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LOUD WHISPERS: Let’s Talk About Sex

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Saturday, April 22nd, 2017
19 comments

A response to Sonnie Ekwowusi’s ‘Sexualisation of Children: Matters Arising’.

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi

On Wednesday April 12th, Sonnie Ekwuwosi wrote an article that was published in This Day Nigeria newspaper called Sexualization of Children: Matters Arising’. It did not come as a surprise to me because he has been frantically circulating his sensationalist claims about adolescent sexuality, sex education and the proposed Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB) online for some time now. In his This Day article, he mentioned my name and that of a good friend, Oby Nwankwo, Nigeria’s representative on the UN CEDAW Committee, as champions of sex education as a right for children, and also accused us of pushing the GEOB that will ‘promote homosexuality and abortion’. People are entitled to their own opinions, no matter how archaic, uninformed or scary they might be. They are however not entitled to their own facts. Mr Sonnie Ekwuwosi has a right to write. When he insists on spending energy to convince people that there is a grand conspiracy to corrupt Nigerian children under the guise of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, he should realise that he is treading on thin ice. I take strong objection to Sonnie making libelous statements about my beliefs and values. In an attempt to come across as the champion of morality, he paints women like me as villains who are out to wreak havoc on the moral fabric of our communities.

I have never met Sonnie Ekwuwosi. The interaction I have had with him has been through a recently created WhatsApp group for people working on gender issues.  After a while it dawned on some of us that Sonnie was the wrong man to have been added to the group. Sonnie was unrelenting in his rants against any reference to ‘bodily integrity’, ‘sexuality’, ‘sex education’, ‘choice’ and so on. He would go on and on about how our ideas were anti-African and were responsible for the collapse of our traditional values. He kept accusing us of promoting abortion and lesbianism. He would not listen to reason and he would make one absurd claim after another. After a while it was decided that because his views were so alarmingly anti-women, he should be removed from the platform because he had constituted himself into an unwelcome distraction. We all agreed on Sonnie’s rights to his views, but we wanted him to take them elsewhere and not clog our space. Sonnie’s removal from our WhatsApp group infuriated him no end. I was woken up the following morning by a journalist friend who called me and then forwarded a text Sonnie had sent to her. In his usual long rant, he claimed that some of us are out to ‘sexualize’ Nigerian children and import foreign values. He named me and Oby Nwankwo, as some of the ‘ringleaders’. He wanted my journalist friend to interview him so he could ‘expose us’. My friend refused. The text was an abridged version of his article which eventually appeared in This Day on April 12th. Sonnie Ekwuwosi is an editorial board member of This Day so I suppose they don’t have a choice other than to provide him space to air his views.

To be continued in Loud Whispers cover final

 

 Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com

 

19 Responses

  1. I’m still struggling to see how sexual education for children is a feminine thing, I mean don’t both male and female children need this education? I’m aware of how some people’s opinion can be so different and even barbaric compared to our own that we cannot even comprehend how they’d come to such conclusions. I think he should have understood this rather than go name calling and sorts. I’m for sexualisation of children

    1. I’ve previously about this Whatsapp saga on this platform and I’m glad I finally got the details. When it comes matters like this, people can just often become so sentimental and unreasonable and facts like you said ma isn’t ever subjective. I pray the man gets to read this, perhaps it’ll lend him some understanding

  2. I would advise the Nigerian educational system to include sex education in their curriculum, which would help reduce early pregnancy, sexual diseases,to mention but a few.

  3. Seriously I don’t know why some people are just being sceptical about simple issues. This write up just opened my eyes to so many things about life. Being a feminist doesn’t mean one is encouraging abortions and what have you. I just feel Mr sonnie is being spiteful. He should try to check his motives.

  4. Na waooooh; haba how can someone just come out in broad day light and start accusing those who are trying to ensure females have equal right like the men? I must confess that it’s preposterously outlandish.

  5. Of course people are entitled to their own opinion. And as for Mr Ekwuwosi, direct accusations is totally absurd and uncalled for. Try as much as possible to reduce your level of cynicism.

    1. Very nice response. Calling names is uncalled for. Just state your beliefs and try to justify your claims.

  6. Maybe he needs to be under the lecture so that he will know better the information you passing to children. The earlier the better for our children to have sex education.

  7. To him he has no idea of what he is saying at all. His views concerning the matter on ground is zero. Why will you go against sex education or can I say read a different meaning to vital information that suppose to be spread by all. Despite the sex education we can still see teenagers been impregnated. The fact must be said.

  8. Seriously, the freedom of speech has been totally abused in this country. If they ask mr sonnie now, he will say he has the freedom of speech, no one is disputing that fact but the issue is, speak from the standpoint of good knowledge not foolishness.

  9. It’s annoying that people don’t like good change. They don’t want to see a shift from their ideology and that is totally wrong. Even as a man with daughters, I know that protecting the rights of my daughters and wife is necessary.

    I have taught them how to speak up against any form of molestation,they read the weekly articles here and are inspired to be game changers. So, what is mr sonnie saying.

    Dear mama, we love you, we love your depth and we know you have a heart of justice. Let people like sonnie go to sleep. He’s just an example of a confused man with the ability to write.

  10. Wow. I am so shocked that at this time and age some men still don’t want to grow appropriately. I mean, if you want to write out how you feel, name calling is just condescending.

    I am glad you did a clap back at him. We really do not need his kind at all.

    Kudos to all the good works ma.

  11. Oh Lawd! I can’t believe this man did this? Why did you just embarrass your family name like this? See the devil pushing him as brought him to public shame.

    Mr sonnie, sorry okay? I Pity the women under you though.

  12. Great Article. We need more voice to speak out for women and girls and drown out the negativism from myopic standpoints.

  13. @Macwilliams, Really the devil pushing this man is strong o.

    I don’t know why some people don’t wish to understand simple logic. The man is not knowledgeable and he is abusing Knowledge. How will he say, they are promoting lesbianism and abortion. This type of man will be the one impregnating women and telling them to abort it now feeling like something better.

    A set of women are standing up for their fellow women, making them useful than what they have been taught. Teaching them social etiquettes and empowerment. Instead of you to be happy, you are beefing them.

    Oga, based on logistics, Let Erelu Lecture you. Your life will never remain the same.

  14. One thing i always respect you for ma’am, is your matured response. You have a way of passing vital points in a subtle way, without using derogatory or castigating words. Well, the bible is not wrong when it says my people perish because of lack of knowledge. Sex education is not just meant for the female gender, it is actually for both sexes.

  15. Please what is the fuss about this bill “Gender and Equality Opportunities.” I just don’t seem why it is causing controversies.

  16. People like sonnie needs renewal of the mind Roman12:2. I was dazzled when I saw his accusations, Mr man pls check your motives and stop speaking fiddlesticks!

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