SHAMING CULPRITS IN OUR MARKET PLACES

SHAMING
CULPRITS IN OUR MARKET PLACES
By
Philip
IDEH
I have been
fascinated to read in our esteemed Weekly newspaper, the “Ika
Weekly Newspaper “ and the Ikaworld Website, about miscreants in
our society being paraded and shamed in our our Market Places, with a
view to probably humiliating them in order to make them turn a new
leaf or turn away from crime!
May
be, this practice has deep roots in our local psyche because at
Primary School, some pupils who stole money from their parents or
guardians or misbehaved, had been made to kneel or stand up in front
of the Class, for a duration of one, two or even three hours for
everyone to see them and sometimes, some of them even carried
placards with their “crimes” emblazoned on these placards!
In
years gone by, may be at the AFIA OGBOMA MARKET, may be a woman who
stole some of her neighbour’s wares in the Market Place, had been
paraded by, probably youths, beating their gongs and cymbals while
parading the luckless woman, usually strewn or painted with chalk,
“Nzu”, all over her body, in the public place. I
wish to point out that with time, our attitude to certain attitudes
change.
In
Britain, the award winning former correspondent and BBC presenter,
George Alagiah who originally came from Sri Lanka to live in Britain,
married his white wife while at the University and they have two
children. George has been running a series of programmes on the
change of attitude in Britain towards mixed- race people in Britain.
His programmes showed how the British, since before the First World
war and well into the 1950s , hated the Chinese, Arabs, and Black
people whom they accused of stealing their girls and taken over their
jobs! In fact there was this myth that once a white woman had been
with a Black man, she would find it difficult to go back to her white
folk! There were even race riots at which the Whites vented their
spleen on Black people but all that has now changed considerably and
there are now children of mixed race people all over Britain.
Even
in some parts of the United States of America, not too long ago,
Black men were practically lynched for lusting over white women but
all that has now changed considerably!

Recently, we have read of a wealthy politician, seducing
somebody’s wife and plying her with money; another ill-fated
widower who was caught committing adultery with a married woman who
did not tell him that she was married and they were paraded in the
Market Place. There was also, the intriguing case of John ONUWA,
alias “Warlokoh” who stole some tubers of yams from a farm in
Umunede in the Ika NorthEast Area of Delta State.
Some
tubers of yams were strung on his neck and he was paraded round the
Market. I believe he was allowed to go after this ignominious
exercise which did not seem to make him repent of his action as soon
after, he was caught stealing wares from a Lady’s Provision Store,
while dressed as a woman on a rain drenched night!

He
was seen by a passer-by who accosted him but he drew out a cutlass or
machete to threaten the person who dared to interrogate him!

However, luck soon ran out against John Onuwa because
another person stopped over at the Shop to find out what was going-on
at that time of the night! John showed a clean pair of heels and
escaped from the scene but the incident was reported to Vigilante
Groups who went in hot pursuit and apprehended him.

The goods he had stolen were recovered from him and
given back to the woman who owned the Store and John were handed over
to the Police. To me, this was the right action to take!

Unfortunately, nothing more has been heard of this
fascinating case! What did the Police do with John Onuwa? Was he
interrogated and released? Was he charged to Court? It would be
interesting to have some answers to these questions as John must have
committed a crime embellished in our penal Code by using a Cutlass or
matchete to threaten an intruder! Did he get away with this
behaviour?

John Onuwa did not seem to have learnt a lesson
after being paraded in the Market Place when he stole yams from an
Umunede Farm. Is he just a miscreant, a petty thief or criminal? What
did the Police do with him? Was he sent to jail?

If we have adequate Social Services, perhaps he
would have benefited from Counselling?

Dehumanising or humiliating our citizens is an
affront on their Human Rights and Nigeria is a signatory to the
United Nations Human Rights Convention. We should not condone
deviants or perpetual law breakers in our community but we should try
not to take the Law into our own hands in order to mete out Justice
to offenders.

I would suggest that when we accost a criminal,
Security Agents such as our Vigilante Groups or the Police, should be
called and the culprits handed over to them. It is their
responsibility to carry out the necessary investigations and to take
further necessary action. The Police Authorities in Ikaland have
promised to do their best to rid the two Local Government Areas of
hoodlums menacing the peace loving members of those communities.
In
the past, our people have suffered injustice from individuals, the
Community, Society or the Government but in the 21st
Century, the Federal or State Government should try to enact enabling
Laws to help individuals or organisations to establish companies or
infrastructures which would give employment to those who do not have
jobs and are therefore tempted to take to stealing in order to
survive.

Our
Churches and numerous Evangelisation bodies could organise
Counselling Sessions for our priapric men with the hope of getting
them and their liaisons out of their promiscuous tendencies or
inclinations.
The
Police Authorities have been shouting at the top of their voices that
they are ever ready to rid the society of violent armed robbers;
perhaps we should believe that they would keep their promise.
With
all these measures in place, the people of Ikaland would begin to
reap the dividends of sustainable development of the society and
perhaps, stop the practice of parading miscreants in the market
places!

