By AbdulMaliq Mopelola Bashir
The story of the blue-eyed woman caught the state, and by extension the nation unaware. It was a story that is laced with a uniqueness: the uniqueness of a blue-eyed woman and her blue-eyed children in an environment where all eyes are expected to be either brown or black. This story, aside from the blue eyed peculiarity, also had a taste of matrimonial malfunctioning, which is one of the commonest issues in this clime where everything has almost fallen apart.
Accept that the stories woven around the neglects that the blue eyed woman and her children suffered are true and real, the question we need to ask ourselves is: is this the first of its kind. My answer is NO. As it is no longer news that at every second, minute and hour, marital dysfunctions stare us in the face in this state, especially in Ilorin, a city with a solid religious foundation.
In as much as one appreciates that it is a fundament human right to form opinion on any issue, and express such opinion without let or hindrance, one must also recognizes that talks and opinions in most cases do not by themselves transform into action. Care must therefore be taken to separate the chaff from the wheat in this story, and ensure that we put forward sustainable templates for resolving the kind of issues generated by the blue-eyed woman, her husband and their children.
In ensuring that sustainable action plans are created in nipping issues like this that litter our communities in the bud. The following suggestions should be looked into:
Creating a Counselling unit in the Ministry for Social Development: Marital counsellors should be employed into the ministry that is charged with women affairs and social development and a unit should be created in this ministry to handle marital counselling. This unit should be headed by a competent hand preferably a woman that can be designated as a director or Unit Head who will along with other capable hands oversee the activities of the unit.
Mandating a Counselling Session for all would be Couple: This involves making attendance of a counselling session a must for all intending couple. The couple i.e the husband and wife to be should be compelled to attend the counselling session.
To make the above suggestion effective, the extant laws of the state on marriage must be reviewed to stipulate a fine or stringent measures that would be melted on whoever conducted a marriage without first ensuring that the couple attended the counselling session.
Incorporation of some Religious and traditional leaders into the Counselling Session of would be Couple: The role of religious and traditional leaders in societal wellbeing cannot be over emphasized. Their roles as the custodians of culture and values can also not be wished away.
It is in appreciation of the above fact that the input of those leaders in the issue of marriage and its attendant challenges is of paramount importance.
Public Education Enlightenment: Education and enlightenment is also needed to expose the public to the evils of marital disharmony and divorce. To ensure that a workable template is created for a sustainable public enlightenment and education, all relevant ministries should work together by putting their thinking caps on. The relevant ministries like Education, Social development, Ministry of Information and the office of the First Lady of the State have critical roles to play to stem the tide of the destructive menace of marital dysfunction.
Broadening of School Curriculum: School Curriculum at basic and post basic classes should be broadened to include topics that deal with the issue of marital harmony, disharmony and other related issues.
Also, at the tertiary levels, the General Studies and other assorted Courses should expand their curriculum to incorporate issues of Matrimonial malfunctioning and other challenges bedevilling contemporary matrimonial homes in Nigeria viz a viz what is obtainable in the Western World.
In conclusion, the current spike in family malfunction leading to divorce, and their attendant challenges deserve holistic and sustainable approaches in resolving them. All hands must therefore be on deck to nip them in the bud in the interest of the future generation and the betterment of the society.
*AbdulMaliq Mopelola Bashir is the Coordinator of the Women Wing, Kwara Must Change*
She can be reached via *[email protected]*
