Chief Olufemi Shodunke alleges racial bias in justice system, demands equal recognition, treatment for Black Canadians
Segun Atanda/
A Nigerian-Canadian journalist and former newspaper editor, Chief Olufemi Shodunke, has staged a one-man protest in Fort McMurray, Alberta, alleging anti-Black racism and discrimination within Canada’s justice system.
Chief Shodunke, a former Deputy Editor of the defunct Nigerian Compass, took his protest to the courthouse and Franklin Avenue in Fort McMurray last Friday, carrying a placard bearing the inscription: “Stop anti-Black racism in Alberta & Canada’s justice system.”
Dressed in traditional Nigerian “kampala” agbada and adorned with chieftaincy beads, the journalist said the protest was intended to draw public attention to what he described as discriminatory treatment of Black people within sections of the justice system.
Chief Shodunke, a Canadian citizen and former two-term President of Olumo Progressive Association Canada Inc. (OPAC), alleged that some decisions by judges and adjudicators in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada reflected racial bias against Black people.
He said his decision to take to the streets followed unsuccessful attempts to draw the attention of relevant authorities to his concerns.
“Definitely, I am just protesting today against anti-Black racism within the justice system in Alberta and in Canada,” Chief Shodunke said.
“I am doing this because I have experienced it and I am still experiencing it.
“And I have written to government about it. Nothing has been done, and that is why I am sensitising the people of Fort McMurray, Alberta and Canada, and across the globe on what is going on in Canada.”
The former Chairman of both the Correspondents’ Chapel and Nigerian Compass Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, maintained that his allegations were based on personal experiences and other cases he had encountered.
“There is anti-Black racism within the justice system. I know what I am talking about. I have pieces of evidence to support this,” he said.
Chief Shodunke, who once served as National Public Relations Officer of Egba National Association USA and Canada, vowed to sustain his campaign even if he had to continue alone.
“That is why I am protesting today. I am embarking on a one-man protest. If it is only me that is sensitising the people, I am ready. I am ready to do it,” he said.
At the heart of his protest, he said, was a demand for equality before the law and respect for the cultural identities of people from different backgrounds.
“Justice is for everybody; we are all equal in this country,” said Chief Shodunke, who holds the traditional titles of Baaroyin of Igbeinland and Baaroyin of Agbon.
“This is a country of immigrants, both Black and White, and we have to respect our cultures, we have to respect our religions no matter the situation.
“Equality is for everyone. That is what we stand for in Canada. That is what our country stands for. I am a Canadian citizen and I have the right. We want equality in this country.”
Chief Shodunke said part of his concern also relates to the recognition of traditional and cultural titles, arguing that African immigrants should not have their cultural identities treated differently from those of other communities.
He indicated that some aspects of his allegations are connected with pending judicial proceedings and potential litigation and, for that reason, said he would reserve detailed disclosures until it was legally appropriate to make them public.
According to him, those disclosures would contain what he described as “shocking revelations” and evidence supporting his allegations.
Chief Shodunke also recounted an encounter during Friday’s protest which, he said, illustrated the racial hostility he was campaigning against.
He alleged that an elderly White motorist driving past him shouted: “That is what you paid for by coming here.”
Chief Shodunke said he ignored the remark and continued his protest, noting that other members of the community offered words of encouragement.
“Indeed, I care not about that. I just looked away and continued with my protest because there were others who commended my effort,” he said.
Friday’s action was not Chief Shodunke’s first public campaign against racism.
In 2020, amid worldwide protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, United States, Chief Shodunke participated in anti-racism protests in Alberta and publicly called for stronger action against systemic discrimination.
Contemporary reports by The Eagle Online and The Nigerian Voice documented his participation and advocacy at the time. The Nigerian Voice reported in June 2020 that Chief Shodunke participated in a Black Lives Matter protest in Alberta and called on governments at different levels in Canada to take measures against racism and systemic discrimination.
The Nigerian journalist, who relocated to Canada after surviving an assassination attempt in Nigeria in 2010, said his latest campaign would continue to focus on equality, cultural respect and what he considers the need for greater scrutiny of racial discrimination within institutions.
For Chief Shodunke, the message of his solitary protest was unequivocal: Canada’s commitment to equality, he argued, must apply to everyone irrespective of race, origin or cultural identity.
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