Ruth Auta, a Nigerian nurse working in the UK has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to child negligence. She had left her son in her nurses’ quarters while working her shift. Her action led to the death of her 10-week old son, Joshua Akerele.
This story is sad but in a larger sense, it speaks to an endemic culture of overwork of Nigerians in diaspora. The average Nigerian worker in Europe or the United States works at least 2 jobs in terms of hours put in every week. This translates to at least 80 hours weekly. They work until in many cases, they virtually drop dead.
They never go on holidays, they pick up every shift that is available, and on top of their real job, they have something they are selling.
It is almost impossible to find a Nigerian working one job abroad.
Even Nigerian doctors at very high levels are not spared this culture of overwork.
If Ruth Auta were in Nigeria, she would have been surrounded with help for her 10-week old baby.
When you live abroad, there’s almost nothing left for the worker to pay a child minder when there are so many other bills competing for attention.
Her lawyers should have made the argument in the context of the larger African culture of overwork abroad.
Ruth Auta needed sympathy and help. She did not need jail time.
This is what to me, makes the story a sad one. Instead of mourning her deceased child, her head will be bowed in sorrow for the next three years in a jail where she will be subjected to abuse.
Life, for her, will never be the same again.
It’s hard to tell our people to stay in Nigeria, and not to go abroad especially in the culture of misgovernance that seems to be our bane.
Talking about Nigeria, the citizenry may need to start to cry to their Governors instead of the laser focus on the presidency. A serious governor can change his State for good if they focus on doing a little good versus stealing.
For Ruth Auta, Nigeria has failed her twice. Firstly, in not creating an environment that keeps her and people like her in Nigeria, and secondly, by not sending her legal help after she got into trouble.
We can only wish her well at this point.
Egogonewshub.com
