₦airaland Forum

When u hear Okon Abang is handling your case, just sentence yourself cus he is gonna make you sweat it out.

Assuming this judge is Hausa, they will cry ethnicity. Nonsense!!

mapet:
30.4Km

Nice, truth is this government is a better way forward than the previous ones. But I need them to do better so whoever is coming will be challenged. We should embrace competition.

Congrats BRF

If integrity was a man, they would have called him Idiagbon.
The world, especially Nigeria, is what it is today because of our inability to live a life of integrity. The pillars of our guiding principles are no longer standing on the foundation of value.

Instead of dignity and morality to be the watchful directors of our course, we decided to let vanity and impunity to rule over us.

Regardless of any other opinion, it was this senseless decision of ours that Gen. Idiagbon tried to dethrone from our mind.

But in vain he tried.

Born on the 14 September 1943, in Ilorin, Kwara state, Babatunde Abdulbaki Idiagbon received his secondary education at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria between 1958 and 1962.

He would join the Nigerian Army by enrolling in the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) in 1962: NMTC was renamed the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in February 1964.

In April 1965, Idiagbon was commissioned second lieutenant upon his arrival from Pakistan Military Academy where he had obtained a BSc in economics.

From 1966 to 1967, he served as an intelligence officer, 4th Battalion and General Staff Officer, 3rd Intelligence, 1st Sector.

It was during this time that he got promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and also to the rank of captain two years later.

At the age of twenty-five, Idiagbon had already become the commanding officer, 125 Battalion.

Owing to his intelligence, qualification, and personal ability, his promotion kept coming until he rose to become Brigadier General in 1983.


Nigeria before 1983 had already taken side with lawlessness. In addition, the nation's resources were handled with recklessness.

The depth of corruption among public officials had succeeded in dragging the country into a state of economic shambles and the government in charge at the time seemed to be very okay with the situation.

The Shehu Shagari's government succeeded in creating a group of dark kleptocratic thieves whose heartless goal would not be reached until the nation is plunged into a well of hopelessness.

As a matter of fact, record has it that in the space of four years, between 1979 and 1983, Shehu Shagari administration had mismanaged Nigeria into debt.

In fact, Nigeria was at the time counted among the most indebted countries in Africa.

Owing a colossal sum of about fifty billion dollars, inflation found a fertile soil to sprout. The result could only lead one end, hardship.

And of course, where there’s hardship, insecurity is always present.

At the time, a radical Islamic insurgent called "Maitatsine" operating from present-day Gombe state was inflicting all sorts of atrocities.

The Shehu Shagari government could not contain this vicious and dangerous Islamic fundamentalist. The nation was in a state of disarray.

It was during this time of national disorganization that the military ousted the Shehu Shagari administration in a coup d'etat.

Thus, Gen. Buhari became the Head of States and made Idiagbon chief of staff at Supreme Headquarters (de facto vice president).

Spearheading the control of all visible instruments of national, political, governmental and administrative powers, Idiagbon made use of power the way power should be used.

With ruthless zeal and determination, he introduced and implemented policies like War Against Indiscipline, which comprises of five phases:

Phase One - Queuing (launched on 20 March 1984)

Phase Two - Work Ethics (launched on 1 May 1984)

Phase Three - Nationalism and Patriotism, launched on 21 August 1984

Phase Four - Anti-Corruption and Economic Sabotage, launched on 14 May 1985

Phase Five - Environmental Sanitation, launched on 29 July 1985


To enumerate, the first phase was forcefully introduced to encourage customers and citizens to always line up to board buses.

And to always do the same whenever they find themselves vying for services with high demand. Anyone who deemed himself too important to comply was met with the military’s wrath.

The purpose for which this phase was implemented was to bring social order back to society.

In like manner, the second phase was launched to encourage hard work: Civil servants must be punctual, arriving work at the strike of the clock.

Frog jumps and sometimes kobokos from soldiers were the lots of those who usually arrive late.

