Odinkalu flays western cultural imperialism

Nigeria’s goodwill ambassador to End Violence Against Children, Chidi Odinkalu, railed against argument of cultural imperialism to impede efforts to reduce violence against children. He stood against argument that discipline or corporal punishment in cultural settings was being interpreted as violence against children by a Western-oriented mindset. “It is important for us to come at […]

Nigeria’s goodwill ambassador to End Violence Against Children, Chidi Odinkalu, railed against argument of cultural imperialism to impede efforts to reduce violence against children.

He stood against argument that discipline or corporal punishment in cultural settings was being interpreted as violence against children by a Western-oriented mindset.

“It is important for us to come at this by removing the chips on our shoulders, deciding rationally and objectively, is what is being put forward something I can take home,” said Odinkalu, who chairs the board of the National Human Rights Commission.

He spoke at the presentation of the result of a survey into the prevalence of violence against children.

The survey found nearly 60% of children experience some form of violence—sexual, physical, emotional—before they turn 18.

The survey did not consider discipline or corporal punishment in its definition of violence against children, but noted perpetrators of violence often did so in the name of discipline.

“There is an elite mentality that we can opt for good things for our children and choose terrible things for children who don’t have access to the things we have access to.

“Because I am lawyer, a senior journalist, editor, I can speak the language of cultural imperialism, but the children who cannot make the choices are the people I think we must look after. That is a national responsibility and we cannot give up on that.

“In some parts of the country, polio is still seen as an affliction from the gods, not a disease… Many of us come from parts of the country where twins were killed not too long ago. And many of use hear “Uncle, ejoo” and we crack jokes about it.

“Uncle, ejoo is a child complaining that she was being raped by the uncle, and when you hear it you laugh about it. These are the cultural [norms] that people tell us we must continue to promote, and I say no.

“If saying no to this means I am colonized, I am happy to be colonized. I’d imagine that all the parents of the Taiwos and Kehindes who were killed in different parts of this country will be happy to be colonized. And the parents of all those children who survived uncle ejoo but have been damaged for life would be happy to be colonized.”