Onyekachi Umah, Esq., LL.M, ACIArb(UK), in his daily law tips publication reveals that it is now a crime for a husband to force wife to quit work, and such crime is punishable by not more than two years inprisonment or payment of N500,000 fine.
Onyekachi in his publication wrote that before now, a typical African family has a husband that leaves the home daily to work and earn money and then a wife that stays back at home to make and nurture babies. Unfortunately, babysitting and house chores are never considered as work (paid jobs) in a typical African family in Africa. It was a symbol of wealth and dominance for a husband to order the wife to sit at home and enjoy the works of his labour. Education and skill acquisition of girls and women as well as the passion to live a life and gather multiple streams of income for family, has changed this narrative. Wives are not children, but adult, human beings that have personal goals. Like men, wives have personal dreams too, aside having a family and being a wife. However, some husbands still force their wives to quit their jobs, sit at home and forcefully depend on their husbands financially.
The Constitution of Nigeria recognizes the fundamental human rights of persons in Nigeria. The right to personal liberty is one of the human rights in Nigeria. This right ensures that no person (girls, women or wives) is deprived of her personal liberty. For a husband to force the wife to quit her job and to financially depend on the husband, it simple will involve some elements of forceful restriction of the personal liberty of the wife. Hence, it will entail the flagrant violation of the fundamental human rights of the wife, especially her right to personal liberty. A violation of human right is a wrong in all parts of Nigeria, irrespective of the religion of the parties involved or their state of residence. Aside the violation of a human right, forcing a wife to quit her job or to financially depend on her husband is also a criminal offence. It is a criminal offence in almost all parts of Nigeria. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, as well as such other laws in states across Nigeria, have criminalized domestic violence. Domestic violence now includes the forcing of a wife to financially depend on her husband. In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, forcing a wife to financially depend on her husband is a criminal offence, punishable with not more than 2 years imprisonment or fine of Five Hundred Thousand Naira or both. Similar punishment exists in other states across Nigeria for the same offence. He concluded by saying that a wife, like any other human being, has rights to acquire property, wealth and skill of her own, irrespective of location and religion.
Got gist? SMS:08029976464 WhatsApp:08029976464 Email:inkubwa@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment