The case against sex education – Part 2

Between from March 27 to 29 2017, I attended a Conference which took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos. One of the Speakers at that Conference was Ahmed Akanbi, a Muslim parent and a Lagos-based legal practitioner. Midway in his presentation, Ahmed did something which shocked most of the Conference attendees.

He carefully dipped his hands into his handbag and brought out two English literature books containing some lewd subject-matters and showed them to the audience. He told us that the two books were recommended books for primary six pupils in the primary school attended by his daughter. The title of the first book authored by Oyekunle Oyedeji is: Tears of a bride, while the second book written by Queen O. Okweshine bears the title: Precious Child.  According to Ahmed, his 9-year old daughter in Primary 6 came back home from school one day and engaged him in a conversation that bothered on some sex experiences.

At first, Ahmed was utterly stunned that his 9 year old daughter was conversant with sex matters. But after he had regained his composure he asked his daughter where she learned about those sex experiences. It was then that his daughter opened her mouth and narrated to him how their school teacher has been using the aforesaid two books to teach them how to practice “safe sex” and how to gain sexual pleasure. Ahmed read to the hearing of the participants some sexy portions of the two books. The participants rose to their feet in utter shock.

Seven years ago, some Lagos-based NGOs also filed a law suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos against the Federal Ministry of Education and others over the smearing of the following textbooks used in many secondary schools in Nigeria- New School Chemistry for Senior Secondary Schools    By:  Osei Yaw Ababio; Revised by: L. E.S Akpanisi Herbert Igwe ; Modern Biology for Senior Secondary School By:  Sarojini T. Ramalingam, revised by  Lucy I    Akunwa and J.BC Obidiwe and the New School Physics for Senior Secondary By: M. W Anyakoha PhD-with the following watermark inscriptions: “I know that My Mother is a harlot and that my Father is a Kidnapper”, “I am a son/daughter of a  Harlot and kidnapper”, “I confess that my Family is bad, Evil, and a Disgrace to the Nation”, “My Parents Taught me how to love and smoke Indian Hemp, to kill and practice illegal things”. I was the leading counsel for the plaintiffs in the suit. Guess what happened thereafter? The publishers of the lewd textbooks came all the way from Onitsha to our law firm in Lagos to beg for amicable settlement of the matter out of court.

Even many English, Mathematics and Social Science textbooks used in many Nigerian secondary schools have been corrupted to include lewd matters in order to sexualize the young students. For instance, in Mathematics, a typical Maths question for primary school pupils is: “20 condoms + 5 condoms-2 condoms equals…”. At the moment in my little office, I have the latest lewd-textbooks or sexualized textbooks used in corrupting our secondary school pupils in Nigeria. They include: Basic science Junior Secondary School Razat Publishers, 2018 edition, (for JSS3).

Open pages 78 – 83 to see the harmful contents of the book- lesson on teenage pregnancy, types of abortions students can do, myths & facts about pregnancy, indoctrination of the pupils on terminology of unsafe & safe abortion, six ways to prevent pregnancy with contraceptives, how to enjoy ‘safe sex’ without pregnancy: false information on four types of abstinence of which none is the actual definition of abstinence to be promoted among adolescents. Active Basic Science, 2014 edition By Tola Anjorin, Okechukwu Okolo, Philias Yara, Bamidele Mutiu, Fatima Koki, Lydia Gbagu: See Pages 31- 34. Cry for Justice By Ademola Adefila; See Pages 60-61, 64-65, read the description of having sex and sexual experience. Stigma By Samson O Shobayo, See the pages. The book encourages sexual relationship with HIV patients; kissing. Basic Science & Technology for Junior Secondary School 1, 2 and 3: By W.K Hamzat, S. Bakare: See Pages 29- 47 Page 48-52 Page 64 Pages 67- 73 and Pages 86 of the three books which promote abortion, LGTB, masturbation and safe-sex with condoms. New Concept English for Senior Secondary Schools for SSS2, Revised edition (2018 edition)  by J Eyisi, A Adekunle, T Adepolu, F Ademola Adeoye, Q Adams and, J Eto, See Pages 103- 104 that contain obscene and vulgar expressions such as : “small men always thinking small and acting small ”and these vulgar words:. “He swore by the grey hairs of his head and his penis…even by the cunt of his own mother”.

It is high time Nigerian parents woke up to their parental responsibilities. Parents are the primary educators of their children. They cannot shirk this responsibility under the excuse that they are working hard to eke out a living. Most social vices in Nigeria today are caused by failed parenting. We are in trouble in Nigeria. Failed parenting engenders failed political leadership. This is regrettable.

The family institution, unarguably, is indeed the fundamental unit of society. The family is the natural context in which children imbibe those cherished values which form the superstructures for the building of our national ethos. Therefore parents should rediscover themselves and reinvigorate their respective families to enable them to parent their own children to be responsible citizens. Our civilization is imperiled when families are imperiled.
Concluded