Obscenities in Literature for the Young?

I remember my days in Secondary School, I graduated in 2015, and I studied in Thomas Adewumi College in Kwara State for 6 years to get my O-Level certificate in Cambridge GCE and WASSCE. I wasn’t a math guru (still not) and I was mediocre in things like Agricultural Science and Social Studies. However, I was adept in subjects like English and Computer Science thanks to certain key figures in my life like my father and a lesson teacher of mine. My love for English allowed me to easily delve into literature on my own and by the time I was 12 I was reading and attempting to write books, but mostly things of fantasy genre that would appeal to a young boy’s imagination. However, when literature texts were introduced to us I easily swallowed and grasped their contents because of my already enhanced vocabulary and understanding of literature. Maybe because of this ‘enhanced ability’ and ‘experience’ I never noticed the subtly wrong messages that were being passed across to us.

This morning I woke up and checked my WhatsApp notifications for a forum of literature scholars called P.H Literary Society. There were alarming buzzes of a letter being sent to the Minister of Education regarding the type of books that were being forced on the young ones. Here is a copy of the letter’s contents:

9th June, 2017.

The Honourable Minister of Education,

The Federal Ministry of Education,

Federal Secretariat Complex,

 Shehu Shagari Way, Central Area,

P.M.B. 146, Garki, Abuja.

Dear Sir,

OUR COMPLAINT AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE IMMORAL CONTENTS IN OUR CURRICULA

We, the Parent-Teacher Association of Crescent College, Victoria Island, Lagos, are constrained to bring to your notice that we have observed that it has become the tradition of the National Examinations Council (NECO) to recommend junior secondary literature textbooks that fall short of moral standards that our nation’s educational system should be promoting. More specifically, the books are nothing but a means of glamorising acts of indecency such as rape, violence, kidnapping, girl defilement and sexualisation of knowledge. The books expose the vulnerable and unsuspecting minds of 10-12 year olds to amorous and deviant practices that can in turn breed rapists, cultists, homosexuals and kidnappers in youngsters. The prevalence of cases of rape among secondary students in recent times cannot be unconnected with the urge to experiment with the experience they have from such books.

For example, The Precious Child, by Queen O. Okweshine, gave a vivid description of a young lady’s body as follows: If only I can find a sweet 16 to cool me down. But these eaglets with their fronts and backs fully set. Waaoo, those tender breasts that gyrate in provocating rhythm which seem to say (pushes his chest forward) ‘I swear to God.’ (page 56)     

In the same vein, another book, ‘The Tears of a Bride’ authored by Oyekunle Oyedeji, an accountant, is another reason to make a responsive and responsible parent feel concerned about the kind of adults schooling is grooming their children to be. The story is centred on two characters, Ajibike and Akofe, who are passionately in love, with Araba, the staff bearer, not allowing them to be. The author throws caution and modesty to the dogs as reflected in the following excerpts:

1. Lights open on Akofe and Ajibike lying criss-cross on the ground with Ajibike’s head on Akofe’s chest and his arms wrapped around her. Akofe’s eyes are closed as he savours the splendour of the moment. His index finger runs through her body, drawing imaginary lines with its tip. Ajibike curiously raises her head from his chest to look into his face, only to discover a wide smile is playing therein. (page 10)

2. Tell them also that the breast of a woman in a man’s mouth tastes better than the best of palm wine. (page 86)

3. Araba comes out of his house bare to the waist and readjusts his wrapper. Romoke cries weakly as she comes out from the house holding her wrapper to her chest to prevent it from falling off her body. Araba has just defiled her. (page 91)

Furthermore, the tradition of literary immorality has recently graduated to the level of Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) as observable from the blameable content of its recommended Use of English text for the 2017 UTME, In Dependence. The book is succinctly described by the author, thus:  It is the story of two people struggling to find themselves and each other – a story of passion and idealism, courage and betrayal, and the universal desire to fall madly, deep, in love. Nothing short of this enamoured description of love is depicted by the storyline. In fact, our students who sat the current UTME found it morally distasteful, to say the least.

OUR REQUESTS

In view of the negative effects of books like these on the morals of our children and the family system,  the foundation of our society, we, therefore, request as follows:

1.      There should be objective content analysis of books meant for learners’ consumption, before they are certified fit for school use by the appropriate organ of the ministry.

