Our generator always packed up whenever there was something important to do with it. It was the Olympic night and our generator had packed up again. There was no way I could watch the opening ceremony, and I had heard a day before that an estimated one billion people would watch the ceremony. I sat alone, brooding over it when I heard the rough sound of a generator. I dashed out of the compound to know whose generator it was. It was Emeka's generation, three houses away. I thought about it: Emeka could not reject me. I had been his Yoruba friend for over a year and a valued customer at that.
Emeka's shop was the largest drug and variety shop in the whole estate, with iron bars protecting its entrance. It looked like a prison. When I got to there, there were two men sitting inside. I called on Emeka.
"Emeka!" I called. He came out. His Ama Kip Kip shone under the bright white bulb.
"Victor," he said "how far na?"
"Emeka, abeg, shey you dey show that Olympic opening ceremony."
"Yes na!" He said as he unlocked the iron gate.
"Hope market dey go well?" I entered the shop. I greeted the two men already seated. I sat beside them. My face was glued to the small Sharp television. The ceremony had already started. The artificial cloud, beds, village were also there, with people dancing and singing. Also, Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling read an except from the famous British book, Peter Pan. I also saw Harry Potter's Voldemort. It was lovely. Despite the amount of mosquitoes feasting on my leg, I didn't move. I was amazed. I was amazed at the way a whole stadium was turned into a village, hospital, a big factory and musical stage. I just had to wonder.
"No African country can host the Olympics oo," said one of the men. I watched them as they argued it out.
"Tell me one African country that has all these resources and facilities, tell me." The other man said.
"South Africa can host it now. They have all these facilities."
"Oh! What about Nigeria?"
"Oh please"
I didn't look at them. They were old enough to be my uncles. They both looked at me. They had probably thought I would say something about the issue, but I kept mum.
It was as if I had seen a ghost when Mr Bean appeared on the screen, performing "Chariots of Fire" with the London Symphony Orchestra. I was amazed. Emeka and the other two men opened their mouths, dazzled. Mr Bean was a funny character whose movies I had watched when I was younger. My father used to call him "The Baba Suwe of London". His real name was Rowan Atkinson. The ceremony continued and the mosquitoes in Emeka's shop were in their season of songs, singing to my ears.
People from different countries started coming out with different attires and flags. The Greek delegation opened the floor. I did not even know countries like Coke Island, Fiji and Liechtenstein existed until that night. Everyone in the shop was waiting for Nigeria's turn to be called. The letter "N" was still far. As soon as Nigeria was called, I adjusted my posture. The Nigerian team started dancing like a freed prisoner. The flag bearer, in his green cap and white buba, was in front flaunting the green and white flag of Nigeria. Other members, male and female, danced as if they were in a burial ceremony. The females amongst them, in their green head gears and white skirts and blouses, could not hide their joy as they banged their legs on the ground of the Olympic Stadium. The men also danced, some wore sun shades, others did not. None of them danced Azonto, I was disappointed.
"But no be sun shade be that?" Emeka said.
"Na so we see am o." I said, wondering how they could have worn a sun shade at night.
"Our people sha," said of the men, "how can he put on a sun shade at night?"
We looked on. David Beckham, a footballer, my kid brother's hero, appeared on a boat with the Olympic touch. He passed it to one old white man. The man, amidst cheers, carried the Olympic touch into the stadium and passed it to six British athletes who lit up the Olympic Cauldron, pointing to the sky above the stadium. Later, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth 2, declared the Olympics open. She said, "I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era."
Fireworks flew out of the stadium to the sky in different colours and sizes. I could not be more satisfied.
As I was about going home, Emeka said, "We go see wetin Nigeria go bring come home."
---Victor Olusanya
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Nigerians Are The Most Educated Immigrants In USA
Nigerian immigrants have the highest levels of education in this city and the nation, surpassing whites and Asians, according to Census data bolstered by an independent analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys conducted by Rice University and commissioned by the Chronicle. Nigerian Americans have long been known for their community’s intense cultural emphasis on education, and now an analysis of Census data coupled with several local surveys shows that Nigerians don’t just value education, but surpass all other U.S. ethnic groups when it comes to obtaining degrees.
