I am having a rethink and indeed quite reluctant to take a firm position on this matter. I think the ladies (Tobi Amusan and Teni Apata) are differently circumstanced. Would it not be disrespectful for Teni to offer the President a hand first? I thought culturally, the younger African person ought to shake an elder who has stretched hand towards him or her. I mean, the elder initiates handshake in most cultures of Africa, including Tobi and Teni’s.
During the award presentation to Tobi, the President offered Tobi his hand and she responded. But the President did not initiate a handshake with Teni, and that may not be intentional because the latter event was far bigger than the one involving Tobi, which was specially organised. Or is there a back story to Teni’s conduct? Or is there a non-verbal cue I didn’t see? Some people said Teni did not bend her knees the way Tobi did during her award presentation. Did all men who came out to receive award genuflect to the President? Is it possible Teni did not intentionally set out to ‘insult’ the President?
I mean, if she had set out to embarrass the President, is it not better to decline the award and not attend the event? Someone else from her family could have come in her stead if she was receiving on behalf of her dad. So, importantly, did she receive the honour for herself or her late dad because there were concerns on the authenticity of a particular list of recipients? Either way, someone could have come to receive the award on her behalf or on behalf of her late dad, a Retired Brigadier General in the Nigerian Army, who was assasinated in 1995 (if the family found it worthy). So, I suppose she must have inherited a modicum of discipline soldiers are supposedly noted for. I am just wondering if this is not a presumed rudeness, and perhaps nothingness.
I am just trying to process this hoopla. I don’t know, I may be wrong.
