Audio from last nights Residents Against Racism, Nigerians tell their own story

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday July 27, 2005 18:52

by John Henry

Nigeria is STILL not a safe place for Nigerians to go back to or for the Irish to holiday in

"We are not criminals Mr McDowell "

Nigerian woman 1 "Jay"
Jay talks about loosing her daughter after she was circumcised, her daughter bled to death. In Nigeria they want to circumcise her next daughter. She talks about the lack of woman's rights in Nigeria and the sexual slavery trap that woman can be forced into. She talks of the barbaric culture of female circumcision. There is a belief that a woman's sexual urge would be too great if they were not circumcised. She talks about the corruption and embezzlement of money in Nigeria.

She explains how as woman they must protect their children just like a mother hen would. She says that they want to work here and they are denied the right to use their ability to contribute to ireland.
Listen to full speech: http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwoman1_jay.mp3

Nigerian woman 2 "Lizzie"
Lizzie never feels Nigeria is safe. Why are Nigerian leaders bringing their kids over here to ireland for education. She speaks of the threat of rape and violence on the streets. She spoke of a bomb blast in Nigeria and the government never compensated people. If you walk down the streets you see dead bodies.
Listen to full speech:
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwoman2_lizzie.mp3

Nigerian woman 3 "Angie"
The number 3 man in Nigeria was killed years ago and it has never being explained. She spoke of a politician who was clubbed to death in his home for changing political parties. The discrimination suffered as a mother if you haven’t produced a male heir. She joined a political party and for her activities she got a death threat, was beaten in her house and brutally raped. Her house was set on fire. Woman are not allowed to speak for themselves. Life is cheap in Nigeria, even the police stop you and ask for bribes otherwise they frame you. Its just not safe. Even church leaders have sent their children abroad to study.
Listen to full speech:
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwoman3_angie.mp3

Nigerian man 1 John
He has a child born in ireland. He went to live in the USA in the 1970s and came back to Nigeria to help his people. He spoke of trying to help a woman who was trying to save her daughter from Female Genital Mutilation(circumcision). He spoke of the hypocrisy of the government giving advice to Irish citizens that they shouldn’t go to visit Nigeria as it is not safe while they are trying to deport Nigerians and insisting that it is safe so they wont get asylum in ireland. He spoke of the shame as an able bodied man not to be able to contribute to ireland and instead being forced to go to the post office to collect social welfare.
Listen to John's full speech
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianmanjohn.mp3

NigerianWoman4 Juliet
She felt she had been campaigning on her own for 6 years. This evening was a break through that so many woman had started speaking out. Its a great achievement for Residents Against Racism. To the woman she said "You are on the right path. "Speak out" "One day they will hear us"
Full speech:
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwoman4_juliet.mp3

Irish man at meeting:
"As an Irish person and a human being I want to welcome these wonderful Nigerian people to our country." He noted that in Canada in all the trains there are notices up that thank and acknowledge the contribution emmigrants have made in building up present day Canada, much like the Irish did in England and America not long ago(and some would say is still ongoing - ed)
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/irishrefugeehistory.mp3

More audio from last nights meeeting:
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/tell_your_story.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/angie_commnet.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/jay_comment.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwoman_comment.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwomancomment1.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwomancomment2.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianwomancomment3.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianman2.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianman_3.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/nigerianman_comment.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/fgm_asylum.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/fgm_asylum2.mp3

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/mick_oreilly_davitt.mp3

All of last nights audio uploaded to:
http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/07/6167.php