by Anike Jacobs
You think you know your Bible well enough, ask Wole Soyinka!
The Nobel Laureate and Professor gave a detailed breakdown of the similarities between Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan and the Biblical King Nebuchadnezzar while addressing the gentle men of the press in a conference on Tuesday.
Soyinka in his speech titled “King Nebuchadnezzar – The Reign of Impunity” said Nigerians have been cast into a “furnace” in the manner of Shedrack, Mishak and Abednego and unfortunately for the citizens, no divine miracle appears to be at hand for a last-minute rescue.
The three biblical characters were cast into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to an image made by the despotic king, but they were miraculously rescued.
Likening Jonathan to the King, Soyinka explained how Nebuchadnezzar at the height of his reign became too arrogant and God tampered with his heart and made him to eat grass and live like an animal for seven years.
“King Nebu remains relevant – and not only for leadership. We, the citizens, are beginning to feel the heat. We wake up each morning to a sensation that we have been cast into the furnace together with those who at least committed the crime of dissent or criticism,” he said
He didn’t stop there!
Soyinka further praised the House of Representatives members who scaled the fence into the National Assembly on November 20 when the police shut the gate and teargassed them. He frowned at the actions of the police and the interventions of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Sulieman Abba.
Professor Soyinka said: “The recent choice of a new leader for the guard was clearly no accident, and this hitherto unknown enforcer, one Suleiman Abba, has wasted no time in inaugurating a season of brutish power. When a people’s elected emissaries are disenfranchised, cast out like vagrants and resort to scaling fences to engage in their designated functions, the people get the message”.
And then he concluded saying it was left for Nigerians to decide to revert to the ‘Abacharian status of glorified slaves.”
This is not the first time Wole Soyinka is expressing his disapproval at the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Soyinka needs to get a comprehensive medical check up. Looks like he is suffering from senility.
Correct
Na GEJ time everybody don de get mouth. So what they are all trying to say is; other past leaders were far better than GEJ and yet we are were we are today. Prof calm down n study very well, Nigeria is gonna better n the process has begun but am afraid anyone above 50yrs won’t be around to experience it.
No need for argument. That Ɣøû are not a believerof a particlar religion doesn’t mean Ɣøû shudnt know about that religion. That’s education and remember @ Busy Bee, this man we are talking about is a Professor who has wide knowledge irrespective of his background, religion and believe.
@Omoge Omotayo. The Bible is not to be interpreted by the mind but by the Spirit. The Bible itself says, letters kill. This means, if you read the bible with your mind, you’ll kill the real meaning. Therefore, if Prof Soyinka is not a Christian, he has no business interpreting the Bible because he clearly doesn’t have the spirit of God. Maybe he can interprete ifa divination sha, if he’s into that sort of things.
I don’t think is only the priests that are saddled with d responsibilities of bible reading and interpretations. So how dare u castigate my professor. If u are in academic rem, u will know that my prof is using BIBLICAL ALLUSION in analysing the leadership problem in Nigeria.@ busy bee
Wole Soyinka is a self confessed atheist. He is not in a position to interpret a Bible passage or personality.