Interestingly, the war was also extended to the classroom; making cheating during examination a very serious crime.

The third phase was launched to foster nationalism and patriotism. And this was supported by the implementation of import substitution industrialization policy; based on the use of local materials.

Thus, importation was tightened. The sole aim of the policy was to ensure the growth of local industries.

And it was further supported by the implementation of the Go Back to Land Programme which was part of the government’s farming policy that encouraged massive agricultural food production.

In a bid to implement the fourth phase, which was to counter corruption and economic sabotage, Idiagbon announced the introduction of a new currency for Nigeria.

He said the new currency would keep the same name, but the colors of bills would be different.

It was reported that some former politicians including ministers, governors and local government chairmen were holding large amount or sum of stolen monies in their houses.

The move was to render those monies useless.

Notice was given to the public, a time frame to withdraw their old naira notes from the bank and re-change it to the new ones.

Idiagbon had already announced that the exchange limit was 5000 naira; exchanging in excess of the limit had to explain where the money came from with government clearance.

He had affirmed that the deliberate sabotage of the Nigerian currency through large-scale illegal trafficking was the major cause of the nation's economic problems.

So ruthless was the implementation that when Fela was caught at the airport with more foreign cash than was stipulated by law, not even the truth that he was known for could set him free from paying the prize.

Even a huge consignment of Abiola’s imported newsprint, which was on the government contraband list was seized.

Without conformance to bias nor sentiment, the no-nonsense general blasted corrupt politicians on a radio programme known as Military in Action; promising to smoke them out of their holes to face justice.


It might interest you to know that it was during this administration that late Alhaji Barkin Zuwo, a former senator and Governor of Kano state, was slammed for corruption with an imprisonment sentence of two hundred and fifty years.

Like the Great Thomas Sankara, Idiagbon believed that Nigeria was strong enough to develop from within; that should Nigeria be focused, she could become a creditor nation.


In fact, it was with this conviction that he blasted the International Monetary Fund when he said: "International Monetary Fund (IMF) cures no sick state, in most cases, they worsen the ailment."

Idiagbon's ruthlessness wasn't born out of foolishness; he was intelligent and prudent enough to know what he was doing.

In April 1985, he was heavily criticized for executing a drug trafficker. In replying his critics, he said, "a uniquely Nigeria solution is necessary to curtail the get-rich-quick mania that encourages serious crime."

Also, when he was blasted by some senseless critics, for jailing corrupt Second Republic politicians, Idiagbon blasted back: "All these criminal racketeering and swindling went on while the salaries of local government employees and teachers were left unpaid for months."

The no-nonsense general never smiled.

But how could he have smiled with a country like Nigeria? A country whose thought alone calls depression to the thinker's mind.

Nigeria has always been an organization of disarrangement. A nation where sentiment and bias ride upon the horses on its Coat of Arms. A state where religion and tribalism make mockery of patriotism.

It does not require clear thinking for one to see how shameful and revolting things have become in our country.

A country where the people's representatives pocket in a year, what an average citizen won’t earn in three earth lives if we are to go by the minimum wage.

However, one major highlight of Buhari/Idiagbon’s regime was the Umaru Dikko saga.

Umaru Dikko was a special adviser to Shehu Shagari and also the minister of transportation. He exiled himself from Nigeria and took refuge in the UK when he sensed that danger was coming for him

Accused of looting a whopping sum of $1billion, he was declared Nigeria’s most wanted.

With an intent to bring him back home alive, Umaru Dikko was kidnapped, injected into a state of unconsciousness and packaged inside a specially made crate.

Luckily for him, the move was somehow double-crossed by a British customs officer known as Charles David Morrow.

Though the Nigerian government denied involvement, Idiagbon was, however, angry that the British government foiled the plan.

He was clear in his assertion that Nigeria was not going to ask for restoring relations with Britain, and that if anyone was to ask for forgiveness, it should be Britain.

As expected, the Nigerian Airways plane that was sent to bring Dikko, with its crew, was detained by the British government.