For Woodlands resident David Olowokere, one of Nigeria’s sons, having a master’s degree in engineering just wasn’t enough for his people back home. So he got a doctorate. His wife, Shalewa, a civil engineer, didn’t stop at a bachelor’s, either. She went for her master’s. The same obsession with education runs in the Udeh household in Sugar Land. Foluke Udeh and her husband, Nduka, both have master’s degrees.
Anything less, she reckons, would have amounted to failure. “If you see an average Nigerian family, everybody has a college degree these days,” said Udeh, 32, a physical therapist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Centre. “But a postgraduate degree, that’s like pride for the family.” Nigerian immigrants have the highest levels of education in this city and the nation, surpassing whites and Asians, according to Census data bolstered by an independent analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys conducted by Rice University and commissioned by the Chronicle.
Although they make up a tiny portion of the U.S. population, a whopping 17 per cent of all Nigerians in this country held master’s degrees while four per cent had a doctorate, according to the 2006 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, 37 per cent had bachelor’s degrees. In comparison To put those numbers in perspective, eight per cent of the white population in the U.S. had master’s degrees, according to the Census survey. And one per cent held doctorates.
About 19 per cent of white residents had bachelor’s degrees. Asians come closer to the Nigerians with 12 per cent holding master’s degrees and three per cent having doctorates. The Nigerian numbers are “strikingly high,” said Roderick Harrison, demographer at the Joint Centre for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank that specializes in researching black issues. “There is no doubt that these are highly educated professionals who are probably working in the petrochemical, medical and business sectors in Houston.”
Harrison analyzed the census data for the Houston Chronicle Stephen Klineberg, a sociologist at Rice University who conducts the yearly Houston Area Survey, suspects the percentage of Nigerian immigrants with postgraduate degrees is higher than Census data shows. Of all the Nigerian immigrants he reached in his random phone surveys 1994 through 2007 — 45 households total — Klineberg said 40 per cent of the Nigerians said they had postgraduate degrees. “These are higher levels of educational attainment than were found in any other…community,” Klineberg said. There are more than 12,000 Nigerians in Houston, according to the latest Census data, a figure sociologists and Nigerian community leaders say is a gross undercount.
They believe the number to be closer to 100,000. Staying in school The reasons Nigerians have more postgraduate degrees than any other racial or ethnic group are largely due to Nigerian society’s emphasis on mandatory and free education. Once immigrating to the U.S., practical matters of immigration laws get in the way. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 made it easier for Africans to enter the U.S., but mostly as students or highly skilled professionals — not through family sponsorships, Klineberg said.
So many Africans pursue higher levels of education as an unintended consequence of navigating the tricky minefield of immigration, said Amadu Jacky Kaba, an associate professor at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, who has done research on African immigrants in the U.S. “In a way, it’s a Catch-22 — because of immigration laws you are forced to remain in school, but then the funny thing is you end up getting your doctorate at the age of 29,” Kaba said. “If you stay in school, immigration will leave you alone.” Although Kaba, who teaches Africana Studies, is not from Nigeria (he is Liberian), he said he, too, found himself pursuing a master’s and then a doctorate to remain in this country legally. But not all Africans have to go this route.
Some say their motivation is driven by their desire to overcome being a double minority: Black and African. Take Oluyinka Olutoye, 41, associate professor of pediatric surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He came to this country already as a medical doctor but decided to pursue his doctorate in anatomy to help set himself apart. “Being black, you are already at a disadvantage,” said Olutoye, whose wife, Toyin, is an anesthesiologist at Baylor. “You really need to excel far above if you want to be considered for anything in this country.” Family expectations All this talk of education creates high expectations for children of Nigerian immigrants.
The eldest child of David Olowokere, chairman of the engineering technologies department at Texas Southern University, for example, is already working on her master‘s degree in public health in Atlanta; the middle child is pursuing a bachelor’s in pre-medicine. His youngest, a son, attends The Woodlands High School. He already has aspirations to go into engineering, just like his parents, Olowokere beams. “The goal is for them to do as good as us — if not better,” he said. Olutoye put it another way.