2.      We request that such books (even as they affect other subjects) are withdrawn from use immediately considering the extent of their incalculable potential damage to the youths now and in future.

3.      To forestall a recurrence, we demand that the process that led to the adoption of the books is investigated and whosoever is found culpable is sanctioned appropriately.

4.      We implore the Ministry of Education to do everything possible within its powers to put a stop to the use of such books immediately.

5.      We implore the Ministry to recommend, henceforth, books that teach values such as honesty, integrity, decency, hard work and selflessness, which seek to promote humanity in our youngsters, in the interest of our nation.

In conclusion, we are hopeful that our concerns on the textbooks and some perverted aspects of the curricula would be given a listening ear. As a parent and a role model, we eagerly look forward to your urgent decision and action in addressing these worries. Thank you in anticipation of your favourable response.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Fatima Mahmud-Oyekan                                                    

Head of Crescent Schools                                             

Alhaji Aliyu Gudaji

Chairman, Parent-Teacher Association

There were also some pictures to butter the bread which I will provide here.

But all this got me thinking… Do they have a point? There were certain books I read in Secondary School that did talk about cultism, corruption and favoritism in national institutions. Vengeance was one that illustrated corrupt lecturers making students sex slaves to pass exams and failing others because of personal bias. Isn’t art the reflection of society, isn’t that what is really happening?  I read the mentioned JAMB text In Dependence by Sarah Ladipo and I must confess that I enjoyed it; it had a rich storyline but was the contents mild enough for those that are too young?  Here are some excerpts from Sarah’s book that Crescent Schools in Lagos may have deemed inappropriate for people in their final years of high school: “Vanessa.” He pleaded, trying to hold her, but she wouldn’t have it. She sang in a whisper, flirting with him until she drew close enough for their hips to touch and only then did she let him rest his hands on her waist. She kept on dancing, lifting her hips from side to side as she led the way, backwards, to the sofa.

He was about to introduce himself properly when she turned to face the altar and made a sign of the cross. She then knelt on a prayer cushion in such a way that her skirt rose above the back of her knees, revealing a shapely pair of her legs. Tayo closed his eyes and listened for some moments to the organ music, thinking that maybe he ought to pray to, but her legs were distracting him.

These excerpts are definitely not all, but it gives you an idea of what you might find in the book plus an interesting insight to Sarah’s writing style.

As a person, I do not see anything wrong with the book in terms of morality and illustration of scenes. Literature Cambridge A-Level recommended for African text for 2 years (2015-2016) in a row were Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s works: Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah respectively. And anyone that has read Chimamanda’s works can testify that she is not as subtle as Sarah in expression of ‘inappropriate scenes’ and this is not even a Nigerian exam. However, we should note that the Western ways of doing things may clash with what is Nigerian and cultural. The works of Shakespeare, whilst being genius, also delves into romance in a large scale. In fact one of Shakespeare’s dramas: Much ado About Nothing’s title has been rumored to be an allusion to the female genitals.

It’s been argued that even these students that are deemed as ‘innocent’ really are not. My visit to A private school in Elekiah, Stadium Road, Port Harcourt. Revealed to me that these ‘concerns’ that Crescent Schools have are not echoed by all. A talk with Anayo Bethel (a JSS3 literature teacher) assured me that he particularly doesn’t feel the same way about what the books to the students.

He says “With the rise of technology and the internet, who knows what these children watch at home?”He confessed that yes, in certain books there are pointers to ‘sexual scenes’ but not necessarily ‘bad’. He says that “It is up to the school to portray the books in a way to educate children as literature encompasses all.” He has read all the works reported and his school in particular follows the recommended texts for both State and Federal examination bodies and all the aforementioned texts are part of them.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

Mr. Bethel and I came to a conclusion that the best way to make everyone happy in this matter is to create a board of private individuals from noted book clubs all over the country to review books recommended by the curricula and find and expunge works that may corrupt young minds. He explained “And I hope to be part of this board as I will be very intolerant with anything even mildly indecent.”

So Nigerians let’s get our act together, Lord knows how long it will take for the Ministry of Education to read that letter. Just getting an audience with Mr. Bethel took 3 hours of frustrated waiting with threats of being turned down. Not to talk of changing examination curriculum at the federal level.