He who comes to Equity must come with clean hands!

Many Nigerians were angry (justifiably so) when President Goodluck Jonathan deployed soldiers to disperse peaceful protesters across the country. The right to organise peaceful protests was violated by a civilian government; many called it a breach of constitutional rights, with emphasis on the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. This violation and highhandedness must be thoroughly condemned, however, while condemning the government;  honestly ask yourself the following questions-

• Do you in any way encourage the breach of the rights of others?

•  Do you advocate for the violation of the rights of fellow Nigerians because you oppose the subject of their protest?

• Do you oppress other Nigerians simply because you are in a position of power and the game of numbers favours you?

• Do you encourage the censorship of other Nigerians whose views go against your religious, cultural or personal views?

• Do you threaten the right of minorities to organise legitimate protests because you are part of a powerful majority who disagrees with the non harmful lifestyle of a minority?

  

It is said that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.  I am aghast at the sheer volume of violent comments and threatening messages that advocates of LGBT rights receive daily.

Following the protests rallies I coordinated under the campaign group ‘Nigerian LGBTIs in Diaspora Against Anti Same Sex Laws’ to protest against the anti same sex marriage bill, many Nigerians left hateful comments online, many threatened and advocated that LGBT protesters be stoned. Also, after the publication of a press interview I granted a major Nigerian newspaper on LGBT rights, many Nigerians left violent comments online, the interview was reposted on some Nigerian community websites without authorisation and pictures were taken from my personal blog (copyright infringement applies and yes, I can sue you for illegitimate use of my photographs), many of the comments were violent threats, and encouraged the violation of the rights of Nigerian Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals.  

Many dared Nigerian Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals organisations and their supporters to come out in the open and protest the Anti Same Sex bill in Nigeria, with violent language that clearly indicated that LGBTs would be protesting at the risk of their lives. Nigerians, not just the government but also civilians would gladly beat up LGBTs and their supporters. 

The Anti same sex marriage bill violates fundamental human rights that are guaranteed under Nigerian constitution and various human rights international agreements that Nigeria is a signatory to. This bill could lead to political and social harassment of people for their actual or imputed sexual orientation. It could also stifle freedom of expression and association through the proposed ban on organisations that support Lesbians and gay rights (Position paper). 

During the Public hearing of the bill, the few LGBT supporters that attended the hearing were intimidated, bullied by religious groups present and also harassed by the senators! The LGBT supporters were almost beaten up by members of the public outside the National Assembly (Report of public hearing); progressive organisations in Nigeria did not condemn this violation.

If passed into law, many Nigerians including the police would use the draconian law as a license to intimidate and harass citizens based on their actual or suspected sexual orientation. The passing of the bill would give official validation to the harassment of sexual minorities and many homophobic persons would use it as a license to discriminate against lesbians and gays. Hate crimes are not uncommon in Nigeria and already there are reported cases of people kidnapped for their actual or suspected sexual orientations by unscrupulous Nigerians who are eager to make money from such discriminatory laws.

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have taken the side of the oppressors. It is unfair to  encourage the oppression and discrimination of another while  you demand that your human right not to be discriminated against be respected! 

It is barbaric, unconstitutional and a blatant violation of human rights to demand that Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals be locked up for 14 years or for even a minute because of their sexual orientation! Lesbians, gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals have committed no crime by being who they are, we have not harmed anyone and we constitute no harm to the society. 

If you insist on making us criminals, at least let us know the victim of our supposed crime! How does consensual adult relationship harm you as a person? How does my adult consensual love harm the society? Who is the victim of my same sex consensual adult relationship? 

Sodomy law is a relic from British colonisation. The British parliament and many of its former colonies e.g. Canada, Australia, South Africa and India have repealed the law. Why is Nigeria clinging and seeking to strengthen this antiquated law through the proposed Anti-same sex relationship bill? The argument that any sexual act or relationship that deviates from the standard heterosexual norm is against African culture is using “culture” to sanction the erasure of dialogue about alternative sexualities and to condone homophobia, therefore constituting a form of cultural violence. A society that stifles sexual and gender identities discourages the recognition of human dignity. 

When you demand that President Goodluck Jonathan recognise your right to protest, freedom of association and freedom of expression, remember these rights belong to all of us irrespective of our gender, class, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.  

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. LGBT rights are human rights. BTW, in case you are in doubt, Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals are HUMANS. Occupy Nigeria, Occupy for Equality! Kindly sign the petition against the bill here- http://www.change.org/petitions/nigeria-stop-the-anti-same-sex-marriage-bill-decriminalize-same-sex-love

 

My Mystery lover!