“The typical saying in a Nigerian household is that the best inheritance that a parent can give you is not jewelry or cash or material things, it is a good education,” he said. “It is expected.” PHDs: Is higher learning helping Africa? Ejike Okpa II, a Nigerian in Dallas, Texas analyzed the craze for higher degrees and says it gets one good employment only. Economic empowerment is about ownership and control, as opposed to a plethora of degrees and certificates that often end up costing more to obtain than the spill-over benefits to the greater community in the form of job creation and sustainable employment base.
This is a debatable proposition though. There are examples of some highly educated people impacting the greater community by doing what they have passion for, doing the heavy lifting – hard work and dedication and applying entrepreneurial efforts, rather than regurgitated knowledge/lessons acquired because one was patient to have gone through the attendance requirements, paid the fees and scored minimum grades to earn a paper.
PHD – Permanent Head Damage.
PHD – Passion Hard-work Dedication.
MBA – Minor Bank Account.
MBA – Major Bank Account.
The above is satirical to denote that education has mostly not delivered for the black race. Of the 5,000 major influential world global corporations for example, hardly any has roots in Africa. In a recent survey and ranking of world universities and colleges, only a few universities in two African countries made the list. Another notable challenge: Many black institutions in U.S. and Africa hardly have any endowment, and basically run on thin resources.
“In 2007, there were over 1.9 million black owned businesses in the U.S. That number is growing rapidly. According to the U.S. Census, the average black owned business grosses about $72,000 per year. This is below the national average for other minority businesses, which gross an average of $179,000. In addition, non-minority firms gross an average of $490,000 per year.”
No Nigerian university has any endowment to speak of, and of all the clamour and glamour of wealthy Nigerians, none of them has stepped up to endow any faculty or school in a Nigerian university. Rather, they will give millions to build or support churches and mosques, just like black folks do in U.S.: Build mega churches but create no jobs. Unemployment is highest in African-American communities, and despite many that claim to be rich even enjoying the rare rank of billionaires, the trickle-down effect is marginal.
Rich African-Americans have no significant workforce economic impact as can be seen with entertainers and athletes, the highest earners in the African-American clan, but a group whose collateral impact is often imagined than quantified. Of all business enterprises/ companies formed in Texas by African-Americans, more than 70 per cent are for non-profits. This begs the question: Whose profit are they looking for before they make theirs? Small businesses, the largest employer in U.S.: Convenience stores, restaurants, handy-man services, construction services, African-Americans are least represented. In Dallas for example, there is no African-American 3-5 star owned restaurants.
Of all gas stations and conveniences in black neighbourhoods, less than five are owned by African-Americans. Majority are owned by immigrants. Without a bank in U.S. owned by African-Americans worth a billion dollars, even with a yearly consumption value approaching a $1 trillion, and many communities lack community banks or viable credit unions, playing in U.S. competitive economic arena becomes like one pulling a tooth with a toothpick. Access to capital is a limiting factor, and one is further limited if they own no financial institution to provide credit.
According to U.S. Department of Commerce, ethnic minorities have on the average less credit access than Caucasians. Credit/capital is the juice for labour to make goods. And when Africans-Americans are lent capital/credit, they are most likely to end up with higher interest rate payment than most; a stifling and choking proposition. Therefore, to be considered a significant player in the world global economic order with domestic presence, prayers will not cut it. One must own their own financial institutions and extend credit to their community and constituents. Africans/Blacks must quit being seen as players and migrate to referees, in which role, they call the game fair or foul.
It does appear folks will work for others’ establishments Monday-Friday to devote their man-hours, Saturday they rest and on Sunday, they pray for strength to continue again M-F. Blacks would rather go work for the government or non-black owned company than theirs, just like Africans will prefer working for multinational corporations than nurture theirs into a multinational company. In today’s Nigeria/Africa, many multinational corporations do not allow Nigerians/Africans access to the same set of amenities! You got the gist!! Here are some statistics –
Blacks in U.S. are the most to graduate with Ph.D., but often create the least economic impact and benefits for their community. Most blacks with MBA, rather go work for someone or corporation than actually own a business. Most blacks end up teaching others how to graduate with business education but never muster the courage to go out and own one for themselves. So the question is, if education is seen as an enabler not necessarily an equalizer, how come for blacks or Africans, the outcome of their education appears less than? Does this stretch the notion that equal opportunity as in education, does not mean equal outcome?