The no-nonsense general would retaliate by detaining a British Airways passenger plane at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

It was not long before it became clear that his style of leadership had earned him a long chain of elite enemies.

In August 1985, while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, news reached Idiagbon that Buhari had been overthrown and detained in a coup led by Ibrahim Babangida.

He was cautioned to stay away from the country or he will be dealt with.

Upon hearing this, the late King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called Idiagbon and made an offer. The Saudi king told Idiagbon that he would get him a magnificent mansion to stay for his retirement for life and forget about the idea of returning to Nigeria.

Idiagbon politely declined the offer. He was too rugged and brave to hide behind closed doors.

A few days later, he was unwelcomed by soldiers armed with all sort of weapons. And for forty horrible months, he was placed under house arrest in Benin and Bauchi state.

His reign as vice president lasted for only twenty months.

With no millions of dollars to his name, Idiagbon took to farming and detached himself from public activities.

Nigeria had chosen not to be better, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Still remembered for his simple and humble lifestyle, Major-general Idiagbon passed away on May 24, 1999; leaving Nigeria to the darkness she preferred over the light.


https://www.google.de/amp/s/amp.pulse.ng/news/local/what-every-young-nigerian-should-know-about-gen-idiagbon-id7408108.html

humblenature:


"Whatever your hands findeth to do, do it well"

This is why the government should provide jobs for the people because if the people find jobs for themselves,,,, your guess is as good as mine

Oga Government are not Job providers. Basic Economics of free market system should tell you that

This are lazy wayward criminals. No excuse for mediocrity

Yuval Noah Harari reminded the world in his spectacular book, Sapiens, last year. Anything that can happen is by definition natural. If two women can find a way to sexual pleasure, then by the obvious evidence nature already allows it. If a man can wear what we now call ‘female clothing’ and not fall down and die because of it, then it is by nature natural. Nature allows a massive spectrum of possibilities, he reminds us; it is us humans that limit the possibilities with our fears, taboos and phobias, not nature.

But let’s still investigate the word ‘natural’. Is there anything intrinsically positive about the Natural? In the first few centuries after Christ, it was very natural for a man to have 14 children and to lose more than a dozen of them to disease, and it was very natural for bacteria to wipe off millions of people because there was none of the medicines we have now. Those were very natural. And yet here we are now, as a race, having overcome those challenges, because we found ‘unnatural’ ways to fight nature through medicine. Indeed, humanity has spent the past two million years, since man discovered fire, fighting and running away from ‘nature’. We build houses to escape the rain. We buy shaving powder to get rid of the natural hair that grows on our chins and armpits. And we have unnatural caesarian operations because sometimes nature is careless, thoughtless and pointless.

I just have a saying ... It's a wise one.. it's the reason why society have broken many men who wanted to be themselves and be happy but society would not let them be. Then what do we have.. broken homes.. betrayal.. anger... Sadness... Suicidal thought.. resentment.

The saying goes:

"So a man must have a son
Sons that must have sons
The cycle must never break
Despite the many sons it will break"


Be wise my dear Nigerian, don't force your children into what will make them hate you forever. I have experienced this personally in my family. I was stupid, inconsiderate and I still regret what I said to my junior brother then.

I LOVE YOU KID BRO... ALWAYS DO. KEEP RESTING IN PEACE

Dino himself admitted on video during the arrest that he will kill himself and put the police in trouble. So what does he mean by this.

Ben Bruce is just stupid. The way he is asslicking Dino and atiku. Shows his level of mediocrity. He claims common sense but does nothing for the commoners he is representing.

He is yet to sponsor a bill... Some people are educated but will remain illiterates

Meet me?

Naa, you are too small of a human to meet me, u won't meet me. I will deal with u from afar. Once u send that address... Be ready to expect whatever. U can also add your place of work address. Ur social media accounts too. Hacking of your online accounts will be easy once we have your email address.... Ur stupid bully of a life that u cherish so much will be taken away from u. I will make you an example for other internet bullies. U think this is oshodi street fight. No everything done to you will be clean. And take my words. Everything I have said will HAPPEN Just get the required information to me. Iranu oshi!

