Agbani Darego and the fallacies of Uche Nworah

In a country where people are stealing and killing in record number, a few are concerned with bare breasts? In a country where the government cannot provide basic services, a few are concerned with naked breasts? In a country where even the movie industry is gradually embracing full frontal nudity and all sorts of “western behavior,” Uche Nworah and Ejinkeonye are knocking themselves silly with Miss Darego’s half-covered breasts. Agbani, either knowingly or unknowingly bared her breasts and both and their likes want to bury her. I guess we now live in a time when pontiffism of the meanest order is becoming the order of the day. I guess these are days when even rationale people develop exaggerated sense of morality. Ha, are these the days of idleness and hypocrisy?

It pains me responding to Mr. Uche Nworah’s article; for his is nothing more than the continued crucifixion of Miss Agbani Darego. And indeed, I agonized over penning this response as Uche’s article does not contain any new information nor does it shed light on any important matter. While his narrative is not as vile and slanderous and repugnant as that of Mr.Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye, one still wonder what purpose his salvo serves. This is akin to digging decade-old graves: moving dry and brittle bones from one shed to another. In other words, what we have here is a pointless and senseless exercise.

Now that Uche “have finally seen” Agbani’s bare breasts, I take it that “him eyes don clear?” Until now, he wondered.He wondered! My goodness, Agbani’s mammary must be the source of his dream paralysis and the object of his daydreams. To think that a young Nigerian lady, in pursuit of her career, who purposely or inadvertently exposed her breasts, is now becoming the topic of conversation in newspapers and on this and other sites is beyond me. Breasts?! The same breasts some of our sisters and daughters and wives and mothers don’t bother to cover in some of our villages?

According to Uche, “While globalization has caught up with us, there are still some areas that have remained rooted in tradition. One of those areas I guess is women decency.” Wrong! Globalization, in one form or the other, has been with us for at least five decades. There is nothing new about globalization save in its pervasiveness and intensity. And what tradition is Uche talking about? And women’s decency? We may be Africans; but we do not live in a static society. Things are always changing (for the good or otherwise).

Men, you must know, encouraged women, or at the very least acquiesced to whatever indecent behavior we may associate with women. And in some cases, men forced women to engage in indecency. You cannot separate the behavior of men from those of women. Men, we all know, are the repository for licentiousness.

Every generation seems to think that the younger generation is spoilt. The older generation is fond of romanticizing a time long gone. This romanticism happens in every society. In ten or fifteen years, Agbani’s “lewd conduct” would be common even in the “house of worship.” Believe me, Nigeria will get there.

Is it not in the same society that some parents encourage their daughters to be the sex object of grownup men old enough to be their fathers? Did our society not encourage women to sell their bodies?How many women bare their breast during traditional festivals all over our towns, villages and hamlets? Uche cannot deny not seeing young maidens — most of who are generally under the age of 18 — baring their breast for the benefit of the men and gods. Did these public displays ever offend Uche and Ugochukwu?