Like the sunflower open to the sun
I cling to you yearning for my fun
Opening to you my honey to suckle
My knees under the pressure buckles
In your eyes I see the twinkle
Your smile gives me the tickles
As you take my hands in a tango
I know it is now time to tangle
In your arms on the dancefloor I dangle
With you on the bed the sheets I strangle

Mystery lover my sweet singer
Dancing to your magical fingers
You play me like a melody
As we make sweet memories
Bringing out my hot passion
A part so long sanctioned
My heart heavily panting
My fears already slanting
As you take me to heights
I never explored cos of frights

Sound of the bees buzzing
Everything is getting fuzzy
As you nimble on my nipples
Your tongue in me dribbles
Oh your fingers
Inside me lingers
The sensations so tingling
I am twisting and wriggling
Screaming in ecstasy
Hoping tis not a fantasy

In cum I am frothing
In space you are floating
In sweat I am drenched
Eyes shut, arms clenched
Hanging on to this fleeting moment
Waking up would be a torment
Mystery lover stay a minute longer
Let’s make love with you I am stronger
I must wake the dream is over
For you are my Mystery lover!

BY © YEMISI ILESANMI 10 APRIL 2011

Occupy for Equality!

Enjoy the video 'OCCUPY FOR EQUALITY'. The two videos are one and the same, the YouTube version is blocked in the USA because of the Bob Marley's track I used in the video (copyright issue).I have downloaded same video using Windows Movie maker, everyone can now access it. Enjoy and Reflect!

Many Nigerians are occupying the streets to protest against fuel subsidy removal, what if President Goodluck Jonathan signed a law that prohibits every adult Nigerian from marrying consenting adults, would you occupy the streets to protest the law? What if Nigerian lawmakers passed into law a bill that stipulates a 14 year jail term for any adult Nigerian who engaged in a consenting sexual relationship with another adult, would you Occupy Nigeria?

 Millions of Nigerians would take to the streets if their right to found a family or engage in mutual relationship with another adult was infringed upon by the government, why justify the Anti Same Sex Marriage bill? Why support this draconian bill against Nigerian Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals? Why take away another person's right when you do not want your right trampled upon?

LGBT RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS! Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals are HUMANS and an injury to one is an injury to all! Remember, when you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have taken the side of the oppressors!


SAY NO TO ANTI SAME SEX MARRIAGE BILL! OCCUPY NIGERIA FOR LGBT RIGHTS, OCCUPY EARTH FOR EQUALITY! STAND UP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!

OCCUPY NIGERIA FOR A RESIGNATION OR A REVOLUTION?

I cannot even muster enough energy to be angry at President Goodluck Jonathan; he leaves me with a sense of shame as a Nigerian! Whenever I acknowledged him as President, I immediately apologize because I feel a great sense of shame for presenting such a nincompoop to sit amongst world leaders. It is said that followers deserve the kind of leaders they get, maybe Nigerians deserve a Goodluck Jonathan , after all only  fools elect visionless morons as leaders.

 

I was never excited about the elections that heralded Goodluck Jonathan in as president, in fact I couldn't even bring myself to discuss it because there was simply nothing to discuss. There were no worthy LEADERS among the key contestants, no meaningful manifestos to debate, nothing to stir a vision, nothing close to a mission beyond the contestants’ mission to OCCUPY ASO ROCK! Nigerians now want to OCCUPY STREETS, was it not on the same streets that they lined up to vote in a Goodluck Jonathan?

Not so long ago, Nigerians occupied streets to campaign for Goodluck, voted in a Goodluck in the hope that some goodluck would rub off on them, now they want to shake off this goodluck, how funny! Nigerians are slowly waking up to the realization that to shake off this “goodluck” syndrome, one must confront reality, go back to the streets and reclaim the land that was gladly but foolishly given away in a ballot box in exchange for 'goodluck' charm, like some of our ancestors sold their brothers into slavery in exchange for a mirror and a bible!

During the elections, the campaigners spoke more than the contestants. Goodluck Jonathan was popular because he had no shoes while he was going to school, but look at him now, they all chorused and marveled at the vice president who had the 'goodluck' to have a sick boss who died in office leaving him to fill a vacuum, in fact Nigerians spoke for him to fill the vacuum even before his boss catapulted to the great beyond! He never had the need to speak for himself, he had nothing to say and many gullible Nigerians loudly did the talking on his behalf because he once had no shoe, and he is from a region that suddenly had the 'goodluck' to produce the President! Nigerians were entranced by his goodluck and decided they wanted some of that goodluck! Now see what Goodluck has brought Nigerians! 

