Nigerian Mothers Blame Increasing Cases Of Rape On Economic Hardship

Some mothers on Wednesday blamed the increasing cases of rape witnessed in the country on the failure of some parents to meet their responsibilities to their girl children.

The told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that some mothers failed in their duty to properly monitor the actions and movement of their girl-child.

Mrs Veronica Odogwu, a medical practitioner and Head of Health, Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Ijegun, blamed some mothers for neglecting their responsibilities as mothers to their gild children.

“As mothers, we need to look inwards; don’t let us entrust our children to the wrong people.

“And the man who raped the four-year-old, you’ll see that it’s a very big problem; if a man who is supposed to be father himself is raping a four-year-old, then that type of a man needs help.

“But if all women can stand up, every mother looking at every child as her own it will not happen because if you see a child roaming aimlessly and not going home or leaving school, going to other places, you should be able to correct that child’’.

Mrs Chinwe Okoye, a teacher at Queens College, Lagos and a mother of six girls, advised young girls to be smart at saying no to men, irrespective of how close, (the men) were to them.

“It’s pathetic, it’s disheartening, I feel very bad. It is something that I don’t understand where they get the guts to do that.

“It is a thing of the mind for an adult to be able to rape a minor. I t’s terrible.

“I think the best thing is one, we inculcate into the children no matter how small and tender the spirit of saying `no’.

“Stop seeing people as uncle, they are what they are, in your home; make sure you tell your girl child to be protective of herself; don’t let people touch you.

“Scream, and don’t stay in tight corners in a room; don’t trust them so much, and once they begin to make overtures.

“And they tell you they will kill you if you talk, don’t trust them, don’t believe them, talk because they can’t really kill you; your parents will protect you.

“You give your girl child a lot of confidence, that way they will know whom they are.

“And they won’t allow themselves to be lured into dangerous corners by those miscreants; of course, that’s what I call them’’.

Mrs Francisca Obasuyi, President, Catholic Women Organisation of Nigeria, Saints Joachim and Anne, Ijegun, Lagos, appealed to mothers to teach their daughters decent dress code.

“I see it as irresponsibility on the side of men but at the same time, we women have our own fault.

“Because some of us that are women dress nude outside; then if you dress half naked outside, what do you teach your daughters?

“Some us, we see our daughters dress half naked, they come from home and they leave from the home to outside and these mothers see them and we don’t correct them.

“And then what do you expect? They are the ones who provoke the men so to say. So the mothers are to be blamed and we mothers should try and turn a new leaf’’.

A coordinator in a skill acquisition centre, Mrs Eugenia Okafor, noted that child labour exposed young girls as easy prey for rape.

“The problem can be solved when mothers take care of their children; this issue of child labour is rampant.

“Mothers should take care of those children; keep them, secure them because when a child is exposed to go and sell, go and buy, they may fall prey to these rapists.

“But the mothers should keep them; you know they are so precious, you guide them’’.

According to them, if adequate precautions are taken by all stakeholders, cases of rape can be checked.