Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Friday took on the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for attributing the crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly to her.

In a statement by her spokesman, Ayo Osinlu, the President’s wife said Soyinka betrayed the moral duty that expected him, as a respected member of the society, to carefully consider all shades of issues that informed his opinions on any matter.

Mrs. Jonathan said Soyinka had become an embarrassment to his admirers with his diatribe against her.

The statement read in part, “Unfortunately, Soyinka betrayed moral duty in his recent diatribe against Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

“Of course, this would not be the first time he would reach out against the First Lady, usually from self-righteously indignant lecterns.

“In this particular instance, his verdict was that Mrs. Jonathan was ‘stoking the crisis currently rocking her home state of Rivers…’, and thereupon asked Mr. President to caution his wife.

“The good, old Prof. reminds one of the truth that indeed, most of the giants on the street are men of like passions like everyone else. Worse still, most of them are actually standing on clay feet and would fail the test of a gentle push.

“Otherwise, who would have believed that the social, civil, constitutional and sundry rights crusader Prof. would maintain a safe distance from the heart of an activity that is a potential threat to the peace, security and safety of the people of a state, then collect exaggerated stories and jaundiced perspectives from familiar propagandists and character assassins, and promptly summon the media to a “state of the nation” address.

“It’s an embarrassment to his throng of admirers and followers, that a sage of Prof. Soyinka’s status, who used to be a gauge of public morality in this nation, would lend himself to a propaganda of high drive, to save a governor who elected to launch into a river without applicable survival skills.”

Mrs. Jonathan argued that the calculation was to attack the President and pull to pieces anyone associated with him, as a strategy for attracting public sympathy to the “clear underdog.”

magaliyu: i pity this woman and her husband,

tokunboh: Is Wole Soyinka God? He has betrayed the confidence most of us had in him. Sometimes we have to put respected people in their place when they cross the boundary of decorum and respect. Wole Soyinka should zip it! He needs proper dosage of flagil for his running mouth!!

Prof Corruption: There seems to be a fountain of cluelessness at Aso rock.

vallycan: Dis is so ridiculous an enormity of the highest. Level, well there's nothing u can do to a creator of tyranny in Nigeria an Africa as a whole... Dat's d ultimate powa of sea.... Dogz

magaliyu: i pity this woman and her husband,

My_Time: Is Wole Soyinka God? He has betrayed the confidence most of us had in him. Sometimes we have to put respected people in their place when they cross the boundary of decorum and respect. Wole Soyinka should zip it! He needs proper dosage of flagil for his running mouth!!


^^^^^^^^
I Still maintain that PEJ has no moral justification to talk back at the Prof. 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 PEJ can ever get so she should be the one to zip it... IMO

birdman:

no leave her. She and her yam head husband will leave office back into obscurity one day.

My_Time: Pygru I can see you are PEJ's attorney.... Keep it up but the truth must be told. Her excesses need to be checked. She is not the first "First Lady" of Nigeria. Tell PEJ that insulting and humiliating a governor in the presence of his people/ subjects is not the way to show "self acclaimed" superiority (Okrika incident). Just one of the points being pointed out by Soyinka out of hundreds. Enjoy Pygru in your defence.

olayiwola-aims:
With all this response on prof by fellow NL..I just realise that this country has no where to go than to sink.. Whts d different btw u guyz and PEJ?...and who the hell is PEJ to b talking to a whole Nobel laureate...smh ..

take dat: Who cares what an hardly literate, grossly insensitive, corrupt beyond belief woman whom I am sure is unable to grasp the consequences of her meddling has to say. Like the Prof said, be a lady before a first lady.