Chrisbeks:
I've just sent u a DM respond if them born u well, idiot!!

Modified: nairaland are refusing to send the DM they said I've sent too many and I have to wait. Just chill bro, This game is on, sooner or later we go meet and it will be very interesting, I promise u that

Chrisbeks:
You fit hide because this a faceless forum, if them born you well DM me or respond when I DM you let's meet in real life and repeat this nonsense to my face. I swear that day will be your last day on earth. Thunder fire you, u think it's anybody you can be trying this nonsense with. I will DM you now, if you believe say u gallant just respond, You get luck say u no post your picture for your profile, I for hunt you down, I promise you that. This will be the most expensive mistake you ever made in your life. Don't chicken out o, respond to my DM if you know you're a man. If you don't you're a bastard

U are an idiot for threatening someone.. a big case for a fool. Power flexing. Low class illiterate.typical nigerian ignorant. what do u wanna do to the fellow. See eehhnn... Send me DM sef. But make sure in that DM u add your name, address and phone number.

Ur case will be settled in ASAP! An idiot of a bully u are!
U go know say anything goes in this country

Stupid Nigerians.. they only flex their power on the helpless... Bobrisky is out of the closet. But he has die hard fans and all... He drives round Lagos.. attends weddings... People hail him everywhere.

But two guys who are nobodies are lynched. The problem is that in Nigeria, once u are rich... U are covered.

But in the real sense of it, let's have a rethink. What is wrong with being gay. That it deserves 14years of imprisonment or ynching. I am still yet to see it. In the 21st century as always, u don't base laws on religious ideologies, even if we were to base it on that. Then fornication and adultery should be criminalised.

Again, those supporting the lynching, what gives u the right to take a life that you can't create in the first instance.

I am not understanding you guys vexation. Leave them let them be. Y'all screaming at them, do you know what your brother's or sons are into. Will you kill them because of that. Your comments here have driven people who need help and counselling to suicide because you feel that you are holier than thou.

Whenever we make comments on this platform just know that a child nearby who needs some kind of help is reading.

Religious country my foot with the most corrupt set of humans. Nonsense![color=#990000][/color]

..

Politics at play... it was a stupid move in the first place. cus it was selfish representing their own interest. This bill should have been presented in a way that it wont have been seen as self seeking

That's extreme

Dude shut the Bleep up. Only speak with verifiable facts. Before even Rocha's came into politics.. his foundation has been known far and wide in Nigeria for its philanthropic gestures.. especially in the areas of education. This foundation in connection with the ford Foundation is subsidizing the cost of HIV treatment and drugs in Nigeria as at today. thisfoundation built a school in Delta where I served far back 2009 ..
so even if you hate the man... If u see good things appreciate and dont be blinded by bigotry.
Ask yourself what you have even done for your People or family. What a waste of air! [Qquote author=ANOWEDGREAT post=65396214]

He is doing all these with the collective resources of the pple of imo state it's not from his own personal pocket I will really appreciate it more if he continues to do all these when he must have left office.[/quote]

facelessBeing:
please can this issue of confirming ur interview appointment end here!!? as long as you booked ur appointment with the right link and choosing the First Category/Long Term,and then with your PASSPORT NUMBER at the booking page, whether your appointment mail appeared in ENGLISH or GERMAN it is VALID! Mine appeared in GERMAN and I went for interview in this December,2017, gained entry and did my interview without sending all this confirmatory mail you guys are using to disturb the embassy.. enough of those nonsense!!!!! and the unnecessary posts of it on this thread!!

If you want to know if your interview is VALID, click on the link on the foot note of your appointment mail, if it ''displays'' you have booked appointment on the (date) bla bla bla...it is valid.

