Some Nigerians on Sunday asked the wife
of the President, Patience Jonathan, to make herself available for a
debate with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
The call came on the heels of the
diatribe the First Lady launched against Soyinka in which she described
the renowned playwright as an “embarrassment’’ for attributing the
crisis rocking Rivers State to her and her husband, President Goodluck
Jonathan.
But some Nigerians, who took to Twitter
and other social networks to voice their concern over the development,
called on a Lagos-based private broadcaster, Channels Television, to
organise a debate for the two.
According to them, the TV station’s Sunrise Daily,
a news and current affairs programme that features prominent Nigerians,
who are experts in their areas of specialisation, will provide a level
playing ground for the duo to thrash out the knotty issues they were
arguing on.
To actualise their dreams, a cross section of them sent messages in a tweet to the handle of the programme @sunrisedailynow as well as the main official handle of the television station, @Channels_TV on Sunday.
A Twitter user, with the name Abdul
Slimzy, tweeting via @abdulslimzy said, “It would be really nice to see
Patience Jonathan and Wole Soyinka argue on Channels TV @sunrisedailynow in English Language o.”
An anonymous reader on lindaikeji.blogspot.com
said, “Kindly call on Channels TV to organise a debate between Prof.
Wole Soyinka and Dame Patience Jonathan. I know we go laugh pass ‘Night
of a Thousand Laugh.’’’
Another user of the micro-blogging
service with the name, Hig-Wayne Cannon, who uses the handle
@dosinclair, said he would be looking forward to the debate on national
TV as it would be a clash of the titans. Cannon notes, “You can expect a
volcanic grammatical literary of freestyles. What a collabo #Titans.”
However, some users of the
micro-blogging service boasted that the wife of the President would come
out tops after the debate. One of such users of the social network who
beat his chest on this was Yakubu Dogara who tweets via @doyakubu.
He says, “I bet it that Dame Patience
will win the debate as it will be unwise for the Prof. (Wole Soyinka) to
attend much more utter a word.”
Another Nigerian tweeting via @hobalawon
said Soyinka, who clocked 79 on Saturday, should simply steer clear of
joining issues with the First Lady and save himself from being on the
receiving end of public bashing which he described as “lethal weapon’’
emanating from her.
The social network user noted, “Prof, even at 79, we still need you around.”
Meanwhile, the exchange of diatribe
between the duo has divided Nigerians on social networks. While a
section of Nigerians argue that the First Lady shouldn’t have descended
heavily on Soyinka and that the onslaught was unpresidential, others
maintained that Soyinka got what he deserved.
On nairaland.com, a Nigerian with
the name, My Time, argued, “I still maintain that Patience Jonathan has
no moral justification to attack the professor. Her only portfolio is
being the wife of the President. Soyinka has achieved a lot and demands
respect. He is one of our national icons and a gift to this nation. He
commands more respect outside the shores of this country than she does
and can ever get.’’
An anonymous visitor on the blog noted,
“I see this current government and her (Patience Jonathan) agenda losing
their taste of civility and moral standing. I don’t see any reason why
the First Lady should talk to an elderly statesman with such verbal
brutality, irrespective of what he (Soyinka) said to her. Really, I
think it’s quite unpresidential.’’
However, those who believe that Soyinka
deserved Patience Jonathan’s onslaught against him said it was wrong for
Soyinka to insult another man’s wife in the first place. They noted
that since Soyinka had descended into an arena of conflict, he could not
avoid such a treatment.
On another blogsite, one
Abidoh Jonathan said, “Why exactly are people abusing the First Lady?
Prof. Wole Soyinka made a derogatory remark about her, and she reacted
with an on-point come back. What is the big deal? If you ask me, I think
the Prof stooped too low to comment and link the First Lady to the
current crisis rocking Rivers State. He is a renowned Prof. but hello,
she too is still the First Lady now and she deserves some respect.”
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dat wil b best comedy of al tym
ReplyDeleteI no fit laugh...this will epic
ReplyDeleteto me, Prof has not said anything out of place. Professor just played wt grammar and our 1st interpreted it wrongly. Chei, it is good to go to school o o o o o
ReplyDeleteI guess it is the use of english that is the main play here
DeleteU might be right dear
DeleteHow can a rat(patience) challenge a cat(soyinka) ok let see how she is going to speak her grammer inorder to challenge soyinka. I laugh.
ReplyDeleteTo me, its an insult on Uncle Soyinka personality.........Who is Patienec t o deabte wit Soyinka........even President Gud Luck Jona cannot try it talkless an illitrate house wife.
ReplyDeleteThe Managing Director,
ReplyDeleteChannels Television Lagos,
15/7/2013
Dear Sir,
Re: Debate between Prof Wole Soyinka and Dame Patience Jonathan.
The above refers.
Kindly permit me to humbly suggest that your prestigious organisation uses its good office to
please organize a debate between Prof. Wole Soyinka and Dame Patience Jonathan.
There are a couple of knotty issues they seem to disagree about, a debate between the two will help to resolve them and help educate Nigerians.
