Nigeria needs to tackle the issues of suicide and domestic child trafficking; these have become too pronounced and in steady re-occurrence presently .
One reacts to a problem when he cannot take it anymore. The question: to what extent can one go in finding a lasting solution to a problem.
Nigeria needs to tackle the issues of suicide and domestic child trafficking; these have become too pronounced and in steady re-occurrence presently .
Events
One can rightly agree that there seems to be a break-out of different anomalies of recent in the country. It is like a contagious plague which grips society, disarms the system and puts a question mark on the activities carried out by the government and the governed. The country is faced with a new phase of problems which must have been in re-occurrence over the last few years, but there seem to be no lasting solutions or a solution, at all. Nigeria is knee-deep in corruption, crimes of unending list, terrorist attack, and the list goes on and on. On the other hand, it now tackles the issue of suicide and domestic child trafficking.
Suicide
Suicide was and still is a taboo in ancient Africa. The most popular was in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958), where the major character takes his life, because he feels betrayed by his kinsmen, so also, he cannot stand to be arrested by the white colonial masters.
In those days, people, who committed suicide were never buried close to home; they were thrown into the evil forest, because they committed a taboo against the land. It was unheard-of for one to take his life, no matter the circumstances. The communal system then made people their brother’s keeper, and the extended family system brought comfort to either the bereaved or a depressed person.
Read: Heartbroken man commits suicide after being dumped by girlfriend.
Unfortunately, in this time, people take their lives like no man’s business. It is unfortunate with the number of people that exist around a person --colleagues at work or school, well-meaning neighbours, social and religious groups, but people still take their lives by jumping into deep waters, hanging, firearms, slitting their wrists or overdosing on drugs. It is obvious that there is something wrong somewhere, someone is not doing their job well or the society isn’t just getting it right.
Although the extended family is being gradually replaced by the nuclear system of mind-your-business, where people care less about their neighbours; that is why people commit suicide in their rooms, and are found only when their corpse decay.
Nigeria has recorded enormous number of deaths of late due to suicide. It is now the talk of town on social media. It is a wonder how a nation that used to be held as one of happiest in the world now struggles with preserving the life of its citizens through safeguarding bridges, putting-up campaigns on social media or billboards, on safeguarding lives, running talk shows on air or giving free counselling for depressed persons.
Investigations proved that most of these suicide or suicide attempts were as a result of numerous reasons. Some of the reasons behind one taking his life are: poverty, fear of the unknown, depression, disappointment, or heartbreak. But out of all these mentioned, the most common cause is poverty. Of recent, Nigeria witnessed a traumatic downsizing in all ramifications, where it witnessed a massive inflation. The country was not prepared and neither did it in envision to be hit by such heavy economic tide that nearly brought it to its knees.
Unfortunately, people ran into enormous debt: hundreds of companies, firms and establishments packed up, millions of people were laid off from their jobs, businesses came to a standstill, the cost of living skyrocketed and some people were reduced to begging for survival. It was unimaginable, it was as though the country was hit from behind, and landed on its bare behind. Consequently, corruption, crimes, migration, human trafficking, death, and debts scaled the Iroko tree, and refused to descend. People sought for the easiest and fastest way to survive. Some people who were highly affected went into depression, and at a point, settled for suicide.
Domestic Child Trafficking
The present state of the nation seems worse, because both the rich and the poor seem to partake in the hardship. Most people have turned to selling either their infants, toddlers or teenagers in order to feed or send the rest to school. It was actually in the era of slave trade that people sold their never-do-well children to slave traders, not to feed, because food was in abundance, but to teach that child a lesson for their disobedience. Today, it is a big shame that religious leaders, medical practitioners and elders engage in domestic child trafficking. Obviously, their (parents) crime was that they sold their children, but for what reason, if not only to put food on the table for the rest?
Read Also: UN scribe says human traffickers make $150bn annually.
Although a lot has been done to curb suicide or domestic child trafficking, but it could help if government looks on the brighter side, by tackling the main issue behind these disgraceful actions: hunger. The government can start with tackling the hunger in the land, because one cannot beat a child and ask him not to cry – it happens only in Africa. One thing is sure, humans are too good to create avenues for survival –whether it is legal or illegal. In other words, suicide and domestic child trafficking could continue if no lasting solutions are put in place.
Written by Udemezue, Oluoma
Udemezue, Oluoma loves to read and write; she also enjoys movies and meeting new people. Oluoma believes that life is nothing without a little touch of romance, thriller and reality. Catch her on: udemezueoluoma@yahoo.com, Udemezue, Oluoma Judith on Facebook, Instag- oluomaudemezue, and Twit- @Udemezueoluoma.