LOUD WHISPERS: Dress Codes Versus Morality Police
Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a debate in Nigeria about Dress Codes and the implications for civil liberties. There was an order from the leadership of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that a dress code would be enforced on all employees. They listed a number of dress items which would henceforth be […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Who Is A Witch?
Last week, there were reports and bizarre photographs from Delta State, Nigeria, concerning an alleged witch. The ‘witch’ looked very ill, and was either pregnant or had a massive tumour in her stomach which could indicate any number of serious ailments. She was lynched by a local mob for ‘stealing someone’s pregnancy’. We all grew […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Clarity In Confusion
In September 1988, I came down with a severe case of malaria fever in London. I had just arrived London from Nigeria and after two weeks of the sharp autumn cold my body’s defence mechanisms gave way. I was admitted to the London School of Tropical Diseases where I was their guest for a week. […]
LOUD WHISPERS: ‘Miss’ This, ‘Miss’ That
August 12th was International Youth Day. It was a day to celebrate the world’s youth, and review progress made on promises to provide them with education, employment and leadership opportunities around the world. In many African countries, our youth demographic is the largest. Yet they continue to waste away due to a dearth of comprehensive […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Cooking, Cleaning And Praying
I am at that stage in my life now when many young wards around me are getting married. I have a lot of young men and women who have come to me with their prospective brides and grooms, seeking my blessing. I usually have the same set of questions for the potential couples. The first […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Hilary Clinton And The Democratic National Convention: Seven Takeaways
Last week I stayed up four nights in a row, literally. From 8pm our local time till 5am, I watched the proceedings of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) which took place in Philadelphia. I did not miss one single minute of the broadcasts on CNN. Since a love of political analysis is something my husband […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Impunity Of ‘Nothing’.
Last week there were news reports of a female student in Rohtak, in the northern State of Haryana, India, who was gang raped by the same five men who had raped her in 2013. After the attack three years ago, two of the suspects were charged to court. The case is still pending in the […]
LOUD WHISPERS: What Are You Thankful For?
As I was thinking about what to write for Loud Whispers this week, I was determined that it would not be any ‘gripe writing’. There is so much negativity going around locally, nationally and internationally, that anxiety, anger and sadness has been normalized. It is difficult to summon up positive energy when all you hear […]
LOUD WHISPERS: ‘Whose Child Is This?’
A few days ago, a video and photographs appeared on Facebook, posted by a Nigerian teenager who calls herself ‘Teddy Skitt’. The photographs were of Teddy and her boyfriend, with a towel wrapped around their chests, the message from Teddy read, ‘Good morning. Boo made my night. I love u baby’. Teddy did not look […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The Speech Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi Should Have Given In The United States
Towards the end of last week, Ope Oriniowo, our Content Editor at Above Whispers rushed over to me with his phone. He wanted to show me a recording of Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi, the wife of His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, making remarks at an Emerging Women’s Forum in Maryland, United States. I listened […]
LOUD WHISPERS: My Birthday Gift
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Itoro. The Itoro kingdom had a strange problem. None of the kings they coronated lasted more than six years on the throne. It seemed as if the kingdom was always in mourning. According to the traditions of the kingdom, markets had to be closed for forty […]
LOUD WHISPERS: As We Begin The Ramadan Season
Two years ago I was at a traditional engagement ceremony in Lagos. The couple were from Yoruba families, so I could simply have said it was a Yoruba engagement ceremony. However, since a lot has been changed and modified over the years, what passes for an engagement ceremony according to Yoruba tradition is now a […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Amina and A Story Of Survival
In December 2008, I attended a forum in Nairobi, Kenya, which had been convened to discuss appropriate support programs for survivors of violent conflict. The participants were mostly women’s rights activists and gender specialists from post/current conflict countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Burundi and Zimbabwe. On the delegations from each […]
LOUD WHISPERS: ‘How Can I Be A Good Husband?’: Ten Suggestions
I did not want to write about marriage this week. In light of the fact that International Day of Families falls on May 15th, and the day will be marked throughout the week, I have decided to address an email from a young man who read my last article on Loud Whispers, ‘Then and Now’. […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Then and Now
Traditional Rulers Then: Any qualified Prince could indicate an interest in the throne and the oracle had the final say. Now: The oracle picks from a shortlist of Tycoons, Lawyers, Academics and retired service men. Unemployed or poor Princes need not apply. Time Then: The sun indicated day and when the moon rose it was […]