Nigerians must learn to rely more on commonsense than luck. Nigerians need to grow up and accept the following facts as self evident truths:-

•   There is no Santa Clause bearing goodluck gifts

•    There is no BIG BROTHER in heaven writing destinies

•   Paying tithes to your pastors will not secure your job or guarantee promotion

•   Anointing oil cannot put fuel in your car or generator

•   Burning candles in the name of  god will not give you stable electricity

•  Oppressing and stoning gays to death will not make you a righteous person

•   Slapping ‘witches and wizard’ will not guarantee your prosperity

•   Praying that your enemies must die by fire by force will have no effect on IMF executives who are actually the designer of your present and future economic situation.

•   Bombing churches or mosques will not make you a warrior for God, an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind with God laughing his arse off!

•   Goodluck Jonathan will not resign because Nigerians occupied the street; he is neither that noble nor smart!

Until Nigerians understand who the real enemies are, we won't make meaningful progress in the geographical entity called Nigeria. Nigerians conveniently blame Goodluck Jonathan for the woes bemoaning Nigeria, but they forgot they empowered him even when he had no concrete plan for the progress of Nigeria, they voted him in because he once went to school without shoes! Now that there is even no schools to go to, not to talk of wearing shoes, Nigerians are now screaming blue murder! The man came bearing promises without a plan, promises without action are like prayers, it makes you feel emotionally good but it does not nourish your body, simply put, it does not put food on your table or money in your bank account unless you are the President or a Pastor! Nigerians relied on Goodluck promises without demanding for answers, just the same way many Nigerians believed in their pastors anointing to see them through the year! Now that ‘goodluck’ promises just like Pastors anointing is not working, it is time to wake up from fantasy land and face up to reality. We could ACT to redefine our reality or MOAN until the next election to change the leaders through ballot boxes. For many Nigerians, I suspect it would be the same old ‘we go survive, god is in control’ syndrome.  Religious opium takes time to wear off!

 Yes, we need to occupy the streets, but let us not occupy without an alternative. Let us not be another Goodluck Jonathan who occupied without a mission or plan in place! Are we contented to go back to how things were before the announcement of fuel subsidy removal? When we demand that President Goodluck Jonathan step down, we should have a unanimous plan for the important question of who or what fills the vacuum.  Are we redefining the entity called Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference? Are we seizing power through the Occupy Nigeria protests or are we just going to ride with the wind and see where it takes us? What really are the plans beyond occupying the streets?

As a former student activist, a trade unionist and a human right defender, I am used to occupying the streets, but I must confessed I was more passionate about occupying the streets to fight military dictators like Babaginda, Abacha and a farmer from Ota who came to power through a rigged election, than I am about occupying the street to fight a Goodluck jonathan. The other despots had a mission, they also had no mandate from the people therefore it was easy to be angered by their dictatorship and undeserved leadership. Nigerians never gave an Abacha, Babaginda or Obasanjo the mandate to rule or serve, but Nigerians overwhelmingly gave President Goodluck Jonathan the mandate to rule, serve and steer us in his rudderless ship! Nigerians must learn that we cannot  eat our cake and have it. It is time to grow up!  

There is already bloodshed, more would likely follow, since being on the barricade makes me a likely victim, I would like to know exactly what I am donating my blood for. Is it just for the resignation of Goodluck Jonathan, fuel subsidy removal or for a redefinition of the entity called Nigeria? Maybe if I knew exactly what I am occupying the streets for, I could look beyond the castrated figure called Goodluck Jonathan and muster enough anger to passionately engage in a ‘do or die battle’ to reclaim Nigeria. 

We already know that there are many ills bedeviling Nigeria including corruption, lack of security, religion, unemployment but who exactly are the enemies?  I wouldn’t be surprised if in all this turmoil, Jonathan simply wets his pants and asked Madam Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala “wetin we go do next madam?” Goodluck Jonathan is not a worthy adversary, he is a president with no vision, no backbone, no agenda and he once had no shoes but he now has many designer shoes thanks to Nigerians! Goodluck Jonathan is wearing a shoe too big for him right now, but truth be told, Nigerians gladly gave him the pair of shoes, even if oversized!

It is our democratic right to protest against bad economic policies like the present removal of oil subsidy, lack of security, unemployment and also protest against violations of our constitutional human rights like anti same sex marriage bill and unlawful killings by state apparatus, even if we voted in the government in power. However fighting this becomes a little tricky when the man and his political party never said anything much about economic policies and plan for the country beyond bringing Nigerians 'goodluck'! For us to move beyond this debacle, we must understand how we arrived at this tragedy; the unfounded belief in GOODLUCK! See you at the barricade! Should I say Goodluck? Nope, we don't need it!

