Northern Nigeria, Stop dragging us Backwards

This issue is of genuine importance. There was no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings or maim anybody or religion. But at a stance now, some issues can’t be downplayed. Today, I do not have the disposition to sugarcoat any of these. Northern Nigeria, we are sick and tired of having you drag us back to the Stone Age when it comes to the girl child and marriage. We cannot continue to take a step forward just to roll backwards. We are done with having you marry our little girls in the name of religion.

How do you as a man in your thirties or forties look at a kid in her early teens (sometimes not even up to) and tell yourself she makes a fine bride? How do you do it? What sort of a conscienceless man will take a thirteen year old into his house and get her pregnant? Have Children birthing children? And you think you are sane? You are a pedophile. That is the word for people who have interest in children. The act of taking a child in as your wife is not religious. It is contemptible. Some of you already have other wives and sometimes children her age. Yet you wish to take advantage of another girl for the reason of the poverty state in her family or their ignorance. And don’t you dare use religion as your ground. The religion said you can marry her but have to wait till she can give her consent, so how many people wait? You rape her and beat her when she says no. Please sing to me how there isn't rape in marriage. In case you aren’t aware, the Gambia just banned child marriage few weeks ago and they are an Islamic nation. Stop hiding under the guise of Islam to commit your unruly hideous crime. You are not just a pedophile; you are a rapist, an assaulter, a child abuser. The difference is you marry her to rape her legally and you count yourself sane? People are arrested for raping children, you cannot walk freely anymore. you are a threat  to under aged children. We are tired of you ruining our daughters. We are done with you ruining the lives of women that can make this country better. You are the problems in society and we can’t even keep rape past you; If you can marry a little girl and rape her, (heaven knows she never consented to the sex. Bonus point, she is a minor) what is the guarantee you are not taking advantage of any other young girl out there?

Parents! You didn’t think you were getting free on this, did you? What do you think? Your female child is someone you can exchange to improve your poverty status? You dare take advantage of your own daughter because she is young and cannot do anything to save herself? That is monstrous. You are of no good or use to her. You are supposed to be her guardian, her helper, her comfort and you just throw all that away for a stupid token given to you by a man you believe can take care of your child? That is just ridiculous. Mothers, it is worse with you. You are a woman and by virtue of that position, we expect a higher level of understanding from you. The fact that you fold your arms and abet the destruction of your daughters baffles me. Most of you went through the same emotional torture and agony. Instead of protecting your daughters, you send her right back on that track. You are despicable (no offence). The fact that you never lend your voice to issues that matters is part of what is wrong with society. You women have all become societal harms.

And now to you the girls who were victims and managed to escape, please come back home. Stop running away. There are thousand of girls who could use your strength and your voice. Come home and liberate the soon-to-be brides. You are in a better position to explain to them the need for this madness to stop. There is a Nigerian saying “who no go, no no as e be”. You have been there; we can sympathize but you can empathize. We understand your hurt and your brokenness but turn that into something positive for the world. Save someone the childhood you were robbed of.

Now to the Nigerian government and law makers, enough is enough. It’s high time we paid attention to issues that really matters. The lives of our little girls are important and should not be taken for granted under the pretext of religion. We should be able to shun this form of barbaric act and put a stop to it forever. These girls become victims of VVF (vesico vagina fistula), PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), psychological imbalance among others and the babies sometimes ends up deformed (could this be the reason for the high rate of disables in the north?) Their welfare is important. The women of this country and their well being are equivalent to the growth of this country. We need to enact laws that protect the rights of the girl child in our country. We need to rehabilitate the northern part of this country and any other region that promotes and allows pedophiles to wander about freely whatever they state as their reasons for engaging in the act. Let this children grow. We need to let them live through their childhoods and not snatch it away from them at tender ages. Marriage isn’t a Child's job and we need to stop handing it over to kids the same way we do not hand the presidency and senate to kids. If they do not regard them as kids, they might as well give them voters cards and let them be able to run the government after all they can be given in marriage. Other countries are realizing how archaic this is and putting a stop to it. We need to join this train of change. This is no longer acceptable.