BEFORE
YOU MARRY CHIJI MY LITTLE NIECE...
Chiji is my ten
years old little niece - always cheerful, jovial, inquisitive, adventurous and
witty. She has demonstrated brilliance in academics and her utterances at times
makes people who come across her to ask how
old she is. Yet at times she displays her childishness through some mannerisms; some of which are
clothed in innocence.
Personally i
see Chiji as not only my niece but also my daughter - hence i tolerates her childish pranks at
times (though sometimes i puts on a facade of hostility). I also buy gifts for
her just to make her happy. Thus Chiji's happiness is of paramount importance
to me. Hence i take measures to ensure she wasn't bullied in school and at
home.
Ironically Chiji is about to be 'bullied'
through the very instrument that was meant to protect her in the first place -
the CONSTITUTION! (unless the House of Reps counters it at the floor and
Conference).
The recent
debates on the floor of the Senate, which saw the Senate allowing the
controversial clause in the constitution (section 29, subsection 4) which states that: (a) "full age" means
the age of eighteen and above". And, (b) "Any woman who is married
shall be deemed to be of full age" based on this clause, a Senator who
claims to be more Islamic than the Prophet who founded it countered the move by
Senators to remove the clause stating that it is 'un-islamic' to place limits on
the age of girls when it comes to marriage.
When i
reached home that night i was surprised to hear Chiji confront me saying:
"uncle so you have been playing on
my senses?". I was shocked by her utterances, hence i asked her:
"Chiji, what is the meaning of that?" Drawing her face into a frown
she said; "I saw on the news today
where a Senator was supporting child marriage - he was saying that any girl who
is married should be seen as being of full age and i remembered you told me
that there are certain places you wont allow me to go untill i am of full age
and when i asked when will i be considered to be of full age, you said from eighteen
years. But i overheard uncle Chukwu saying that the Senator married a sixteen
year old girl few years ago."
I was
dumbfounded. But not willing to allow the 'innocence' of my little niece to be
broken by a eccentric politician with paedophilic proclivity, i began enlightening Chiji on the topic and succeeded
in dissuading her mind from the negative impact of the utterances of a lawmaker
who many look up to as a role model.
I have always maintained that the greatest "good tragedy" that befalled man on earth was religion! Yes, religion is the only medium that beclouds a man's sense of reasoning while projecting him as a 'a wise and faithful one' whereas in the real sense of things, he is a "GLORIFIED ZOMBIE". (my apologies if that sounds so harsh).
But
do we blame the founders of these religions? No.This is because the original
concept of most religion were for the betterment of humanity as they connect to
the source of Infinite Intelligence -
the creator, their God. But various misinterpretations of the concepts have
given rise to the confusions we have in the world today - which is threatening humanity
as a whole.
Today, it is very religious to call some persons
'infidel' and then murder them with a
promise of virgins in the hereafter. Today It is very religious to look down on
people of different faith. Yet in our ingloriousness we still bask in the
euphoria of being 'holy and worthy' of being counted as 'faithful'.
Today we are
giving new definitions to nearly all nature ordered things including marriage;
Today,
marriage is no longer between a man and a woman only, and now any female
child could be "abused" into "adulthood" to marry.
Well, one
thing i want to tell whoever wants to "marry"
Chiji my TEN YEAR OLD niece at this age is: "Please go and buy a BODY
ARMOUR as you come.
No comments:
Post a Comment