Oguta Community Ends Harmful Widowhood Practices …commends Communal Care Center DG, Bennett on her efforts

By Stanley Okehie

Excitement has taken over the better part of women of Oguta community in Oguta Council Area of Imo State following the abolition of age long widowhood practices in the community.

The obnoxious widowhood practices abolished were; period of mourning, shaving of hair, restriction of movement and eating time and widow inheritance.

Other harmful traditions abolished in the community are female genital mutilation, child defilement/rape, female inheritance right, teenage pregnancy, drug/substance abuse.

Women of Oguta, through the oldest woman, Ogene Nwanya, Oguta Ameshi community, Uneanya Adline Ikpaku (Nee Nzeribe) had recommended that the Period of Mourning for men and women should be the same while Shaving of Hair should be with the widow’s consent and consideration.

They also agreed that Restriction of Movement and Eating Time should also be to the widow’s considered discretion while recommending that the widow and the husband’s offprints should have equitable rights of inheritance over the deceased property, as there should be no meddling from the relatives of both the late husband and the widow.

Their recommendations got the approval of the Paramount Ruler of Oguta Community, HRH Eze Nnani Nzeribe Eze-Eyiche, the Eze-Igwe of Oguta, as disclosed in a communique endorsed by the traditional Prime Minister of Oguta, Ogbuzuru Frank Nduka, Ogene Patrick Onyia Ojadi and Ogene Chimdumneje Adaline Uneanya, wherein the burning issue was referred to the women for deliberations and recommendations.

In a chat with newsmen shortly after a meeting that had in attendance, the traditional ruler, prime minister of Oguta, National Human Rights Commission, members of Oguta Violence Against Women and Girls Response Team, the Executive Director, Communal Care Center, Mrs. Colette Bennett expressed delight that her NGO had made another landmark achievement one year after the last one at Ozuh Omuma community in Oru East Council area where the practice of female genital mutilation was once prevalent.

According to her, “we have been able to break the age long traditional culture of women been subjected to harmful practices when their husbands are dead. We will find a way to make it public by holding town hall meetings, women group meetings, sensitization programs to tell the women that it is no longer binding on any woman to undergo all those harmful practices.”

Bennett heaped praises on ActionAid for committing a lot of resources to ensure an end to such harmful tradition and other harmful cultural norms and practices fueling violence against women and girls in Oguta community.

“I give credit to ActionAid because they have been working relentlessly to ensure that we get results and today, we have achieved this result. I am happy”, Bennett said.

The Executive Director also commended the traditional ruler of Oguta, for his approval and cooperation towards ensuring that the practice is no longer allowed in the community and for promising that defaulters would face the wrath of the law.

The traditional ruler of Oguta, HRH Eze Nnani Nzeribe had informed that the people of the area are well educated and enlightened, and, as such move with the current trend of time.

He promised to hold a townhall meeting to enlighten the people more on human rights and violations.

Imo State Coordinator of National Human Rights Commission, Mrs Ukachi Uka thanked the monarch for supporting the efforts of the commission towards ending human rights abuses.

She however, informed that the commission is mobilizing for massive participation in the 2023 general election and appealed to the traditional ruler to key into the project and ensure that his subjects participate actively during the election.

Some members of the Oguta Violence Against Women and Girls Response Team, who spoke to newsmen commended Communal Care Center for what the NGO is doing in the community to ensure a safer society for all.