For the other guy who did his interview in December and whose documents were returned by the embassy via Fedex this week, be clean to state the incidents behind your visa refusal than creating panic to some people here and you couldn't be objective when answering questions people asked you to know why. As for me I already understood your issue that GERMAN LANGUAGE WAS A PREREQUISITE for your ADMISSION and which you DON'T have already at hand hence the sudden refusal of your application.

Whoever that is going to OVGU, Magdeburg this summer should PM me

I am going to OVGU, sent a PM, please reply

Metabolite01:
Ok

Please PM me Kim Marie Esiele mail addy. Thanks alot bro in adance

theorist:
Hello house,

Is there anyone in Magdeburg (Germany)? Got admission in OVGU Magdeburg.

have you been able to get your visa, i got OVGU too but couldnt get a visa appontment for winter, I deferred for summer and I am expecting my new admission letter this month

so I applied for my via interview with the relevant documents last week and got this reply today:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please note that the Consulate General is unfortunately booked out and cannot offer student visa appointments for the winter semester 2017/2018 any longer. You are welcome to reapply next year for the next semester. Further enquiries concerning your current letter of admission cannot be answered.
Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely yours,
Visa Section

Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Lagos
15, Walter Carrington Crescent
Victoria Island, Lagos
Federal Republic of Nigeria

Tel.: +234-1-280 99 66
Fax: +49 30 1817 67232

All of us who have gotten admission but no interview dates... what is the way forward.

this is annoying aswear afterall our sweat

Rest in peace Edozie.... U were a great person .... I will miss u bro.... Love u long time but God loves u more

Truth be told... Am igbo.... But buhari is trying in implementation... Not just policies on paper... The man really means well

as invited to deliver the keynote address at this year’s special event on “Human Rights, Sexuality and the Law”, an annual symposium organized to promote awareness on issues relating to the plight of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Intersex (LGBTQI) Community in Nigeria. When this was announced on social media by the organizers, The Initiative For Equal Rights (TIERS) and @YNaija, hell practically broke loose within the LGBTQI community.

I was dismissed as a wrong choice, and the organizers were accused of being insensitive to the feelings of the community. A broad-based protest was launched on twitter and there were essays on the subject on NoStringsNG.com (the online media advocacy platform for LGBTQI issues in Nigeria), with the most scathing objection written by Bisi Alimi, the Nigerian-born, London-based gay rights activist. Bisi Alimi described me as a “homophobe.” He said the invitation extended to me was an abuse of TIERS, and he was offended that a group he had helped to co-found, would offer its platform to an “oppressor.”

Following a pre-event twitter chat with me on the subject, co-ordinated by @YNaija, the attacks got even more aggressive. Someone wrote that having Reuben Abati as Keynote Speaker was like inviting the “KKK to an NACCP event.” An article written by Kritzmoritz and published by KitoDiaries.com (another Nigerian LGBTQI blog) was titled “Of TIERS, Reuben Abati and all that angst.”

The anonymous author reflected the sentiments of the gay community in the following words: “Let me get this out of the way from the onset so we are clear. I don’t like Mr. Reuben Abati. Over the past five years, I have come to view him as a rather unpleasant human being…” Another commentator, Mandy in a piece titled “There is no engaging with a keynote Speaker” took the additional step of launching an online petition and called for signatures to “drop Reuben Abati” because in his or her view: “you cannot invite the person who killed me to come apologize at my funeral; things are not done that way.”

My offence is that I had participated in a discussion of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014 shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan signed it into law. Alimi, in particular, was on an Al-Jazeera panel with me. He argued that I exhibited homophobia, defending the law. The complaints by the gay community were so loud and their objection to the possibility of my being allowed to invade “their space” was so trenchant. I called the organizers to ask if they were considering a change of mind about their choice of Keynote Speaker. Their answer was in the negative.

On December 14, I participated in what turned out to be a lively, engaging, open and inclusive symposium on Human Rights, Sexuality and The Law. I did not see any reason to beat about the bush. I opened my address with a response to Alimi and the critics. The labels used to describe me do not fit me. I am neither a homophobe nor an extremist. My views are liberal and I consider the rights of every man to be ontological, interdependent and indivisible. These rights are well-covered in all the major nine documents on International Human Rights, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948) and its 30 articles, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979). Nigeria is a signatory to majority of these conventions, protocols and covenants as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981). Chapters Two and Four of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999, expressly uphold these rights.