Since labour (skilled and unskilled) is seen and considered the most viable/critical of all factors of production, and blacks and Africans rather give others their labour, can this be the reason for the less than outcome? Until certain fundamental approaches/attitudes /culture in the manner Africans/blacks conduct their affairs are structurally altered for positive outcome with unapologetic stride and drive to elevate and depart from the squalour and door mat situations, the dance and song in the square about educational titles, are just that – clamour/glamour with little substance. Now go take on the day: Shelve the degrees and cultivate PHD – Passion Hard-work and Dedication.
For Woodlands resident David Olowokere, one of Nigeria’s sons, having a master’s degree in engineering just wasn’t enough for his people back home. So he got a doctorate. His wife, Shalewa, a civil engineer, didn’t stop at a bachelor’s, either. She went for her master’s. The same obsession with education runs in the Udeh household in Sugar Land. Foluke Udeh and her husband, Nduka, both have master’s degrees.
Anything less, she reckons, would have amounted to failure. “If you see an average Nigerian family, everybody has a college degree these days,” said Udeh, 32, a physical therapist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Centre. “But a postgraduate degree, that’s like pride for the family.” Nigerian immigrants have the highest levels of education in this city and the nation, surpassing whites and Asians, according to Census data bolstered by an independent analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys conducted by Rice University and commissioned by the Chronicle.
Although they make up a tiny portion of the U.S. population, a whopping 17 per cent of all Nigerians in this country held master’s degrees while four per cent had a doctorate, according to the 2006 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, 37 per cent had bachelor’s degrees. In comparison To put those numbers in perspective, eight per cent of the white population in the U.S. had master’s degrees, according to the Census survey. And one per cent held doctorates.
About 19 per cent of white residents had bachelor’s degrees. Asians come closer to the Nigerians with 12 per cent holding master’s degrees and three per cent having doctorates. The Nigerian numbers are “strikingly high,” said Roderick Harrison, demographer at the Joint Centre for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank that specializes in researching black issues. “There is no doubt that these are highly educated professionals who are probably working in the petrochemical, medical and business sectors in Houston.”
Harrison analyzed the census data for the Houston Chronicle Stephen Klineberg, a sociologist at Rice University who conducts the yearly Houston Area Survey, suspects the percentage of Nigerian immigrants with postgraduate degrees is higher than Census data shows. Of all the Nigerian immigrants he reached in his random phone surveys 1994 through 2007 — 45 households total — Klineberg said 40 per cent of the Nigerians said they had postgraduate degrees. “These are higher levels of educational attainment than were found in any other…community,” Klineberg said. There are more than 12,000 Nigerians in Houston, according to the latest Census data, a figure sociologists and Nigerian community leaders say is a gross undercount.
They believe the number to be closer to 100,000. Staying in school The reasons Nigerians have more postgraduate degrees than any other racial or ethnic group are largely due to Nigerian society’s emphasis on mandatory and free education. Once immigrating to the U.S., practical matters of immigration laws get in the way. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 made it easier for Africans to enter the U.S., but mostly as students or highly skilled professionals — not through family sponsorships, Klineberg said.
So many Africans pursue higher levels of education as an unintended consequence of navigating the tricky minefield of immigration, said Amadu Jacky Kaba, an associate professor at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, who has done research on African immigrants in the U.S. “In a way, it’s a Catch-22 — because of immigration laws you are forced to remain in school, but then the funny thing is you end up getting your doctorate at the age of 29,” Kaba said. “If you stay in school, immigration will leave you alone.” Although Kaba, who teaches Africana Studies, is not from Nigeria (he is Liberian), he said he, too, found himself pursuing a master’s and then a doctorate to remain in this country legally. But not all Africans have to go this route.
Some say their motivation is driven by their desire to overcome being a double minority: Black and African. Take Oluyinka Olutoye, 41, associate professor of pediatric surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He came to this country already as a medical doctor but decided to pursue his doctorate in anatomy to help set himself apart. “Being black, you are already at a disadvantage,” said Olutoye, whose wife, Toyin, is an anesthesiologist at Baylor. “You really need to excel far above if you want to be considered for anything in this country.” Family expectations All this talk of education creates high expectations for children of Nigerian immigrants.
