Hardship: Families beg for leftovers at restaurants as gender-based violence rises in Akwa Ibom

The sharp rise in fuel prices and persistent inflation in Nigeria has deepened poverty across the country, leaving many families in financial despair, DAILY POST has observed.

In Akwa Ibom State, for instance, the economic strain has not only crippled households but also fueled an alarming increase in gender-based violence (GBV).

Findings by our reporter have shown that women who once contributed to their families’ income now face heightened domestic abuse as their financial independence erodes under economic pressure.

The inability of families to afford basic necessities, coupled with the frustration of a failing economy, has turned many homes into battlegrounds where violence thrives in the shadow of poverty.

Picture this: Uduak Eyo, 37, breaks into sobs intermittently as she describes the pain and torture her husband put her through when she lost her job at an eatery.

“The last eight months have been hell. He is constantly reminding me of how he made a mistake by getting married to me and leaving behind graduates who were rushing him,” she sobbed.

Uduak, who hails from Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria, said her husband became verbally and physically abusive because she could no longer earn an income.

“He began drinking and staying out late,” she said.

Reporting the abuse to her in-laws did not help.

Most of the women interviewed by DAILY POST have two major things in common: they are from Akwa Ibom State and are currently out of jobs.

They all have similar experiences of gender-based violence in their homes, which they attribute to the bad economy, rising inflation, as well as the impact of fuel subsidy removal in the country. They have all shared stories of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse.

Hardship: The Genesis

During his May 29, 2023, presidential inaugural speech, President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy.

This policy was intended to free up financial resources for other sectors, encourage domestic refineries to increase petroleum production, reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel, and boost employment.

However, the reality on the ground has been far different.

Recently, there has been widespread public outcry over the inability of the average Nigerian to afford basic necessities like food, fuel, and gas.

For example, the cost of major food items has surged in markets nationwide, as inflation drives up the prices of goods and services.

The price of filling a 12.5kg gas cylinder increased by 69.15% year-on-year, according to a National Bureau of Statistics report, now averaging N17,500.

Despite the government’s expectations, the removal of the subsidy has so far only intensified the economic struggles of ordinary families, leaving many struggling to survive.

From data obtained from the internal audit of the Central Bank of Nigeria, for April-June 2024, there was a steady increase in the inflation rate in Nigeria. In April, the annual inflation in the country stood at 33.69%; May at 33.95%; while in June, it was 34.19%. Food inflation, also known as non-core inflation, according to the CBN, was 40.53% in April, 40.66% in May, and 40.87% in June.

However, in July and August 2024, the headline inflation rate eased to 33.40% and 32.15% respectively. The August 2024 headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.25 percentage points compared to the July 2024 headline inflation rate.

Faith Paulinus, a Fiscal Accountability Analyst with Policy Alert, a civil society organization in Nigeria, observed that the headline inflation rate, which accelerated in June 2024, was the highest since March 1996 amid the removal of fuel subsidies and a weakening local currency. She noted that the decline in these indicators in August 2024 does not necessarily mean prices of goods are dropping, but rather that the rate of price increases has slowed compared to previous months.

She said the trend diminishes the purchasing power of the average Nigerian family, businesses, and services, with little or no clear indication of when households will be free.

“Inflation has a significant effect, causing families to reduce their purchasing power in many areas, and this can trigger violence in some homes,” she said.

Uduak Akpan, a single mother of three and an office assistant in an organisation in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said the increase in fuel prices and the hike in transport fares is making it difficult for her to provide for her kids.

She used to spend N200 to and from her place of work daily, but now it’s N800. Akpan said she could not even afford the transport fare to her office or feed her family with her meagre salary.

“I have not achieved anything, and it’s even difficult to get a better job that will pay higher, as even a salesgirl’s job pays between N20,000 to N30,000, and that is like jumping from frying pan to fire,” she said.

In extreme conditions, some families in Akwa Ibom, South-South Nigeria, were left with little choice but to beg for leftovers at restaurants, as revealed by Satubros, a restaurant owner on Asutan Street, who regretted that such arrangements are no longer feasible as customers hardly have enough to eat, let alone leave leftovers.

The situation also compelled a 22-year-old widow, identified as Grace Udeme Esenowo, to feed her four children with chicken and fish from the farm where she works in Okon Clan of Eket in the state.

Stories like this raise important questions about governance in Nigeria and the gap between the leaders and citizens.

