the Supreme Court which upheld the 12 two-third majority during the time of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic which in the same breadth declared that it must never be used as an example. What they were saying in fact is that we are bound to certain force majeur. Also they could claim they did not want the military to continue staying on forever, any compromise was better. These are dangerous tactics. You are not talking about an immediate generation. You are talking about the future of an entire nation.

So, I disagree with The Patriots. Again, the timing could not be worse because they are in fact promoting the agenda of one of the contestants. They cannot escape the charge by the other side that they are being biased and protecting the political interest of one side.

• Prof. Soyinka, Nobel Laureate, is a social critic and human rights activist.

  Now, The Patriots are bringing the suggestion back because of a different kind of problem. The electoral problem has rules by which it can be settled. These rules exist within the democratic structure. If the rules are insufficient, there are ways of going about a change in the rules. You don't use a pressure group to subvert the constitution of a nation