Becheve is a large Obanliku village of 17 people. Despite the fact that people from all over the world have shared a location with the popular Obudu Cattle Ranch and Resort, men in this community refused to give up the old custom.
The old tradition is called money marriage, and the victims are called money wife of money wife. The old custom is called money marriage.
Becheve girls sold for cash as small as N10, 000 in 'Cash Marriage.' Food products such as yam tubers; animals such as goats and pigs – all depending on the negotiating strength of a 'groom.'
Ikpe 's trust was keen to share her story. Her parents' story tells her how she talked about money marriage. When her parents sold her to a man old enough for the father to get married, she was a primary four pupil.
However, her marriage to the man didn't kill her school dream. She was so keen to attend a school that she sold bananas for books. But her « husband » found education a great challenge by constantly flogging her to squeeze some message. "I mistakenly considered money to be a good practice woman. When I was in primary four, I was selling. I was struck by my mother and dad that he would send me to school if I follow him.
"The first term and second term did not enable me to start school and they did not. Then I sold bananas to buy a couple of books to raise money to get me to school.
"My husband, however, did not permit me. He's going to beat me every time I try to go to school. I'm going to pass the window and go to bed. She sounded helpless and prayed for government intervention. He'll beat me every time I go back to school. Ikpe also prayed for the degradation activity to stop and said that the government should contribute to its success.
"I want to ask the administration to stop this practice of money women. We have realized that all of us who have lived it is about pain. I don't want this to be felt by other young children. "Please help the government stop this practice.
"It is very unfortunate when a young girl is married to an old man and to a girl who is used as a cocoa slave."
Money women are married but don't enjoy the comfort or the money they need. Their purpose in marriage is to work hard, mainly in the farms of their husbands.
Many of Becheve 's money wives are very disappointed. One of them is the frustrated Dorothy Akpang, who prayed for death. She explained her time in the bush as a worker on her husband's farm for many days. "I only expect to die at that time. When I was working at the farm, I slept in the bush. Unlike my pillow, I used palm fronds. "I don't want any of my kids to suffer all these sufferings. I 'd like an end. He also called for policy intervention and wished a stop to the practice of money marriage. I want all my children to go out to school.
"I pray that this cash woman in Becheve will stop practicing this. This is the tradition that the government will fight for us.
Akpang described being "buried within a tomb" as being sold to a woman with marriage money.
Business organizations and advocacy groups sought, however, to make the Becheve people see the wrong thing in the former "monetary union." Richards Akonam is a missionary who has served in Becheve for over two decades to support 'Money Marriage.' He is saddened that society has eaten profoundly and it is a natural activity. 'Money Woman' relatives are proud of their behavior by visiting the 'partner' openly after the 'Marriage,' and during the visit, they are given various things. However, during the visit, the groom records all things given to the boys and the money wife continues to work in the field. "She often visits her 'in-law' to obtain stuff if the mother is greedy.
« She is left alone to fight and find survival means when her parents or relative share the money and the other donations given by the ‚ groom 'for her. "The girl (money girl) can only gain from making someone collect something. It doesn't happen. She will take care of herself through agriculture or elsewhere. No family will buy or give her gifts from any of her relatives. She belongs now to another human and it's difficult to hear the story of Grace Akpan, 14, without throwing a tear at her father. "It is difficult. She tried to tell her experience with her face engraved in pain and confusion, but she could not.
She said in the middle of tears, "I don't even know how all that happened. His elder sister told how Grace had been married to pay the debt to her parents. "They 're dead to my dad. The ones who sold her are my mama and my dad. She's feeling so bad how she is being handled. She's selling the man's akpu. On the market, she sells a lot of things.
"The government can help us with the money and pay the person." It will help us greatly. The tale of Grace does not end with the money man fleeing from her. Her sister said, although she's a man and gives birth to another man. The child is given to the money man because the child is the man's 'property' under customs.
"Yes." Yes. Na the property of the other man, "said sadly the sister. When the husband dies, a money woman's sad history becomes complicated. When the husband dies, his family marries her and her family must replace him if she dies without giving birth to children. This is the requirement of the custom.
Victoria Tabang recalled her anger experience written across her forehead. She explained how helpless she was that they turned her away after they came to help her parents. "I've been living with him (her husband) since I've been young, but I could not do anything when he died. I'll just stay here, I 'm expected. "They drove me away, even when I came to my people, saying that I belong elsewhere now."
When a girl is sold out for Money Marriage in Becheve, her immediate family considers her dead and threatens her that she will never return regardless of how her husband or relatives treats her. Becheve girls are not only sold into marriage from childhood, but some are also sold before their birth and finally married once the bridegroom has paid.
The child is married and condemned to work on the man's farm to support the debt. Becheve Money Women seldom get free from Money Man's work. A lot remains in the marriage 'until death' because it is difficult to calculate the sum of money due.
Even when the man dies, the girl is sold to the next of the kin of the Money Man. And the man's free to go back to his in-laws and pick up another 'money woman' when the 'money woman' dies.
This extraneous practice is, unfortunately, a symbol of the status and pride of the Becheve people. Without a 'Money Wife,' nearly no family is present in Becheve.
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