asking for the abortion.”
“Not guilty? I doubt it,” he said, and turning to the judge, he said. “My lord, that will be all for this witness.”
As soon as Mrs. Obodo stepped down from the witness box, Prof. Abdulahi, the Executive Secretary of National Education Research Development Council stepped into the witness box.
 “Mr. Abdulahi?”
 “Yes.”
 “Can you please tell this honorable court all you know about the sexuality education curriculum published in collaboration with your ministry and currently in use in our schools.”
 “The Sexuality Education Curriculum is an attempt to treat the issue of human sexuality and then focus on how to manage it.”
 “Did you say focus on how to manage it? Please can you throw more light on that?”
 “It’s built on a comprehensive attribute of human beings. It is not just talking about sex. It talks about the entire issue of human sexuality as part of human development,” he paused. “Everyone already knows that AIDS is ravaging the world and that youths are the worse off for it. Although there are other ways to contract it, but one of the easiest ways is through sexual intercourse. And since the dreaded disease is notorious for taking lives, something must be done to checkmate it and also inform the public about it, especially the growing population who are mostly prone to catch the disease.” 
 “How do you intend to achieve this?”
 “Through the NCSEC, of course. It’s a sort of a comprehensive program which deals with the development of all parts of the body including sexual organs. It also talks about natural desires that come with these organs at certain stages of development. The curriculum deals on how to control these desires and manage them as well as how to relate with members of the opposite sex.”
 “Professor, don’t you think it is not good and encouraging when you introduce sex education? Don’t you think it will bring down the moral and spiritual life of some students who may have come from strict religious backgrounds?”
 “I do really understand your fears,” he said laughing, “but you see, I think it is really good to start them on sex education early. If you consider the world we are in now, this generation and compare it with our parent’s, you’ll see that our children are far more experienced. Then we also have to think about AIDS. It is wise to let children know and to equip them before time. I think they should be started on sexed at about 7, by the time they get to a particular stage, they will be able to know what sex is all about and what sort of behavior to avoid. You know if they are not taught, children of nowadays will find a way. Even the films they watch these days, you are never there all the time.”
 “How successful has the sex-education-based policy been?”
 “It’s a fairly new program although the safe-sex philosophy is beginning to catch on.”
 “Like this?” He asked him, pointing at Frankie.
 “There will always be exceptions. Condoms offer 85percent protection only. It reduces the risk but does not eliminate it.”
 “Why are you not laying much emphasis on religious and abstinence only education? Why is it that it’s only to condom that you are concerned about? You know the superiority of religious education over sex education and you also know that if righteousness is applied in schools and the fear of God, immorality will naturally fizzle out. Why is nothing being done about that?”
 “These things are not as easy as they seem. They sound nice and good on papers but in real life, they are not so. We live in a sexually addicted world. Our society has become a pornographic home video. Sex is being used to sell everything. Unfortunately, most sources of pornography come from outside the country and beyond our control. And you shouldn’t forget the fact that ninety percent of all transmissions are outside wedlock. So, I think it is good for people to be encouraged to wear condom. It’s also in line with the theory of harm reduction.”
 “In a nut shell, you are saying that pornography encourages promiscuity but condoms reduce the risk?”
 “Well, you may say so.”
 “Yes or no, please.” 
 “Yes, It’s an undeniable fact.”
 “Good, in other words, easy access to pornography fires the desires of individuals to have sex?”
 “Yes, naturally.”
 “If that is the case, why then did you support the teaching of sexuality education which teaches children how to be promiscuous, use contraceptives, commit abortion and abuse sex?”
 “My lord, we have to be careful and realize how fantasy differs from reality. Whether we like it or not, children will learn about sex, probably from the wrong quarters and have sex. So it is extremely important to have them equipped. You can’t go with them everywhere they go or can you?”
 “Professor, I understand that the ministry carried out extensive research before you proposed the sexuality education curriculum, can you tell this honorable court the result of that research?”
 “Yes, we carried out a lot of researches and one of the findings was that children nowadays are beginning sexual activities much earlier than the generations before. In fact, 11 years is the world’s average today and of course, you know AIDS is affecting mostly youths hence, the imperative to start them early on sex-ed.”
 “When you said sex education, I guess you mean teaching children how to use condom, commit abortion and watch pornography?”
 “Objection,” the defense counsel put in. “My lord, the question is leading.”
 “Over ruled,” the judge said. “You may answer the question.”
 “These things are not so. They are teaching aids. We use them for the purpose of clarity.”
 “Yes or no, please”
 “Yes.”
 “Good, Prof; do you know that the U.S.A which you copied is on the rebound? Do you know they have abandoned their blind faith in condom and contraceptive based sexed which they have practiced for over twenty years and embraced abstinence/religious based sexed? In fact, in January 2002, President Bush asked congress to raise funding for abstinence only education by 33%. That increase, to a total of $135 million (of a total $2.1 trillion budget) would go in to the fight against sexually transmitted diseases, out of wedlock pregnancies by promoting sexual abstinence outside marriage?”
 “Well, I’m aware of that. But you see our culture and theirs are not the same. I…I.”
 “If America with its high quality condoms, sophisticated contraceptives and well organized medical service system found sex-education faulty, how much more we in the developing countries where infectious diseases already cause much havoc, plus the fact that our medical facilities are non-existent or inadequate, why then did you still insist on the destructive, illogical and failed safe-sex philosophy?”
 “Well, like I… I said before …”
 “Professor, why did the USA abandon the sexuality education? I’ll tell you why. They abandoned it because it did not work. Why then did you copy a model that failed worldwide, why?”
 “Sex education is still the best. And people have the right to know how best to protect themselves, especially, young people who are most prone to catch the disease.”
 “Professor, have you ever heard about the 1996 Welfare Reform Act?”
 “No.”
 “Why? I thought anyone in your position should know that? Well, in case you don’t know, I will tell you. This law establishes that the only acceptable standard of sexual activity in the USA is abstinence until marriage. That’s not all, title xxx Adolescence pregnancy program. The Federal office of Adolescence Pregnancy Program awards grants under title xx for demonstrating projects aimed at preventing adolescents sexual activities and also the title V abstinence Education Provision, a new federal education grants to the states that requires teaching adolescents that abstinence from sexual activities is the only certain way to avoid illegitimate births and sexually transmitted diseases. It earmarked about US$50 million for five years for promoting sexual abstinence until marriage for teenagers. You know contraceptive based sex education has been funded by tax payers for over twenty years?”
 “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” the judge said. “Can I see the report?”
 Barr. Nwaka handed him the papers. 
 He perused it briefly. “Do you really mean the USA now promotes abstinence only sex education?”
 “That’s it, your lordship. You can see it for yourself.” 
 “Oh my God! Then what are we talking about here?” 
 “Search me, my lord.” 
 “You may continue,” the judge said, handing him back the papers.
 “My lord I want to tender this article as evidence.”
 “Show to the defense counsel.”
 “I have no objection, my lord.”
 “Evidence is hereby admitted in court,” the judge said.
 “Professor, I put it to you that you deliberately created a program that systematically introduced pornography into our educational system contrary to section 419 of the criminal laws of the country.”
 “Professor, I put it to you that you deliberately created a program that systematically introduced pornography into our educational system contrary to section 419 of the criminal laws of the country.”