15th November, 2016
Residents of Ilorin on Tuesday expressed mixed feelings on tribal marks as a way of preserving culture.
Some of them said it was dehumanising as it inflicts physical and emotional pain while others think it helps sustain culture.
The respondents were reacting to a picture that went viral on the internet on Monday of a young boy who was given tribal marks running from the head down to the cheeks.
Mrs Aisha Abubakar, a resident of Ilorin, said though she was an advocate of culture preservation, inflicting pain and injury on children in the present age was not good enough.
“Although, our culture is our pride and must be guarded jealously, there are several ways that our culture can be preserved ranging from language, dressing, hairdo and other things.
”But looking at the picture in question, one will pity the boy and imagine the pain he was put through.
“Then if pain subsides and he grows up, let’s look at the emotional torture he will go through among his peers because of civilisation.
“So, it is a no-no for me. We should rather concentrate on other aspects of our culture and not the ones that can cause pain,” Abubakar said.
A civil servant, Mr Jenrola Philip, said it was an abuse on the child’s fundamental right because no child born now would want to be inflicted with such pains.
“The world is now civilised more than such acts and we should not be found to be involved in such barbaric act all in the name of culture preservation.
“Even we grownups that have marks wish we don’t have because it does not add any value to us.
“I can’t imagine giving any of my children tribal mark. I am sure such child will not forgive me because the world has gone above that now,” Philip said.
In his own view, Mr Julius Makinde, said there was nothing wrong with tribal marks as it also serves as a means of identification for some households or people.
“There is nothing bad in it as long as it is done in a healthy environment since it does the child no harm. It is our embracing of western culture that makes us think ours is bad.
“For those that have it as their tradition to give their children marks, it is their belief and nobody can change it. So, we should rather embrace it,” Makinde said.
Also, Malam Nurain Ajia, said nothing would stop him from giving marks to his children as he inherited it from his family.
“You can see I have marks on my face and I have done same for my first born, planning to take my second child too for his.
“It is a mark peculiar to my family and it has been like that for years; so I do not see reasons why it has to stop with me.
“No matter the kind of marks, my children will be accepted in the society because it is not strange to us in this part of the world,” Ajia said.