LOUD WHISPERS: Mama Tayo’s Journey
Many years ago, I had a conversation with a school mate, let me call her Tayo, who told me that she was one of six children her mother had with five husbands. I was shocked to hear this. We are brought up to believe that this is normal for men, who are entitled to a […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Cassie and Diddy
I was having a conversation recently with some friends, and one of the topics we discussed was domestic violence. One of them expressed frustration that many victims of domestic violence end up going back to their abusers after all efforts have been made to change their circumstances. It is a familiar issue and there is […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Justice for Gift Alonge
In 2019, I wrote an essay about the fate of Gift Alonge. Her father Jacob Alonge, violated her for years till she was pregnant. Her case was taken up by Braveheart Initiative in Edo State, and Jacob was put on trial. Sadly, Gift died in a ghastly accident that claimed the lives of five people, […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Etiquette of Mourning
I apologise in advance if what I am about to say comes across as a scolding from a school principal to unruly teenagers. Many times, adults who are supposed to know better do behave like teenagers, even like toddlers. At least a toddler has an excuse. There are many teenagers wise beyond their years, and […]
The Diamond Dazzles On: Florence Ajimobi@65
I first met Dr Florence Ajimobi in November 2010. There was a Harvest Thanksgiving service at a church in Opebi, Lagos. We were introduced and politely said hello to one another. During the March 2011 elections, I was delighted to hear that her husband Senator Abiola Ajimobi had won the election as Governor of Oyo […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Free Readers Association-Latest News
It has been a while since we heard from our friends at the newspaper stand as they discuss headline news in the morning. We have missed them! Benson: Oga Moses, Oga Musa, good morning, how are you today? Moses: I am well, thank you Oga Benson. Joe, Steven, good morning Musa: Good morning to you […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Ada Umeoji’s Table
I am on my way back home from this year’s United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, known as CSW which takes place in New York every March. I have written in the past about how I was supported over many years by women leaders around the world, and I have watched with joy […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Ada Umeoji’s Table
I am on my way back home from this year’s United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, known as CSW which takes place in New York every March. I have written in the past about how I was supported over many years by women leaders around the world, and I have watched with joy in […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Our Days Are Long
Our days are long Too long When we are hungry time stops and refuses to move forward When our children cry, we hope in vain for the sun to set So we can put them to bed with at least a morsel in their bellies When our bodies ache, we stop wondering why We yearn […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Valentine’s Day
Tammy frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror. She thought about all the feel good, motivational sound bites she and her friends often repeated to support one another. ‘You are beautiful’. ‘The only opinion that matters is yours’. ‘Own your body’. ‘Look in the mirror and love what you see’. Well, she was […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The 2024 Grammys – We Won!
Over the past week, there were two events that got people talking on and offline. The first was what happened at the 2024 Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles on February 4th. The second was the Green Eagles qualifying for the AFCON finals in a match that was so intense, I am sure there are […]
LOUD WHISPERS: A Letter to The Chief of Army Staff
Dear sir, I am writing to appeal to you to keep a watchful eye on the disturbing accounts of allegations of sexual harassment of female soldiers in the Nigerian Army. I know that in light of the serious security challenges we are facing in the country right now, this might sound like a petty issue […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Cervical Cancer Month
When I was young, my mother and her sisters used to talk about a cousin of theirs who passed away when she was in her prime. She was a beautiful young woman who was loved by everyone, and she suddenly became ill, an illness that claimed her life. According to the story, she was the […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Misogyny and Gynophobia
Recently I have come across a lot of information that scares me. Is it my imagination, or do we have a generation that is more invested in the oppression and humiliation of women than we have ever seen before? There has always been a backlash against calls for social change, but do we now live […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Wolves and Sheep
‘Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath they are ravenous wolves’ (Matthew 7:15) I arrived Lagos from Abuja around 10am one morning in February 2011. Shortly after I arrived, I got a phone call from a former colleague of mine in Accra, let me call her Mary. Her twenty-eight-year-old […]