Bianca Iboma-Emefu                                                

Convener of the Warien Rose Foundation, Efe Anaughe says Sodomy is “veritably poisoning” Nigeria’s society: “The gay community is creeping gradually into the Nigerian society, with the uproar to practice it thriving in the Nigeria’s urban settings and academic community. Many young lads are being initiated around their environment, in the least expected places, without the knowledge of their parents.”

She said at the Domestic Violence Anonymous (DVA) session, Festac, Lagos: “Children have the right to a home environment that is safe and secured, as well as free from violence. The  idea of men and women having carnal knowledge of each other is generally regarded as an aberration and deviant behaviour which society abhorred for centuries.

“In biblical times, the story of the punishment God meted to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah comes to mind. That experience is a reminder that man should not violate the natural order. But over the years, Western nations have worked to force the human race to accept open display of homosexual culture and tendencies across all cultures and societies. They have promoted it among youths and deviant social groups.

“Domestic violence can easily be ignored, as it often happens without any witness. Governments must specifically allocate resources to support children who are exposed to violence in the home, within the overall context of preventing and providing support for adult victims of domestic violence.

“These interventions should support children who are exposed to domestic violence, and be crucial in minimising the long-term harm.

Some innovative programmes should be created to address the needs of these children. For instance, the training of staff who, work with children to detect early warning signs and to provide appropriate responses and support.

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Early detection programmes that train health care workers that ask women about domestic violence can also help to break the silence and encourage women to seek help. Much can be changed by bringing this problem into the open. The message to all must be that domestic violence is damaging to everyone,  ncluding children who are exposed to it.

“There are customs that validate domestic violence and dismiss its impact on children, this must be challenged.  Public education works, protective policies put in place by governments must be matched by efforts to change attitudes and traditions, which condone abuse. As long as violence in the home is shrouded in silence, the violence will continue.

“Government needs to carry a primary responsibility, that would ensure that children, women are safe and secured in their homes. And that can take several key steps to ensure this. Violence should not have a place in a child’s life, with a clear vision and concrete action. We can and must give children a brighter and more peaceful future.

“To curb the frequent cases, parents should be careful with places they allow their children to visit, errands they go. During school hours, monitor those they associate with whether at home, neighbourhood  or in religious places, a lot of avoidable sexual abuses take place.”

Anaughe spoke of an experience that happened sometime ago to a close relative, which would have been avoided: “Across a street where the young lad was sent to buy something from a Mallam’s kiosk and the boy was sodomised. It is pertinent to note that the advent of satellite broadcasting has continued to pose a serious challenge to our traditional cultures, religious values and our identity as a people.

“Our youths are now being deceived by the international media with values that are at variance with our culture and the teachings of our religion. What is happening in the Nigerian society is a result of international influence and urbanisation.

“As people move from villages to the cities, they are detached from their ancestral authority, parents, chiefs and others. Anti-social behaviours that used to be tackled are no longer tackled all because of modernisation; essentially, people are destroying themselves.”