Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the traits of being homosexual. It is a situation where a person is sexually attracted solely or primarily to other member of the same sex.
Right from the onset, Nigeria and Africa as a whole has always frowned at homosexuality and those who practiced it. It is to be looked at as “Un-African” and a “White Disease”.
Why would anyone want to go contrary to the very precepts of nature? The natural process has always been that man has sexual relations with the woman and the woman with the man. For a man or a woman, as the case may be to wake up one morning and decide that they only seek sexual satisfaction from their same sex counter parts, is going against the very foundations of nature. Even in the early days, the Bible made it clear that God created man and provided a woman for him as a companion. He did not create man and provide another man for him as a companion. He created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.
In my father land Nigeria and almost everywhere else across Africa, homosexuality has always been kicked against and strongly frowned at. This is because Africa is made of people from diverse ethnic and cultural background but are held together by their moral ethnic and cultural principles on such matters. So many people have attributed the idea of ‘gay’ or homosexuality inherent in our society today as a result of the negative influence of the ‘white men’ and colonial leaders.
African leaders have seen the need to fight against this menace to natural course of things. The recent legalization of gay rights in America and attempts to introduce it here in Africa has sparked off so many negative reactions from so many African leaders. Perhaps the most bizarre reaction to gay marriage has come from Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe.
Robert Mugabe was born on 21st February 1924 and is the current president of Zimbabwe. At 91, Mugabe is Africa’s oldest state leader currently in office. He rose to prominence in the 1960s as the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) during the conflict against the conservative white-minority government of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Mugabe was raised a Roman catholic and as it stands, his traditional principles are still strongly held. In a report given by Daily Mail, while reacting to the legalization of gay-marriage, Mugabe had said; “I’ve just concluded- since President Obama endorses the same sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance- this is if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington Dc, get down on my knee and ask his hand”.
Striking a more serious tone, he added; “I can’t understand how this people dare to defy Christ’s explicit orders as our Lord prohibited mankind from sodomy”. He went on to accuse the U.S government of being run by “perverted Satan worshippers who insult the great American nation”.
Another African leader that has courageously shown his uninterest in talks about legalizing gay rights is the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
At a press conference with the Kenyan President, Mr. Obama had spoken movingly about the cause of gay rights, comparing the plight of homosexuals to the battle against slavery and segregation in the USA. He said he was “painfully aware of the history when people are treated differently under the law” and further added that “…when a government gets in the habit of treating people differently, those habits can spread”.
However, despite Mr. Obama’s stance on the issue, Mr. Kenyatta resolutely stuck to his line on the cause of legalization of gay rights. He said that while Kenya and the US share some values- democracy, value for families, entrepreneurship- there were “some things that we must admit we don’t share”.
In his words “I repeatedly say that for Kenyans today, the issue of gay rights is really a non-issue. We want to focus on other areas… maybe once, like you, have overcome some of these challenges we can begin to look at other ones, but as of the fact remains that this issue is not really as issue that is at the foremost minds of Kenyans and that is a fact”. In Kenya, gay sex is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
In Nigeria today, stiff punishments awaits anyone who engages in the homosexuality act. Perpetrators could be made to spend up to 14 years in prison and in the northern part of the country where religious matters are more strict, it could be punishable by death.
Naturally, religion frowns at homosexuality. Both Christianity and Islam alike hold a unified view on the subject. Homosexuality is to be seen as against divine principles and hence, be frowned at.
The Nigerian culture also is in no way tolerant of homosexuality. The Nigerian culture is one filled with moral and ethical standards, hence is in no way accommodating of concepts of homosexuality. The anti-gay bill was signed into law by the former President Goodluck Jonathan and has since become binding on the Nigerian citizens. The bill contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same sex “amorous relationships” and membership of gay rights groups.
On this note, the efforts of the Nigerian police in ensuring that perpetrators of this anti-gay law are brought to book and justice be metted out, should be greatly commended.
Just recently, the Nigerian Police Force, Ugbor Division in Benin City, declared one Gregory Isi Ehimagunwende from Edo State wanted on the grounds of illegal gay practice. The suspect was said to have been caught “having unnatural carnal knowledge of one Daniel Obanor Junior at Surulere Lagos. This action contravenes section 214 of the Nigerian Criminal Code.
The police has declared wanted the suspect who is now currently at large. And have implored on members of the public who may have any lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact the nearest police station.
