OGO'S "VOICE" HAS STRUCK THE FIRST BLOW; ADD YOURS TO BREAK THE WALLS OF SILENCE TO END VIOLENCE/ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN

No doubt, some may wonder if perhaps Ogo would have still been alive if she had “spoken up” earlier. On the other hand I just choose to accept it for what the past few days since the break of the story has somewhat proved it to be. Call me over imaginative, but I caught myself thinking that maybe just maybe, her death may very well herald the long overdue “anti-domestic violence/abuse Spring”. You can therefore imagine how amazing it was to read some remarks on my blog and on Social Media in the ongoing conversations regarding “her story.

Some of the remarks bordered on the absurd and some were that “the story is one sided and therefore not balanced because the husband Kevin has not been given his “day in public court”; some went as far as faulting her for her own death and believing she should have had the presence of mind to “Escape” while she could.

In all of these, all I can say is has any of the many Kevin Champions, Truth Seekers or strong willed women amongst us paused even for a moment to consider that perhaps if indeed “wishes were horses Ogo would definitely have chosen to jump on one and wished her way out of that marriage rather than stay to finally yield to the painful sting of death”.

As far as I know, nobody is on trial not even Kevin (he is best left to THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE), because whoever wrote that “letter” obviously knew Ogo well and must have known for certain that even in her despair she never wished evil for the man she loved; THE MAN SHE CALLED HUSBAND.

So you can imagine what a relief it was for me to stumble on the Facebook tribute page created in her memory earlier today In Memorial of Ogochukwu ONUCHUKWU(Nee Onugu) ; having read these words by its creator “Every time I look at a picture of you or pick up the mail from the mailbox with your name on it or scroll down my phone and see your name or listen to your voice messages, the pain comes back even worse than before. It’s still not real to me! But my consolation: No one can hurt you anymore. No more pain or burden for you. Rest in peace my dear sister-in-law and my friend.”; I realised that the woman Ogo was much more than just a “Story”. She was much more than a statistic in the alarmingly rising rate of fatal spousal abuse; she was not just an unappreciated and abused wife who felt she was worthless and therefore deserving of the misery that became her lot; Ogo was much more.

Yes! She was much stronger than most..Going through some of the pictures on the tribute page, I was amazed that such smiles as she wore in majority of the pictures hid a terrible pain; she was a beloved mum to two beautiful children, a friend, a loving sibling and daughter and much more.

With the benefit of this insight of earlier in the day, I have chosen not to be persuaded in any other direction except down the path that would see me join my VOICE with Ogo’s VOICE, in the hope that thousands of other VOICES will be willing to join up to say an emphatic NO! TO VIOLENCE/ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN.

Voices of Men, Women and Children united in this “fight” to BREAK THE WALL OF SILENCE on issues of domestic abuse that has been the status quo for far too long.

Voices that will hopefully translate into actions, legislation and much more that will protect women from VIOLENCE and ABUSE.

Voices that will not apportion blame or be drawn into debates of whether an abused woman is deserving of the abuse she suffers.

Yes! Voices; because Ogo’s Voice (death) and the reactions it has elicited so far has applied the FIRST BLOW TO THIS WALL.

Here and now therefore, I wish to applaud and affirm EVERYWOMAN that has been brave enough to find her VOICE and coming out boldly to share her story of abuse at the hands of a loved one via prose or pictures.

EVERYWOMAN who has said a defiant NO! and is now a SURVIVOR.

It is to The Lord's Glory that:

No more where you willing to “play possum” and endure vilification at the hands of the “Beast” while you wait like Godot for him to Change.

No more did you “agree” to pay as low as a Kobo to buy into the often told lies by your ‘Abuser’ that you were ‘Abused’ because you were a BAD person.

I applaud you because whatever BS it is he had been selling you certainly weren't buying ANYMORE.

Yes! You may have made wrong choices in the past and found yourself in a BAD situation followed by BAD Consequences...but FINALLY you have turned a GOOD Corner and made the GOOD CHOICE to Speak Out

I am persuaded that you never chose the MISERY you experienced

Therefore, be persuaded that IT IS WELL

STAY ROOTED

OSA