SLAP SOME SENSE INTO BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO!

I am angry, not just angry but very, very angry. I am indignant, not just for myself but on behalf of many sisters especially the voiceless sisters! If you are not angry after watching the infamous video of Bishop Oyedepo slapping a young girl to the thunderous applause of his church members, you are also a target of my anger!

It is said that “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction”. Present day examples abounds like “Homosexuality is a sin, let us kill Gays”, “Witchcraft is evil, let us slap young witches”, “I am the chosen one, therefore I will bomb out all brownies from my holy land”, “Sorcery is a sin, let us behead its practitioners”, “Adultery is bad, let us stone the unmarried pregnant woman” and the list goes on and on.

The YouTube video of Bishop Oyedepo slapping a young woman whom he accused of witchcraft would make any sane person angry, but the thunderous applause from his followers is nauseating enough to make one vomit. Why is there a complete lack of common sense amongst religious fanatics? I guess if they could reason, they wouldn’t be fanatics in the first anyway! Really, how could any sane person encourage the molestation of a young person and actually went ahead to applaud the torturer?

 Religion is the opium of the masses, yes, many atrocities have been committed in the name of religion, but really, for how long must these atrocities continue before we break the chain of religious oppression in Nigeria? The colonisers that introduced Christianity to Nigerians would not even dare in this age, openly embrace such atrocities as perpetrated in the name of God in Nigeria today, in their own countries. Africans  need to wake up from their slumber and see religion for what it really is; an addictive drug that numbs reason and robs away common sense!

I do not even want to go into the mental slavery aspect of religion and how much it has Africans, especially Nigerians in its evil grip! I am still vomiting from that nauseating video. Who really does Bishop David Oyedepo think he is? Well who is David Oyedepo?

According to good old Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oyedepo 

•   “David O. Oyedepo, affectionately called "Papa" by members of his church congregation (born September 27, 1954) is a Nigerian Christian author, Preacher and the founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church World Wide also known as Winners Chapel and its affiliated International churches known as Winners Chapel International, with headquarters in Ogun State, Nigeria. He is also the senior pastor of Faith Tabernacle, a 50,000 seat church auditorium reputed to be the largest church auditorium in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.” We really should nominate him for Guinness Book of records as the infamous 'Bitchshop' or 'Witchop' slapper of the year.

•    “The Winners Chapel network of churches is present in over 300 cities in all states of Nigeria, as well as in over 63 cities in 32 African Nations, Dubai, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.” Hmm… would he dare slap a young congregation member in United Kingdom or USA? I do know that many people now openly identify as Witches in the UK and USA, in fact I have some friends who claimed they are witches in the UK, would Oyedpo dare slap them or would skin colour and geographical location determine his cause of action? I am sure his “Holy spirit” knows when not to cross boundaries especially in civilized countries!

•   “Oyedepo has been seen as one of pioneers of the Christian charismatic movement in Africa and has been referred to as one of the most powerful preachers in Nigeria.” So powerful now that he goes around with body guards while slapping vulnerable young girls who are witches for Jesus! Apparently, he is the only one allowed to be a warrior for Jesus! He probably fancies himself as having a copyright to the corporation known as Jesus, what a con!

•  “He was named in 2011 by Forbes magazine as being the richest pastor in Nigeria, worth around $150 million.^”  Any wonder the man screamed “Do you know who I am?” The prick! What an arse hole! A thieving, child molesting arsehole!

•  “On September 27, 1954 David Olaniyi Oyedepo was born in Osogbo but is a native Omu Aran, Kwara into a religiously mixed family:” Any wonder he is messed up? “ his father,Ibrahim,was a Muslim healer” Wait a minute …a Muslim healer? Osama bin Laden would be proud! A Boko Haram in the making, now we know where the slaps are coming from! 

•   “and his mother, Dorcas,was a member of the Eternal Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria.” No wonder the man is messed up! As a former devout member of Celestian church and the Cherubim & Seraphim church, I know those white garments churches could be the gates to hell for a child, young woman, old woman, and the mentally vulnerable. The pastors, prophets and prophetesses in these churches hold Masters Degrees in Torture!  Children and women are dragged to various beaches in Lagos and Badagry where they are beaten with brooms and whip in the name of exorcising demons from them. Many children are victims of these barbarians and this minute, this very second, many more children and women are being tortured in the name of Jesus! Unfortunately this is accepted as normal, in fact people just walk by and sees nothing out of the ordinary in a woman or child being beaten by men in white garments on a beach! Some would even flee from the scene, not because they do not approve of the assault but because they do not want the ‘demons’ to jump from the tortured child  or woman into them!

