Ugandan artiste Cindy Sanyu released a video recently calling Omah Lay an idiot; following his arrest for performing at a concert during a pandemic. The singer took offence at the fact that “a foreigner had a concert in this country and filled up a concert” while “Ugandan artistes are starving”.
Cindy Sanyu expressed her displeasure at Omah Lay’s sold-out concert; saying that if local artistes violated the government’s orders, they would be branded hooligans.
“So it’s official, I am a hooligan and I am proud because I don’t agree with this. It’s not fair,” she said. “It’s not right by any standard that you look at it. You may try to put down the positive, try to hide it, but it was a concert and it happened during the lockdown while artistes here are starving.”
The singer also complained that there was no social distancing and no masks at the event; and “this idiot”, she said, referring to Omah Lay, “even put it online and was very proud that he had a successful concert in Uganda”.
Watch the video below:
Nigerians proceeded to drag Cindy Sanyu in the comment section; first insulting her wig and calling her a hungry witch.
Omah Lay and Tems were very irresponsible for holding a concert in another country and assuming that laws for disease prevention in other countries are as lax as they are in Nigeria; where our government is famous for its inability to follow through with anything but violence.
And, while Cindy Sanyu is completely in the right to be offended about Omah Lay and Tems not following COVID-19 safety guidelines; something about her comments still reek of xenophobia, Nigeriophobia to be precise.
Nigerians have witnessed a backlash from many African countries for being either too loud or too proud. And whether or not that is the image an individual embodies; it doesn’t stop people like Cindy Sanyu from putting that label on us.
We have seen this behaviour from violence in South Africa to spats in Ghana to whispers in Kenya. Nigerians now have a harmful stereotype through which Africa sees us. We guess the worst part of being the “giant of Africa” is that when you’re very visible, it’s easy to become a target.