The eldest child of David Olowokere, chairman of the engineering technologies department at Texas Southern University, for example, is already working on her master‘s degree in public health in Atlanta; the middle child is pursuing a bachelor’s in pre-medicine. His youngest, a son, attends The Woodlands High School. He already has aspirations to go into engineering, just like his parents, Olowokere beams. “The goal is for them to do as good as us — if not better,” he said. Olutoye put it another way.
“The typical saying in a Nigerian household is that the best inheritance that a parent can give you is not jewelry or cash or material things, it is a good education,” he said. “It is expected.” PHDs: Is higher learning helping Africa? Ejike Okpa II, a Nigerian in Dallas, Texas analyzed the craze for higher degrees and says it gets one good employment only. Economic empowerment is about ownership and control, as opposed to a plethora of degrees and certificates that often end up costing more to obtain than the spill-over benefits to the greater community in the form of job creation and sustainable employment base.
This is a debatable proposition though. There are examples of some highly educated people impacting the greater community by doing what they have passion for, doing the heavy lifting – hard work and dedication and applying entrepreneurial efforts, rather than regurgitated knowledge/lessons acquired because one was patient to have gone through the attendance requirements, paid the fees and scored minimum grades to earn a paper.
PHD – Permanent Head Damage.
PHD – Passion Hard-work Dedication.
MBA – Minor Bank Account.
MBA – Major Bank Account.
The above is satirical to denote that education has mostly not delivered for the black race. Of the 5,000 major influential world global corporations for example, hardly any has roots in Africa. In a recent survey and ranking of world universities and colleges, only a few universities in two African countries made the list. Another notable challenge: Many black institutions in U.S. and Africa hardly have any endowment, and basically run on thin resources.
“In 2007, there were over 1.9 million black owned businesses in the U.S. That number is growing rapidly. According to the U.S. Census, the average black owned business grosses about $72,000 per year. This is below the national average for other minority businesses, which gross an average of $179,000. In addition, non-minority firms gross an average of $490,000 per year.”
No Nigerian university has any endowment to speak of, and of all the clamour and glamour of wealthy Nigerians, none of them has stepped up to endow any faculty or school in a Nigerian university. Rather, they will give millions to build or support churches and mosques, just like black folks do in U.S.: Build mega churches but create no jobs. Unemployment is highest in African-American communities, and despite many that claim to be rich even enjoying the rare rank of billionaires, the trickle-down effect is marginal.
Rich African-Americans have no significant workforce economic impact as can be seen with entertainers and athletes, the highest earners in the African-American clan, but a group whose collateral impact is often imagined than quantified. Of all business enterprises/ companies formed in Texas by African-Americans, more than 70 per cent are for non-profits. This begs the question: Whose profit are they looking for before they make theirs? Small businesses, the largest employer in U.S.: Convenience stores, restaurants, handy-man services, construction services, African-Americans are least represented. In Dallas for example, there is no African-American 3-5 star owned restaurants.
Of all gas stations and conveniences in black neighbourhoods, less than five are owned by African-Americans. Majority are owned by immigrants. Without a bank in U.S. owned by African-Americans worth a billion dollars, even with a yearly consumption value approaching a $1 trillion, and many communities lack community banks or viable credit unions, playing in U.S. competitive economic arena becomes like one pulling a tooth with a toothpick. Access to capital is a limiting factor, and one is further limited if they own no financial institution to provide credit.
According to U.S. Department of Commerce, ethnic minorities have on the average less credit access than Caucasians. Credit/capital is the juice for labour to make goods. And when Africans-Americans are lent capital/credit, they are most likely to end up with higher interest rate payment than most; a stifling and choking proposition. Therefore, to be considered a significant player in the world global economic order with domestic presence, prayers will not cut it. One must own their own financial institutions and extend credit to their community and constituents. Africans/Blacks must quit being seen as players and migrate to referees, in which role, they call the game fair or foul.
