Continued from last week
‘Now I’ll tell you why we do not need to wait for the highest echelon of the police to react before we take action. It isn’t only our youths that are being handed a license to immorality, it is also their younger ones that will be exposed to such adult actions, in amusement parks and other public places, whenever they accidentally get near a car occupied by amorous adventurers. We have to act now.’ I declared.
‘You are right Bint, the problem has a broad spectrum of negative consequences. But what should we do?’ Maryam asked with obvious anxiety.
‘First of all we’ll have to write the IGP. Yes we will pen a letter to the Inspector-General of Police and protest this immoral license the Force is giving our young ones. We must tell him that, as parents, we feel it’s bad enough that our children are being exposed to so much that’s not suitable, through modern media, therefore it’s like sending them overboard when they are told that they no longer need the rites of marriage or the blessings of elders to enjoy conjugal relations; which additionally, they can perform without the privacy of any four walls because their or their parents’ cars can now be converted to a mobile bedroom.’ I suggested.
‘That’s right, and we must also add all those verses of the Holy Qur’an and the relevant ahadith of Rasulillah, SAW, that clearly warn against indulgence in fornication and the repercussions of doing so. That should scare them into recalling that there are dire consequences for formication and adultery that we can’t afford to ignore.’ Asabe advised.
‘Yes, and apart from divine retribution, we must not forget to mention even the earthly consequences of such an immoral license. Unwanted pregnancies, STDs, single motherhood and stigmatized fatherless kids. We must tell the IG that our society isn’t ready for more of these, since realistically speaking they already exist.’ Maryam opined.
‘That’s true, now the first thing we need to decide is whether we are going to the IG as a small group of women seeking to draw his attention to this anomaly and hoping he can stop it or as members of The Ladies’ Parliament, complete with our placards, demonstrating at Louis Edet House.’ I declared.
‘I think we should attempt to have a private audience with him.’ Asabe advised. ‘Let’s go to the IG’s office first thing on Monday and seek an appointment. If it seems like it won’t be too hard to see him, we’ll come back and get our letter ready then we’ll return and deliver it at the appointed time. Meanwhile, if we discover that meeting him privately will be difficult, then we should prepare for a demonstration, seek police permission and embark on one. We will mobilise our parliament members as well as members of other women’s and religious groups and then march to their Force headquarters to hand our petition to him or someone representing him.’ She concluded.
‘But will it be possible for us to get permission from the police when we are planning to demonstrate against them? I doubt if that will be possible. We have to think of something else in case we don’t get the chance to see the IG, because I just can’t see a situation where any commissioner of police would give us the green light to demonstrate at the Force headquarters.’ Maryam warned.
‘In that case, we will just have to make it an open letter to the IG and have it published in all the newspapers we know, both hard copies and online. Then we will warn that if the IGP doesn’t disown the statement credited to ACP Abayomi Shogunle and withdraw that immoral licence, we will go ahead and demonstrate in other parts of the city. We don’t have to go to Louis Edet House to make the demonstration effective. Once we’ve mobilised enough women and religious groups and arranged for effective media coverage we will achieve our aim, in sha Allah.’ I answered.
‘Yes, in sha Allah. But let’s remember to mention that no respectable or decent city in the world allows a legislation that says it’s alright to do such things in a car and even without marriage ties. We must not let our country be the laughing stock of other nations because we’ve decided to sanction immorality.’ Maryam declared.
Concluded.
