As usual, the courtroom was filled to the brim with spectators and those who couldn’t come to the court stayed glued to their TV sets and the internet. No one wanted to miss a single minute of the trial.
“Mrs. Obodo, how long have you been in the teaching profession?” the prosecuting counsel, Barr. Nwaka asked as soon as she mounted the podium.
“This is my 20th year, my lord.”
“And in all these years, you have been in the teaching profession?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Now tell me, Mrs. Obodo, is it true that you show these children pornography in the name of sexuality education and give them free condoms and encourage them to go ahead and do it so long as they are protected and it’s consensual?”
“Of course not, your honor, we do no such thing. We teach them sexuality education based on the new National Sexuality Education Curriculum (NSEC) set up by the National Education Research Development Council (NERDC).
“Yes, can you explain what the sexuality education is all about? I mean, what do you teach and at what age?”
“The National Sexuality Education Curriculum was first published in August 1999 in conjunction with the Ministry and the Safer-Health Incorporated. It was done with support from the World Bank and some other international agencies.”
“Yes, go on.”
“At level one-which involves upper primary school pupils (7-10year olds), they are taught about marriage, puberty, reproduction, review of reproductive organs, their functions. How babies are made, prevention of unwanted pregnancies, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse, masturbation and abstinence are part of the core content. Pupils are required to know male and female external genitals and parts of the body that causes excitement when touched.”
“Yes, go on.”
“At level two (13 years +), which is the junior secondary school, we teach sperm production, erection, ejaculation, wet dreams, the myths surrounding these things and at level three, which is the senior secondary school (15 years+), they can go into proper sexuality education. They are also taught that abstinence is the best protection against STDs including HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. We also discuss the use of contraceptives as valid alternatives, especially condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS.”
“You discuss the use of condoms as valid alternatives, did you say?”
“Yes.”
“Good, now Madam, what teaching materials do you use?”
“We use clippings from magazines showing parts of the body, charts demonstrating hugging, kissing, pecking, holding hands and videos for schools that have the facilities.”
“Madam, you said in schools that have the facilities, the students watch pictures of naked men and women making love? Now tell me, what’s the difference between pornography and showing children pictures of naked men and women making love and how to wear condom?”
“There is a lot of difference, my lord. We present our information in a refined and pure way with the intention to teach. We use videos to show only the process of fertilization through birth. They are used for clarity. They are only teaching aids.”
“Madam, what is pornography?”
“Well, pornography is presenting or showing of naked people or sexual acts in order to cause sexual excitement but our intention is not to cause sexual excitement but to teach.”
“Thank you very much, Madam. From your definition, you will agree with me that showing children pornography is bad influence because it – pornography- fires the desire of human beings to have sex. Its prevalence makes people to have more sex anytime and anywhere because it does not only over - sexualizes the mind, it also makes the mind auto sexual and this puts self control in short supply.”
“Naturally, people cannot abstain from sex.”
“I doubt that, or are you telling me people are incapable of rational self control even in the face of a killer disease?”
“People are sexually addicted and we live in a sex filled world. It is good they are told how best to protect themselves when they are sexually active.”
“Madam, there’s this deep-seated notion that one’s partner does not have the HIV virus but it is also a medical wisdom to treat each patient as if he/she is a carrier to protect oneself from HIV. Be that as it may, Madam, will you sleep or encourage your children to sleep with a HIV carrier with a high quality condom?”
“No one will do such a thing.”
“Then, you will agree with me that the promotion of condom is an illusion?”
“Well, it’s not. I mean, it offers protection though it does not eliminate the risk.” 
“Madam, you will agree with me that the current method of control is not fruitful because it is illusory. By all standards, the formula “Abstinence, be faithful to a partner, condom” (ABC) taken together is an axis of evil which would always ensure the electric spread of HIV. I argue that it is only condom that the promoters of ABC are concerned with. The two others- abstinence and fidelity to a partner -were inscribed nominally to gain government’s money and public credence as the only legitimate representations of all versions of HIV/AIDS control, not that there’s a real commitment to them, am I right?”
“These things are not so. We teach them abstinence as the only foolproof way of avoiding HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, but for those who cannot abstain, or are sexually active, we encourage them to use condom. You know that’s in line with the theory of harm reduction?”
“I don’t think so. How many millions of naira are being spent to design programs that teach youths–whose age range is most prone to the pandemic, how to abstain from the desultory sexual practices and to provide a sustainable environment for the choice of chastity?”
“We emphasize abstinence as a valid option.”
“Madam, you will agree with me that to use condoms correctly and consistently to avoid HIV, one needs discipline?”
“Yes.”
“And to be abstinent till marriage or be abstinent to sexual longings outside marriage, one needs discipline?”
“Yes.”
“And to be faithful to a partner, one needs discipline too?”
“Yes.”
“As an educator, I hope you know there is a behavioral theory of consistency of discipline or indiscipline, am I right?”
“Yes, I am aware of that.”
“Then you will agree with me that infidelity is as a result of breakdown of discipline, aka, self control. Once indiscipline drives somebody to despise the rules of chastity, it is even hard not to engage in premarital polygamy or promiscuous dalliances. It is also the same reason why you cannot get an armed robber who is chaste because the lack of self control that drove somebody into armed robbery will always be there for him should his sexual passions be aroused.”
“Well, these things are not so. Besides, the issue of discipline does not rest on the schools alone, parents and the society have a role to play too.”
“Now Madam, how can a formula be, if you cannot abstain, use condoms? Where will one get the discipline to use condoms always when there is no discipline to control oneself? In order words, it is quite impossible to aspire to be a flirt by using condom always and at the same time, aspire to abstain from sex. It is a known fact that when there is an easier way, people, most especially children will always take the easier way. So, you see the problem is not basically because children want to have sex or have an appetite for sex, but they are not taught to be disciplined and to abstain from sex until marriage. Unwanted pregnancies and AIDS are just some of the Ministry’s failure to educate and empower kids morally.” 
“It is really important that kids are meant to know the difference between fantasy and reality. Here we are talking about sex, something that is inherent in all of us; we can’t just dismiss it as mere ranting,” Mrs. Obodo added.
“Well, how successful has the theory been? I mean, the abstinence, be faithful to a partner, condom (ABC) approach been?”
“It’s been fairly successful. The program is fairly new, you know? And you don’t expect us to break speed records or do you?”
“Fairly successful, you said?”
“Yes.”
“Like this?” Barr. Nwaka asked, pointing at Frankie. 
The court booed.
“Order!” the judge shouted. “Order!”
“If the curriculum is faulty, it is not my fault. I’m only executing it. If you have any problem with that, I think you should go ask NERDC and NAFDAC. They approved it, not me.”
“Mrs. Obodo, I have only one more question for you. The renowned genius, Sir Isaac Newton tells us in his first law of motion, which of course, is a natural and universal law, applicable and equally valid in all spheres of life that an object will continue to be in a state of rest or constancy of motion until an external force compels it to act otherwise. The human sexual faculties will continue to be in a ‘state of rest’ unless incensed into activity by the sexual things being fed the mind. The omnipresence of obscenities in our society excites our sexual faculties beyond the reach of self control, is this true?”
“Yes.”
“Then I put it to you that you deliberately created a program that not only over sexualizes the minds of the students, but one that makes the mind auto- sexual which puts their self control in short supply resulting in sex abuse with its attendant fallouts and that you attempted to commit an abortion against a woman’s consent on the 18th in collaboration with one Dr. Stella Okoro, contrary to section 4 of the infant life preservation Act 1861, guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty, my lord. She was the one