 

IT IS ONLY
GOD THAT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF NIGERIA—Rev. Kelvin Okundaye.
–By
Augustine Ekamagule
A man of God
and presiding Pastor, Ambassadors of Christ, Oza House, Ime Obi,
Agbor, Rev Kelvin Okundaye has called on all Nigerians to fully
embrace God with their hearts, saying that the present problems
militating against the progress of the country can only be solved if
the people seek God’s face. Rev. Okundaye handed down this advice
during the week in an interview with Ika Weekly at the company’s
corporate office in Agbor.
According
to him, Nigeria as a nation has not reached the level it is expected
to be spiritually, socially-politically and economically because God
is not happy with the ways things are being done in the country “I
am speaking on a diving perspective as God has directed me to speak
to the nation that Nigeria is struggling to develop because its
leaders failed to recognized me (God) Nigerian leaders have been
trying to use conventional methods to solve the problem of the
country, it will not work until the right things are done. People
are blaming the security agents for the increased rate of bombings
and killings in the country, it is not their fault because the
solution to all these will only come from the throne of God”
Rev.
Okundaye who revealed in his previous interview with Ika Weekly that
the Agbor kingdom is a spiritual throne of God said God has sent a
David to conquer every Goliath hindering the development of Nigeria
not only in the area of security but also in all sectors of
government. When God comes into all the government sectors in
Nigeria, Rev. Okundaye assured that everything will start functioning
effectively.

Speaking
further, the man of God said he is not talking from a spectators
point of view but rather as an insider whom God has been using to
intercede for Nigeria since the past twenty years, hence, he is
calling on all those that the devil is using to create problem in
this country to repent and accept God as their Lord and personal
saviour. He pointed out that Nigeria will experience geometrical
growth both in economic and technological advancement when its
leaders and citizens allows God to rule over them, adding that for
God’s vision for Nigeria to come to pass, there are specific
vessels chosen by Him which the Nigerian government must work with.
He said those vessels are servants of God who are not necessarily
general overseers of their churches or leaders in Christian
Association of Nigeria, C.A.N or Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria,
(PFN).
“If
President Goodluck Jonathan is able to get these vessels, he should
set up a tink tank committee with an office at the presidency where
prayers will be offered on a regular basis for our country Nigeria.
As a young and dynamic leader, if President Jonathan works with what
God is saying through his servants in his time, Nigeria will
experience rapid development.
The clergy
man further revealed that God at this end time is using Nigeria to
explain things that will be happening in other parts of the world
“This is not the first time God is speaking to me. During the time
of regime of General Sani Abacha, He asked me to tell Abacha that if
he did not settle the case between him and Abiola He (God) will be
the one to settle it. Few weeks after I revealed the prophecy Abacha
died. God has given me the discernment to understand the problems of
Nigeria and how to solve it through His divine throne. Rev. Okundaye
therefore, urged all Nigerians to put God first in all they do and at
the same time listen to the vessels of God who have been divinely
placed in different parts of Nigeria to be interceding for the
country.

 

PRINCE
MOSES IJIE’S FAMILY DEDICATES CHILD
It was a
moment of joy and special thanksgiving to the Almighty God, when the
entire family members, friends and well-wishers of Agbor Ijie family
converged at the Victorious Army Ministry, along Mordi Street Agbor
to dedicate their baby, little Princess Malise Nkem Moses Ijie.
Delivering
a message at the pragramme, the pastor of the church, Pastor Emma
said that the children of God have only one God that they should put
their trust in, at all times. Reffering to the Book of Isaiah 8:18,
the man of God said that the other gods only perform magic to the
deception of unbelievers and the heathen. He urged the congregation
to strive to make themselves holy at all times, so that they will be
blessed by the Almighty God. Also referring to the Book of Ezekiel
37:1-10, Pastor Emma said that it is not over until it is over,
saying that they should never relent in their service to God. He
enjoined the congregation to always sing praises to the Almighty God,
and that the Lord Jesus Christ who turned water into wine is still
alive, and will turn their situations around for the better. He
reminded them that the blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed on the
cross is still available for all who repent of their evil ways and
give their live to the service of God. He urged them to do away with
things that do not bring glory to God, such as and drunkenness and
idolatry. He enjoined them to always shun gossip, and to mind their
businesses.
Pastor Emma
urged the father of the little child to take proper care of the baby,
saying that the life of little Princess Malise is in the hand of God.
He added that it is only God that gives and that the baby will be a
blessing not only to her family, but also to everyone around her.
High point
of the service was the dedication of Princes Malise Nkem Moses Ijie
to God, accompanied by a dedicatory prayer.
In an
interview with Ika Weekly,
the father of the little baby, Prince Moses Ijie said that the death
of his lovely wife whom he lost during child birth, though was a
painful one, he has taken consolation in the fact that the little
baby that was left behind by the mother will grow up to become very
great in the future. He gave glory to God for the dedication of
little Princes Malise Nkem Moses Ijie to God.