Pregnant Chibok Girls

Over 200 women rescued from the Boko Haram militants are pregnant. This was confirmed by the local media citing the Chief of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The Nigerian military said it freed nearly 700 women last week.

“Already, many of them are undergoing screening for various diseases, infections including HIV/AIDS and about 214 of those already screened were discovered to be at various stages of pregnancies, some visibly pregnant and some just tested pregnant; but we are supporting all of them with various levels of care to stabilize them,” said UNFPA Nigeria executive director Babatunde Oshotimehin speaking in Lagos. 

“Some of the children that were freed along with the women, it was discovered, were born in the forest and had never been out in the open until their release by the Nigerian Army,” Osotimehin said.

Culled from RT WEB

Men and housechores

There is no denying that the traditional African man believes all chores in the home are the sole responsibility of women. Infact in this part of the world, childcare and house chores are seen as women’s work.

 This is why you will hardly see a typical Nigerian man helping out in the house. Infact Nigeria men only do this when they are outside the country or are married to non-Nigerian women.

And with all these house help wahala, many Nigerian women are reluctant to employ domestic help.

It only means that between work, children, school work and cooking, house chores basically falls on the shoulders of one person: the wife. This might also be the reason many wives get resentful and begin to reject sexual advances from their husbands.

What Nigerian men do not understand is that the happiest marriages are those where husbands take part in the tasks and child rearing at home. Infact one research from the University of Washington showed that husbands who help more with the house chores have a better sex life with their wives.

Helping hands should be given to women especially in this era of role reversal where a lot of women not only contribute to the running of the home financially but also take over as bread winners.

In as much as the husband works a lot and is exhausted when he gets back after a long day from work, helping out on weekends and public holidays should be encouraged- looking after the children, feeding them, helping with their homework and little chores.

Helping out in the home will go a long way in showing appreciation to the wife, as responsibilities are meant to be shared in the home.

Lonely night guardsman

As the night begins to come, the grasshopper paves way for the cricket to take over the night duty.
Suddenly, the weather begins to change, it becomes dark and we call it night. Workers return from their work places, market men and women close their shops and return home, students return from school and everyone prepares to rest after the day's work. Some families sit together, eat together, play together or probably tell stories.

Never have we considered a man who doesn't enjoy the pleasures of the night. Never have we thought of a man who leaves the comfort of his family to his work place at night when others have returned to their homes to rest. He does not spend much time with his family at night.

This is the night guardsman.

He leaves his home with a bag containing his torch light, bedding and other necessities of his. He does not enjoy a peaceful night rest like most people. He sleeps in the cold and has crickets as friends. He walks around amidst the fear and terror of the night. He has no one to keep him company except the mosquitoes to sing him lullaby. He keeps waiting for the cock to crow which reminds him it is dawn.
He guards  houses that does not belong to him. He becomes responsible for another man's security at the detriment of his family.

What happens if his children fall sick at night? Will the wife go out to disturb another woman's husband enjoying his sleep? If armed robbers attack, what would he do from his duty post?

Just as we have our fears, the night guardsman has his. He is afraid of the sounds he hears at night, he is afraid of moving vehicles that reminds him of intruders, he is afraid of the barking dogs that informs him of danger around.

The society never considers the plight of this man; he is relegated to the background. He is somebody whilst at work but nobody away from his duty post.
Employers and the society should provide gratification and comfortable accommodation for him. He should be shown little kindness and care and provide adequate security gadgets for him.

With these provisions and more,  the night guardsman would find it a little easier to perform his duties diligently.

Nudity, sex, what more?

There is no doubt that what we listen to constitute an integral part of our beings.

I grew up listening to a lot of love songs; songs that could make you float in the air literally. Whatever way you wished to be inspired, you will find a song from the boundless repertoire of legendary artistes like Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Elton John, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Maria Carey and a host of others.

I remember King Sunny Ade, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Sikiru Ayinde Barrister who serenaded us with their alluring and meaningful music for decades.

Those were the days of good music.

A lot has changed however. More often than not, we would rather bob and weave to the music of our homegrown music 'stars'.

Unfortunately, the acceptance of our contemporary music has wrought more negatively in our ears than pleasure to our souls.

Nigeria's brand of hip hop music or R n B is replete with sex, money making, violence and a host of negativity.

To further compound our collective migraine from the banging beats, the songs are accompanied with unashamed girls flaunted in almost naked videos which even more worryingly, find their way to the viewing public.

Nudity has never been a part of our culture, but right now, hardly is a musical video complete without a show of half dressed girls.

Little wonder sex isn't sacred anymore. And our so called 'stars' continue to exploit our vulnerability to drive home the fact that sex is all they have to offer because it not only sells but has made them overnight billionaires.

I don't need to mention names; we know these songs.

The problem I believe, lies with you! Yes. You and I. What purpose would it be producing goods when there aren't any buyers?

It isn't my style to put food in your mouth but to serve; You choose whether or not to dine.

If only we re-orientate our minds, our society would be a better place.