I'm smiling only.
It looks like another miracle by which a harmless molehill is
transformed exceedingly, into a mountain or error....
The context: political theatre. President speaks to governor. The
scene of the alleged crime:Yenagoa
If it's obviously not as pithy, as proverbially approved and
dignified, it's therefore, pedantically, raucous and "politically
incorrect" speech from the president who should know better; your love
of Mammy Queen's English, your linguistic tolerance/sensitivity has
been bruised ....and you're not going to have it!
There's the immediacy – the unmistakable literalism of the president's
remark... one friend to another, I guess the way it was meant to be
received, seriously and I see no contradiction or ambiguity in meaning
simply because at the same time, there's a a familiar, light-hearted
quality to what the prez said. Culturally (West Africa) it's a normal,
formal or informal manner of speaking - - and stoning ? That too
both as metaphor and as literal physical truth - like the stone-
throwing youth of the intifada.... but we know that President Goodluck
Jonathan is not going to join a mob of hooligans in throwing stones
at an embattled governor.
There are many ways by which disapproval is expressed, as a
punishment, one of the more gruesome forms of death being - being
stoned to death... whilst others believe " let he or she who is
without sin throw the first stone"
On a second reading - and I'm reading in a neutral mode ( but how can
I be sure of that ?)
it was in place that the president of all the people said so bluntly,
"The day I come here and Bayelsans stone you, I will follow and stone
you." a little bit of the kind of pep-talk talk known as " tough
love" . Perform well - or else!
In the introduction : "The Poetry of Double Sense" (Etches on Fresh
Waters by Toyin Falola and Aderonke A. Adesanya) on page 17, Niyi
Afolabi introduces SONGS OF ABUSE, thus.
" Quite similar to and yet different from "Songs of Praise", these are
poems that strive to teach a moral through ridicule or exaggerated
praise..."
So el presidente is not speaking in tongues or spouting proverbial
poetry he was addressing his friend in the public domain.
A pity that Seriake Dickson did not reply ; "He who is without sin
among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at me...!
On Mar 21, 6:24 am, "Farooq A. Kperogi" <farooqkper...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Chei, you dis Chief Dr. Professor Ameh Akoh go kill pesin with laf o! I see
> that you're really hurting badly and throwing tantrums. Pele o. But let's
> examine your claims.
>
> "TA, I see you are a disciple of Kperogi's. I believe strongly that it's
> Kperogi who instead of facing the facts threw a red herring into Abati's
> patriotic defence of his boss. Abati needed to educate those of you who are
> only interested in noisy criticisms of governemnt. I see no crime or misuse
> of metaphor by Abati. What makes you think that the President meant only
> literal stoning?"--Chief Dr. Professor Akoh
>
> Since you're a professor of theater arts, it would be helpful if you would
> kindly educate us on why Abati's understanding of metaphor in this context
> didn't constitute a misuse or, to use your word, a "crime" (I had no idea
> that misusing a metaphor could be criminal, but you're the expert, so I
> defer to you) instead of this broad-brush defense that basically says
> nothing. You asked what makes us "think that the president meant only
> literal stoning?" Well, it's simply because the stoning he talked about
> was literal. Governor Sylva was actually literally stoned by Bayelsans.
> It's in the papers. Go read it.
>
> "It is this self-coronation or saintly posture of Kperogi that makes him
> think he is infallible in all matters that he presents on this
> listserve."---Chief Dr. Professor Akoh
>
> Really? I didn't know you had clairvoyant powers with which you divine
> people's minds and know what thought-processes reside in them. I was never
> aware that I thought of myself as infallible in all matters that I discuss
> here. Thanks for the diagnosis. I will soon be knocking on your doors for a
> cure for this deadly (or is it "criminal") malaise.
>
> "Self-coronation," "saintly posture," "disciple," "saint," "spirituality."
> You sure do LOVE religious imagery! Are you, perhaps, also a pastor, an
> Imam, or a babalawo?
>
> "Now, to the matter of African Nebula, which saint Kperogi thinks is
> "oddly", a situation that has demonstrated his once obscene ignorance of
> what he thinks he knows. As someone who claims so much spirituality in the
> English language, I thought that he should first have done his research
> before jumping into denigrating a journal title that's well thought out by
> those who, I insist, know much more than Kperogi thinks he knows."---Chief
> Dr. Professor Akoh
>
> Hehehehe!!! First, Oga, I didn't think African Nebula was "oddly"-- since
> you're quoting me directly. I thought it was "oddly named." Second, what in
> the world is "obscene ignorance" and "so much spirituality in the English
> language"? Chei, you wan kill ya broda with ogbunigwe grammar? Abeg o, I
> don't even know about "spirituality" in the English language much less
> "claim" it, but, well, since you're clairvoyant, you certainly know more
> about the inner workings of my mind than I can ever hope to know. So tell
> me more about the "obscene ignorance" and "so much spirituality in the
> English language" that afflict my poor soul. Thanks in anticipation for
> your invaluable service to a brother in need.
>
> But while you're at it, could you kindly consider coming down from your
> clairvoyant heights to the level of lesser mortals like me and tell us what
> "Nebula" means? If it's not too much, your clairvoyant majesty, would you
> also condescend to let us know what about my criticism of the "Nebula"
> article on Nigerian
> English<http://www.farooqkperogi.com/2012/02/nigerian-english-as-excuse-for-s...>was
> inaccurate? That would be a great starting point for a discussion.
