By Sam Eyoboka, Olayinka Latona & David Oso
PRELATE of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Ola Makinde, yesterday, joined issues with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, describing the latter’s criticism of the Anti-Gay Bill passed by the Senate as unfortunate and regrettable.
In a statement by the church’s Media and Public Relations Officer, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, the Prelate said the comments credited to the Ogun State-born professor was an attempt to psychologically bully the lawmakers into taking an unpopular decision and to give approval to an unreligious and non-cultural act.
Makinde said such attempt would be sternly resisted by those who believed in sanity and the sanctity of marriage as established by God.
He said: “When I read the statements credited to Prof. Soyinka, I was taken aback. His comment is an affront on our socio-cultural and religious values which I find highly unfortunate.
“When people look up to us as role models in the society, we must see it as a public trust which must be guarded jealously. I have had times to agree with him (Soyinka) but at this point I completely disagree with him.
“I urge members of the National Assembly not to be dissuaded by this kind of comments and insults hauled on them by Prof. Soyinka; rather they should base their actions on the clamour by majority of Nigerians which is overwhelmingly against same sex marriage.
“He should apologise to the legislators for telling them to go back to school. Let me ask, is Prof. Soyinka or any of the advocates a product of same sex marriage? I wonder if the conventional marriage had not been upheld as passed down by our fathers, how many of those who are proponents of this ‘evil’ agenda will be in this world today.
“The question we should equally ask people like Prof. Soyinka is how many countries in the world have legally recognised same sex marriage? Only 10.
“Even the same American government that is castigating the Nigerian government has not accepted this nationally. Just like Mexico, it operates in some jurisdictions in America.”
PRELATE of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Ola Makinde, yesterday, joined issues with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, describing the latter’s criticism of the Anti-Gay Bill passed by the Senate as unfortunate and regrettable.
In a statement by the church’s Media and Public Relations Officer, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, the Prelate said the comments credited to the Ogun State-born professor was an attempt to psychologically bully the lawmakers into taking an unpopular decision and to give approval to an unreligious and non-cultural act.
Makinde said such attempt would be sternly resisted by those who believed in sanity and the sanctity of marriage as established by God.
He said: “When I read the statements credited to Prof. Soyinka, I was taken aback. His comment is an affront on our socio-cultural and religious values which I find highly unfortunate.
“When people look up to us as role models in the society, we must see it as a public trust which must be guarded jealously. I have had times to agree with him (Soyinka) but at this point I completely disagree with him.
“I urge members of the National Assembly not to be dissuaded by this kind of comments and insults hauled on them by Prof. Soyinka; rather they should base their actions on the clamour by majority of Nigerians which is overwhelmingly against same sex marriage.
“He should apologise to the legislators for telling them to go back to school. Let me ask, is Prof. Soyinka or any of the advocates a product of same sex marriage? I wonder if the conventional marriage had not been upheld as passed down by our fathers, how many of those who are proponents of this ‘evil’ agenda will be in this world today.
“The question we should equally ask people like Prof. Soyinka is how many countries in the world have legally recognised same sex marriage? Only 10.
“Even the same American government that is castigating the Nigerian government has not accepted this nationally. Just like Mexico, it operates in some jurisdictions in America.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/12/makinde-faults-soyinka-on-same-sex-act/