TWO WOMEN, TWO PURSUITS

Even as Senator Ekaette Eme-Ufot is keeping herself busy with trivial and mundane issues such as the nudity bill which she incidentally sponsored, some innocent Nigerian children who are yet to attain puberty are suffering at the hands of scoundrels whose primary vocation is human trafficking

 The Executive Secretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Carol Ndaguba decided to take on matters which our dear senator appears oblivious to. It is heart wrenching that in some parts of Nigeria, babies are being sold by some unscrupulous fellows who own hospitals (or should I say hellholes?). Reports of the ungodly acts; child and sexual abuse and rape of infants are flooding the human trafficking intervention body. According to Ndaguba, the rape of infants has become so rampant that the agency is seeking new ways to deal with the issue.

Where is our dear senator Ekaette? Has she heard of these issues? Has she been informed that in an unnamed hospital in Aba, Abia state, it was recently discovered that over 200 babies were sold in the last one year? Does she pretend to be blind to the fact that child abuse and trafficking is gradually attaining pandemic levels?  I wonder how the nudity bill is going to save these children.

There are a million and one issues facing Nigerian women and children; female genital mutilation remains rampant in several parts of West Africa including Nigeria. Young people are being sold into slavery (and I mean slavery); these are just a handful of the front burner matters. I ask myself this question, ‘how come these issues have not gotten the attention of the people elected into office to fight the cause of the common man?’ Even as I write, I am still trying to comprehend the motive behind the nudity bill.

However, one thing is evident; the senator and the executive secretary, though women, both view things differently. While the former has chosen to major on the minor issues, the latter has chosen to major on the major. Did I hear somebody say the latter shall be greater than the former?

Fadekemi, CONNECTAFRICA