Letter to President Joe Biden

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

Dear Uncle Joe,I bring you warm regards from Nigeria, that big country in Africa. I trust you are doing well. Let me begin by congratulating you on your new job. Your political bid has indeed put a Biden in the White House, for which many people, especially those who love the Democrats are happy about. 

Obviously, you have many supporters in Nigeria and you need to know that the streets of Lagos, the cyberspace in Nigeria literally got annexed as a part of the United States, during your heated electoral journey with Donald Trump, the man who called you ‘Sleepy Joe. Some Nigerians also fought and exchanged insults on their forefathers on account of your Presidential ambition. Now you are the President, the ultimate POTUS, who superintends the most-organised democracy in the world. It is a job that comes with a huge responsibility, which is why I am writing this letter to you.

Uncle Joe, I decided to write this letter because of your present stance on gay and lesbian rights in Nigeria. I saw and read the threats reeled out against countries that are unwilling to adopt such rights in their laws, and I know Nigeria, my country sits comfortably on the list of nations that have legislated against such practices. In my country, anyone involved in homosexual activities is liable on conviction to 14 years in prison. It may sound like a restriction of liberty in your country, but in Nigeria, majority of us are not complaining.

That ‘right’ you see as expression of sexual orientation in your part of the world is taboo in our part of the globe, Uncle Joe. The major religions in Nigeria – Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion, the one our forefathers were adherents of before your people came to Africa, with its many variations, are in unison in the condemnation of this sexual habit; so much that we view it from the prism of sacrileges like murder, incest and suicide. Will you grant us asylum when we start knocking on your door because our forefathers are after our lives for condoning homosexual activities? 

Sir, as divided as my people in Nigeria tend to be on issues that have political colouration, adopting 14 years imprisonment against this sexual preference remains one law that a great majority of Nigerians applauded when it happened in 2014, under former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

You may not know this Uncle Joe, but it is real: Some Nigerians, who did not buy into your Presidency did not do so because they love Donald Trump more than you. No, it was the widespread belief in Nigeria that your party would push for gay rights when it comes to power. Some even believe that was one of the reasons your former principal, Barack Obama, worked against the second term of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Many in this ship would have cogent reasons for their stance now that you are reeling out these threats less than one month after you got into the White House. 
Now that you have threatened us with visa and financial assistance, do you think it will make us start loving people of the same sex as us? It is not likely, save for those who will pretend to be doing so for commercial purposes; those we call ’job men’ here. They are ready to initiate NGOs that will pursue this gay cause in the day time and go in to sleep with their wives (or husbands) at night. You will see many of them, coming to you for grants and aids to help pursue this interest in Nigeria. Uncle Joe, do you know that rather than threatening us over our stance on this gay matter, you would have won over more Nigerians by threatening our leaders on the need to deliver good governance and end poverty? Do you know Nigerians would be happier, if you deploy the influence of your exalted position to reel out threats against terror groups fueling trouble in West Africa and driving more of our people into frustration? 

As I write this letter to you Uncle Joe, most of our roads have been taken over by kidnappers, bandits and gunmen, so much that our hearts are always in our mouths when in transit? Could you threaten the individuals from whom these gunmen obtain their weapons because their activities are fuelling untold hardship in our part of the world? Our streets are so unsafe on account of these arms merchandising supported by the economies in the Western world, while we live a life of misery in ours over insecurity.

Uncle Joe, I know that you are merely pushing American interests by reeling out those threats. Yes, it does not mean that you will love to get down with your fellow dude. Just imagine you trying to get down with Donald Trump, on that Presidential bed inside the White House…Please let us be with our tradition, Uncle Joe. We are Nigerians. Our men love their women; and our women love their men. Any other thing is a misnomer to the majority of us. Let me end by wishing you a successful tenure as the President of the United States.

Yours Sincerely,

Ngozi Emedolibe.