Adejoke Henry

Luxuriant Garden🌸

[LEADERSHIP NEWS @LeadershipNGA]

Wole Soyinka's 'An Open Letter to a Distressed Priest'

*Who's the "unidentified priest?*

By Adejoke Alabi-Henry, Bukola Ogunsina

In an explosive 2,837-word letter, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka addresses an unnamed Reverend “Aburo”, whom he accuses of enabling what he describes as a gospel of lies against him.

The cleric is not identified in the letter. However, given Soyinka’s distinctive literary style and the references contained in the text, we asked scholars and literary figures familiar with his work for their interpretations of the clues.

Prof. Ahmed Yerima, playwright, theatre scholar and former Director-General of the National Troupe of Nigeria, who studied under Wole Soyinka at the University of Ife, says, “These are musings of the mind of a great Sage. It is addressed to Nigerians who he metaphorically calls ‘Reverend’. He muses about issues in the country which he has written about in his lifetime.

“I felt his sense of regret and loss for his society’s unwillingness to be an attentive audience. He feels a sense of regret and feels that the country needs a re-think. I feel a sense of intense melancholy from him. He comments on the pretense of all of Nigeria in acknowledging the issues around and looking to him or hiding behind him to say the things they wish they could. But, I think he is done being the mouthpiece, although it doesn’t stop him from having an opinion.

“I think he is simply at that point where he wants his thoughts to remain just that: his thoughts.”

Also, a journalist, newspaper columnist, media intellectual and lawyer, Festus Adedayo, spoke with LEADERSHIP. He said, “I have read through the Soyinka letter and I must confess, I’m at a loss on the identity of the addressee. However, it is obvious that the letter is directed to a UK-based Nigerian Anglican or Catholic priest. He is a Yoruba younger associate (aburo) who privately reached out to Soyinka, deeply distressed about Nigeria’s political polarisation, and Soyinka’s reported dislike for Peter Obi.

“This apparently prompted Soyinka to publish his response as a public preface to his upcoming work, The Liars' Progress.”

Excerpt: “Peter Obi should not be allowed to contest.” “Alleged,” of course, the cowardly insurance certificate of fakers! Not be allowed? And who is supposed to stop him?

_Who do you think Soyinka’s letter is addressing? Share your interpretation of the clues in the comments._

Read more: https://t.co/ZBbz7lrfGy

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@fifss__ You are a very mean person. Chi is my friend/baby sister. Elly and Elijah are her children and she was just excited to be having another baby. I saw people commenting and implying the kids aren’t hers. Why do you people do these things? Why are you people so vile?

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@_afbeauty_ Daft!

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@MrMekzy_ Such a sweet boy. He managed the situation so well. That mom??? Nah!

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@MrMekzy_ Did you grow up in Barnawa?

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@cyber_rekk Skilling in Governance, Risk and Compliance.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@asemota I will also appreciate it if you can post all your submissions on this particular issue there. And just maybe you should consider sharing all the gem you share here, there.

Thank you.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@asemota Thank you very much, sir.

[Osaretin Victor Asemota @asemota]

Yesterday morning, as I was getting ready to go to church, I heard people already singing at a church nearby. They were not singing happily, and there was a tone of despair in the voices. It made me start reflecting on Christianity as a whole.

Christianity started at a time when there was great oppression and injustice. The life and ultimate crucifixion of Jesus for committing no crime that was worth his death reflected how terrible things were at the time.

One of the greatest lessons of Christianity, which people often miss, is how the early Christians survived and thrived despite hostile conditions because they were a community. Christianity was fundamentally about community, not ritual or rites, or even church structures or clerical hierarchies. Community wasn't performative.

Christianity has drifted very far from those humble beginnings. However, one still gets glimpses of it from time to time, as many churches do actually help the less privileged in society. A church in North Carolina that I will always find a way to send money to was helping those with job troubles to pay their rent. That is what communities do for each other.

Jesus stressed this extended community nature of Christianity with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Church wasn't about piety, as he clearly showed with his disdain for the Pharisees and the Jewish religious leaders of the time. It was those same people who were eventually responsible for his crucifixion as they saw their authority and hold on people threatened.

How did we end up misinterpreting everything written in black and white, then end up with the performative religious structures we have today? It is human nature. We somehow find a way to work against our best interests because of selfishness and pride. Our egos always need feeding.

As I was listening to the singing yesterday morning, I realized that the Roman Empire hijacked the Christian movement at a point for a very good reason. Someone on Reddit mentioned that the conversion to monotheism enabled the emperors to control religion across the empire more tightly.

Others argued that Christianity was also a primary reason for the empire's decline. Christians triumphed against their oppressors, and the Vatican forever remains a symbol of that victory. This, however, was also weaponized in many ways by the powerful, and the church had a troubled history until recent times.

We MUST go back to the communal roots of Christianity, and this is desperately needed in Africa with all of the oppression and violence against Christians happening today. It also makes more sense economically.

I was toying with an idea of faith-based ecumenical cooperatives that can help people meet the failed social contracts of government, an insurance against poverty, using the power of community.

I will share more of my thoughts about this over time. I have already seen crude versions of it, but they are too small. If there is anything Christianity has proven, it is that to fight oppression effectively, there is strength in numbers—"Vires In Numeris."

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@sheilatebra Congratulations Adejoke for this new phase and for a 41 that will usher in the best for you. Congratulations for meeting Olaipo again.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@Labandele Hugs.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@IndstryLinkup @harrydaniyan @harrydaniyan why do you allow people like this disrespect you? You! Beg to eat? I am miffed!

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@Yhormite01 Good morning, sir. Kindly, do check your DM. Thank you.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@Enehgy I stumbled upon your post. God bless you. You're a good man and you're doing the right thing. Please, stop responding to these guys. They are the dregs of the earth.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@SimiUnscripted @Enehgy @arewawizard It's scary. So scary. Are they real humans?

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@AsagunSeyi It was an insightful read and I love that SME financing is being championed by someone who understands the terrain.

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@olumuyiwaayo When you come to Abuja, your chicken lap would be on me. In fact, one whole chicken ni sef😅

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@The_Ogundipe Ohmy! I was just going to get upset with this fella for “plagiarizing” Mr Omoni Banji’s post whom I follow on Facebook. Decided to do due diligence &it’s actually the same you. Wow! 😅

[Adejoke Henry @adejoke_henry]

@MTNNG I loaded my Broadband/WiFi and it still tells me I’ve got no data. I can’t get any work done. Resolve this, please. Called customer service and I waited forever to speak with whoever I was being linked to.