Reacting to the incident, a social reformer and author, Andy Akpotive, who spoke to our correspondent, said it was not actually the duty of government to feed its citizens, especially when they are not doing so through a social welfare scheme like in other countries where the government supports people through hard times.

Akpotive noted that Grace’s situation was a call to action for the government to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, create equal employment opportunities for citizens to work, earn a living, and take care of their families.

“If you are a socialist state and want to help your people, you must have a veritable database that you’ll use to make your calculation. This set of people are the ones we can budget a certain amount for monthly, but do we have such data?” he queried.

Another woman going through a similar experience is Eka, a hairdresser in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria.

She has four children and is a victim of domestic violence. She said she has reported the matter to the welfare unit of the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs.

“My husband has been using a wheelbarrow to supply drinks since they stole his vehicle,” she said.

“When leaving the house, sometimes he will give me N1,500 or N2,000 to cook soup, even when we have nothing in the house.”

She narrates how she cooks for her children with the small amount of money she receives and how she gets the beating of her life if her husband comes home and discovers that she did not keep food for him, as it was hardly enough for the children.

On his part, Okechukwu John, a trader in Etuk Market, Uyo, said men suffer gender-based violence at home too, alleging how his wife always verbally abuses him for not being able to provide enough for his family.

His words: “Who is smiling in this economy? Also, when you talk of abuse, we men suffer it too but we don’t like voicing it out. For instance, when I give my wife what I can afford to go to the market, she will tell me to go myself because the money was too small.

“And you think she’s joking, she will never go. Is that not violence against a man? When you are working yourself out to take care of your family and someone is not appreciating it, what do you call that?”

Otuekong Franklyn Isong, Chairman of the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), Akwa Ibom State council, explained that most of the time, men are at the receiving end of the harsh economy, as they foot the bills and take care of many responsibilities. However, he noted that frustration and hardship should not make a man react violently. “I have heard several cases where men abandon their families, leave their homes, and never return. People are committing suicide. Frustration is telling more on men,” he said.

Financial abuse is a crime – Lawyer

Obi Amaka Aga, Head of Chambers at Leading Edge Solicitors and Notary Public, who specialises in Family Law, explained that financial or economic abuse in marriage is a crime, with offenders risking some months in jail or payment of a fine.

She stated that the offence is not gender-specific, as either spouse could be culpable. The act usually causes the survivor to experience low self-esteem, emotional, and psychological trauma. She warns couples to avoid being caught in the web of financial abuse: “Economic abuse is defined as when a spouse prevents the other from engaging in productive work or business, or when one partner is financially stable but does not release funds to the other partner for the welfare of the home.”

She said, “There are some women who are fully trained and educated before getting married, and their spouses tell them they can’t work. That could be depressing, and such persons are usually sad.”

“It is beneficial not to engage in economic abuse because when convicted for those few months and released, you automatically become an ex-convict, which is also not good for the records,” she added.

In an interview with the Secretary of the Gender-Based Violence Management Committee in Akwa Ibom State, Barrister Emem Etukudoh, it was revealed that over 600 cases of gender-based violence were recorded across the state last year, with physical and economic abuse ranking highest on the list.

Gender-based violence in Akwa Ibom State

In an interview with Barrister Emem Ette, Secretary of the Gender-Based Violence Management Committee in Akwa Ibom State, she explained that there was a dip in the rate of GBV issues in the state between 2021 and 2022, but it picked up again from 2023 till now.

According to her, “There is a spike in GBV cases, and as a committee, we are working hard to sensitize the people against it.”

Data obtained from the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Response Department of the state’s Ministry of Justice showed that 321 cases of GBV were recorded between January and November 2023, with the age range of victims between two and 65. From this data, there were 170 cases of spousal battery, 20 cases of physical injury, 11 cases of harmful widowhood practices, and 120 rape cases.

Ette noted that, in total, 1,464 cases of sexual and gender-based violence have been recorded in the state from 2021 to date, with spousal battery topping the list at 520 cases, but there has been only one conviction.

Impact on mental health

Gender-based violence has significantly impacted the mental health of survivors, particularly women. The World Health Organization has recognized it as a significant public health issue globally.

Speaking with Dr. Godwin Eniekop, Specialist Psychiatrist at the Mental Health Department of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Akwa Ibom State, he identified frustration occasioned by economic hardship and GBV as among the stressors leading to mental health disorders in individuals.

This could be likened to the cases of Mrs. Eyo and Eka, whose husbands’ abusive attitudes toward them were blamed on frustration.

