About Me
- Funmi Iyanda
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Funmi Iyanda is a multi award-winning producer and broadcast journalist. She is the CEO of Ignite Media and Executive Director of Creation Television
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Glimpses of Sanity
l had read the ThisDay editorial on covenant university's pregnancy and HIV testing with dismay although Funke Aboyade's law pages did calm my nerves last Tuesday. This excellent article in the ThisDay finally restored my peace of mind. This is why it is important that the rational speak up. Thanks Dayo for the link.
Whilst at it the minister of education has also waded bearing sanity at hand.
Whilst at it the minister of education has also waded bearing sanity at hand.
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18 comments:
God bless Prof Odinkalu! I couldn't help copying the paragraph below particularly the last line:
... the moral and theological assumptions implicit in this policy create a theologically unsupportable hierarchy of wrongdoing, within which sexual activity emerges as easily the most damnable. Other wrongs, such a lying, stealing, etc., are omitted, presumably because there are no scientific instruments for damning their perpetrators. The policy instruments employed - testing for pregnancy and HIV-AIDS but not other sexually transmitted conditions - target not the presumed immoral conduct (sex), but only two of its consequences, which are largely preventable. Not all persons who indulge in sexual activity become pregnant or contract HIV-AIDS. Indeed, sexual activity is only one of several means of contracting HIV-AIDS. Among those who do sex, only females can get pregnant (within a narrow window in the periodic fertility cycle). And, among those who become pregnant, only those who decide to keep the pregnancy can be caught by a pregnancy test. Those who terminate their pregnancy will not. Effectively, a test for pregnancy, as a test of moral character, may actually end up compelling young persons down the route of greater "Christian" immorality. It also falls into a time-worn but dated pattern of feminizing sin and excusing males from responsibility from the consequences of our sexual activity.
I agree, Prof. Odinkalu got it absoulutely right. Convenenat University has no legal rights to infrings on the privacy of it students in such a ridiculous manner. Like Ms. Aboyade said, what if the senior female student was imprgnated by the male senior student? Some times I think we need to look beyond using religion as a crutch for our excesses in Nigeria.
Funmi, I stumbled on your blogspace and I do like it... I only wish many people knew they could use space like this to air out.... but on to matters current... I live in Ota and I am no stranger to the "bizarre" policies adopted at Covenant University..., I have also witnessed a lot of, excuse me, "crap" that is turned out from that campus, the hollaballoo about HIV/AIDS is the thing we hear about... because some journalist got wind of it and decided to publish it. What about those we did not hear about or did not get published... what about the time, when selected unmarried junior staff females were sacked because, someone thought they were a source of temptations to the Men of God in the university? what about the fact that lecturers have been shown the way out, because they chose PHD programmes in other university rather than the ones at CU? or the fact that Muslim students are compelled to worship in the chapel, or the fact that, students are asked to spy on other students? This write up is an attempt to smear the university or the owners... but to buttress the fact that, while the university was created as a result of liberalisation of space, the managers have in turn denied others, the liberal space to pursue their ambitions... this definitely is not God's way... they need to be called to order...
'this is why it is important that the rational speak up'. So true Funmi, I was talking to my friends the other day and as usual lamenting about the situation in Nigeria, but you know we are too silent! I believe if we start to speak up, pressure will be on our leaders to get their acts together! i'am going to do more 'speaking up' and less moaning!
On this case, I think we have a tendency to be extremist in this country (especially when it comes to moral issue) The holier than thou mentality is just not right!
As a man(not making excuses) some of the reason why infidelity in men is so common is because we grow up never to account for our sexual weakness,be it impregnating or promisciouity.
We are seen as a stud. So we grow up to be weak sexually and lack any control,house-help, secretary, journalist name it.
So pls for the young mothers out there it is not enough to claim to fight injustice train your boys to grow up to be proper men, by setting positive examples.
For us the older generation, we can only learn to do right, it`s like learning to read at an old age, so much effort and patience....(still not making excuses).
It is important for the rational few we have in our midst to speak up. Too important.
@anonymous, i agree with you that we should start from our homes. Mothers should train their boys better. Teach them to have regards for women. Teach them to play their part in the homes. I have selfish brothers who do not treat their wives particularly well and i blame my mum and dad. They watched my mum treat my dad like he was a god even though he totally disregarded her as a woman, a wife and a mother. She indulged them and made excuses for them....."They are men" she would say. Wrong. We must start from our homes.
@vitalis, disturbing. why nobody complains is what borders me.
@iyobosa, yes yes and yes. we must speak up and out and support those are brave enough to, no more making a victim of our heroes and venerating the supremely imbecile, wicked or demented.
