Tinubu’s Church Rat Reference to Climate Change Isn't Wrong

By Farooq Kperogi

I frankly don’t get what people are mocking in Bola Tinubu’s characterization of climate-change policies for poor countries as “a question of how do you prevent a church rat from eating poisoned Holy Communion.”

Tinubu merely deployed familiar ecclesiastical metaphors to capture the dilemma that developing countries face over the dire existential adjustments that climate change policies require of them.

He used “church rat” to symbolize a poor nation (Nigerian English speakers often say “as poor as a church rat” where native English speakers say “as poor as a church mouse” to indicate extreme poverty) and “Holy Communion” to acknowledge the desirability of climate-change policies.

But he qualified the “Holy Communion” as “poisoned” to suggest that it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

In other words, climate-change policies are good (i.e., they’re Holy Communion), but they’re injurious (thus, “poisoned”) to a “church rat” (i.e., poor nations like Nigeria) in the short term because they require the kinds of self-denying sacrifices (such as stopping the use of firewood to cook, cutting down on manufacturing, etc.) that will hurt poor nations.

If a church rat eats poisoned Holy Communion it will die, or be seriously sick, in spite of the holiness of the communion.

Tinubu was basically saying he acknowledged that climate-change policies are great but that implementing them will come at a great cost to Nigeria because Nigeria is poor and ill-prepared.

He was expressing a cruder, less direct, more literary version of the sentiments that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed in November 2015 when he said rich Western nations “with luxury of choices should sharply reduce emissions” and not burden poor nations like India that didn’t create the problem.

“But [climate change] is not of our making,” Modi said. “It is the result of global warming that came from prosperity and progress of an industrial age powered by fossil fuel.”

Why not use poisoned cake instead of poisoned holy communion?

I wonder what is wrong with the sons of Hates and perdition that think otherwise.

ajexx:
Tinubu’s Church Rat Reference to Climate Change Isn't Wrong

By Farooq Kperogi

I frankly don’t get what people are mocking in Bola Tinubu’s characterization of climate-change policies for poor countries as “a question of how do you prevent a church rat from eating poisoned Holy Communion.”

Tinubu merely deployed familiar ecclesiastical metaphors to capture the dilemma that developing countries face over the dire existential adjustments that climate change policies require of them.

He used “church rat” to symbolize a poor nation (Nigerian English speakers often say “as poor as a church rat” where native English speakers say “as poor as a church mouse” to indicate extreme poverty) and “Holy Communion” to acknowledge the desirability of climate-change policies.

But he qualified the “Holy Communion” as “poisoned” to suggest that it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

In other words, climate-change policies are good (i.e., they’re Holy Communion), but they’re injurious (thus, “poisoned”) to a “church rat” (i.e., poor nations like Nigeria) in the short term because they require the kinds of self-denying sacrifices (such as stopping the use of firewood to cook, cutting down on manufacturing, etc.) that will hurt poor nations.

If a church rat eats poisoned Holy Communion it will die, or be seriously sick, in spite of the holiness of the communion.

Tinubu was basically saying he acknowledged that climate-change policies are great but that implementing them will come at a great cost to Nigeria because Nigeria is poor and ill-prepared.

He was expressing a cruder, less direct, more literary version of the sentiments that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed in November 2015 when he said rich Western nations “with luxury of choices should sharply reduce emissions” and not burden poor nations like India that didn’t create the problem.

“But [climate change] is not of our making,” Modi said. “It is the result of global warming that came from prosperity and progress of an industrial age powered by fossil fuel.”

Fool why didn’t he use the Koran ? Why use the holy communion

What did you expect from the children whom their leader presented GCE. ?

What did you expect from children who foolishly believed PMB was cloned?

Ha ha.
Must you all try to sound ridiculous in the name of defending what is obvious
His speech was incoherent

successmatters:
Why not use poisoned cake instead of poisoned holy communion?

Or better still use expired drugs

malel1:


Fool why didn’t he use the Koran ? Why use the holy communion

Tunji Bello younger Brother. Confirmed confused children

Agbado munching Urchins must always defend rubbish...I hope you all have your defending boots on cause Una go defend tire...

So whenever Tinubu speaks,you people will interprete what he meant to us abi,continue supporting old dementia human being.

Tinubu will finish zobidients with wealth of knowledge, sometimes you need to be logical to understand our incoming president.

Tinubu has a thing for speaking metaphorically.
Seeing him address what he meant when he said from ' rotten to bad' and his figurative words on climate change are pointer that the man knows his onions.
Intellectually,He is sound.

Afamed:
What did you expect from the children whom their leader presented GCE. ?

What did you expect from children who foolishly believed PMB was cloned?

Tinubu Bot


But Sheun is wicked o

tolue42:
Tinubu will finish zobidients with wealth of knowledge, sometimes you need to be logical to understand our incoming president.

What did you expect from children who their Terrorist leader presented GCE?

successmatters:
Why not use poisoned cake instead of poisoned holy communion?

lol

Because he used the subject 'church rat'

Or do you find cakes in a church?

Na wa for una oohh

successmatters:
Why not use poisoned cake instead of poisoned holy communion?

So that you will twist his words again?

Slynation:
Agbado muching Urchins must always defend rubbish...I hope you all have your defending boots on cause Una go defend tire...

We progressive youth supporting tinubu are civil and democratic, we won't stop defending and making u understand what u r too dumb and shallow to understand, we won't be like u guys that behave like dogs attacking contrary opinions or different views

If it was d other way round u would have been saying all sort of stupid things, I guess that's why dey call u guys ipigs zombidients and mumudients.....

Why is Tinubu always using Bible and Christian terms whenever he speaks metaphorically? Is he a christian or is he afraid of using Muslim terminology?

malel1:


Fool why didn’t he use the Koran ? Why use the holy communion

If he uses the koran then he must change the animal to mosque rat.

In all your years of learning English expressions and idioms have u ever heard of mosque rat?

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The Pandora fraud is not contesting for an election. With time, we will show where Obi went to Uyo to campaign for Atiku during the PDP campaign last week in Uyo

tesppidd:
If he uses the koran then he must change the animal to mosque rat.

In all your years of learning English have u ever heard of mosque rat?

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Do not waste your time educating him.

Obiediots no dey go to school. Go to Upper Iweka now, they are there in millions extorting passengers

tesppidd:
If he uses the koran then he must change the animal to mosque rat.

In all your years of learning English expressions and idioms have u ever heard of mosque rat?

�

If Tinubu mention the word mosque rat, northern muslim will come for his head, in fact they will vow not to vote for him.

How can he use holy and poison together. anything regarded as holy is pure

dyera:


If Tinubu mention the word mosque rat, northern muslim will come for his head, in fact they will vow not to vote for him.

What is mosque rat?

Which language is the expression mosque rat used?

Definitely not English.