Increasing Sharks of Rape and Paedophiles in a Sea of Incest: A Nation's Institutions Idlying around the harbour

Increasing Sharks of Rape and Paedophiles in a Sea of Incest: A Nation's Institutions Idlying around the harbour by Eromose Ileso

Evolution is a gradual process of change that could either be good or bad. It could be as bad as the effects of climate change that has brought devastating consequences to some climes. Like in most places, the Nigerian society is currently experiencing an evolution albeit one that was a thing of opprobrium in the past, and still is, but has not stopped it from happening frequently.

Society changes in relation to the unfolding dynamics in the behavioural pattern of it people. Though, when these changes in behavioural pattern becomes one that offends the faculties, it becomes imperative that the society through it institutions should find a way to stem such a tide.

The issue of rape has become like the flowing waters of the Victoria Falls that never stops when before it was a case of looking for vegetation in the Sahara desert. 

The frequency of rape cases in Nigeria has assumed a disturbing trend. Bad enough most of these cases go unreported to the relevant authorities because of the stigma attached to it. And if they do, it becomes a bad case as all evidence pointing to the rapist would have gone, when the victim does not follow the proper channels.( Proper channels here means reporting the case to the police, who takes the victim for examination in a government hospital to confirm the sexual assault which is used as evidence against the suspect. But most victims go home take their bath before reporting the incident, at which time, the evidence is gone) 

As if that is not bad enough, joining in the swings are loads of peadophiles who have become like vultures. Recently a seventy year old man was sent to several years in jail by a Magistrate court in Benin for raping a five year old child. And the list is endless, with the alarming rate of adults defiling defenceless children. There is virtually no week that goes by that you do not hear or read of such gory stories.

A sad one in Lagos was about a man who a child was fond off because of his nefarious actions. Anytime, the child cries in the absence of his mother, he immediately respond to the cuddle of the man. Unknown to other inhabitants, when the man is alone with the child he feeds his sperm to him, just as a mother breast feeds her child. The baby accepts thinking it breast milk. Upon a doctor's examination when the baby was sick, it was discovered that his internal organs were filled with sperm. The man was arrested after he was later caught in the act.  

The question remains what has caused such negative evolution in the behavioural patterns of some Nigerian men?

Why will a full grown man choose to satisfy whatever sex drive he has with an infant child? It does not take a microscope to see that there are many sick minds walking the streets, but from the outside they look very normal.

Another is the case of incest which is a taboo in all cultures. It has itself become news that moves frequently like the Eurostar trains that crosses the English Channel to France. Instances abound of this unpardonable and nonsensical behaviour from fathers, and in some instances, mothers, brothers and sisters alike.

In a suburb of Benin, a caller called into a radio programme to report how a man abuses his daughter after inducing her with drugs, she has had two abortions by her father. This again reveals countless other scenarios too numerous to mention. It has become so rampant that many just give it a wave of the hand like it nothing whenever a new case comes to light. This disturbing trend has continued in spite of the increased awareness of these things.

Nigeria has never been a society without laws; rather the institutions saddled with the responsibility of implementing these laws are as weak as a feeble bird that just fell into a well.

The Criminal Code Act and the Penal Code Act prescribes punishments for crimes for Southern and Northern Nigeria respectively. Section 358 and Section 283 of both Acts provides for life in imprisonment for any man who rapes a woman.

However, there is an exemption for those capable of committing rape. Section 30 of the Criminal Code Act states that a boy under the age of twelve is incapable of rape. The reason for this provision is based on the assumption that a boy at that age is incapable of having sexual intercourse. But such an assumption is based purely on law, and not on medical evidence judging by the current turn of events.

The punishment for rape is clearly spelt out in both laws above. But the issue of incest is quite worrisome as there is no where in the Criminal Code Act where punishment is prescribed for incest. But in the former Eastern States which makes up the current Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States, the Punishment of Incest Law, Cap 110, Laws of Eastern Nigeria 1963 provides for punishment for incest. While Section 390 of the Penal Code Act provides for a punishment of a term of imprisonment which may extend to seven years and the person shall also be liable to a fine.