The enactment of certain legislations such as - The Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, HIV/AIDS (Anti-Discrimination) Act, 2014, Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2015, the Prohibition Against Domestic Violence Law No 15 of Lagos State, 2007, Gender Based Violation Prohibition Law of Ekiti State, 2011, Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003, the Legal Aid Act, 2011 and the Child Rights Act, 2003 – also point to considerable advancements in human rights legislation in Nigeria since 1999. Human rights are important. They are indeed matters of urgent and high priority because they are at the core of the idea of our humanity. They are indispensable vehicles for achieving peace, stability, justice and development in the world. Every human being is entitled to these rights; to devalue the right of any person is to violate that person’s right to dignity and justice.

Nigeria in spite of acknowledged advancements remains a nightmare where human rights are concerned. The failure of institutional mechanisms and the absence of political will to translate constitutional rights into effective human rights realities has resulted in what is clearly a governance and accountability crisis. The average Nigerian suffers the after-effects in various ways: poverty, lack of access to justice, violence, kidnappings, police brutality, extortion, wanton resort to self-help by both state and non-state actors, and a general regime of lawlessness reminiscent of the brutal days of military rule. Political leaders and state officials are so powerful that they have no regard for the people. They choose when it is convenient for them to respect court orders.

There is a disconnect between Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and what it does at home, creating conflicts and tensions in the implementation of human rights law. Nigeria is a member, for example, of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, but the government routinely ignores the rulings of this strategic regional court. Non-state actors are emboldened by the negligence of state actors to take the law into their hands, as seen in the conflict between Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights in Nigeria. Nigeria is a member of the International Labour Organization, the enabling principles of which are covered in the Labour Act, 2004, but with the unemployment crisis in the country, employers of labour trample on the rights of workers at will. The non-justiciability of the social, economic, cultural and group human rights goals in Chapter Two of the Nigerian Constitution further compounds the nightmare.

It is within this overall context of the human rights situation in Nigeria, that the issue of sexuality is to be located. Section 15 (2) of the 1999 Constitution talks about national integration without discrimination on the grounds of sex, among others. Section 17 states that the social order is founded on the ideals of “freedom, equality and justice”, while Section 17(3) says state policy shall be directed towards “all citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever”, a goal that had earlier been covered also in Section 14(2)(b). Section 42 further upholds every Nigerian’s right to freedom from discrimination. Whereas the Constitution talks about sex, and not sexuality or gender orientation, the principle of equality before the law and the right to be human is without exemption of any persons or groups. Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights indeed says sex should be taken to include sexual orientation and gender.

Minority groups are often targets of violence in Nigeria – apart from ethnic and religious minorities, women, children, the girl-child and the physically challenged, perhaps the most targeted and the most violated in recent times are members of the LGBTQI community. Gays in Nigeria have found themselves in a hostile society. There have been reported cases of persons with suspected LGBTQI orientation being subjected to various forms of violence: kidnapping, extortion, rape, assault, inhuman and degrading treatment, denial of access to justice and curtailment of their fundamental rights. The state looks the other way, the rest of society says serves them right.

There is no plan or structure in place for protecting gay persons in Nigeria from outright violation even by the police and the state. Section 214 of the Criminal Code criminalizes “any person who has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature”. Section 217 thereof frowns at “gross indecency”. Similarly, Sections 284 and 405-408 of the Penal Code, and the Sharia Law in 12 states of the North make homosexuality a punishable felony. Public hostility towards the LGBTQI is widespread. It is risky to reveal sexual orientation in Nigeria. No political party or politician has formally endorsed LGBTQI rights in Nigeria.

The Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014, which is a particular source of anxiety and the target of protest by the Nigerian and global LGBTQI community, establishes a legal basis for formal discrimination on the grounds of sexuality. This law forbids any form of gay marriage, or civil union (sections 1-3), the registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations or the holding of gay meetings (section 4(1)) and the display of amorous relationship between two persons of the same sex in Nigeria (section 4(2). Anybody who enters into a same sex marriage contract or runs a gay club or association or group or is seen to be aiding and abetting homosexuality is considered guilty of a felony. The punishment ranges from 10 to 14 years (section 5). Although the SSMPA deals with marriage or civil union, it is a much stronger law than the Criminal and Penal Codes and the Sharia on gay issues. It is a law fraught with ambiguities, which devalue the gay person’s rights to privacy, dignity of the human person, freedoms of expression and freedom from discrimination.

But it remains a popular law with the majority of Nigerians who rely on culture and traditional values, public morality as defined in Section 45 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, and the fact that Nigeria being a sovereign nation should be free to make its own laws and not subject itself to Western notions of sexuality. Research findings accordingly indicate that more than 95% of the Nigerian population considers homosexuality a sin. Religion and culture remain major barriers to human rights expression as seen in the case of Christians quoting such anti-gay Scriptural passages as Leviticus 18:22, 20:23, the poor fortunes of the Child Rights Act in spite of its ratification by 26 out of 36 states, constructive and continuing gender discrimination, and the disgraceful politicking over the Gender Equality and Prohibition of Violence Against Women Bill, 2016 which has now been reduced pathetically, at second reading, to a bill on violence and sexual abuse.

There are specific posers to be raised in relation to the SSMPA 2014. One, culture to the extent of its dynamism should evolve, and must not be erected into a given barrier to human rights expression. Two, human rights and sovereignty should not be antithetical. Three, who should determine what is right and wrong? Is there an objective universal morality in a world of diverse beliefs and practices? And is morality necessarily as determined by the majority? Can the majority possibly be wrong in a democracy?

Where sexuality is concerned, the insistence on basic rights can only be a continuous and inclusive struggle. The debate can only continue to evolve as society itself evolves. The irreducible minimum lies in the need by state and non-state actors to continue to make efforts to dismantle barriers and extend the frontiers of how human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. Gay persons in Nigeria are subjected to police brutality and assault, targeted killings, hate crime, and sundry forms of discrimination. Their relatives are stigmatized. The jungle justice that is imposed on the community is outside the province of the law. Enforcing the law as it is, until it is amended, revised, or repealed, should be within the province of the rule of law, not the jungle. The right of all persons to freedom, justice and equality should be considered sacrosanct. Any law, which contradicts this principle, in its operation or expression, is to the extent of its inconsistency, questionable.

The more memorable aspect of the 2016 symposium on Human Rights, Sexuality and the Law, attended by both gay and non-gay persons, was the interactive session where further issues were raised and interrogated. One fellow stood up and insisted that I needed to apologise to the LGBTQI community for views I had expressed in the past. My response was that when I defended the SSMPA publicly in 2014, I was doing my duty as the Official Presidential Spokesperson. In that capacity, it was part of my responsibility to explain and promote government policies and decisions. A spokesman’s loyalty is to country, state, government and principal; he or she is essentially a Vuvuzela. Besides, the SSMPA is not a law about my personal views but the values and the choice of the majority of Nigerians. What people do with their private lives is their business as free human beings without interpreting freedom as absolute, however, but as a guarantee for the equality of all persons.

Someone else wanted to know why President Jonathan considered it expedient and urgent to sign a bill that was first proposed in 2006 into law. The chronology is that the National Assembly rejected the bill in 2007. It was passed by the Senate on Nov 29, 2011, by the House of Representatives on May 30, 2013 and signed into law on January 13, 2014. If President Jonathan had withheld assent, the National Assembly could have exercised its power of veto override. What is required, in all of this, to be honest, is not ex post facto hand-wringing and blame games, but continued advocacy and awareness building. Incidentally, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has called on the Nigerian Government to consider a revision of the SSMPA given the manner in which it is being exploited to violate fundamental human rights. A day may well come when this would happen in line with the Yogyakarta Principles on sexual orientation and gender identity, as has been experienced in Mozambique, Nepal and Nicaragua.