Dr. Eniekop said, “Being unable to live up to marital expectations, unable to pay bills at home, and not achieving the set goals in marriage are enough to build up mental stress.”

He regretted that due to stigmatization in society, many people find it difficult to seek mental health care in a timely manner.

Eniekop disclosed a recent increase in the number of patients in the facility, which he said could either be due to the impact of economic hardship or increased awareness about mental health care in the state.

According to him, “The economic hardship and frustration clearly increase mental health disorders in our society. In this facility, we have had an upsurge in the inflow of patients, which we can attribute to the consequences of economic hardship, bearing in mind the nature of disorders we diagnose when they present. It could also be a result of more awareness about mental health care.”

Dr. Eniekop emphasized that to heal from the trauma of abuse, there must first be an identification of the problem and help sought from the appropriate mental health care facility.

“The care provided will follow a standardized approach; where anti-social health care behavior is identified, psychotherapy is offered where necessary, and we work to reintegrate such individuals back into society. The core psychosocial problems that may have led to the issue will be addressed, the predisposing factors identified, and the triggers managed. Such individuals are advised on how best to avoid triggers. Family sessions and therapy are recommended so that these individuals can benefit from optimized social support,” he said.

Aside from the mental health challenges faced by victims of GBV, it also causes a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country or state, as the productivity of both the abuser and the abused is impacted and reduced. The global cost of violence against women has been estimated at least $1.5 trillion.

A World Bank study found that violence against women costs 1.23–7% of GDP for some countries, emphasizing that these proportions of GDP are what many countries spend on primary education.

Quantifying the direct impact of the cost of violence in terms of statistics remains a challenge for policymakers.

However, resources spent on litigation related to GBV cases by victims, hospital bills for the treatment of injuries, and loss of wages and employment due to psychological and emotional distress can place considerable pressure on GDP.

This accounts for Dr. Eniekop’s assertion that, based on the cases presented lately at UUTH, many women diagnosed with mental health disorders fail to make regular appearances at clinics for reviews due to the high cost of medications.

Dealing with inflation in Nigeria

Giving insight into how inflation is affecting families, especially women, a Professor of Economics at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Onwiduokit, stated that women are caregivers and the engine room of every family in terms of planning.

He emphasized that they should be emotionally alert to pull through, noting that “people have to be emotionally intelligent because talking to someone alone can lead to quarrels or violence. Everybody is agitated and on edge.”

Professor Onwiduokit described inflation as multifaceted, caused by monetary growth and reduced productivity, especially in agricultural products.

He noted that the withdrawal of subsidies from both electricity tariffs and petroleum products, without productivity backup, has increased the prices of goods and services and put pressure on foreign exchange.

He criticized the Central Bank of Nigeria’s attempts to inject cash into the economy and emphasized the need for increased local production and a fight against insecurity to stem the tide.

“All the food we eat here, like rice, yam, and beans, should be sourced from Nigeria. There will be no pressure on foreign exchange to import those foods, so the demand for foreign exchange for importing food items will be reduced,” the professor said.

He suggested that inflation should be checked and that the central bank should not just print money and give it to the government due to the influence of the person who appointed them.

He added, “If our refineries are operational, the prices of goods will certainly be lower, productivity will increase, and many companies have closed shop in Nigeria and moved to Ghana and other places because of the adverse economic environment in Nigeria.”

Role of religion, government in curbing GBV

Rights Advocate and State Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), Franklyn Isong, believes that the government and religious leaders have a role to play in mitigating the impact of inflation and reducing the cases of GBV in the state, attributing the recent spike in violence to frustration.

According to him, the government must address the root causes of this frustration, which include unemployment, poverty, hunger, and underemployment.

“Today, shops are closing, and businesses are leaving; look at the famous syringe factory in Akwa Ibom; it’s gone!” he said.

“What about pharmaceutical companies? We conducted a market survey recently, and the prices of food items have skyrocketed. We do not want a palliative system of government but policies and programs that would make businesses thrive, provide employment opportunities, and make the economy viable.”

He also noted that religious leaders in churches and mosques should modify their messages to preach hope and comfort.

“When we talk about messages of hope, for instance, you cannot preach a sermon from the pulpit stating that a man who cannot feed his family is worse than an infidel; the man will go home dejected.”

He appealed to men not to vent their anger and frustrations on their families despite the challenges they are facing. Isong encouraged people to look out for their neighbors and loved ones and advised women to be patient with their spouses amidst the harsh economic situation.

Hardship: Families beg for leftovers at restaurants as gender-based violence rises in Akwa Ibom