ON RAPE, WOMEN IN BLACK AND OTHERS
BY EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO

I have prayed for an opportunity like this to write about the plight and working conditions of the WOMEN IN BLACK, that is our POLICE WOMEN in Nigeria. I have also prayed for this kind of time to write about the situation of our GIRL CHILDREN or GIRL DAUGHTERS, SISTERS AND FRIENDS in Nigeria in their daily encounters with their MALE COUNTERPARTS. I am simply talking about the annoyingly high incidence of RAPE AND OTHER SEXUAL OFFENCES. I told my co-discussants at public fora that the best panacea to the increasing rate of rape of even female toddlers in Nigeria is for the male organs of convicted rapists to be severed or castrated and rendered impotent, because of my belief that RAPE is a GRAVE CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. Well even as a Human Rights Activist I do still believe that castrating RAPISTS in the most humane way is the best solution to RAPISTS caught in the act of sexually molesting toddlers whether male or female. I was told that some funny characters believe that sexually molesting toddlers confers in them the potency to wade off attack of diseases like the Human Immune Deficiency Virus [HIV/AIDS]. But, really, I think that people who think like this or who believe that raping toddlers will give them potency to fight terminal diseases of any kind are suffering from Human Brain Immune Deficiency Virus otherwise called ‘MUMU’ in our local parlance in the North of Nigeria, and the only way to cure them is to remove the useless thing dangling in between their thighs. But come to think of it! What do we do with GIRLS WHO RAPE MEN? What do we do with SEX WORKERS WHO HARRASS INNOCENT MEN IN PLACES LIKE TRANSCORP HILTON in Abuja AND EVEN RAPE THEM THROUGH FALSE PRETENCES? This is indeed a million Naira question because this Girls do not have any useless thing dangling in between their thighs or do we seal up their HONEY POTS? The answer is a topic for another day.

I initially wanted to write on the year 2008 Nigeria Bar Association’s General Conference in the nation’s seat of power, where elections were conducted to fill up slots in the national executive committee of the immensely influential professional body in Nigeria, especially the highly coveted position of General Secretary where a lady of substance and distinction Barrister Carol Ajie slugged it out with over a dozen male lawyers. My last minute encounter with some lawyers, especially the executive committee members of the Abuja Bar made me change my mind when they informed me that she stood a greater chance of emerging the General Secretary than most of her co-contestants. Though I took their words of assurances on the expected victory of Carol Ajie with a pinch of salt because of the long standing impression in the minds of most analysts that the Nigeria Bar Association [NBA] is largely a male dominated professional body and that it would be easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a Needle than for a Nigerian Woman to win any elective position at the top most levels in the Nigeria Bar Association. But I do want to give these lawyers the benefit of the doubts and pray fervently that Nigerian Lawyers will at last be GENDER SENSITIVE AND GENDER COMPLIANT in their elections.

Now, have you ever given a thought to the plight of the WOMEN IN BLACK or our Women in the NIGERIA POLICE? Do you know of any Woman Police who is happy with her emoluments? Do you know of any Woman Police in Nigeria that can comfortably afford to pay for her weekly beauty make ups? Have you asked any Woman Police whether they are entitled to weekly Beauty make ups’ allowances? Have you ever dated a Female Police in Nigeria and what is the mental state or MIND SET of Female Police in the Nigeria Police? These and many other posers are critical because of the fact that the cost of living is on the increase and the salary package of Police operatives are not commensurately reviewed even as the total welfare of the Nigeria Police operatives whether male or female is in progressive decline. I do know from my working knowledge of the answers to the above questions that the WOMEN IN BLACK faces the same operational challenges like the MEN IN BLACK in the Nigeria Police. Let me advocate the introduction by Inspector General of Police Sir Mike Okiro, of payment of special weekly beauty enhancement emoluments for our WOMEN IN BLACK. This is not say that I am in support of treating our WOMEN IN BLACK differently from their male colleagues but even if there should be differential treatment of the MEN AND WOMEN IN BLACK in the Nigeria Police it is allowed because Women spend a little more in keeping themselves trendy, capable and physically enhanced for the challenging job of law enforcement and crime prevention, detection and others. But certainly I am not saying that our WOMEN IN BLACK should be assisted to look beautiful so as to attract male suitors. Secondly, the Federal Government should do something about the persistent use of TORTURE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM IN NIGERIA especially in the Police detention centers where these WOMEN IN BLACK also participate. What do we expect the kids produced by these Women in Black to be in the larger society? Of course kids born by violent parents are prone to visiting violence on the larger society and violent crime will become the order of the day, God forbid!

Now to the question of the alarming rate of RAPE CASES in Nigeria I want to say that it is a collective challenge for all Nigerians to denounce RAPE as a crime against Humanity and fight it in all its ramifications. But there is the need for our Legislators to do something practical about this problem. The other day on public television, the ace ACTOR SPEAKER DIMEJI BANKOLE of the Federal House of Representatives displayed one of his best performances when he wept profusely when some kid parliamentarians visited him to complain about the increasing rate of rape of Children in Nigeria. We are tired of seeing our political leaders shedding crocodile tears over serious issues like RAPE. Speaker Dimeji Bankole please stop weeping and do something practical about the issue of RAPE in Nigeria. The more SPEAKER BANKOLE CRIES THE MORE OUR GIRLS ARE RAPED BECAUSE RAPISTS ARE SADDISTS WHO WILL DELIGHT IN HARMING OUR GIRLS THE MORE IF THEY REALISE THAT OUR LAW MAKERS ARE UNWILLING TO LEGISLATE AGAINST RAPE BUT ARE MORE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC SHOW LIKE WEEPING THE TYPE DISPLAYED RECENTLY BY DIMEJI BANKOLE.

Thank God for Chris Anyanwu, the Female Senator from Imo State who has boldly introduced in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a Bill to prohibit sexual offences and rape in order to fortify the existing law against rape which is anachronistic and archaic. Chris Anyanwu did the right thing by not CRYING LIKE DIMEJI BANKOLE but has done what a legislator should do and it is expected that the Senators will move quickly to pass this BILL AGAINST SEXUAL OFFENCES into a law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and for President Umaru Musa Yar’adua to sign it into a law. But why is the wife of the president, TURAI YAR’ADUA concerned about the spread of HIV/AIDS instead of fighting the increasing rate of Rape? May be because there are no foreign subventions to be shared. I think Wives of Governors and the wife of the president desirous of helping the people of Nigeria with their privileged positions should rather fight the high incidence of RAPE and leave the issue of HIV/AIDS to experts who are already doing so well.

+EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND JOURNALIST IN ABUJA.