#NotoCriminalsinUniosun
#3080
I will start by quoting from the word of God in the Bible to foreground the seriousness of the paradox that I want to talk about in relation to my say #NotoCriminalsinUniosun campaign:
Mr 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself [KJV].
Mar 3:21 When Jesus' family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under control [CEV].
Mar 3:21 When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of him, because people were saying, "He's gone mad!" [GNB].
Some of you may not know that certain psychologists and, perhaps spiritual experts, watching the ‘trend’ of my releases in the last few days on “Tell Osun State University to Brace Up!!!” are out with the diagnosis and prognosis as to my current psychological state of mind! And, if I could make a guess on their conclusions, it will well be captured in what is said above of Jesus Christ at a point in his earthly ministry! Friends and family concluded, based on what they heard, that Jesus was ‘beside himself!’ And, I love that metaphor very well than the other plain expressions of ‘he was crazy’ and ‘He’s gone mad!’.
The reason is that first phrase is more colourful than the other bare phrases. But, let us leave my phrase preference to the serious issue of my discuss…
I guessed a lot of people are worried that I am probably giving too much attention to the issue and they think I should be addressed, while the issue is left unaddressed. Perhaps, it is better to psychoanalyze me than to address the crime, the criminals and the criminality I am trying to address. Well, that is not strange to me in anyway.
Ken Sarowiwa wrote about something that captures the issue here a very long time ago when he said, “Instead of addressing the message, they are facing the messenger. Because it is easy to kill the messenger than to kill the message!” At least, to claim that I am beside myself can help whoever wishes to assume the authority to get me ‘arrested and put in custody’ to do so, so that I won’t constitute a nuisance to the gentlemen and women in the society…
I mean, people could be very smart when they need to deal with an ‘intelligent nuisance like David Oluwole’ as can be seen in The Hounding of David Oluwole by Agboluaje… Oluwole is murdered by those who are afraid of him for his intelligence and for their fear…
So, let us assume that of a truth I am agitated and losing my mind! For me, the question should be, ‘why is he agitated and losing his mind?’ That will lead us to the message that ought to be addressed of course. But, since the message is very powerful and serious, nobody wants to touch it. Everybody is playing the ostrich with the message.
They are frightened by the message… the message is powerful and provocative… it is not expected… they had thought I would have committed suicide or go under because of the seriousness of the message… but now, confronted with the message, they are caught gaping in the dark… and, to escape the message temporarily, they need to turn around and label the messenger as a psychosis!
But, who really has a psychological problem here? Who? Let me quickly tell a story: Once upon a time, a woman who was dismissed from BOWEN University for changing students’ results was given another rare opportunity in Osun State University. However, no sooner was she appointed that she began to manipulate people and things in Osun State University as well.
At last, she was again caught for manipulating the results of 94 students. In her characteristic manner, she got others like her to agree to shift the crime on 8 innocent souls until they were confronted by a ‘stubborn’ guy known as Wale… They decided to blackmail Wale to cover their crime, but he refused even at a serious price and provocation… He maintained his cool and calm…
Well, it is possible that you have heard something similar to that story before. I did not end the story. I will complete it some other time, but, here, can we look at those who have psychological problems? Imagine a woman… I mean, A WOMAN! Imagine such a woman in this story and tell me the state of her consciousness… Imagine the others who plotted with her to frame up 8 innocent souls as the culprits in the crime for which they don’t know anything…
Imagine their consciousness as they were plotting all the evils… Imagine Wale… Imagine the newspaper man who said he was under pressure to fabricate a complete false story to save the criminals… imagine those who are afraid of this story…. Now, tell me, who has psychological problem?...
That is the paradox… But me, I cannot but continue to enjoy myself as I allow them to enjoy the movie they created…
However, before they come up with a very useless reason to take custody of me for being ‘beside myself,’ I will shield my sword again as I have promised, only that I should not be provoked with any useless argument ‘For no one trifle with me on a day like this…’
On a very light note, I will leave you with this story for now… If you want to listen to me, I will be teaching and preaching from sometimes in November at Christ De-Essence Christian Missions Centre Osogbo. God bless you!
‘Bode Ojoniyi, October 12, 2017
ACLS/AHP Fellow ’15 & 17/18 UG, Legon, Accra
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