On the issue of defilement of young girls above the age of thirteen years and under sixteen years, Section 221 of the Criminal Code Act provides for a punishment of two years. But this particular provision has been overtaken by time and events, as defilement carried out by criminal minded elements now affect children who are as low as two years of age. 

Although, offenders can be charged for indecent assault under Section 360 of the Criminal Code which is termed a misdemeanour (minor offence) with a punishment of a miserly two years. it has become necessary for punishment accorded to sexual offences to be realigned with present realities.

However, Section 137 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State 2011 gives a wider scope to defilement by stating that any person who has sexual intercourse with a child is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for life.

In spite of this, the laws in our climes have still fallen short of the events that are happening daily. There are several scenarios that our present criminal laws did not contemplate. This is why it has become imperative that proactive steps are taken to align these laws with present realities. Especially as regard the increasing defilement of under age girls within the ages of two and above. A measure should be in place that should see such offenders not only tried, convicted, but also sent for psychiatric evaluation.

Yet as the theme above, the laws and the agencies saddled with the responsibilities of upholding these laws remain a vessel idlying in the harbour while, the victims of rape and other sexual crimes wallow in the sea awaiting a rescue that may never come.

Benin City: From the Ambience of Street Credibility to the ambush of Street Cultism

Benin City: From the Ambience of Street Credibility to the ambush of Street Cultism by Eromose Ileso

The streets of the ancient city of Benin the capital of Edo state, old Bendel state and the Former Mid Western Region used to be a place where serenity reigns to a certain degree. It was a place where healthy competition for educational achievement was the pursuit of majority of the youths especially in the days when the Bendel and later Edo state Library Board was still a semblance of a library. 

In the different locations where these libraries were, there was a striving verve for a pursuit of excellence through studying. A case in point was the library located in the suburb of Okhoro. This library aided in shaping the educational destinies of various youths that lived in this area of the city when it was still functional. And many including this writer could attest to that fact. The library had two sections: a general reading section, and also a section that housed different books on various subjects.

It was easy then to see youths who after their daily school activities would proceed to the library after their domestic chores. The place was a Mecca of some sort especially during examination period. It was a place for the serious minded and the indolent. They all converged to do justice to their books. The indolent eventually ended up being influenced by the positivism of the serious ones who saw reading and studying as a tool to unravel the miseries of their life.

Besides the library, there was a striving artisan industry which was a glowing way by which those who could not cope with school education either by reason of finance or their inability to cope with the rigours of education. 

Those in this category where able to build a profession for themselves in the areas of being involved in carpentry, welding, mechanical, electrical , technical works, fashion designing  and learning the trade of buying and selling in different goods. It was easy to see those involved in this taking to it as a duck takes to water. It was a case of verve and fervour from those who found their way to this part of the divide in whatever circumstances it was that took them there.

In a nutshell, the library and artisanship were avenues through which youths and teenagers alike could channel their energies for the improvement of their lives.

Another very important tool that many used to occupy themselves besides education and artisanship was sports especially football. There were several known centres that were breeding grounds for emerging talents to display their skills. Areas like Iyaba Street in the Suburb of New Benin where the playing field inside the popular third cemetery was a field akin to the theatre of dreams. And it was from there the dreams of footballers like Yakubu Aiyegbeni were realized. That field today now houses a health centre and a wood processing industry. But, it still being used for football. AmbroseVansekin remains a regular visitor to the field.

Sadly the library and many other things highlighted above that were avenues through which youths could occupy themselves have all been confined to the vehicle of historical oblivion where the scenario now is a case of replaying the cards of nostalgia.

Although, there were remote and immediate causes which made things to go bad. 

Two significant issues accounted for why things have nosedived.

Firstly, the military administration of Adamu Iyam in 1994 and 1995 made several government agencies to be self sustaining without funding from the government. This complicated policy affected the running of the library board in Edo state. They could no longer sustain the previous template and several of its complexes were closed with workers going unpaid for months. The collapse of the library system in the state gradually eroded the reading culture prevalent in the past and a vacuum began to emerge and the spare time the youth had had to be spent one way or the other.

Besides that, the massive retrenchment carried out by that administration affected the growth of education in the State. A particular teacher known to this writer eventually resorted to selling wood and planks to keep life moving and that’s what that teacher still does till date.

The collapse of the school system brought about an educational vacuum that affected the psyche of students and teachers alike.

The vacuum spilled over and of major significance to the present state of affairs in the streets of Benin was the domino effect of what transpired in a particular institution in the city several years ago.

The Vice Chancellorship of Professor Aburime Anao of the University of Benin embarked on a policy of public renunciation of cultism from students who were members of different cult groups with an incentive of amnesty granted to them.

This policy while novel in outcome at the time it was implemented eventually led to a vacuum just like the vacuum created by the collapsed educational system, and the only way this vacuum could be filled was via the streets. The streets became a breeding ground where willing and unwilling youths were recruited and inducted into various groups as activities in different campuses scaled down due to the public renunciation.

Today in most suburbs of the city, you could easily see all categories of people involved in this social menace. From primary school students and to the rampant activities of those in secondary schools where students go as far as holding teachers and the entire school to ransom. Even those in the artisanship cadre are heavily involved in it. The menace is more serious in some suburbs in the city than others.

An instance is the suburb of Uselu. Which happens to be a cathedral of street cultism where there is always an under current that flows like a time bomb which when ignited inevitably leads to nearer to thee I have come.

The present state of most youths and teenagers in the city is no longer a case of going to library after school or on weekends, combining school with artisanship or attending lecture houses whose retainer where to sharpen the skills of students. 

Rather the situation now is a case of bickering amongst youths. It is on record that cult related killings amongst youths are now rampant in the streets especially when there is a supposed ‘war’ between rival cult groups. Then you would easily notice that many would completely go into hiding and the streets suddenly become hollow for a while. When the tension dies down, those that initially disappeared into thin air would make a return like a whale that initially went into the deepest part of the ocean.

The libraries and competent lecture houses which hitherto served as avenues of transformation have been replaced by mushroom private schools and lecture houses whose main calling is to perpetuate examination malpractice in various forms and shapes.

In the areas of artisanship, the fervour from apprentice of yesteryear have been replaced by inertia and slothfulness with the get rich syndrome now the crave of the moment amongst youths. Practically nobody wants to engage in the act of artisanship in the present times.

The effect of this state of affairs in the ancient city of Benin has reshaped many lives. The past festive season also witnessed the killing of several youth as a result of the same cult activities with the police making several arrest.

It is difficult to gauge whether such a menace can be tamed for the simple reason that it is a complicated network of passages that involves many people even to the top echelons of the society.

The Reality of the Niger Delta within the framework of Nigerian Environmental Laws

    

The Reality of the Niger Delta within the framework of Nigerian Environmental Laws by Eromose Ileso

Like a journey in the saddle of embracing riches, the journey to the heart of the Niger delta is one that reveals a deluge of mineral wealth yet, so much poverty. 

Facing the East west road from the Warri around about in Delta State, you are faced with a pristine road newly laid out, but not without a reminder of the relics of the militant activities that reveals copious road blocks manned by stern looking military men. 

A first time visitor to the area would have jumped high up of oh what a beautiful road. Yet as the journey moves beyond the Ughelli axis to the swampy terrain of Patani towards Sagbama, you are faced with the reality of what the Niger delta is just at face value. The soil paints a picture of Copacabana like beach sands, yet in reality it more like dancing in clay. The never ending construction to a dual carriageway on the road shows revamped bridges and construction of new ones within vast and little tributaries. 

