A persnickety sojourn into the African annals brings to fore that facial marks have an extended history on the African Continent. Archaeological findings reveal bronze heads original in Ile-Ife, Osun State-Nigeria, seven hundred years ago with facial lines that are suggestion by way of many to be ethnic markings. Ancient Nigerian Kingdom of Benin also had sculptural objects carrying facial markings. The Greek Historian- Herodotus wrote within the fifth Century B.C. About Carians residing in Egypt who cut their foreheads with knives as a method of proving that they were foreigners and no longer Egyptians.
Different lineage or town/village have different tribal marks. Since tribal marks are used mainly to differentiate ethnic groups, they vary. There are marks on the cheeks, forehead, on the temple, under the chin and so on. There are vertical lines, horizontal, both vertical and horizontal, slanted lines on both cheeks. These marks are in patterns based on the ethnic group of their bearer and have different meanings and different names. But...
Section 24(1) (2) of the Child Rights Act, (Nigeria) 2003 prohibits making any form of skin mark on a child. The said Section provides thus: “No person shall tattoo or make a skin mark or cause any tattoo or skin mark to be made on a child.
A person who tattoos or makes a skin mark on a child commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five thousand naira or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to both such fine and imprisonment”
Tribal Marks:
The infliction of tribal marks is an infringement and abuse of the rights of those people who are marked. The manager Secretary of the national Human Rights Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe made sure that every Nigerian baby enjoyed the proper right to live and to make selections, the adoption of the legislation in every state should help to preserve kids from abuses like tribal marks, tattoos, defilement, witchcraft accusation and different forms of abuses. A few of the grownup have confessed that the most breathtaking devastation of their lives is the tribal mark. Some have turn out to be eunuch on the grounds that of stigmatization. Adejuwon Samuel was once the only one in his class with facial marks. He recounted his ordeal: In school I used to be made fun of a lot. My mates would call me” railway line” and my class teacher also would refer to me as the boy with the railway line. They had been at all times making jest of me and in response I would raise three fingers to indicate the tribal lines on my cheeks.
Disfiguration:
Sequel to the above is the anguish of disfiguration. These tribal marks have become emblems of disfiguration. And these disfigurations have hindered many opportunity of life. Simbia confessed that in his own opinion, i know these marks are horrible. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been embarrassed by the marks on my face. I would have loved to be a model, I rather adored it, but as I grew up, I realized my face might pose a threat to such profession one day, so I determined to study a course that my face wouldn’t be a criterion for employment.
Low self-importance: Relationships have proven in the society that, people with tribal marks are handled with scorn and mock. The reactions of humans who engage with them on interpersonal groundwork somehow dampen their spirit or lower their egotism. They are lowered to laughing shares within the communities and are called number of horrible names.
The Contraction of deadly diseases: Many innocent folks, regularly children, who were subjected to tribal marks laceration, had inadvertently been contaminated with the deadly HIV virus, a progress that compelled Osun and Ekiti state governments to just lately outlaw the follow of tribal marks and feminine genital mutilation. Sharp instruments used by the locales to inscribe the tribal marks weren't at all sterilized, consequently exposing children, even adults, to the hazard of HIV/AIDS.
SAY NO TO CHILD MUTILATION
Refrences;
www.mypenmypaper.wordpress.com
www.olawaleolaniran.blogspot.com
www.edoworld.net/Dyingcultureoftribalmarks
www.9jabook.com/m/blogpost.com
