[size=18pt]How Sanders taught Island men a lesson[/size]
By Juliet Bumah and Abimbola Adelakun
Published: Thursday, 5 Mar 2009

By now, Nigerian women are used to their men‘s sense of gender superiority. An average Nigerian man can acquire up to four wives and still not see a woman as more than an object to decorate his house with.

Recently, the United States ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Renee Sanders, was at the Island Club to deliver a lecture on Political Democratic Transitions. After the lecture, one of the guests, a female, pointed out that the Island Club was all male.

”In this 21st century,” Sanders replied, ”you can‘t be a leader if you exclude half of the world‘s population from being members of your club. If I had known about the all male status of this club, I would have reconsidered my invitation.”

To salvage an apparently embarrassing situation, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku got up and responded, saying, ”Thank God you didn‘t know about the club‘s all male status before getting the invitation. And now that you have pointed this out, it will serve as food for thought for the Islanders

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090305620675

Comments:


    * sanders if u were in saudi arabia .will u tell tem how to live their lifes there?.knowing full well it is traditionally and even religiously male dominated.make u take ur yeye time oh!!!

      Posted by: natural male , on Thursday, March 05, 2009

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    * look at wht the so called (unatural) feminism is doing to the western society where sanders is from.it is no coincidence they have the highest rate of divorces,single parenthood dwindling population in the world with its attendant consequences in their society.nigerian women embrace equal rights for women until its time to pay for something.y is she and pple like condi rice not married?are they lesbians or something?to hell with ur alien culture!!

      Posted by: natural male , on Thursday, March 05, 2009

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    * It is noteworthy for the US Ambassador to make this sort of remark in such a forum of men of influence and affluence in Nigeria-the elite, Lagos Island Club. The society should be an egalitarian one-providing a level playing field for all participants irrespective of gender, race, status, nationalities, etc. Today, the most powerful personality in the world, after God, is a black man, an African-American, in the person of Barrack Obama who white supremacists would have rejected some decades ago!

      Posted by: John Ekundayo @ Singapore , on Thursday, March 05, 2009

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    * The lesson here is when invited to any occassion in any capacity inform yourself about the place that you are invited to; the lady US ambassador to Nigeria please take note.

      Posted by: Emmanuel Ben-Edigbe , on Thursday, March 05, 2009

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    * It is easy to bash men for their ego. The women rulethe world!!! They surrendered power to the men. Their assumed powerlessness is to becloud the real fact. Has any woman been denied membership of the club just because she is a woman? How many women have been able to put themselves up for elections and denied just because they are women? ANd if women want power let them start with being the head and breadwinners for their homes and opening the car door for their husbands.

      Posted by: Julius Joel , on Thursday, March 05, 2009

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    * It is so refreshing to read about the audacious and indicting observation by the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria - Ms. Sanders, concerning the all-male membership of the Islanders. It is hoped that her somewhat regretful remarks for honoring the invitation to give the lecture, will send a message of empowerment to women across the world to make their voices heard in similar male monopoly of the stage. I salute Ms. Sanders and wish her all the best in her mission to and assignment in Nigeria.

      Posted by: Rev. Victor A. Owan , on Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Heh.

Seun:

Heh.

seun why heh? una never get new ambassador? are there not all male clubs in the usa?.

why does she go and preach it here?

http://www.sunstonewomen.com/

Or here

http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=club&c=6685

Or this

http://www.hub-club.co.uk/2_2574.php

i do not subscribe to the Island Club exculding women for whatever reason but im struggling to understand or see how she supposedly 'taught the men a lesson'.
or is it this comment you are referring to? In this 21st century,” Sanders replied, ”you can‘t be a leader if you exclude half of the world‘s population from being members of your club. If I had known about the all male status of this club, I would have reconsidered my invitation.”

I know this may sound sexist if anyone choses to hear it that way.

Clubs are not necessarily for everybody. If you decide to form yourselves into an exclusive club, what is wrong with it? If some men decide that they want to have a male-only club, so be it. Why do we have to be so hung up about everything such that life becomes a bore and we have to watch for every kind of air we breathe.

There are exclusive women's clubs and I have never heard any man complain or say that they should be open to men.

If you like a club, form your own and fashion it along the same lines!

i agree with justgood.

JustGood:

I know this may sound sexist if anyone choses to hear it that way.

Clubs are not necessarily for everybody. If you decide to form yourselves into an exclusive club, what is wrong with it? If some men decide that they want to have a male-only club, so be it. Why do we have to be so hung up about everything such that life becomes a bore and we have to watch for every kind of air we breathe.

There are exclusive women's clubs and I have never heard any man complain or say that they should be open to men.

If you like a club, form your own and fashion it along the same lines!

All male club eh? rotfl

Reminds me of "And The Band Played On".