Of Bills and Births ...

(I actually wrote this last week, but then the man likely to be our next president got catarrh, it didn’t seem right to do this then … well the man is back now – and the rest, as they say, is politics!)

Okay, its time for some diary-style exhibitionism! So what has been happening with me recently? Well, first I tried to do my bit in building the nation – going beyond talk and rhetoric: so I spoke with the legislators involved with the Anti-Gay Bill.
I sent a text to Aunty Abike Dabiri, which she didn’t reply and then when I called she asked to call back. I wasnt able to get through to her again, so I sent another text and left her strictly alone. She knows how to do the disappearing game in such a nice way you will never get upset!

Hon. Abdul Oroh, who is usually very nice to me was rather terse when I told him the purpose of this call, but I pressed on nonetheless before he gave a short and sharp ‘We just concluded a Public Hearing on the matter” response. So, sadly, it appears that I joined the advocacy train rather late. There is very little input the public can have on that bill now, since it has gone on to the 3rd reading (NOTE: I now hear it has been passed by the lower house? Not sure about that though.

Just read a Thisday report from the Sunday Paper, and from the texture of the debate in the Upper House it looks like this bill will sale through. I dont want to comment on the anal retentiveness of some of the Senators, but one actually said those Senators who werent against the bill must be one of those homosexuals 'abusing the anus'! This, a Senator of the Federal Republic - supposedly sane enough to hold office?!

Sadly, at this stage, all that can be done now is for people who have strong opinions about it to keep using the various media to ventilate their views so that the legislators know that we are watching when they finally decide to vote on the draconian bill.

You might want to also take comfort in the fact that our legislature and Federal Government (which sponsored this draconian bill) might soon be getting the Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) treatment, because I hear from informed sources that beyond New York Times editorial, there is an international Pro-Gay lobby that is about to descend on the Nigerian space...

(There was gist in between these two that was on this morning but is presently undergoing de-too much information-ing – those who were lucky to see it before then, congrats!!! The rest of you? Sorry o!)

So there – all the gist from the past one-week. Law School? Well life just got worse here. We have two more hours of lecture, which means the day effectively ends at 5pm!!! Lectures from 9 am – 5pm! Sitting in the same place for more than 6 hours! How did I find myself in this mess?! Thankfully I have formed a small clique of post-mordern, very 'intellectual' friends at the back (we call it the 'House of Lords') here who make it easy to go through the day, so we go survive sha. Tough people last!

By the way, plenty of congrats are in another for my friend Stella Dimoko-Korkus, Nigeria's number one gossip columnist (her staying power and the range of elite people who actually read her is amazing!) who just gave birth to a bouncing blond haired blue eyed boy in far-away Germany where she is now based! 'Aunty mi', you strong o!!! Everything good is coming!

How was your week?

Chude