A lady stood up and added: “Dr Abati, it is important that you realise you are in our space. This is a very sensitive space and community. My husband is your very good friend, but I still think you owe this community an apology because even when doing your job as a government official, there are certain things you should not say.” I thought I already answered that question. Another lady intervened: “Hi, Dr Abati, I am made to understand you don’t believe we exist in Nigeria. Well, now you know we do. I am a citizen. I work in this country. I pay my taxes. My name is Pamela. And I am a Lesbian.” I have never said any such dumb thing as to insist that the LGBTQI community does not exist either in Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa. Having read Bernadine Evaristo and other writers on the subject, I have a clear understanding.

I left the symposium with two special gifts. The 2016 Human Rights Violations Report Based on Real or Perceived Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Nigeria, a 61-page publication by TIERS Nigeria which was formally presented at the occasion and “Tell Me Where I Can Be Safe”: The Impact of Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, a 108-page publication by Human Rights Watch. Both publications provide detailed and up-to-date information including statistics and the impact of the law with regard to the status of the LGBTQI community in Nigeria, focusing mainly on human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. I recommend both publications for general reading and for the benefit of those seeking answers on the subject under review.

Sitting by my side during the interactive sessions was Olumide, the gifted and resourceful activist who runs TIERSNigeria. We reviewed the comments as they flowed forth from the participants in the room. What is clear is that there is a vibrant LGBTQI community in Nigeria led by internationally exposed, media-savvy and knowledgeable young men and women who are determined to insist on their fundamental human rights and their right to be who they want to be. They are aggrieved. They are organized. They have set up platforms for self-expression including the use of technology, publications, movies (re: Hell or High Water, November 2016), the media and other social networking opportunities. Their voice is likely to grow louder as they become more organized. For how much longer can they be ignored?

As the event drew to a close, the microphone got to a young fellow who incoherent at first, still managed to deliver his punch-line killer: “Please, I don’t understand what people are saying. They are saying they are liberal, or that we need to unlearn certain things. Liberal, about what? When you say you are liberal, it is like you are patronizing us. Can you talk about rice when you have not even tasted it?” Yes, I think. One of the privileges of intellection is the right to talk robustly and nineteen to the dozen about rice, without ever tasting it.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/12/27/day-gay-community-reuben-abati

This is beautiful.... Super cool. Thanks for the campaign guys

the same with me, I wrote on 10th and passed, no interview invitation yet. the thing tire me

jazinogold:
when did you write your aptitude test? I wrote mine Nov 10th and I passed it..no interview invite yet!

Ndigbo Cultural Society of Nigeria (NCSN) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for “assigning worthy ministerial portfolios” to people from the South-East region in his cabinet.

In a statement by its President, Udoka Udeogaranya, the group said the worthy ministerial portfolios compliment the recent appointment of a good number of people from the zone as federal permanent secretaries by the President.

Udeogaranya noted that “these recent conducts by President Buhari indicate that he is beginning to re-write himself from an earlier posture of sectionalism into a worthy national posture.”

He said: “We counsel Igbo ambassadors in the Buhari administration to give their best to the nation and mankind. Even though the economic fortunes of the country is at all time low, we expect our ambassadors to be a shining light at this dark period in our national life.

“While we commend President Buhari, we also encourage him to still take a giant step forward and ensure that an Igbo is appointed into the six principal offices of the nation, which will help Igbo leaders convince their kits and kin that no region is left behind in this government.”
http://naijanewsroom.com/?p=46920

must the statement of account have that required sum when you u are presenting it at the initial process during the application stage? plus what if the statement of account has recent transaction figures that run up to millions but the pesent balance is below the 2.5million required?

stewiepeter:
No they just see it. Cause obviously they know u will have to send the money when you are admitted.

He looks..... Not interested!.... Next!!!