One of Ayodeji Balogun a.k.a Wizkid‘s baby mamas, Oluwanishola Ogudu has added her voice to the rumours that the singer has continually failed to carry out the co-parenting responsibilities of their son – Boluwatife. And, her recently opened can of worms may have confirmed the rumours.

Shola, who is obviously tensed and couldn’t bear Wizkid’s irresponsibility any longer make public series of conversations she had with her son’s father and the exposé was, to say the least, incriminating and indicting for Wizkid who has consistently put up a show of a good dad.

Several individuals have reacted to the brouhaha due to the side of the divide they belong to but, for the purpose of ‘biased objectivity’, we will focus on Shola.

Africa has been referred to as a “dark continent” – something you will sometimes admit – as some of our conventions are yet to catch up with modernity. The patriarchal system in Africa is a typical example.

African systems are so designed in such a way that women are better referred to as the insignificant ‘Other’ and made a subject of men. In marriage, divorce, separation and other societal happenings including infidelity are blamed on women. So many years into modernisation, no African country has formulated policies to protect our women in marriage and relationships and that’s why Wizkid could behave that way to Shola. Africa has thousands of Wizkids that have absconded from their responsibilities while the women have continued to bear the brunt of the load.

Too many women have raised their children on their own due to the absence of policies to enforce child support. The only set of women that enjoy such are those from wealthy families that are able to enforce court judgements to get child support for their children. A lot of women have become homeless widows after the death of their husbands as they have been denied access to any of these properties as no law protects them from any eventuality, while women practically lose everything after divorce in Africa.

It is this poor patriarchial system that has made Wizkid treat Shola and his son in extension, with so much disdain as evident in the leaked conversation. He has nothing to fear because he has nothing to lose under the existing system and, in a country that has weak laws, he will surely get away with such acts while the woman is expected to lick her wounds. It is important that government at all levels formulate laws to protect the women folks and stop the continued relegation of women in the scheme of things in the society.

Africa will not be great if we leave the women behind and fail to protect them from the rampaging men we see all around. Shola‘s personal experiences and other helpless women on the continent should be a lesson.

We need to rise and protect our women and do away with our flawed patriarchy system.

tosin adesina