@ last anonymous, so very true, a lot of work need to be done with and amongst us women. we must raise better men, insist on better husbands/partners/boyfriends and work towards systems an processes that protect us as female human means.
Hello Funmi,
Thank you very much for the links to those articles especially the one by the professor at law.
I have not read such a clear and well-written legal debunking of outrageous prejudice in the name of religious rectitude in a long time.
I think Covenant University would have break covenant with this unsupportable bigotry and link up with the more rational view of equality, fairness, justice and compassion.
I know these are high hurdles for a Christian organisation - really, one would think a Christian organisation like that would be into the work of reconciliation and redemption and not sanctimonious eugenics pretending to create moral societies.
Hi Funmi,
Please could you use your good office to investigate the goings-on in a certain 'church' called 'The House of Jacob" located in Emene, Enugu? It seems that there is a lot of infamy going on there. Recently a 14 year old girl 'ran away from their coven' and walked into freedom. Unfortunately her mother is still held bound and wont come out. Recently too, the girl's 12 year old brother was 'rescued' from a building where the members live that also serves as their 'church'.
Personally, I have experienced the activities of this church, though not on first hand basis - My elder sister's friend, Ayo (based in Lagos)almost lost her husband's mind to this same church many years ago. The church used to come out and meet him all the way in Lagos and I can tell you that it was the most trying time for them because these people practically brainwashed her hubby and all was not well with him!
Prof. Odinkalu's write up was smack on point!so proud to be a member of the NBA!
Cant count how many time i argued that i can never send my kids to these fake 2002/private universities-Churches like/universities like covenant are just as crazy as the fanatics in the north!! born-against(as my folks call it) people hide under the moral banner-hence the twisting of the whole submissveness thing and the fixation on sex-thats the koko of the matter-the slavish following of 'my pastor said' is the undoing of many.
i totally agree with the last anon.women really need to start demanding better...we are such a long way off in this silly patriachial naija...
@anonymous before judithadeola, can you please get factual statements from your relatives and others regarding the goings on in this church and it is possible to get some newspaper with enugu offices to investigate as well as lodge a complaint with the police commissioner in Enugu, we must all start acting. you can be the whistle blower, you will have the support you need. keep me updated.
The first article is the kind of stuff that makes me extremely glad that i read it on paper, cos i might just stoop to their level and slap someone.
This is what happens when church wants to get involved with every aspect of life and the interpretations its doctrines can be molded to suit selfish and ill conceived ideas.
Seems like you guys have said it all. I would just like to add that these things are bound up so much together. Our cultural and religious practices train us to obey unquestioningly, to the extent that most Nigerians are afraid to raise their heads above the parapet. Conservative, cowering, closed minds. But we can change!
I am a student of Covenant University and i want to believe that most of the media interpretation of the story is springing from a lot of personal dislike for the school. Every organization has the right to make rules and compel her workers to abide by such except it is against the rule of the land - that is the Covenant University way.
pls that article in this day didnt do anything to make me feel better about the hiv test and pregnanacy test..the fact is that they are telling students to take this test to curb sexual activities(pls the students are not that stupid they will use protection)...are they kidding me?or who are they kidding!!they are just raising a bunch of zombies...and those that arent zombies will end up being rebelious..i some know pple that go to convenenat and during their hols(or when they sneak out) they they go clubbing,driink and engage in sexual activities...they will only abide by the rules while they are in scl..but once they have been let loose they are just like the regular young adult....the schl claims they are breeding future leaders and shit!once those kids get out of the school u think they will be thinking about what they were taught in schl..the real world will smack them in d face!that school is just a frigging boardidng house ..cell phones not allowed!for young adults!is that a real world?Pls they should wake up and smell the coffee...the students sure do not act like "convenant children" outside the walls of those schools!
i just left a comment above..i was refering to odinikalu's article but the other article in this day where the school was stating d dumb reasons why they take d test!odinikalus article is on point!
pls are married pregnant women exempted!or do they even allowed married pple in the school!
so if a student is pregnant they wont be allowed to graduate from or gain admission to the school!this is discriminatory and it goes agaiinst the tenets of the bible(that the school claims to follow) when the pple brought the prostitute to jesus what did he say "he without sin be that 1st to cast a stone" also a prostitute cleaned jesus feet with her hair and sprayed him with expensive fragrances...did he say "get away from me u filthy woman"..all this so called pastors who are not forgiving and are ready to point out who is a sinner should know that JESUS would never do that...jesus ate and dined with sinners..jesus is liberal,all forgiving...do pastors KNOw this..do they read their bibles