>
> "I believe strongly that Kperogi needs the humility that is required in
> academic scholarship which does not encourage the kind of juvenile sweep
> that he takes at other peoples opinions/ideas, as he did with the article
> in African Nebula. Now that he is at KSU, I advise him to concentrate on
> real academic research instead of the bob-a-job journalism he is currently
> engaged in. "Proverbs to bones and silence"--Chief Dr. Professor Akoh
>
> Oh, yes, I could use a lot of humility, oga sir. And you've just fed me the
> humble pie with clairvoyant crusts invitingly spread all over it. It tasted
> good, brother. I've been humbled. And you're right about my "juvenile
> sweep." You know, I was born only yesterday. What do you expect? But don't
> worry: when I grow up tomorrow--maybe the day after tomorrow--I want to be
> like you so that I can take mature, academic, and clairvoyant "sweeps" at
> other people's opinions/ideas.
>
> "Real academic research" and "bob-a-job journalism"? Hahahaha! I give it to
> this man--he is truly hilarious! I think, sincerely, sir, that you've
> missed your calling. You should be a stand-up comedian. You have no
> business being in the academia--and certainly not in a theater arts
> department-- with this quality of language and reasoning. I pity the
> students who have the misfortune to be taught by you.
>
> But who am I? I'm only a "juvenile" wannabe academic who is afflicted with
> "obscene ignorance" and "so much spirituality in the English language" and
> who does "bob-a-job journalism" and "juvenile sweeps"! Chei, man pikin don
> suffer o!
>
> Farooq
>
> Farooq A. Kperogi, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Journalism & Citizen Media
> Department of Communication
> Kennesaw State University
> 1000 Chastain Road, MD 2207
> Kennesaw, Georgia, USA 30144
> Cell: (+1) 404-573-969:
> Personal website:www.farooqkperogi.com<http://www.farooqkperogi.blogspot.com>
> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/farooqkperogi
> Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/farooqkperogi
>
> "The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either
> proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
>
> On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 6:49 PM, Ameh Dennis Akoh <ojodum...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > TA, I see you are a disciple of Kperogi's. I believe strongly that
> > it's Kperogi who instead of facing the facts threw a red herring into
> > Abati's patriotic defence of his boss. Abati needed to educate those
> > of you who are only interested in noisy criticisms of governemnt. I
> > see no crime or misuse of metaphor by Abati. What makes you think that
> > the President meant only literal stoning? Well, go on, but I know it's
> > easier to criticise than to build. It is this self-coronation or
> > saintly posture of Kperogi that makes him think he is infallible in
> > all matters that he presents on this listserve. Now, to the matter of
> > African Nebula, which saint Kperogi thinks is "oddly", a situation
> > that has demonstrated his once obscene ignorance of what he thinks he
> > knows. As someone who claims so much spirituality in the English
> > language, I thought that he should first have done his research before
> > jumping into denigrating a journal title that's well thought out by
> > those who, I insist, know much more than Kperogi thinks he knows. I
> > believe strongly that Kperogi needs the humility that is required in
> > academic scholarship which does not encourage the kind of juvenile
> > sweep that he takes at other peoples opinions/ideas, as he did with
> > the article in African Nebula. Now that he is at KSU, I advise him to
> > concentrate on real academic research instead of the bob-a-job
> > journalism he is currently engaged in.
> > "Proverbs to bones and silence"
>
> > On 19/03/2012, tunji AZEEZ <orunmilab...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> > > Akoh, I suggest you do not throw a red herring into the Kperogi's
> > analysis
> > > of Abati's inept defence of his boss by reading the reference to Abati
> > > having a degrees in theatre arts as his (Kperogi) abuse of all theatre
> > arts
> > > degree holders. The point is that Kperogi is only disappointed that
> > someone
> > > as educated as Abati, someone with a deep root in theatre scholarship
> > should
> > > know what metaphor is. Kperogi's reason? He understands that theatre
> > artists
> > > by virtue of their trainig use metaphor a lot. in fact, the theatre
> > itself
> > > is a metaphor of real life. So, if one of us- in this case, Abati-
> > confuses
> > > metaphor with actuality, he should be told and we should not rise to his
> > > defence. Kperogi is not taking a swipe at the theatre or all theatre
> > > scholars but pointing Abati out as one who is stinging words together to
> > > confuse the unwary.
> > > Now, to Abati's lame defence of a president who is deficient in the art
> > of
> > > public speaking. This is just another of the erstwhile social commentator
> > > and revered journalist's slips. He began his journey into the hall of
> > shame
> > > the moment he took up the appointment as the president's spokesperson. I
> > > pity him, really. Perhaps, he should work on the president by teaching
> > him
> > > basic grammar and the art of public speaking which most African leaders
> > take
> > > for granted. If he does this, I hope, he could be saved the
> > embarrassment of
> > > coming out to clean the president's constant 'verbal shit'.
> > > Secondly, I enjoin Kperogi and others on this forum to keep a record of
> > all
> > > Abati's statements while serving Mr. President. We may come back to them
> > in
> > > our efforts to understanding how Aso Rock infects anyone who enters it.
> > That
> > > the man is struggling to find words to explain away his boss' mess shows
> > > that most Nigerians lack integrity especially those saddled with the
> > > responsibilty of leading us.
> > > We need to keep records of all this and unearth them when people like
> > Abati
> > > come back in an attempt to re-integrate themselves with the masses. They
> > > always do and he won't be an exception.
>
> > > Tunji Azeez, PhD
>
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: Ameh Dennis Akoh <ojodum...@gmail.com>
> > > To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
> > > Sent: Monday, 19 March 2012, 4:54
> > > Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Reuben Abati's Violence Against
> > > Metaphors
>
> > > Let's start this way. What does the grammatical and semantic saint
> > Kperogi
> > > mean when he claims: "This ignorance is especially remarkable because
> > Abati
> > > has a degree in Theatre Arts"? Does it mean that graduates of English or
> > > Journalism understand metaphors or the use of
>
> ...
>
> read more »
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