Lerabari's Blog

The word 'groping' has recently received prominence as a result of revelations in Hollywood and America in general. It's an offence in ths US to touch a woman in an unwanted and unexpected sexual way or to have committed the act in the past (maybe a time that it was passively permissible). This is because groping is an act of abuse, and can be classified as violence against women. In Nigeria however, we are still grappling with mundane issues such as rape, female genital mutilation and patriarchy to start considering what may be considered as trivial in these climes. An ordinary day in the market makes you prone to groping in Nigeria. We are yet to understand abuse in any other term not connected to the application of force. You go to the market to buy foodstuff or get wares. The male vendor not only wants to make ends meet by selling off his goods, but also attempts to flex his muscles, show that he is stronger and how you should  succumb to his pressure, just to buy...

November 10 is a day that every Ogoni man or woman remembers as a black day. It was 1995 and under the regime of a military junta and despot known as Abacha. The #Ogoni9 were accused of murder, tried and hanged under very bizarre circumstances. Late Ken Saro Wiwa was one of them and the leading voice of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP. The first time I came across the name MOSOP was in my primary school days. It was boldly written on a blue and red sunshade cap that hung conspicuously on the frame of my father's dressing mirror. I believe it occupied this special position not for the absence of a better place to put it, but so that when he looks at the mirror, he would catch a glimpse of it and step out for the days activities remembering the ecological imperialism and genocide his people have suffered. There were days this cap disappeared and also did my Dad. Now I understand he may have had crucial meetings in the village where he spent most of his wee...