The state protected abuse of Nigerian women

As the preparations for the inauguration of President Jonathan in Abuja were being finalised last week, Nigeria was front page news in Kenya. The battered face and neck of Tess Wige, wife of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Dr. Chijoke Wilcox Wigwe were plastered all over the front of the Star newspaper. The grandmother of five who had to be operated upon after receiving a beating from her husband and who is now in danger of paralysis due to the injury to her back decided to end years of silence about the abuse she has received. As we read this we may or may not have proof of the sincerity of President Jonathan and his wife towards the real empowerment of women who can make meaningful difference to Nigeria but one thing is sure; all the pending legislation to protect Nigerian women will have been aborted and tossed out – to start all over again with the 7th Assembly - once again at the mercy of the merciless legislators who parade themselves as representatives of Nigerians. The Violence Against Persons Prohibition bill which would have provided a little shelter for battered women (and others who are regularly brutalised by those in more powerful positions) was scuttled by the 6th Assembly. The Widowhood Bill to shield women from the degrading customs required from them as they grieve for their husbands and the fathers of their children remains still born, lost in the corridors of the National Assembly as women sit covered in ash and drinking the bath water of dead corpses. What is it about us that we refuse to be civilised about the treatment of our mothers, our sisters, our wives and our daughters? Where does this scorn come from? As women struggle like ants weighed down by raw cane sugar for equity and fairness in dealings at home and space at the table to form policy which will affect the future of our children - we continue to be beaten at home and humiliated in public. As the world looks upon our shame – shame which we have become unfortunately immune to, the head of the IMF had to resign in disgrace for molesting and assaulting an African who worked in the hotel where he lodged. The mere allegation, made by a woman who might not even be a US citizen was enough for the authorities to board a plane and pick up one of the most powerful men in the world – touted to become the next President of France and put a huge spanner in his career wheel. And Dominique Strauss- Kahn is still technically innocent until proven guilty. However in Nigeria our state and its officers sanction violence against women with their inaction, their silence and their refusal to even pass laws which will still have to pass through the hurdles of enforcement. As the Kenyan and Nigerian civil society organisations have sprung into action to push through the layers of protocol required to remove Dr. Wigwe’s immunity as a representative of Nigeria – and recall him as Nigeria’s envoy, it brings it closer to home what is at stake for us. On one hand there are calls for him to be prosecuted in Kenya – the scene of the crime – because some fear that Tess Wigwe will not get justice in Nigeria especially against an elite member of government and society. From what we know about our judicial process, the case will quickly stretch out for years with Wigwe probably still enjoying the prestige of being a member of Nigeria’s diplomatic corps while his wife will remain bruised and ostracised by a brutalised society which knows only how to align with power. However, if President Jonathan and the 2015 class of administrators are serious about improving the lot of women and by extension society, then Nigeria needs to recall Dr Wigwe immediately, suspend him from service and ensure he is prosecuted fairly and quickly. And when and if found guilty, retired immediately. The reasons why Dr. Wigwe must be made an example of on Nigerian soil are very simple. One, as long as women continue to be beat up, degraded and abused in all sorts of ways in the home – with the silent complicity of society – this same society will continue to reject women in positions of power. A few weeks ago, Timipre Sylva, Governor of Bayelsa was reported to have slapped a female guest at a party – of course there are various versions of the story but there is no trail of crumbs without a cookie. As long as public figures continue to uphold the culture of abuse against women, then it will take a lot more than 15 women in the cabinet to change perceptions. Two, if Kenya successfully prosecutes Wigwe for assault, battery and causing grievous bodily harm then Nigerian men will continue to feel safe and will save the beatings for their wives for when they are on Nigerian soil. It is only when our courts and judges are encouraged to handle enough of these cases that we will begin to build the expertise and the confidence that the legal system needs to protect women from domestic and other violent crimes. All the progressive jurisdictions that we love to borrow from; places our legislators, executive and judiciary like to visit to supposedly learn from have all used the judiciary at one time or the other to handle hard social issues like this. What was Brown v Board of Education about? It was about ending segregation in American schools and someone had to be the Brown who would bring the case to court. So let Tess Wigwe be the Wigwe in Wigwe v Wigwe which will give Nigerian women the protection they so, literarily, sorely and achingly need.
If the decency of a nation is measured in the way it treats its children, then it is not far fetched to assume that for a society to be decent it must also treat the mothers of its children well. The Chinese say it is a curse to say ‘may you live in interesting times’ – I take the interesting times we live in as a blessing and it is the good luck of President Jonathan to be given this great opportunity to walk the talk of election promises and do right by Nigerian women.