Kokomansion: What does it stand for?
By Busayo Ojo

I was elated when I saw the heading of the write-up by Ier Jonathan in The Guardian of Wednesday, May 20, 2009 about "Dbanj's Kokomansion and Nigerian Womanhood'. Without reading the body of the discourse, I was happy that at least there are people who still have a sense of morality and decency which has not been corrupted by the quest for fame, money and material pursuit.

The first time I read through the body of what Kokomansion entails in the newspaper, I was sad, very sad. The first set of questions that ran through my mind are these: Who is Dbanj that mothers of tomorrow would parade themselves for him? What moral contribution has he made to the society that raised him? What virtues does he have? Will he allow his sister to do the same? These are some of the questions that troubled me. Ier Jonathan captured a whole lot of issues that need to be addressed if we are talking about the dignity of the African woman.

People are singularly the most important asset that any nation can have. Women especially are assets that bring up children who would later develop the nation. Barack Obama was brought up by a woman, his grandmother who impacted a whole of virtues and ethics in him. Pastor Adeboye, Gani Fawehinmi, Wole Soyinka are individuals who have made great impact on our society but owe their sense of worth, morality and decency to their mothers. I am not downplaying the role of the father but a mother's role in the life of a child is very important.

Young girls, mothers of tomorrow are being asked to fit their life-style into the ideas of a certain person. Now I ask: Who is Dbanj and what does he stand for? Let us look at the issue from another perspective, what is the moral lesson of the Kokomansion? I ask Mr. Toyin Subair of HiTv and the organisers: Can he or any of the organisers allow their 18-year-old daughter to participate in Kokomansion? What is the sole essence of the programme? While I believe that individuals have a moral right to do as they please as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others, I am concerned about a man who claims to be of God yet acts contrary to his faith. My last words are for Mr. Toyin Subair. I believe in wealth, God-given wealth. I also believe in entrepreneurship. I believe in innovation and creativity but I do not believe that this programme is innovative.

While Ier Jonathan tackled the womanhood aspect, I am very concerned about morality and values. This is what holds the very fabric of the society together. This is what I believe the organisers of Kokomansion will trample upon.

My main concern is addressed to Mr. Toyin Subair. Does he actually know the nitty-gritty of the programme? Whether or not he does, he has a duty especially that he is called by the name of God. If Mr. Toyin Subair would allow his 18-year-old daughter to participate, then I would be silent but if not, then, he is embarrassing the females that are related to him. This is so because if you downgrade a woman, you are invariably saying that the women in your life are not worth it. Let Mr. Subair have a re-think.


Ms. Ojo lives in Lagos.

source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/editorial_opinion/article03//indexn2_html?pdate=030709&ptitle=Kokomansion: What does it stand for?