Be strong, Stella.

I write this letter to encourage Stella Orakwue to remain strong and steadfast in her writings. The greatest disservice she can do to herself and her race is to allow herself to be intimated by the antics of the spineless and faceless men who cannot take the punch they are dishing out to us.

Sister, this is your baptism of fire and I urge you strongly to brave it. Your lethal pen, nay computer, is undoubtedly making some people uneasy and the surprise would have been if they have not tried their antics on you.

Of course, your harassment has nothing to do with racism (that's what they will tell us), it's just that some folks cannot understand why African men and women would want to express themselves freely in whatever form they choose without seeking the approval/understanding of other folks!

Of course, they agree that you are writing nothing but the gospel truth. They would only wish that you will "moderate" the language--as though what we write is more violent than all that they have done to us.

To those Africans with the abilities, I say that we are morally obligated not only to chronicle the violence visited upon us through the ages, but to denounce it with all the vigour that we can muster. It is the only way we can ensure that our posterity will not suffer what our progenitors suffered at the hands of a civilised people whose conduct will shame a nation of savages.

Write on, Stella. You are doing a fantastic job.

Femi Akomolafe

Kasoa, Ghana