Has Bisexuality come to stay in Nigeria: Onajite Ohwevwo as a case study.

Has Bisexuality come to stay in Nigeria: Onajite Ohwevwo as a case study.

Despite, the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, signed into law on January 7, 2014, by former President Goodluck Jonathan, which was seen as a sweeping piece of legislation, Nigeria has continued to be confronted with an increasing surge of bisexual relationships among its population.

The Nigerian Same Sex Relationship law sternly criminalizes public display of affection between same-sex couples and restricts the work of organizations defending gay people and their rights. 

The law infact imposes 14 year prison sentence on anyone who enters into a same -sex marriage contract or civil union, " and a 10 year sentence on individuals or groups, including religious leaders, who witness, abet, and aid the solemnization of same-sex marriage or union.

It also imposes 10 year prison sentence on those who directly or indirectly make public show of same-sex amorous relationship and anyone who registers, operates, or participates in gay club, societies and organizations, including supporters of those groups.

However, despite the harsh penalties attached to the practice of bisexual relationship in the country, which ordinarily ought to have mitigated or perhaps, serve as an instrument of deterrence to those who may want to engage in it, or, who are already engaged in it, it has unfortunately failed to achieve its anticipated objective.

Rather, what we have experienced over the last few years, is the astronomical surge of bisexual relationship among the country's teeming population- a development that has  been attributed to the failure of the government to effectively enforce the legislation banning bisexual relationships.

The widely publicized case of a female culprit, Onajite Ohwevwo, a married woman and public school teacher, who was recently caught in bed with her female partner, is one of the sad reminder that, the legislation has not helped matters.

Perhaps, we don't need to be told that, unless the federal government rise up to its responsibility of ensuring that culprits of same-sex relationships are not only arrested, prosecuted and punished according to the dictates of the law prohibiting the abominable practice in the country, which is fast gaining traction among Nigerians, particularly among its young population, we might just begin to see or welcome it, as an acceptable norm in our society 

 As it stands, if the federal government continues with it's nonchalant attitude of prosecuting culprits of Same-sex relationship, which many Nigerians believe is responsible for the increasing surge of same-sex relationships in the country, Nigerians may well consider taking the laws into their hands, as we saw in the case of Onajite Ohwevwo, who was on the verge of being lynched by an angry mob before she was rescued by law enforcement agents.

Although Onajite Ohwevwo, may have escaped being lynched by the angry mob, the leaders and elders of Oton Community, where she and her husband hails from, must nevertheless be commended for ostracizing her and members of her family from the community, and also placing fatwa on them.

Notwithstanding the position of Western nations and propagators of gay relationship on our stance against practitioners of bisexual relationship, which they claim, undermines their basic universal freedom, gay relationship is a taboo to our culture and values, and must not be permitted to take root in our society.

Added to this, is the fact that, the two leading religions in our nation( Christianity and Islam) frowns at it, and gives no room to its practice in any form.

To ensure that bisexuality doesn't take root in our society, we as a people must have to look beyond the laws enacted by the government to stem the ugly tide, this is even more so, given the fact that, the law prohibiting the detestable and base act has been ineffective in deterring its practitioners, even as Nigerian had expected it to do so.

As it stands, Nigerians, must on their own initiate ways to stem this moral canker worm that is speedily ravaging the moral and social fibre of our society.

This must begin at the family unit, which is the most strategic agent of socialization.

It behoves on parents to start educating their wards early on the abominable practice of bisexuality. They must let their children know, it is not only alien to us, it is against everything our culture and moral values stands for.

Our religious bodies must also take initiative and be at the forefront of the campaign; they must emphasize to their followers that, Christianity and Islam abhors bisexual relationships.

They must use every available opportunity to educate their followers of what both religions talks about bisexuality and gay relationships.

The fundamental truth remains, until we win the war against gay relationships and all that it stands for, our society and moral and cultural values are in trouble.

Abiodun Temitope, writes from Lagos