Nigerian Newspapers
Same-sex unions: My truth about Adam and Steve
I read jolting news from the Republic of South Africa last week. It was piece of information I’m sure many Africans would claim as proof the devil has finally decided to make the continent a permanent residence. The news; well, it’s the traditional marriage between two South African 27 year old males, Tshepo Cameron Modisane and Thoba Calvin Sithol. It was reported that the newly-married couple who have been together for three years, took wedding vows in front of 200 guests. The young men made history as being the first African same-sex-couple to have a traditional wedding in Africa.
Viewing their pictures, I couldn’t help but notice their happiness. And without knowing them, I was happy for them. They could enjoy a life of bliss in the open with the official blessing of their state. I wondered how they managed to pull off that stunt. Though, it is not illegal in South Africa to be gay, the larger society, comprising whites and blacks, still abhor the practice. Yet, I envied that the South African state had their back. A male facebook friend of mine who is Nigerian recently wedded his fellow partner, another Nigerian male, in London. In pictures taken, my friend and his partner too looked very happy. And following his posts, I see they are having the time of their life. I wish them happiness.
But, in Nigeria, should my friend have announced such an event, he and his partner might have been beaten and stoned by a mob or slammed with a 14 year jail term by the state. Hence, it came as a surprise that an homosexual rapist, a former Army Major Bello Magaji, sentenced for raping boys in 1986, was one of those recently granted pardon by President Goodluck Jonathan. There have always been homosexuals in Nigeria and these homosexuals have over the years been persecuted. Yet, some elites have lied to the practice but are championing laws to squash equal rights for homosexual. During a campaign for gay rights last year, Senate President David Mark, had during an interview, said there were no homosexuals in Nigeria. That is a lie. By the time many Nigerian students are through with secondary school, they know of the existence of that ‘odd’ guy or girl. In truth, concerning sexuality, nothing is new anywhere. Worldwide, nearly no week passes without one gay parade or the other. Homosexuals in Nigeria are aware of this trend. And they are also aware of their homophobic society too.
According o a VOA report, Musa Soba, a lawyer and local chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, a prominent opposition party, rejects the view that gay marriage is a human right. “Your rights should remain as far as the issue of survival is concerned, as far as your right to eat is concerned, your right to life, your right to freedom of association and the rest. But it does not transcend to your right to abuse nature,” he said.
The purpose of this piece is not to sanction the act of homosexuality. Rather, it is to spur a re-thinking of our hypocritical lifestyle as Nigerians. In public, nearly everyone wants to look prim and proper. Nearly nobody wants to be perceived as being perverse. For instance, among many Nigerian couples, oral sex, a ‘perceived’ western introduction, goes on, yet publicly, our preachers (both Christian and Islam) would probably recommend only the missionary style during intercourse.
Such thinking is balderdash. Sexual preferences have always been as multifarious since the times when man discovered sex. And by the way, what goes on between consenting adults in the privacy of a bedroom should be private. While I can’t resist a beautiful Eve, shaped like a coke bottle, I know my preferences can’t and shouldn’t be forced on anyone. I personally don’t care if Adam decides to marry Steve. In fact, I know some people don’t even like sex. Except the act is forcefully foisted upon anybody, simply put, everyone’s sexuality is his or her own business. And the state should restrain to poke its nose, except it is a rape or minors are involved.
In many countries where same–sex rights are legalised, it is not about being decadent; it is about respecting human rights. And their freedom too. I’m not surprised because the Nigerian society seems not to value the essence of ‘freedom’.
However, when it comes to raising children, I don’t think people of same-sex should be allowed first rights. I mean, I don’t think it’s fair to the balance on which nature thrives. But, with many abandoned children being made by ‘opposing’ heterosexual couples, then, same-sex couples might just as well come to the rescue such children. Also, some people worry that legalising same-sex unions has the capacity of turning our world into one big gay hub. As per that, methinks it is just so much noise being made about nothing. Homosexuality is naturally a freakish occurrence and not the norm. Opposites will still continue to attract. That’s a law of nature.
But, seriously, at this point in Nigeria, in as much as gay people don’t threaten our quest for a better life, why should we persecute them? While not attempting to be a copycat, some gay and lesbian individuals have excelled more than their counterparts who are not gay. Likewise is that with countries. Simply, engaging on a homophobic rage, I find amusing. Heterosexuals can try to eliminate homosexuals but they won’t succeed. And it just amounts to deprivations of human rights, no matter under any guise.
Christianity in the west is a bit liberal on the issues of homosexuality. But, just how evil a sin is being homosexual that modern religious Nigerians want homosexuals condemned at all costs and by all means? According to the Bible, if God could destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, why don’t Christians wait for Him to ‘eliminate’ homosexuals again?
Quoting scriptures, the Nigerian clergy are quick to cite examples whereby God condemns the act. However, they purposely neglect the words of Jesus Christ, whose greatness and wisdom is universally respected. When asked, ‘what is the greatest law in the book?’ Christ replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your might, your soul, and your mind. And the second is like it. Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Who is your neighbour? Does the homosexual not fit the bill of the neighbour Jesus Christ spoke about? Also, in Matthew 25:40, Christ said, ‘Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.’ Again, I ask, who is your brethren? Does the homosexual not fit the bill of the brethren Jesus Christ spoke about?
If God is love like many adherents claim, methinks it’s time we start to show love to homosexuals. Hate is evil, even if it is founded on religion.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
DisNaija.Com publishes regular posts on Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Online Nigeria Gist.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Your Opinion Counts. Be sure To Leave A Comment, If You Have Any.
Please Like, Share or Tweet. Your Support Is Appreciated.
This Day
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
Vanguard
Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
Premium Times
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria