 |
| Mrs Ifeoma Ozougwu |
“If You Are Reading This And You Can’t Cope - Give
That Girl Back To Her Mother!!!”.
Matt 18:10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of
these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the
face of My Father who is in heaven”.
Opinion: Almost 90% of urban families in Nigeria have
a house boy or house girl (Personal Assistant). This has become almost a
tradition and culture in our nation. It’s no longer a status symbol - it’s
become a necessity for many. The financially downtrodden made up relatives,
friends, church members are driven to handover their children to more well-to-do
families. Most domestic servants are female. The deal is simple - the housemaid
is to help ‘madam’ with the house chores. Madam and her Oga are to feed the
girl, educate her cloth her. And during the Christmas season send her back to
the village with gifts to her parents.
Most times the deal goes well. I have an Auntie in
Lagos - her ‘Personal Assistant’ is an under-graduate in a university in Lagos
State. He was about 16 when he left the village to stay with my Auntie and her
husband. They have treated the boy as their own son. When the University is
on break he comes back to the house he does the chores - with his degree books
tucked under his arm. That is a success story.
Covid-19 has made things tough for many rural
households. Poorer families will be handing over their kids in record numbers
to young families in urban centres.
Unfortunately, it’s the ‘madam’ who is often at the
centre of most of these assaults. While the ‘ogas’ are the centre of multiple
rape allegations. It is an evil time to be a domestic servant in Nigeria today.
Therefore If you are reading this - can I appeal to
every ‘Madam’, please do not treat that girl or boy like the she-demon in this
story. If you know you can’t cope. If you know you have issues with your
husband, please and PLEASE don’t take it out on the house girl. Give the girl
back to her parents!
I hope the time is coming in Nigeria when housewives
who brutalise their housemaids - will have their biological children forcefully
taken away from them and put into foster care for onward adoption.
How can a woman hammer a nail into her housemaid’s
skull?
 |
| The victim |
Culled
from Mr Ikiddeh’s Facebook page
No comments:
Post a Comment