It does appear folks will work for others’ establishments Monday-Friday to devote their man-hours, Saturday they rest and on Sunday, they pray for strength to continue again M-F. Blacks would rather go work for the government or non-black owned company than theirs, just like Africans will prefer working for multinational corporations than nurture theirs into a multinational company. In today’s Nigeria/Africa, many multinational corporations do not allow Nigerians/Africans access to the same set of amenities! You got the gist!! Here are some statistics –
Blacks in U.S. are the most to graduate with Ph.D., but often create the least economic impact and benefits for their community. Most blacks with MBA, rather go work for someone or corporation than actually own a business. Most blacks end up teaching others how to graduate with business education but never muster the courage to go out and own one for themselves. So the question is, if education is seen as an enabler not necessarily an equalizer, how come for blacks or Africans, the outcome of their education appears less than? Does this stretch the notion that equal opportunity as in education, does not mean equal outcome?
Since labour (skilled and unskilled) is seen and considered the most viable/critical of all factors of production, and blacks and Africans rather give others their labour, can this be the reason for the less than outcome? Until certain fundamental approaches/attitudes /culture in the manner Africans/blacks conduct their affairs are structurally altered for positive outcome with unapologetic stride and drive to elevate and depart from the squalour and door mat situations, the dance and song in the square about educational titles, are just that – clamour/glamour with little substance. Now go take on the day: Shelve the degrees and cultivate PHD – Passion Hard-work and Dedication.
Monday, May 21, 2012
KANYE WEST TO PREMIERE SHORT FILM AT CANNES (Cruel World)
According to The Associated Press, Kanye West will debut a short film titled Cruel Summer at the Cannes Film Festival this week. The rapper announced that he'll present the film on Wednesday at the festival. West said it is “a fusion of short film and art installation” and an "immersive seven-screen experience." It will remain open to the public for two days following its premiere.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
D'banj's Oliver Twist Debuts At No.9 on BBC Official Chart
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| reggie and d'banj |
Nigerian pop star D'banj's Oliver twist has debuted at No 9 on BBC radio 1 official chart .D'banj co-hosted the official chart today May 20 with the host 'Reggie Yates' to hear his track revealed as the official chart No.9 .
The chart had Rihanna's where ve u been at No.6 and Rita ora's R.I.P at No.1.Oliver twist has been a success in the Uk as it was also No.9 on Uk Itunes chart last week .
D'banj will perform in london june 23rd at the BBC Radio 1's Hackney weekend to be headlined by Jay z and Rihanna .
Transgender beauty contestant loses out on Miss Universe Canada crown
The 23-year-old ousted 50 other contestants to make it to the final 12 contestants before failing to make the final five in the glitzy pageant.
26-year-old Sahar Biniaz claimed the crown and now advances to the international Miss Universe competition in December. Talackova was however one of the four contestants named Miss Congeniality.
Controversy sparked up some months ago when Talackova who underwent a sex change in the past was initially denied entry to Canada’s pageant because she was not born female. Donald Trump, who runs the Miss Universe Organization, subsequently overruled that decision last month and allowed the Vancouver, British Columbia native to compete following protests on the internet.
The 6-foot-1 blond beauty, who towered over her fellow contenders while competing in the bikini and formal wear contests, garnered most of the attention Saturday night, soliciting loud cheering and howls each time she appeared on stage.
‘She’s still a winner as far as I’m concerned. She won an ‘herstoric’ civil rights victory and that I think is frankly more important than anything, any victory she would win, even representing Miss Canada’, Talackova’s high profile lawyer Gloria Allred told The Associated Press.
FINALLY! FACEBOOK OWNER MARK ZUCKERBERG MARRIES LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND CHAN!
Less than 100 people attended 28 yera old Mark Zuckerberg's wedding to his long time girl friend, 27 year old Chan at Mark's home in Calif. YESTERDAY.
Friends were invited to attend Chan's graduation (as a medical doctor from Medical School University of California), but were surprised it was really their wedding.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Nigerian Lesbian & Gay group hold rally to protest anti-same sex laws: PICTURES
Nigerian LGBT’s in Diaspora Against Anti Same Sex Laws held a rally outside Nigerian Embassy in London, UK to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
The rally was held on Thursday May 17th 2012 with the Theme- “We Are Family- Freedom to Love for all Nigerians”.
Speakers shared personal stories and experiences of Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and a letter was delivered to officials of the Nigerian High Commission.
A former student activist of the OAU, Ile-Ife, Yemisi Ilesanmi led the protest. She said a position paper on the Anti-Same Sex Marriage bill currently pending before the Nigerian legislatures had already been sent to the Nigerian Legislative organ and the Executive.
