It was reported on Friday, April 8, that the budding singer and worship leader, Osinachi Nwachukwu, one of Nigeria’s best gospel singers, had lost her life, after reportedly being in a coma for a number of days due to domestic abuse from her husband.
It was a piece of news that shook the foundation of Christiandom in Nigeria in particular. And this came at a time when the people had barely gone over the shock and unexpected demise of one of the fearsome men of God in Africa, TB Joshua.
You may be able to hide something from a few people or intimidate them into silence, but you can’t quite hide something like this which is of significance to a larger community.
There is always going to be that moment where it will surely come to light for the people to see.
This was the case, albeit being alleged. And with the several stories that have come out, it is difficult to believe that all of what has been said, were all fabricated stories as her husband denied them all.
It was alleged that Osinachi’s husband, Peter Nwachukwu, had been using her as a punching bag in the house, and no one knows if he was preparing for some boxing bout somewhere.
Reports further indicated, in the wake of her death, that she was not only beaten but she was denied certain privileges that she had worked for, including proceeds from her hustle–singing.
She had reportedly endured all these things apparently because she would not want to be among the many women that have divorced from their husbands, and this is because she was a gospel singer and so it wouldn’t have been appropriate to do what appeared to have been the ideal thing to do–divorce.
She was said to have denied several attempts by people to have something done about her husband’s abusive behaviour at home, and that became, I should think, her undoing.
The late Osinachi Nwachukwu was said to have been praying for things to change, but I ask, does it take God to hold us by the hand to pull us out of our troubles? Or was it her fate that she would die in agony in her husband’s house? Or God simply didn’t hear her cry?
In the wake of all these, the question that needs answers is: “Does the society have a part to play in the agony of its occupants?”
Whichever way you look at this issue–and many others that have happened, including the ones that have not got the spotlight that this one got–it appears to be the case that society does have a part to play.
Like how some men sometimes die useless deaths, they always want to prove that, yes, they are men and that is what society has put in our minds, a man endures pain.
To not be able to endure pain means that you are not a man, to cry out means you are not man enough. Really? Many men have died suffering when seeking help could have saved them.
Now, back to Osinachi.
As a “woman of God,” divorce was the last thing she would consider, given how society will see her when she leaves her husband’s home and become a single mother.
The ridicule by society was what she dreaded and wouldn’t even have her husband reported or simply just walk out of the marriage.
Do you still say society hasn’t played its part? It sure has!
Well, divorce is not a pretty thing, but given the two, I bet you will choose to divorce than die.
Notwithstanding all these things, the conversations occasioned by the sad demise of Osinachi Nwachukwu would at least send some message to people out there that it is important to seek help when we are in distress.
Osinachi kept things to herself and would not seek help. People that were aware of her ordeal offered to do something about it, to which she declined, and the result is that she lost her life agonisingly.
And all this happened become she feared the ridicule of society.
The same people that are making a case that she should have walked out, would be the people crucifying her for walking out of her marriage and that is the bane of society.
David–for Ghbase.com