Senator Dino Melaye
(APC-Kogi), who sponsored the bill, said during the Senate’s plenary session,
that there was no doubt that Africans of old used tribal marks as a means of
proper identification.
Leading debate on the bill,
Melaye said in those days, members of the same village, tribe or lineage had
the same tribal marks.
Melaye said that the
hometown and lineage of a child or anyone with tribal marks were immediately
identified, while outsiders who did not have such marks were also spotted.
He explained that parents
also used tribal marks to lay credence to the legitimacy of their children.
However, the lawmaker said
“all these reasons cannot be scientifically proven, and hence cannot enjoy the
support for this harmful practice’’.
He added: “The irony of
these marks is that it makes victims subjects of mockery by friends. Imagine
someone being called a tiger simply because of the thick cheeks resulting from
facial marks.
“These people have been
subjected to different reactions. Some have lamented the marks that are
bequeathed on them as generational inheritance.
“Many have cursed the day
which this dastardly act was performed on them.
“Many of the grown adults
have confessed that the most terrific debacle of their lives is their tribal
marks. Some have become eunuchs because of this stigma.
“Imagine a boy in the class
of 25 pupils carrying a tribal mark. His mates will call him the boy with the
railway line. They are emblems of disfiguration.
“Some of them have
developed low self-esteem and most times treated with scorn and ridicule
including rejection by the female folks.
“The reactions of people
who interact with them say it dampens and lowers their spirit.”
Melaye noted that besides
the health implication of the practice, it was an infringement on the rights of
children, adding that every Nigerian child deserved the right to live.
According to him, it is
time a law is enacted to stop the dastardly act, as the popularity and
acceptance of facial marks are waning.
He said: “People now prefer
that their identity cards remain in their pockets not faces anymore.
“Long before the awareness
programme on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), many people, mostly
children who were subjected to tribal marks had inadvertently been infected
with infectious diseases.
“Sharp instruments used by
locals were not sterilised leading to risk of AIDS, including Hepatitis B and
C.”
He concluded that the bill,
when passed into law would help to check the act, which was a sign of man’s
inhumanity to man in a country as great as Nigeria.
He called on his colleagues
to support the passage of the bill.
His assertion was supported
by the Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
According to Akpabio, the
bill is a welcome development.
He said: “In those days,
people wanted it because they were from royal homes, but these days it is no
longer in vogue.
“The international
community will be happy we rose to this occasion, so I support this with all my
heart.
“It is a violation of the
rights of children. The child has no option and can’t fight back. Outside the
infection, pain can generate something else and lead to insanity.
“If we have a law already
in existence, we should merge the bill with that of female mutilation because
they are similar.”
The senator also called for
stiff penalties for offenders to serve as deterrent to others.
Contributing to the debate,
the Chief Whip, Sen. Olusola Adeyeye commended Melaye for coming up with such
an important bill.
According to him, many
children have suffered stigmatisation as a result of the practice.
Adeyeye described the act
as evil, adding that if it was for the purpose of identification, there was no
way any parent would not identify their children without tribal marks.
He said: “In the 21st
century, there is no need to argue that either because of religion or custom
someone would use sharp object on their children just for identification.
“The Constitution provides
that the primary function of government is protection of lives.
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