Gay activists in Nigeria seem to have been emboldened by President Barack Obama’s recent endorsement of homosexual relationships, P.M.NEWS can reveal.
In a press statement sent to P.M.NEWS yesterday, gay activists called on the Nigerian Federal Government and National Assembly to revisit their anti-gay stance and legislation for a better society.
The National Assembly had on 29 November 2011 criminalised relationships between same sex couples, but gay activists remained silent until after President Obama endorsed such relationships on 9 May 2012.
The activists under the aegis of Narconon Nigeria argued that punishing gays or lesbians because of their sexual orientations is inhuman.
They disclosed that they held press conferences in Lagos, southwest Nigeria and Abuja, Nigeria’s capital recently and resolved to speak up.
“Every citizen deserves the right and freedom of association and choices,” Mr. Ibrahim Kunle who issued the statement on behalf of Narconon said.
“Nigeria has not in any way recorded a case of criminality attached to the activities of same sex in the society.
“Many critics based their argument against the practices of homosexual on the passion for religious extremism.
“To take it a little further, for something to be considered wrong in even the most primitive society, the onus of proving harm should be on the accuser.
“Since gays and lesbians do not cause harm to the society as a whole or other individuals within that society, there is no issue of right or wrong.
“In Nigeria today, same-sex sexual activities is illegal according to Chapter 21, Articles 214 and 217 of the Nigerian penal code and can be punished by imprisonment of up to 14 years throughout Nigeria.
“Narconon Nigeria describes this as inhuman and unfair justification to the persons involved in the same sex activities,” Narconon said, adding that it is a non-governmental organization involved in the fight against drug abuse, human rights abuse and crime.
The activists called on the Nigerian government to leave gays and lesbians alone and focus on the fight against insecurity and poverty.
“Narconon Nigeria believes the government needs to pay more attention to insecurity (terrorism & kidnapping), economic instability, corruption, education, health, unemployment, drug trafficking and abuse, organised crime etc.
“The country has gradually fallen into the hands of criminal gangs, who as ubiquitous as they are, are mushrooming at alarming proportion, while the government seems not to be paying attention to the rapacious consequences they are wreaking and could wreak on the society at large. The government seems not to be interested in real reforms,” Narconon said.
meet uche jumbo's hubby
On Wednesday, May 16, Nollywood superstar actress, Uche Jumbo walked down the isle with her new husband, Kenney Rodriguez in Puerto Rico.
The wedding was secretly done at a private beach get-together with few selected friends and family members present.
We got reliably got this picture from an industry source, whose identity has been confirmed as Kenney Rodriguez, Uche Jumbo’s newly wedded husband.
Both are presently in a honeymoon.
KokoMaster D’banj Signs Davido to His New record Label?
Dapo ‘D’banj‘ Oyebanjo has signed to his new (yet unnamed) record label the fast rising pop star David ‘Davido‘ Adeleke
NET investigations confirmed the signing took place on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at the 19-year-old’s house in Lekki after a five-man meeting involving D’banj, his manager Abisagboola ‘Bankulli’ Oluseun, Davido, his manager Asa Asika and father Deji Adeleke.
After the signing, both acts and their crew members then headed out to the weekly Industry Nite at the Oriental Hotels to celebrate. NET had earlier reported D’banj making his first ever post-Mo’Hits public appearance at the weekly gig where he gave a surprise performance with artiste of the night Ikechukwu.
We’re still working to get details of the deal particulars, but sources say talks started weeks before both acts met in the US. D’banj and Davido were both spotted at the famous strippers joint - Diamonds Of Atlanta Gentlemans Club in Atlanta.
Davido’s manager when contacted however played down the news of the signing insisting that both parties are still in talks. ‘We are still in talks, that’s all I have to say for now, it could take a day or a year‘, Asa Asika told NET in a phone conversation.D’banj’s camp was yet to respond to our E-mails as at the time of filing in this report.
D’banj recently signed to Mercury Records UK through the G.O.O.D Music label imprint.Davido had until now remained an unsigned act but has in the past year risen to A-list status with just three singles out.He now joins D’banj’s younger brother KSwitch on the label which, according to insiders, will be affiliated to Island Def Jam Africa.
Source:thenetng.com
Pic Credit: Atlpics.net
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