However, the one lane that leads toward Yenagoa and Port Harcourt which is yet to be upgraded is not a path for the faint hearted. The road is so narrow; it makes the parking lot in some homes of bourgeois like a Formula One race track. 

Yet, the dancing and merry go round of Setraco's machinery continues unabated.

 Approaching Yenagoa, on the East West road, swamps of mud houses dots both sides of the road and the flooded plains that paints a grim picture of the environment.

The proposed site for the Musa Yar'adua International Airport which has been abandoned is another case of a white elephant project brewing itself in an environment with more pressing needs.    

Turning right from the East West road, and passing the city gate of Bayelsa State in Yenagoa, the welcome sign on the gate it where it mostly ends. The gate commands more beauty than the structures along the main road into Yenagoa.

The land is mushy with water all round, with so much sand filling taking place. The city of Yenagoa reeks of one without town planning. Houses and structures are muddled up together that you begin to wonder whether it is a capital city or a shantytown.

The Structures of the Nigerian Law School, The Naval Base which has what looks like a stream inside it compound as well as the many erected signs of direction pointing you to places like Government house, Otuoke, Amassoma and the likes are a few of the highlights there. 

Along Imiringi Road, just off the Tombia round about in Yenagoa, there are several wooden foot bridges linking the houses of inhabitants not far from the city centre which reveals what kind of land it is and what it would be like when it rains. Little wonder food items are expensive in Bayelsa because there is no land for farming.

The environment and people of the Niger delta are in a difficult situation in more ways than one. The environment cannot be revamped because of oil pollution, and the people cannot live a fulfilled life without a good environment.

The framework of Nigerian environmental laws which ought to stem this tide has largely been reactionary rather than proactive. 

Besides pre-colonial and received English laws, the first holistic framework on the environment in Nigeria was as a result of the toxic waste dump in Koko in 1988 which happened in the defunct Bendel State which is now in the present Delta State. 

The damage it caused to the environment prompted the then military government to enact The Harmful Wastes (Special Criminal Provisions) Decree and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Decree, both of 1988. These laws are now Acts of the Nigerian Parliament. However, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Act (FEPA Act) has been repealed by the NESREA Act passed in 2007 (National Environmental Standards and regulations Enforcement Agency)
Consequently, the NESREA Act has become the primary law on environmental protection while the new Agency has replaced the old Agency.

       The Agency is meant to do amongst other things, the following:
    
      

Enforce compliance with the provisions of international agreements, protocols,

conventions and treaties on the environment, including climate change,

biodiversity, conservation, desertification, forestry, oil and gas, chemicals,

hazardous waste, ozone depletion, marine and wild life, pollution, sanitation and

such other environmental agreements as may from time to time come into force;

Enforce compliance with policies, standards, legislation and guidelines on water

quality, environmental health and sanitation, including pollution abatement;

Enforce compliance with guidelines and legislations on sustainable management

of the ecosystem, biodiversity conservation and the development of the Nigeria’s

natural resources.

Sadly looking at the vast construction taking place in the Niger Delta particularly in Bayelsa State, there is no doubt that it for the benefit of the citizenry, but the likely environmental impact of these construction work have not been considered. The sand filling going on was possible as a result of the dredging of the surrounding rivers; this has it harmful effects to the natural balance of the ecosystem.

Secondly, without the necessary environmental impact assessment, the natural water beds and bodies in the delta have been altered to the extent that areas that would have naturally retained water have been destroyed. This contributed in no small measure to the devastating floods that hit vast areas of the Niger Delta in the summer of 2012.

Already, the exploitation of the oil mineral resources have caused irreparable damage to the environment in over half a century. Yet, if the relevant environmental impact assessment is not carried out with every passing construction work, the continuous damage to the environment of the Niger Delta will continue unabated thereby leaving generations unborn at the mercy of climate change, and in effect curtailing any hope of sustainable development in the Niger Delta.