Teniola Walked Away!!!
What did Teni do? What did she not do?
Nigerian cyber space has been agog since the National Awards issue featuring Teniola Apata and her “disrespect to the President. I feature Sahara reporters version of the incident to cut the story short somewhat.
“President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday conferred the National Honours Award on 447 persons at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Mixed reactions have trailed Nigeria’s popular singer, Teni Apata, for neither shaking nor greeting President Muhammadu Buhari while receiving a national award.
According to the National Honours Award Investiture 2022 Programme, 450 recipients were awarded, making the total number of Nigeria’s national honours awardees 5,341 since 1963.
Of the 450 recipients, six were awarded Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger (GCON), 55 Commanders of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), 74 Members of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), 77 Officers of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).Others are 110 Officers of the Order of the Niger (OON), 55 Members of the Order of the Niger (MON), 65 Commanders of the Order of the Niger (CON), Four Federal Republic Medal- First Class (FRM I) and Four Federal Republic Medal- Second Class FRM II.
During award ceremony, Teni was seen to be the only recipient who failed to greet or shake the President when collecting her award.
Her action generated a lot of controversies among Nigerian netizens who either viewed Teni’s conduct as a total disrespect to the office of the presidency or as commendable to the spirit of activism.
A user, Okezie Atami, wrote, “Shame On You,Teni..Or Whatever They Call YOU! YOU Are A Disgrace To All Well Trained Nigerians! You DISGRACED yourself and not the office of the President, YOU danced to the tune of our youths who lack manners. Shame On You!”
According to Prettyyetty, Teni has not contributed anything to national growth and development to warrant her nomination for a national award and this was why she displayed no respect to the president of the country.
“I won’t even blame her. It’s those that includes her name in the list that is at fault. What has she contributed to entertainment industry when we have Dbang and many others.” he wrote.
“She doesn’t deserves it they should withdraw if possible, human character matters a lot. This is minus to her she will leaves to regret it,” another user, Vadeboje added.
Meanwhile, some people commended the manner in which Teni received the award.
For instance, a user, FS Yusuf said, “People are not worried that a failed Minister of Education is getting a national award, they are worried that Paystack Ezra Olubi “didn’t dress to impress their daddy” and Teni didn’t dobalè for emperor Buhari. I don taya for una. I swear.”
“Teni did what most of your so called celebrities had no guts to do. Nigerian youths has constantly received disrespect and abuse from the Nigeria government. What does APC blind bats mean that she disrespected the President, I thought they say Respect is reciprocal?” another user, Duke of Africa wrote.
Another user, Amanda Kayode said that President Buhari deserves no respect from Nigerians considering how his government has made life so terrible for his citizens for the past seven years he assumed office.
She said, “Buhari is the perfect definition of god forbid bad thing and I don’t understand why Teni should respect the bad thing that god is forbidding.”
Why did Teni behave like that at a National event though? Why did she walk away?
Teni’s Father Brigadier General Apata was massacared by unknown gun men in the presence of his entire family on his son’s birthday in 1995 and up till date neither the Nigerian government nor the Army has done anything to bring his murderers to book. Teni may have walked for this reason.
The EndSars peaceful protest by Nigerian youths which ended in the Toll Gate Massacre of innocent and unarmed youths may be another reason why Teni walked away.
The ASUU strike which kept University students at home idling away for 8 month may be another reason why Teni is aggrieved and walked away.
How about the various abductions of helpless innocent teenage girls who were left unhelped by Buhari’s government? Nigeria left these girls to be mercilessly raped and severally abused by their abductors only for them to come back with illegitimate babies, their lives shattered for ever, their dreams and ambitions dead before they had the opportunity to grow up!!! Or is it the extreme trauma the patents of these girls went through?
Maybe Teni walked for Leah, that Christian girl her kidnappers still refuse to release many years after while Nigerian Government watch with folded arms.
Teniola Apata has too many reasons not to like the present administration. Many frustrating reasons to be unhappy and she cannot be blamed.
However the lady herself has spoken and here is what she said.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the ‘Billionaire’ crooner expressed gratitude to God and the Federal government for recognising her “consistent and meaningful participation in community and/or national development.”
Teni, who appeared unbothered by the criticism, also dedicated the award to her late father and young girls across the world, while imploring them “keep dreaming, nothing is impossible”.
“With honour and gratitude to God, it was indeed a joyous moment to receive a National Honor yesterday. I was conferred MON (Member of the Order of the Niger) by His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR @muhammadubuhari President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Awards Committee headed by Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, the Emir of Lafia, after diligently going through over 5,000 submissions,” she wrote.
“Special thanks to God for this, the Federal Government, my loved ones and to you all for supporting me from day 1. This honor is for the entire family of Rt. Brigadier General Simeon Olaosebikan Apata (Ascend), My Father.
“I was granted this award for “consistent and meaningful participation in community and/or national development; rendering unsolicited, selfless and philanthropic services to humanity; outstanding sacrifice in the defence of a cause popularly adjudged to be positive, relevant and beneficial to the nation and community”.
“To all the young girls this one is for you. Let’s not forget to keep dreaming. Nothing is impossible.”
All’s well that end well. Congratulation to Teni on her award.