American Witches vs African Witches : Imaginative Writing and Thought in the Philosophy of Nimi Wariboko

The writing of the theologian, philosopher and economist Nimi Wariboko consistently demonstrates imaginative use of language, as demonstrated by his rich conceptualizations and word coinages, complemented by his deployment of narrative and poetic texts often created by himself, and in which the roots of his more literary expressions in particular examples of imaginative writing, from the Bible to the poetry of the Nigerian writer J.P. Clark, are at times evident.

An example of his use of narratives is the following story Wariboko presents in The Split God: Pentecostalism and Critical Theory, in relation to a discussion of the grip of the capitalist economy on people in the United States of America where the writer lives :

“… a joke among immigrant African Pentecostals in New York [ involves a] Nigerian pastor preaching about witches in Africa, how they control or manipulate the lives and behaviour of their neighbors or enemies. He explained that a witch can stop a husband and wife from having children, prevent the man in the city from sending a monthly feeding allowance to his parents in the village, and compel the Christian to skip church on Sunday.

He went on and on, emphasizing the magical powers of witches and wizards to manipulate others. After he had finished, a woman stood up and said, “Pastor, in America we do not have that kind of witches. The ones we have here are neither men nor women. They are called Bills. Because of piling bills, a Christian will not pay his tithes or send money home. When he is sleeping with his wife and he wants to ejaculate, he remembers the financial cost of raising children in New York City and he does an onanism. He does not come to church on Sundays because he needs to work on weekends to earn more money to cover his shortfall between income and expenses.

The fear of bills is the beginning of economic wisdom in New York, and for many residents of the city it surpasses the fear of God. Bills are the witches we face here in New York City. They come into your house and sit on your tables, countertops, and everywhere in broad daylight. They do not need to visit your homes in the night or appear invisible. The mailman or the email system brings the American witches to your home.”

She continues, “If the power of a witch lies in the ability to manipulate another person’s behavior, then nothing surpasses the American witch. American witches are more powerful than the African ones. In the winter, if you do not offer them part of your paycheck, they can cause you to freeze to death in your own home. Bills can force a loving mother to leave her underage children alone at home and go in search of money.

In fact, they can make you do whatever they want and they can do whatever they want with you. Pastor please pray for me. I want deliverance from the American witch!”