On a daily basis, we are confronted with more valid reasons why women should be allowed to take the front seat in setting policies and making decisions that help shape our nation Nigeria.
Only recently, I was privileged to hear of the penal code, which applies to the northern part of Nigeria and I was in shock as to how these people feel a woman (wife) should be “caged” and “corrected”, yet their herds of Cattles should be given freedom befitting princes in a 5 star treatment and allowed to roam royally on grazing routes.
Section 55(1)(d), subject to customs that have been recognized as lawful, allows a husband to “correct his wife” as long as it does not amount to “grievous hurt.” Section 55(2) goes on to state that the correction must be reasonable in kind or degree with regards to the age, physical, and mental conditions of the person being corrected. Grievous hurt is defined in section 241 as “(a) emasculation; (b) permanent deprivation of the sight of an eye, of the hearing of an ear or the power of speech; (c) deprivation of any member or joint; (d) destruction or permanent impairing of the powers of any member or joint; (e) permanent disfiguration of the head or face; (f) fracture or dislocation of a bone or tooth; (g) any hurt which endangers life or which causes the sufferer to be during the space of twenty days in severe bodily pain or unable to follow his ordinary pursuits.”
Abuja being where she resided and of course part of the North, I can’t help but wonder how many women like Osinachi would have looked or are probably still looking at the code and thinking, no permanent damage has been done to my sight yet or the law says I have to be in pain for 20 days but I was in pain for just 10, so this man hasn’t committed a crime.
What happens, if Like Osinachi these women are just in pain for 5 days, before eventually passing away?
Does that exonerate the man? After all, it wasn’t up to 20 days.
How can we expect men who agree that women should be “corrected” in a manner not fit for animals to agree to the bill for gender equality?
How do we expect to see the change we want and desire if we as women do not get one of our own to not only represent us, but to also speak for us?
For years, we have had our country deteriorate because wisdom has been lacking.
The book of Proverbs constantly talks about wisdom and its importance.
One thing that interests me is that wisdom all through the book of Proverbs, is given a feminine pronoun and was often referred to as “She”
So, it would suffice to say, that Nigeria from 1960 till Date, Nigeria has never had wisdom rule her.
You would expect that King Solomon, the wisest man in history, would have given the Mighty King David accolades for all the experience gathered, but rather we can see clearly from proverbs 31:1 that he learnt a great deal from Bathsheba (his mother) than he did from David.
Women have the capacity to prepare destinies for the throne, and Nigeria is yet to harness this depth of wealth.
From Deborah the Judge, an advocate of her people, to Abigail who turned the wrath of King David away from her “foolish” husband, to Queen Esther who understood that she was prepared for such a delicate season, to Mary the mother of Jesus who knew that redemption was hers to birth, to the numerous list of women who have broken the bias and have made the “First woman to list”
Just as it is seen as an act of fairness and balance, to have a Muslim and Christian represent their people at the Presidential and Gubernatorial level, that fairness and balance needs to be extended, to have both genders represented.
In the words of our First Lady, Aisha Buhari “it is high time women were adopted as running mates at all levels, considering their voting strength and active involvement in political processes. As we approach the 2023 elections with greater hope, I am confident that Nigeria will continue to grow from strength to strength on the pedestal of our democratic tenets.”
Here is to having a Female Vice President in 2023.
Here is to ending “osinachism”.
Here is to having wisdom as our second in command, it may be all we need for the height we so dearly desire.
Here is to a greater Nigeria.
