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Slapping saga: Jar of life
By Francis Ogunbowale
EVER since the show of shame between Senators Isa Mohammed and Iyabode Anisulowo, the reactions of certain people and groups have not only been shocking but highly misleading. As if they were looking for opportunity to justify foreign aids, more than nine women groups briskly and in an unblinking fashion, launched their relevance " The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Gender and Development Action (GADA), BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, Gender Action Team (GAT), Women Aid Collective (WACOL), Women Law and Development Centre (WLDC), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), Women Consortium and the Project Alert on Violence Against Women.
They were quick to state that the act was a sheer show of shame and mundane masculinity, that it exposed the extent of violence women undergo in the hands of men both at home and at work, that it unraveled the women battering and criminal assault women suffer from men on a daily basis, that the act was the negative consequence of the current male-dominated government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, of not adopting and/or complying with international instruments such as the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAN).
The major thrust of discourse here is that the women have not been fair and objective in their reactions to the slapping saga that has recently rocked the National Assembly. Rather than demonise the menfolk, the women and their groups should have blamed the act largely on the badly managed economy, presided over by their own, in a Ministry of Finance, that has continuously unleashed terrible pains on the people, through throat cutting policies, in order to satisfy foreign friends.
To be candid, the slapping saga is a reflection of the frustration in the society occasioned by the stringent economic reforms of incessant increase in prices of essential commodities. Although the pain is targeted at the poor, what is not immediately known is that it has a fall back effect on the rich. When the maintenance staff of the rich can no longer cope with the stipend they are paid, they are likely to turn their anger on their bosses. For instance, drivers would begin to siphon fuel from the cars for sale, stewards would start stealing foodstuff from the store, and the change from supermarket which are ordinarily returned would elude the masters.
In the case of Senators Iyabode Anisulowo and Isa Mohammed, the women and the various groups that reacted only capitalised on the fact that a fellow woman had been assaulted. The reason and circumstances leading to the slapping were not considered. We agree that the slapping of a fellow human being is barbaric, but we do not believe that the slapping of a woman by a man is special or unheard of. Both men and women can behave like an animal depending on their disposition and circumstances. For God's sake, a woman is a human being created like man, by God Almighty. To say that a woman is a weaker sex is very wrong and misleading. There is no type of man on the planet earth that there is no match from the other gender. In Nigeria, while we have Dr. Dora Akunyili that would not compromise her integrity, we have other women in high places who would not do anything except they are offered bribe. Today in Nigeria, we have good women politicians, affluent business women and we have women occupying key important positions like Mrs. Soares of NICON, Mrs. Okereke-Onyiuke of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Prof. (Mrs.) Ogwu of NIAA and the rest.
The event in the House of Representatives between Mrs Iquo Inyang and Emmanuel Bwacha confirmed that the cause goes beyond gender inequality or male chauvinism. It further established the fact that what a man can do, a woman can do better. In the instant case, Representative Iquo Inyang (a female) did not only slap Representative Bwacha, she broke his eye glasses and caused grievous bodily injury on him. If the women groups attributed Senator Iyabode Anisulowo's assault on her weaker sex, what would they say of Representative Bwacha? A 'stronger sex?'
It is high time we faced issues rather sentiments. Poverty is the bane. The animal instinct in the female Representative arose as a result of insufficiency of legitimate incomes to meet private needs. She had just lost her father, expensive burial arrangement is expected, she wanted Representative Bwacha to include her name in the list of members of the Police Affairs Committee that would visit the South-South in order to get estacode. That was not going to be possible because the list had already been compiled. The fear of where to go next for urgent surplus fund generated the anger that led to the temporary madness.
The truth is that different people, men or women, have different ways of reacting to events. The other time we were told of some Senators who were so pressed that they asked El-Rufai to share part of his income with them. So, why do we pretend that everything is well in this country? Why should we continue to deceive ourselves that incessant increase in price regimes is good for us despite the untoward hardship we are going through? If Senators can slap themselves because of money, if Representatives can cause grievous bodily injury unto themselves because of estacodes, what do those who pretend to be doing well at the 3-Arm Zone expect the ordinary men on the streets to be doing?
The show of shame at the National Assembly is no doubt the natural jar of life. It is very disappointing that the plethora of women groups who condemned that action of Senator Isa Mohammed have not deemed it fit to comment on the shameful act of their female colleague. The way we sometimes handle matters in this country is very hilarious. The society is full of opportunists. In the Senator Isa Mohammed matter, there was an ample opportunity to justify foreign aids, that is why you see virtually all women groups making statements and advertorial. The other case did not portend anything good for the spurious propaganda of male chauvinism.
It is not the women alone, everybody seems to be waiting for opportunities. In the case of increase in fuel prices, rather than come out forcefully to condemn it, they told Adams Oshiomhole to respect Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as an elder (as if it is a personal matter) and engage in dialogue rather than confrontation. The question that comes to mind is this, what would have happened if Senator Iyabode Anisulowo had been a Moslem from the North, and Senator Isa Mohammed, a Christian from the South? The story may have been different. We like to expand things. Senator Isa Mohammed even extended his apologies to all women, people and government of Ogun State. This actually shows the list of 'concerned citizens' that may have jumped at relevance and sponsored advertorial or written the embattled Senator.
The solution to strange reactions of both male and female, rich or poor, in times of anger does not lie in the adoption or compliance with protocols as the Women Groups have made us to understand. The solution lies in genuine government policies that would reduce the frustration of the people arising from their inability to meet their demands. The solution lies in meaningful economic reforms that would continuously make food available on the table of the people. The disagreement over Committee's funds or a scheduled trip would not have arisen if Senators and Representatives alike are comfortable with their legitimate incomes. Like Chief Obafemi Awolowo said, nobody can deceive the jar of life. Our problems in this country today are bad leadership, apathetic followership, lack of credible check and balances among the tiers of government, the absence of a strong opposition, divided press and the infiltration of military culture into virtually all relevant institutions.
- Ogunbowale is an attorney in Lagos.
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