Member representing Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, has, on the occasion of International Men’s Day, recognised the significant roles of men in every facet of life.
International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19 every year to celebrate the efforts and contributions of men in social, economic, cultural and political spheres and society as a whole.
Celebrating the day, Ibarapakan said the viral video of a little girl who clung to her twin brother for protection when their father confronted them for defacing his living room with powder demonstrates the importance of men in all aspects of life, noting that being a man is a symbol of protection, strength, responsibility, hard work, shelter and care.
The viral video of the little twins was posted by instablog9ja in the late hours of Saturday, November 18, 2023. The video shows a little girl hiding at the back of her twin brother for protection when their father confronted them for messing up his living room with powder.
While celebrating International Men’s Day, Ibarapakan urged parents to invest in their sons just as much as they invest in their daughters.
“In many societies, girls receive more attention and resources than boys, but we should strive for equality in caring for all children.
“We must do all we can to not leave our boy-child alone to avoid a future generation of irresponsible men. If we look at it today, men are lagging behind in so many areas, and what are supposed to be their responsibilities are being directly or systematically left in the care of the opposite gender. Our boy-child needs to be educated, empowered, and given all forms of orientation to enable them to contribute optimally to society. This, with all seriousness, requires a concerted effort from parents, guardian and community as a whole.
“When men get it right, society at large also gets it right; the importance of men in nation-building cannot be overemphasised, and that is the reason why this day is important to recognise and celebrate the success and progress of men in our everyday lives.” He said.
The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Character also expressed deep concern over the growing number of cases of women beating up their husbands in the country.
On Friday, November 17, 2023, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of the Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), reported that between September 2022 and July 2023, 340 males reported incidences of domestic violence perpetrated by their wives.
According to her, the number of men reporting domestic abuse has doubled in recent years.
Commenting on the ugly trend, Hon. (Dr.) Adepoju said no society can achieve progress and lasting peace when its men are neither trained nor empowered.
A little mistake in the upbringing of a boy-child has the potential to result in a disaster; our men need a tangible source of livelihood to have a say and command respect everywhere they go, including their homes. If Lagos, which is regarded as one of the major economic centres of Nigeria, could record such a huge number of cases, what can we say of the states in the country that are known not to be faring well economically? The results of such a trend might blow our imaginations.
“When you train and empower a boy-child, you protect and empower the girl-child in the long run, but when a boy-child is deprived of all that, he is likely to be susceptible to marginalisation, attacks, embarrassment, and abuse, even in the hands of their supposed wives.” Ibarapakan expressed.
