In the house
The two-year old girl did not know she
was going to die on the fateful day. She
thought mummy truly cared and would
do all to protect her from harm. But, on
this day, mummy had her head in the
clouds and her brain in the blender.
She had had a hard time, getting to the
market, and a most stressful time
shopping at the market. And you know
Nigerian markets. She was cooking a
lovely pepper soup meal for the family.
It was nice and hot and she had spent
all day cooking. So, with frayed nerves
and short tempers, she wondered why
the baby could not understand her
predicament and wait to be fed. How
can she be crying of hunger when mom
was doing her best with this lovely
soup?
Anyway, mummy will just pop into the
toilet for a second. She warned the
baby not to go near the pot. ‘Hot, hot,
hot’, she said to the hungry baby. Well,
to cut a long story short, the baby
decided to feed herself and grabbed the
pot off the cooker, upending the
contents on herself. I think the doctor
said it was 90 per cent burns. Or was it
95 per cent? It doesn’t matter, as the
job was effective. Sad that it took the
baby a whole day to die!
Children burning and injuring
themselves in the home is a tale you
hear every day. I am not even talking
about those who leave their children
with housemaids no older than the
child.
In the car
You should take your one and only child,
a beautiful baby boy, for a drive. Please,
take your husband along! He made the
baby and needs to participate in the
killing process. Let your husband drive,
as usual, since he owns the car and you
can sit beside him as the ‘Madam.’
Once in the car, please ensure you put
on your seat belts, after all, you do not
trust Nigerian drivers, especially the
‘dangerous, cold hearted, untutored taxi
drivers in Lagos.’
Once a taxi driver hits you in Nigeria,
they are either prostrating on the floor,
begging for forgiveness; or you see their
tail lights as they speed off in a ‘hit and
run style.’ If you can still see, that is.
Anyway, once you are safely ensconced
in the car, please leave your child in the
back, preferably unrestrained, or better,
allow him to stand between mom and
dad, so he can see the ‘Okada’ as it
drives recklessly towards your car. Or,
maybe, it is your husband who is driving
recklessly towards the ‘Keke Napep!’
Doesn’t matter really! The important
point is that someone should cause an
accident that allows your boy to become
a projectile through the windshield.
If the windshield is already cracked,
then it will be easier for your child to
land on the concrete asphalt. But if it is
a new car from Korea, then his severe
head injury might actually occur in the
car — for you to see.
What I hate is the Nollywood style tears
that usually follow this scenario. As if it
wasn’t the plan all along. The plan was
to kill your own child, through utter
stupidity, abject ignorance and fake
affluence.
The message
Yes, some things are accidental and
stuffs happen. But, sometimes,
carelessness and lack of thought leads to
the scenarios painted. I am sorry if it is
all too shocking for you and perhaps the
title is a bit melodramatic. But, these
things happen and keep happening in
our community.
There was a time I would try to stop
cars in which the baby or a young child
was unrestrained and vulnerable. But I
have since stopped after receiving
insults. One mother asked me, ‘Why is
it your business? Is it your child?’
That’s when it struck me that I may
have been messing up their plans.
Perhaps childcare and nursery school
fees had become a problem, a big drain
on the family’s finances and some
people had to be sacrificed (I use that
word advisedly!).
The police
Sometimes, I wonder what the job of
the Nigerian police really is. These are
obvious crimes being committed in
broad daylight and with the police as
witnesses.
Yet, they are oblivious to the plight of
the child — Nigeria’s future leaders.
They are busy hiding from Boko Haram
they have no idea what else is going on
around them!
So what can we do?
Please join me today to protest loud
and clear, such that even the deaf may
hear our voices.
Children must be restrained in cars. Car
seats must be imported or
manufactured to ensure safety for
children. Surely, they cannot be more
expensive that a trip to the casualty.
Older children must be trained to use
the seat belt. Remember, there is
nothing wrong in Madam sitting in the
back to carry the baby while wearing a
seat belt.
Finally, please beg our policemen and
women to do their sworn duty to
protect each member of the society,
especially the vulnerable.
I know it is hard being a parent and
accident occurs every day in the home.
However, we must be ever so careful
and do all we can to protect the
children. They come first, above all else.
I mean some women will give all they
have to be blessed with a child. Yet,
some who are blessed fail to do all they
can to protect their most important
asset.
This is the truth and yes, the truth
hurts.
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