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Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. - Family (3) - Nairaland

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Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by AloyEmeka9: 3:22am On Dec 17, 2009
I think the househelp arrangement should be limited to Nigeria alone. Those clamouring for it to be abolished better find alternative way for those ladies who benefit from the program to survive. Housemaids are paid in Nigeria now for their services so it's no more a free service in many homes.
This story was reported by a westerner who obviously see the house maid arrangement as slavery because they know nothing of that aspect of our culture. Of course, they will blow it out of proportion and trust my Nigerians, they will help add fuel into the fire just to punish the couple who brought her here. I noticed that many who sheltered relations or other Naijas on their first time arrival in the US end up being their enemies after they get situated. Its those ones who refuse to help them when they needed the help most end up being their loving friends.

Who hid her passport? Don't Nigerians normally hide passports and other valuable documents?. The couple may be guilty but I am sure that 85% of the time, its blown out of proportion. may be she found herself a boyfriend or is sleeping with the man and when madam discovered and threatened to throw her out, the abuse case came up from nowhere. It happens like this everyday abroad and if you look closer, its always illegitimate sex and relationships that lead to things like this.
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by amebono1: 4:38am On Dec 17, 2009
Aloy.Emeka:


Who hid her passport? Don't Nigerians normally hide passports and other valuable documents?. The couple may be guilty but I am sure that 85% of the time, its blown out of proportion. may be she found herself a boyfriend or is sleeping with the man and when madam discovered and threatened to throw her out, the abuse case came up from nowhere. It happens like this everyday abroad and if you look closer, its always illegitimate sex and relationships that lead to things like this.

exactly
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by Nobody: 7:48am On Dec 17, 2009
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by spikedcylinder: 8:19am On Dec 17, 2009
Aloy.Emeka:

I noticed that many who sheltered relations or other Naijas on their first time arrival in the US end up being their enemies after they get situated.

This is so so so true!
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by spikedcylinder: 8:39am On Dec 17, 2009
But dont you think by now that they should have known that US sees the involuntary service of a man [human beings] as slavery? Esp when the server is not being paid.

They should be arrested. They can't claim ignorance to this law.

A lot of people think they can escape the law with the excuse that the house help is their relative.

As has been said over in this thread, there's nothing wrong with having help in the house, just pay them for their services and treat them well.

I've said it over on these boards, I had a house help growing up and without that lady, my life would have been in shambles now as I grew up alone with always working parents. I call her my cousin because it's always been embarrasing saying she was our maid. She and her husband just completed their house--which is where I'm going to spend next weekend!! cheesy
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by Nobody: 8:59am On Dec 17, 2009
spikedcylinder:

A lot of people think they can escape the law with the excuse that the house help is their relative.

As has been said over in this thread, there's nothing wrong with having help in the house, just pay them for their services and treat them well.

I've said it over on these boards, I had a house help growing up and without that lady, my life would have been in shambles now as I grew up alone with always working parents. I call her my cousin because it's always been embarrasing saying she was our maid. She and her husband just completed their house--which is where I'm going to spend next weekend!! cheesy

Exactly.

If the house help is/was being paid, she wouldnt have been branded a "slave". Therefore the couple would not have been arrested.
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by Theblessed(f): 8:35pm On Dec 18, 2009
chaircover:

Osisi & Amebo, I am sure you agree with me that good parents as yours are in the minority and that there are millions of child slaves out there who are treated very badly. It is now a crime even in Nigeria to use child labour and eventually it will be abolished; its a matter of time.

You may be right though, and there is a possibility that the whole story has been blown out of proportion and eventually the truth will come out.

The difference between what happens in Nigeria and the west is that the Au-pairs, nannies & cleaners etc are all over a certain age and work a specific number of hours for an agreed rate, besides they are so expensive than very few of us can afford to have one of these workers at our beck and call for 24 hours a day.

I just didn't like the fact that they selected this woman out of many they could have chosen. She was a widow, so 6 kids were missing both maternal and paternal care and guidance for the length of time that she was working for this couple. Lets face it, no one can care for a child as well as its parents will.

They couldn't have been paying her much more than it would have cost them to set up a petty trading business for her which is back to TheBlessed comments that we should try to help people not for what we can get in return but to help people because we are in a position to do so. Her ticket & visa alone would have set them back about £1,000 (N260,000) which would have easily started a small petty business.

Of course every situation is different and while some househelps wake up everyday cursing their masters, some ex househelps, are thanking God for placing them in such good families.

