By Adnan Abdullahi Adam
There are multiple layers of themes to be deciphered in the case tragedy which involved Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu, a 21-year-old 300 level mass communication student of UNILAG, and Micheal Osifo Ataga, CEO of Super TV. Presently , what is all known is Miss Ojukwu’s self-confession of whom police considered to be incontrovertible facts by the chief suspect. Pending police investigation, she will remain behind the bar for further questionings and possible legal trial.
Mr Ataga was killed in an apartment room in Lekki area of Lagos state, until the time he was discovered by the State Police Command. At the moment, his family and associates are deeply in grief by this unfortunate and embarrassing incident. Only time will unfold the outcome of this sort of debacle. And as usual, when this news hit news headlines, Nigerians debated and discussed the story endlessly both online and off-line.
However, we cannot arrive at definite conclusion as Mr Ataga is not alive to recount his own version, as legal aphorism cautioned to ” Hear from the other side”. But even with current preliminary investigations there is need to stop and cast our sober reflections and soul-searching over the whole tragic incident. This unfortunate incident has captured public imagination. Because it is an avatar of moral degradation of youths often times, aided by supposed’ responsible’ old married men in our society.
One source of worrisome is how drug abuses and alcohol are wrecking havoc on lives youths today. As the case of Chidinma who confessed before the police that she was on high drugs when she stabbed Mr Ataga to his untimely death. There is lesson to be learned and something urgent most be done to stem the evil of drugs abuse. If not, drug abuse will continue to blot out lives to the extent that our future is bleak.
We have to retrace our steps to find the missing link. Khalil Jibran says, “He who seeks ecstasy in love should not complain of sufferings”. Whenever an individual loses his self-direction and self-control he might commit any sort of horrible criminal offence. Why a female student, in university campus preferred to be ‘Side Chick’, and on the other side, why an old man would cheat his matrimonial promise in order to be ‘Sugar Daddy’ to a young girl old enough to be his daughter’s age mate.
As UNILAG management issued its report findings, Chidinma was last seen in the university premises before Covid-19 lockdown, and she does not bother to attend her academic lectures and to do her tests and assignment. The report by the university stated that, she has never written 300 level examinations along with her friends and has never return to UNILAG since the resumption this semester earlier this month June. One aspect is negative peer group influence in our university campuses.
Moreover, there is negative effect of sexualised society where women trade their body for any mundane material profit. Largely, our society being portrayed by films and music videos, women are only sex machine, to be used and discarded. They dress in scantly, tight-fitting and half-naked outfits. Their stock in trade is to satisfy men’s lust and to trade their body for money. This aggravates level of cheating and infidelity to be prevalent even among married men and women.
In that respect, some young ladies think in self-depreciating manner, that if they are to get job, it is by sleeping around with men. Just like Chidinma, to use her most precious assets to get favour over a man. Knowledge, skills and hard work are not all important in life; sex is the only selling-point. Some fractions of women think that they will only get job with the power that they monopolize to subdue men to their whims and caprices.
Another aspect to reflect upon is men are naturally polygamous they are created by God to love more than one woman. If in his religion it is allowed to have more than one wife, allowed him, don’t allowed grudges to cloud your rational judgement. Some house wives assume they can control their husbands from loving another woman. This is absolutely impossible with the proliferation many young ladies looking around for suitors.
One point of refection is these lodgings and accommodations which became safe haven for ‘Side-Chicks’ and their ‘Sugar-Dads’. These rooms and short-let accommodations serve as hide-out for young ladies to engage in sexual escapade. They provide a perfect cover for these fallen women and their impious patronisers. In effect, prostitution is outlawed in Nigeria; authorities should enact some regulations regarding their operation.
Why a father and husband sacrifice his matrimonial home to the 21 old year university student? It is reprehensible to solicit carnal knowledge with a young lady even with her full consent. As Chidinma told the police that it was Mr Ataga who beg her to search for them a short-let apartment and he paid for it on Sunday, 13th June,2021. Chidinma told the police that it was Mr Ataga who gave her his ATM and PIN number which he used to withdraw N380, 000:00 from his bank account.
This incident serves as wakeup call on parents to be very observant with their sons and daughters. They must know their whereabouts and guide them for the social, attitudinal, emotional and mental wellbeing. It is an obligatory task to guide and counsel your juniors about the multiple hazardous nature of the complex life today. Chidinma outsmarts her parent by hiding her dubious relationship with Mr Ataga, and she lied to them on that fateful day, that she was going to do ushering job.
Nigeria is a dearer to us our father land, we need upright men and women who can change its present circumstances. Our country is one of most complex nation in the world, all hands most be put on deck to salvage this nation from falling into dark abyss. We must collectively strive to stop the nation from crumbling into pieces. Moral virtue must be promoted for younger generation to emulate. Family institutions must be valued as the bedrock of societal strength or weakness. “As family goes, so goes the nation, so goes the whole world” Said Benjamin Franklin.
Adam writes from Ungogo Local Govt. Kano
E-mail: adnanadam37@gmail.comTwitter: @realadnantweet
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
