User’s Opinion: Underage Marriage Is Not The Only Problem We Have…

Read and decide for yourself whether you agree or disagree with the writer… 

underage_marriageGreetings to you all, my fellow Nigerians!

We all laid causes, media protests & votes against the underage marriage trending as the “Child Not Bride” bill that is promptly being deliberated & also to be made legal by the Nigerian Senate. This was a good idea by the masses to stop this barbaric, wicked & shameless evil desire by Senator Ahmed Yerima.

Come to think of it, have we all thought about those little kids below the ages of 8-10 years; harbored & adopted by women or mothers with archaic or lame proposals to their parents in a benevolent way; claiming to send them to schools & feed them properly, while playing the role of a house girl, apprentice or daughter to them. I don’t blame the parents of this kids, because of their privileges which are extremely less & they take such offers tempting & as a source of their own breakthrough.

And when these kids follows them to the city:

  • They are turned to hawkers, slaves & animals.
  • They get beaten up over minor consequences or misunderstandings.
  • They don’t even feed well.
  • They live in fear, in every single second of their life.

For example:

Here in the city of Port Hacourt where I live, it’s a very busy city even at 12-30am in the morning, u can still find illegal crowds roaming about & looking for whom to devour.

There use to be this little girl “8-10 years” (exaggerates).

She was adopted by her Aunt in my street, who happens to be a sister to her mother, to show how tight the relationship was.

She gets beaten up everyday & sent out every morning to hawk snacks. She passes by every morning when I seat in my mums shop, praying for customers to come, so I can do apiriko (topping the prize of a particular goods).

She passes by with her normal exclamation; “Good Morning Brother Kc” & as usual I reply “Morning Ada, how are u”?

On a Friday night, on my way back from a Party around 1:30am; scared, trekking & famished, surrounded by tint & awkward darkness, musics playing from different joints & club houses, prostitutes, weird & illegal faces choked with drinks & waiting for whom to devour. At my greatest surprise I saw this little girl Ada going to throw dirts, at that time of the night & was shocked.

I forced her back home & disposed the dirts myself, the glances from this weird faces continued till we reached our entrance.

When I warned her not to come out that time again, she said “Broda Kc na my Aunty tell me say, em go beat me if I no go troway am”.

I almost told her to tell her Aunty “she is a fool”, if not for respect.

We all should stand up & fight not just for the underage marriage, but also for the safety, protection, life & rights of this less privilege children..

They don’t have anyone to speak for them, but just us the masses & I strongly believe that our voice can be heard & listened to, If we SHARE this message to others….

Thanks & God Bless!

1 COMMENT