[b]Again Chaircover, may our Heavenly Father bless you abundantly for your sensitive and well balanced view in this matter/speaking out for the very poor.  I understand we are all different and have different approaches to issues we are passionate about, am no different.  It pains me more when I see or read about things like this because, I hate 'CONTROL' and this incident is not far from it hence, my interest in the topic! 

Some people belief that, with money they can get anything they want in life but they forgot or should I say, they lack this common thing, called 'Empathy' - a simple human touch of putting yourself in someone's situation in order to feel their pain or what they're going through.

You see, some don't understand that the services slaves provide them, are unquantifiable therefore, no amount of money they pay, is enough to compensate for their suffering. When we talk about suffering, are we talking about the social, psychological, mental and, emotional costs or as you mentioned in your post, the physical separation and loneliness experienced by slaves as a result of moving away from their loved ones.

The sad reality is that, the psychological effects of this slavery not only remains with the victims but also, extends to their children.  No one would like to be known or be introduced as the son/daughter of a servant/housemaid of the Ajayi's.  Or oh, you are the son of that Ofodike's cousin that used to live with them years ago, at Park Street! Now tell me, who would like this?

In Nigeria, people know exactly what you mean when words like this comes up thus, a not so positive or uplifting feeling that could over-shadow one for the rest of their lives e.g. rejection, all forms of complexes and a constant feeling of lack of confidence even though, the person in question is an achiever in his/her own right. And what about depression and mental illnesses? Can they also be excluded from the fact?  No! As far as am concerned, nothing can justify this abuse of power.  This money power that's so corrupt that, it makes people think because they have it, they can buy anything they want including 'Humans' and, so far as they can justify they are only helping the poor, it's all ok.

To that, I say thanks but no thanks you could do much more better than this![/b]
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by Theblessed(f): 8:44pm On Dec 18, 2009
dfanthom:

I hope they are severely sanctioned for their gross misdemeanour so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
oyibo na oyibo till tomorrow, if 2 say na naija now, nobody go send d woman.  .   .   . angry

Hey Dfanthom, 

Don't worry, shey you understand American law? 

Na, 200 years for each of them. cool cool cool cool cool cool

It's a concluded case, just wait for the verdict!
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by Theblessed(f): 9:57pm On Dec 18, 2009
But since these Good Samaritans are too keen to help the poor, why can't they give them 'NET TO CATCH THEIR OWN FISH' instead otherwise, we won't be here talking about Master and Slave.  For the Bible said it all in Proverbs Chpt. 22 .7 - where it tells us about Unequal relationship between the rich and the poor in relation to the Borrower and the lender. This confirms all the argument  that, it's never a relationship of Equals as some people tries to make it look.  We know, somewhere, somehow, someone is taking advantage of the other therefore, there's no such thing as Equal relationship between the poor and the rich because, the poor will always live at the mercy of the rich hence, Inequalities down the line.
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by Ndipe(m): 10:21pm On Dec 18, 2009
Everybody on Nairaland treats their househelps well wink
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by WhiteOne(f): 4:25pm On Dec 22, 2009
One of my friends (m) here in London catched his own wife mistreating the housegirl. This woman has four children with her husband, who works in the UK. He was surprised the housegirl never talked much to him. Later on his son told him the mother had cut the housegirls hand with rasier blade to punish her for stealing a few nira. He talked to the girl and the girl told him, Oga i am so happy you are around, now i have good food and can sleep on a mattress and i can eat with your children. In the past i had one meal a day and i was not allowed to eat with your children. The house girl was around 10 or 11 years old and the mans son around 8 years. The man sattelt the things with the girls family and kicked his wife out.

Unbelievable - how a mother can use a girl like this, house girl or not, to sleep on the bare floor, only one meal a day and not to speake with the children of the house - and this woman had pounds coming in every months - i am only hopping this "big madam will root in hell!
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by WhiteOne(f): 4:36pm On Dec 22, 2009
I am just so unhappy, there are good people in Nigeria as well, which treated there house boys and girls right. Give them food, give them accommodation, sometimes there own room, pay for there basic primary school, teach him english, teach them german, teach them france and buy even cloths well in the UK or USA. or teach them there trade on the market, in there shops, by them a ticket home for chrismas or ramadan.
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by christilog: 2:05pm On Jan 14, 2010
it happens here in niga but its really bad 2 humanity.may GOD help us 2 be kind hearthed. sad sad
Re: Nigerian Couple In Arlington,tx In Trouble For Keeping Slaves. by paschalomenihu: 1:01pm On Jul 12, 2013
THAT IS REALLY INHUMAN TREATMENT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER, WHEN DO WE START HEARING GOOD NEWS ABOUT THIS COUNTRY CALLED NIJA cool cool cool

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