Thank you sir.
Regards.
Iranseoluwa
"my fellow widowers" pls who said so?
ReplyDeleteProf is different from running a Govt. Soyinka should mind his business and he will surely mess himself up if he attempt to take over from Goodluck. As president of Country ours is not an easy task.
ReplyDeleteBring the debate on, we have been waiting for our dear 1st lady to bring to the fore her very refined Harvard- learnt English( I laugh).
ReplyDeleteUncle Soyinka please get ready for the worst, u may need to go and learn some okrika, kalabari e.t.c languages because this may turn out to be choose the language you want to use. Madam cannot complete a simple sentence in English.
If such debate with happen, let's not be surprised if both husband and wife send a representative to come and represent the first lady. The presidency won't be able to afford disgracing itself by sending Patience down to channels fully know her capabilities. I guess, ds mite turn out to be 'Madam at the Top' hahahaha.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. AaaaaahahahahaAaaahhaaaha! I will love it. What a comic relief that will be. Please fix a date quickly and invite all fellow widows and those who though dead but their manhoods are very much alive! Ok? Thank u.
ReplyDeleteThis is not what we want! Crisis every where,made you both of them under S.39 had the right of expression and I think the have both expressed their constitutional right but this expressions must not be vogue and slanderous. Well, soyinka n 1st lady re more than this! They re mentors that thousands luk up to. They both messed up!
ReplyDeleteu people are all idiots i dont think u get work instead of u to face where problm they attack you u dey react to people wey don chup belefood......if they wan finish their fight now non of u go they there again......ur mate dey inside farm dey weed...una dey there dey talk rubish who can do this to OBJ when he was in govt..i no blame u people
ReplyDeleteIt's insulting to ask for a debate between a world class Nobel laureate and a fellow widow. GOD have mercy
ReplyDeleteWhat are Nigerians interested in? If you want comedy, watch "Stand Up Nigeria - What Happen!" Or "Night of a Thousand Laughs". But if you want solution to Nigeria's problem, then you should get serious. How will Soyinka Vs Patience debate solve Nigeria's problem? Rivers State is on fire and we are trying to audition for Julius Agwu's "Crack Ur Ribs". Please, let's be serious for once in our lives and look for real solutions instead of chasing shadows that disappear when darkness becomes thick gloom. Think Nigerians, think!
ReplyDeletego nd conduct the debate for them now...u na no get work....na ur problm for naija be that....dey carry rumour up and down
ReplyDeleteu people are all idiots i dont think u get work instead of u to face where problm they attack you u dey react to people wey don chup belefood......if they wan finish their fight now non of u go they there again......ur mate dey inside farm dey weed...una dey there dey talk rubish who can do this to OBJ when he was in govt..i no blame u people
ReplyDeleteWhere are our manners? Please let's respect the president and his wife. Stop the name calling and focus on the problem. Our people have a saying that "it is not everything an old says to a child, its the child that will use his tongue count his teeth" The youth has more at stalk in this country.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, our elders should act as one n respect themselves.
How would people think that such a debate will hold? David and Goliath.( God will not assist this David oooo. So David better leave the fight for another day when her muscles is tick enough to stand Goliath’s
ReplyDeletei am ashamed of everyone of you. looking at your comments i can tell you are all young and educated people but what you forget is that most of your parents/grand parents especially our mothers are illiterates, going to school for the Nigerian female child was luxury. If i may ask, who trained Wole Soyinka? it was more of a scholarship thing because the male were encourage to go to school, communities, state and the nation gave them scholarships/ educational grants. Am not siding anyone but am just saying lets leave 'somethings' and make meaningful used of our life as young minds. We are educated no doubt but sounding and reasoning like illiterates. God help Nigeria, guide our leaders right, help our YOUTHS the truth to know in love and honesty to grow..............to build a nation where peace and justice reigns.
ReplyDeleteProf. Wole Soyinka, you are gradually loosing your respect.
ReplyDeleteProf. Soyinka is no doubt a respectable man and so shouldn't allow himself to be dragged into politics. I think his comment was without the necessary fact and therefore unexpected of his caliber of person. There are more to the crisis in Rivers State. Commentators should try and dig deep before commenting.
ReplyDeleteThe First Lady must debate Prof Wole Soyinka! Gbam!
ReplyDeleteIbb gave the Prof a chance in FRSC what was his achievement as I wasn't in the country.
ReplyDeletePls when would the debate hold??? Let Nigerians be opportuned to relieve stress as this would be like watching a fight of elephant and tortoise!
ReplyDeletewell Prof. Only give his view on the crisis. as For the First lady in Constitutional palace there is not like first lady elect and even if Prof. say any thing what expected of a First lady is to come out with fact to clearify that she knows nothing about the crisis. Check American system of Governance
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is the ojective the people calling for this debate want to achieve.
ReplyDeleteDebate!
ReplyDeleteDebate!
Debate!
We're ALL we have...A great Nation
ReplyDelete