•      “He was raised by his grandmother in Osogbo, who inculcated into him the virtues of Christian life via the early morning prayers which she do attend with him. She taught him the importance of tithing.” Wow, Grandma would be proud; Tithing has made grandson a billionaire! “Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher in Nigeria with a net worth of over USD $150 million. The church he pastors, owns four private jets and they own buildings all around the world, including London and the United States.” Hurray for tithes! With his stupendous wealth from his astute business sense of taking from both the rich and poor in the society, Oyedepo still felt he needed to remind his adoring fans who he is… the living god amongst his miserable sheep, the shepherd of his directionless flock, and the “Chief Executive Officer” of a conglomerate, the one and only President of David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI).

•   “DOMI is the umbrella organisation comprising Living Faith Church World Wide (a global network of churches), World Mission Agency (WMA); the global missionary arm of the church's operations, Dominion Publishing House; the publishing arm of the church, Covenant University, etc.” a conglomerate he built for himself with the monies of his sheep. Never mind that 99% of his members' children cannot attend his privately owned schools! As stated in Wiki “On March 21, 2011, Landmark University, Omuaran Kwara State (another educational institution founded by the Ministry) officially opened the doors to her pioneer students. Landmark University by her founder (Dr. Oyedepo) was said to be built with over USD $100 million at one of his speaking engagement in 2011.”  And to think that this man benefits from tax exemption under religious disguise! With such blind loyalty, is it really any wonder that this pastor/child molester would deem himself a god on earth?

Bishop David Oyedepo had the audacity to slap the young girl who dared to assert that she is not a witch as accused but a witch for Jesus. Now, how is being a witch for Jesus a crime? Why did he make himself the accuser and the judge in this case? Didn’t the girl have human right to self identity? If the girl says she is a witch, how is that a crime warranting assault and battery? The crime of sorcery is not even in Nigeria’s criminal code unlike Saudi Arabia where women are still beheaded for the crime of sorcery! Now, let us not put ideas into Oyedepo’s head, he might actually fancy beheading the next person that calls herself a witch for Jesus, and knowing Nigeria and Nigerians, he might just get away with it!

What is this thing that has made many Nigerians slave to religion? Why are many so blindfolded to the power of reason and have chosen instead to seek sojourn in the false arms of religion thereby elevating pastors to a whole new level of deities and gods amongst men? Has colonization, poverty and self imposed ignorance really taken the last vestige of reason and self respect from the average Nigerian that they would willingly subject themselves and their loved to such atrocities? 

It is actually a common practise in Nigeria for pastors and prophets to torture people, especially women and other vulnerable members of the society like the aged and mentally disabled. Women are easily accused of witchcraft and are often beaten and most times sexually abused by pastors/prophets in the name of god under the excuse of driving out demons. I have no problem with anyone who wish to fight demons or other imaginary beings, as far as I know, demons are not legal entities, they cannot sue or be sued, however I have a big problem with anyone who under whatever disguise decided to assault a human being in the name of fighting demons. If you wanted to fight demons, do so but do not assault a human being. Cast out the demons and fight your imaginary beings, be a mad man on the street or in your church if you wish, be applauded by your adoring members but never lay a hand on a human body while doing your macabre exorcism! It is assault, it is battery, and it is a criminal offence. 

It does not matter whether you slapped in the name of Jesus, sexually abused a child in the name of Mohamed, or tortured a person in the name of Sango; the law must take its due course. Last I checked, and that means this very second as you are reading this, the Bible, Quran or any other holy book is not, repeat, IS NOT the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria. Your holy books are not acceptable evidence in a court of law. So if a fabled deluded old man once heard a voice asking him to kill his son to please a deity, and he obeyed, it is not acceptable evidence in a court of law as reason for you to put a knife on your child’s neck , neither is slapping or torturing anyone in the name of god. 

The most awful part of this whole nauseating episode was the thousands of members applauding that heinous crime. The horrible, senseless applause shows the sorry state of my beloved country. There is a Yoruba adage that says ‘Agba kin wa loja , korio omo tuntun wo’  which roughly translates as ‘Whenever an adult is around in a market place, a new baby’s head would be tenderly and appropriately placed on the back of his mother’. However what we are now witnessing in Nigeria is a bunch of adult religious fanatics cheering on a bully who slapped a child in a church, actually more like a market since a church is now a market place alas with only one seller and many clueless buyers who actually have no idea what they are buying! And guess what? Many of these buyers are willing to pay for a slap whiles the seller cruise home to his mansion in a private jet!!!