Opinion: How barbaric cultures hinder African development by Sumbade AdemolaDisclaimer: The views expressed in this interview/article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.legit.ng — drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Editor's note: In this article, a social commentator, Sumbade Ademola, explains why some barbaric cultural practices hinder African progress despite global civilization. PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! The axiom that says underdevelopment in the continent of Africa is a resultant effect of its unwillingness to part ways with its barbaric practices cannot be more apt in dissecting the current state of backwardness in the continent. Nigeria, being the most populous Black Country in Africa and the world has a number of these practices in existence. However, it is axiomatic that barbaric practices in Africa would be considered invalid without significant consideration of these practices in Nigeria. Read also The Lekki protest, deaths and matter arising by Bernard Balogun It is apparent that some of these practices have been put in abeyance by religion, modernization, civilization and rule of law but most of them are still in existence and it is believed that conservatism has been one of the key reasons most of the practices could not be eradicated. Civilization and modernization have saturated Africa with modern gadgets that have made communication easier, business transactions are exciting, religion very comfortable and human relations perfect. However, the emergence of these gadgets still has a long way to go when it comes to the total eradication of these barbaric practices in Africa. Some of these practices are maltreatment of widows, female genital mutilation, little witches, human sacrifice, killing children with intellectual and physical deformity, tribal marks among others. Traditional widowhood rite is a way of mourning the death of a husband in Nigeria and it is often taken to the extreme by the family of the departed husband because they either have plans of punishing the widow or for other reasons. Read also 10 best end of the world movies that are relevant today In some parts of Nigeria, the widow is expected to shave her hair during the period of mourning and she is expected to cry aloud so people will know she is in the mourning period. The widow sometimes is taken to the stream to bathe. Her clothes are burnt while she is being forced to walk home naked. It is equally common that the relatives of the departed husband deny the widow any right to her husband’s properties especially if the widow has refused to undergo some traditional marital rites while her husband was alive. Witch-hunt practice is often targeted upon female children, elderly women and it is considered one of the most nefarious practices of the modern age. This practice is common in Africa and they are often killed without allowing the rule of law to take its course. Witch-hunting is a clear infringement of fundamental human rights as they are usually beaten, stoned, burnt, murdered, even raped in countries like India. There has never been a formidable way of identifying a witch, rather, they are basically identified in society base on accusation especially if a woman refuses to partake in some of the marriage rituals or whenever the birth of a female baby coincides with unfortunate events, and such babies are usually referred to as witches. Read also Divorce in the Bible: This is what the Holy Book says Female circumcision is a ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. It is often performed without anesthesia and by lay practitioners. This is a common practice in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It is typically carried out by traditional circumcisers with the use of the blade. This is usually performed from days after birth to puberty and beyond. The procedures for carrying this practice out differ according to the country or ethnic groups. This practice is rooted in gender inequality, attempts to control women’s sexuality, ideas about purity, and a way of pleasing family gods in some cases. Some ethnicities conduct the female multination for the newly attained puberty stage. The young girls are just starting their menstruation while some are doing it to fulfill family traditional rites. Despite widely reported that there are no known health benefits attached to this practice coupled with several international efforts since the 1970s to persuade its practitioners to stop it, its practitioners have never considered it necessary to desist from this notorious practice. Read also How do intercultural problems in Nigeria affect marriage? Even in some countries where laws are being put in place to discourage and restrict most of the countries where it occurs, most of these laws are poorly enforced. A critical example of this is the Violence Against Person’s Prohibition (VAPP) in Nigeria. It was a bill that was passed into law in May 2015. This was basically enacted to prevent female genital multination in the country. The act states that anyone who performs it on any person is liable to a term of imprisonment of four years or two hundred thousand Naira fine or both. Yet, no track records of anyone being punished for the practice and they are still doing it with impunity. Killing children with intellectual and physical deformity is another major practice very common in Africa. Many cultures in Africa perceive children with intellectual and physical disabilities including Down syndrome as evil. This belief has often resulted in the killings of countless children who are born with disabilities. In Sierra Leone, children with Down syndrome are called “Devil Children” and usually denounced because it is believed they are born with inherent bad luck. Most of these children are usually removed from the community with rituals. Read also The problem of child trafficking in Nigeria PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! Tribal mark is another vicious practice commonly existing in Africa. It is intentionally inscribed on the cheek of children to identify the tribe of a person or his/her lineage. It’s sometimes aimed to beautify or to uphold religious and spiritual rites. The manner of carrying this out is similar to that of female circumcision and research has evidently shown that thousands of children have died and contracted incurable diseases in the process of carrying it out, yet its practitioners have never put an end to it. In Africa, it is no coincidence that the prevalence of barbaric practices has been a significant reason Africa remains in a state of backwardness. The continent of Africa pretentiously believed that the emergence of civilization, modernization, and rule of law have abrogated the existence of these barbaric practices. Read also What effect does corruption have on Nigeria? However, this remains a fallacy in the continent as it is evidently shown that the victims of these practices are conscripted willingly to undergo them and despite the mammoth danger the practices engender, its practitioners take it as an internal part of their cultural and ethnic identity. I was trafficked abroad to be a slave, sex machine -Damilola Falodun | - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Disclaimer: Editor's note: PAY ATTENTION: PAY ATTENTION: