Tag: President Barack Obama
Obama’s Good News Tides For Africa – LGBT Rights, True Democracy For Africa President Barack Obama of the United State of America has embarked on a landmark revolutionary turn around journey of Africa as a whole. The messages of hope, inspiration and optimism by the US president have come at a time when all African nations need a revamp of their machineries.
To kick start this historic milestone in showing his commitments to reforming and boosting Africa and placing her on top of the world’s agenda, Obama extended a personal invitation to the Nigerian newly elected president, Muhammadu Buhari who visited Washington on 20th July 2015.
Nigeria in 2014, passed the harshest law against homosexuality which seeks to criminalise LGBT people to up to 14 years imprisonment. LGBT supporting organisation are not spared of jail terms either. The US visit however, was essentially to rebuild the broken bilateral relationships between the two countries and thought to restore international confidence in the crumbling political, social and economic stands of Nigeria. Buhari reiterated his commitments to national security, war against terrorism from Boko Haram, war against the endemic bribery and corruption culture which has eaten into the fabric of Nigeria, trade and economic relations.
Little did we know it was to be followed by opening a huge tunnel of opportunities for Africa, both economic and human rights reforms. The world’s most powerful leader has chosen to physically go to Africa and preach the good news of equality and human rights especially in the wake of criminalisation of homosexuality across most African countries.
Obama during his visit to Kenya said: “I’ve been consistent all across Africa on this. When you start treating people differently,because they’re different, that’s the path whereby freedoms begin to erode. And bad things happen”. This message seems to sound toxic so far to presidents Mohammadu Buhari and his counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya.
On Wednesday 20th July Buhari rejected gay marriage push from Obama and said that ” sodomy is against the law of Nigeria and strange to our culture” says his spokesperson; whilst Kenyatta said “gay rights issue is a non-issue for Kenyans”!
However, Obama parted saying Africans should choose path of progress, anti corruption, investments in Africa and embracing human rights. African Rainbow Family asks: Does President Buhari Prefer The Terrorists – Boko Haram to LOVE?!
Read the open letter to Obama and sign the petition to repeal the Nigerian Same-sex marriage prohibition law here and here.
For further information:
Aderonke Apata
info@africanrainbowfamily.org
To support the work of African Rainbow Family, contact us here.
28th July 2015
Does President Buhari Prefer The Terrorists – Boko Haram?!
The newly elected president of the most populous nation in Africa, president Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has accepted the continuous onslaughts of his country’s citizens as opposed to promoting freedom, equality and the human rights of the LGBTIQ minority of Nigeria.
During Buhari’s visit to the US last week between Sunday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 22; the need to repeal Nigerian Anti Gay law as contained in an open letter to President Obama requesting that he intervenes and pressures Buhari to repeal the Nigerian Same-sex marriage prohibition law was raised. Unfortunately he rejected to do so; this leads to missing a milestone which would have been a huge landmark in equality and human rights for all Nigerians and indeed the whole of Africa.
The Washington visit was meant to discuss the U.S government supports for Nigeria. President Obama was said to have told Buhari that: “The destiny of the continent was tied to Nigeria’s, he said, pledging that America would continue to support, as long as Nigeria does the right things”.
It beggars good reasoning and the worth of humanity what the priorities for Nigerians are from their newly elected president!
“A president who prefers the continuous maiming, mass massacre, torture, displacement and gruesome raping of his country’s citizens to LOVE needs to reconsider his or her position in my view” says Aderonke Apata, founder of African Rainbow Family.
Fair enough president Buhari has shown his commitment to combat and rid Nigeria of her number one spiral historic endemic ‘disease’ – bribery and corruption. He also promised to retrieve Nigerian looted money starched away in foreign countries. This is a welcome move and hopefully he achieves it.
However, it’s beyond imagination that the rights of ordinary harmless minority group in Nigeria who only shows love towards each other in consensual relationships could be traded off for the daily mayhem caused by Boko Haram. Read about the February 2015 Africa Rainbow Family’s candle lit vigil in solidarity with victims of Boko Haram massacre in Baga here.
Other benefits for Nigeria’s advancement were also rejected by her custodian all in the name of culture and religion.
We call on president Buhari to take a better inward reconsideration of his stand and move away from being ‘cowed’ by the so called religious leaders who only care about themselves under the pretence of upholding God’s commandments.
For further information:
Aderonke Apata
info@africanrainbowfamily.org
To support our work, please contact us here.
27th July 2015.
AFRICAN RAINBOW FAMILY 