Yomi Badejo-Okusanya PRESIDENT AFRICA PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION Wrote
MY UNRESERVED APOLOGIES
Having just read some of the painful comments on this platform, I feel compelled to do this.
On behalf of myself, my family and other well meaning people of yoruba extraction.I unreservedly apologise to every non-yoruba person who was a victim of verbal, psychological and/or physical abuse on account of the just concluded elections.
There should be no place for racial, ethnic or tribal sentiments in an election which should be based on ideas, character, competence and capacity.
I condemn it wholesomely and do not share such backward, retrogressive thinking in any way or form.
I can understand why our brothers and sisters are so shell shocked by such extreme rhetorics even from those we imagined should know better. I would too, if I were on the receiving end of such vitriolic attacks. It made me sick to the depth of my stomach.
Suggesting healing without admitting the wrong is in itself wrong. There can be no justice without equity and fairness.
Many of us ought to be thoroughly ashamed of the roles we played in the gas-lighting.
Now that the elections have come & gone, victory is declared, we are looking for healing. This time, we went far too far!
That is not to say that certain narratives capable of incensing the host population ought to have been voiced in the first place, but some level of caution, decorum and decency relatable to a megacity like Lagos, ought to have been engaged.
Those in power ought to have promptly condemned it right from the beginning.
What we are offering is at best, 'medicine after death'. Today is almost a week after the initial threat was issued. A lot more intentional work has to be done to correct the ill going forward.
I have just read the President Elect's appeal for peace. My position is that he should start by asking his chief spokesman to apologise for his most inappropriate comment for which he says he has no apologies. After all 'charity they say must begin from home'.
Again I apologise most profusely to my brothers and sisters (and I mean that in every sense. Most of you know that my 'two and six' is a beautiful igbo woman called Nkechi Ali-Balogun).
My apologies may not count for much, but I tender it all the same. Please accept it and I hope it assuages some part of the deep wound.
For those who still hold on to such bigotry and ethnic sentiments and justify it, kindly delete my number from your call list.
At 60, I can choose who I wish to associate and identify with. No, apologies, but I would rather not be identified with you. Whatever you have been giving me that adds to my sustenance, please keep it. I would rather go hungry.
If we can celebrate the appointment of Nigerians into US, Canadian and British cabinets, how then can we resort to 'oro & ebo' to suppress votes in 2023 Nigeria?
Finally, madam Chapter Chair, the secretary and chief whip, I apologise if I have breached any of the platform rules.
Please penalise me as appropriate and I will gladly serve my punishment.
I reckon serving the punishment will be a more rational way of expressing myself (which i feel compelled to), than ripping up my international passport .
My name is Yomi Badejo-Okusanya (YBO) and the views above are entirely mine. They do not in any way represent the official position of organisations I represent or i am affiliated with.