Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, took to his official Twitter handle this morning to share a personal experience he had with prejudice many years ago. In 1989, Osinbajo was searching for a house to rent ahead of his wedding when he met an elderly lawyer who was also a landlord. The lawyer informed Osinbajo that he had three categories of people he would not rent to: Ijebus, Igbos, and lawyers.
Osinbajo was disqualified on two counts and the landlord warned him that he had the power to destroy any tenant in court. However, to the landlord’s embarrassment, Osinbajo later revealed that he was a law teacher and adviser to the Attorney General of the Federation, as well as an Ijebu man.
The Vice President shared this experience to highlight the fact that prejudice and bias are natural aspects of human nature. He believes that everyone has prejudices and preferences that are reinforced by stories and narratives. This personal anecdote serves as a reminder that we should strive to overcome our biases and treat everyone with respect and dignity.
