However, the story has caught a lot of attention with individuals donating cash and other gift items to her for what they referred to as the "true value of a wife". But the last time I checked, marriage is not enslavement and a wife or husband is not meant to live in fear but love.
There is this lady on Twitter who wakes up every 4.30 am each day to prepare lunch for her husband out of fear of him being hijacked by his colleague at work. One could tell from the story that she is living in perpetual fear in the marriage.
However, the story has caught a lot of attention with individuals donating cash and other gift items to her for what they referred to as the "true value of a wife". But the last time I checked, marriage is not enslavement and a wife or husband is not meant to live in fear but love.
I personally have no issues with those who have been gifting her out of their generosity but I am sick that government agencies have to reduce the bar to start gifting the woman for what they referred to as an "amazing love story".
By gifting the lady two laptops and a year's internet subscription, I don't understand what exactly NITDA is trying to promote. In all honesty, it was not the case that this woman or her husband developed a solution or came up with a model which would help solve societal issues.
But, NITDA, which is being funded with taxpayers' money had to dip hands into the treasury to promote slavery in marriage. Meanwhile, there are thousands of tech guys out there in need of government support.
The Oyo State Health Insurance Agency has also offered the woman a family plan package under the Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme for what they referred to as "admirable values". An average Oyo State indigene does not have health insurance.
This is just an attempt to promote, support and cement family slavery. And, I understand the angle from whence this is coming; an attack on feminism, because it is an idea our people don't have its knowledge. Feminism is already seen as an attack on culture and religion. Many opinion writers even believe feminism is strange to Africa.
But feminism is part and parcel of our growth and development as Africans. Feminism is a hallmark of our existence and history as a people. For instance, in Yoruba, there are more female Orisas (deities) than males i.e.; Oya, Osun, Esu... Also, in the liberation of Nigeria from colonialism, feminists played great roles from Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of the Abeokuta Women Movement to Pelewura of Lagos, to Gambo Sawaba of Kano, and Margaret Ekpo of Aba Women Revolt to mention a few.
From Asaba to Ilesa, women of Nigeria rose to reject colonial taxation, and even in the North, they stood staunchly against oppression. Without feminist revolts, there would not have been independence for Nigeria. Women's voices were echoed all over. In fact, we all today should be feminists!
However, modern feminism in Nigeria seems to be anti-husbandry other than it being so political and social like those of the pre-colonial era. And, this is being championed by people who don't have an iota of knowledge about the idea. While such groups as the Feminist Coalition played great and outstanding roles during the #EndSARS, they fumbled by failing to provide public accountability for the massive funds raised during the historic movement.
And since then, the group has played down. Persons like Iyabo Ojo and actresses like Princess have played crucial roles in fighting patriarchy in the Nollywood and Musical industry if we must say. Yet, their ideological compass seems to be petty and shallow.
Finally, I have no issues with a woman being so loyal to always wake up to cook by 4.30 am. But it is unfair for her to be the only one doing the same while the husband enjoys the comfort of his bed. Such a husband should be chastised for such enslavement, not that government agencies would be promoting the same even with NNPCL giving her a #200,0000 voucher for PMS.
What is needed is for feminists and other activists to fight for a new Nigeria where life would be so easy and comfortable that no one would be forced to be waking up so early by 4.30 am to satisfy a marriage. We need a new Nigeria where a good family life will be the burden of the whole society, not individuals, especially the women. The Nigerian woman is too much laden with stress and much palaver that she is now being forcefully confined to the home, unlike the pre-colonial era when great mothers like Funmi Kuti and Gambo Sawaba took up the issues of the general society and helped to fundamentally fight and defeat colonialism.