Co-habitation

A recent programme of Vision Africa Radio(104.1fm,Umuahia) focused on 'Co-habitation.' They tried discussing the reasons why people,especially young people co-habit,the benefits if any and the dangers of co-habitation.It is no longer strange to see in our society,men and women(neither blood-related nor legally married)living together under the same roof as in a legitimate marriage.Obviously,topics like this one are rarely discussed in programmes on television or over the radio stations,rather these stations usually hold programmes that seek to find and pair up boys and girls and could lead to co-habitation.

Co-habitation is an act of living together(usually of a man and woman) and having sexual relationship without being married unlike marriage which is a formal union of a man and woman,typically as recognised by law ,by which they become husband and wife.

As a person that has been living in a university environment for over five years,I can boldly attest to the the fact that co-habitation is quickly becoming a way of life among the young folks of this generation.Youths and students alike have gone beyond the usual boy-girl relationships but have transcended to co-habitation.It begins the usual way any other relationship will begin and moves to the point of co-habitation,with time.

Usually,the guys call the girls to move in and live with them,maybe because of their inability to prepare their own meals.Others look at it as an avenue of helping their indigent girlfriends.It is also a way of expressing their so-called love for each other-the show of intimacy between the two individuals involved.Some guys are the ones that move to live with the girls but this is alwaysrare.Some of these relationships are hinged on academic assistance .Some of them suprisingly may not have a clear definition.

For instance,I know a boy and a girl that came into the university and have never met before then but ended up 'co-habiting couples.'The lady will be taking her bath and the boy will come knocking at the door to gain entrance.He eventually succeeded and co-habitation began.The lady gradually packed into the guy's room in the same hostel.Who foots the bills?Dont ask me please!Until their time of graduation,they co-habited.

Young people are always looking for freedom to do things their own way.This quest for freedom and youthful exuberance only succeeded in taking them to the extreme of co-habitation.Some of them are mere chamelëeons,being nice before dad and mum but 'married' away from home.FREEDOM IS GOOD BUT CAN BE VERY DELETERIOUS WHEN MISMANAGED!

Some of these co-habiting couples have received support from the society,especially from their hostels that give them 'best-couples' awards during hostel parties,to the extent that the reasonable ones are contemplating joining the queue for recognition.

Many marriages in the society are mere products of co-habitation.A lady packs into a man's one or two rooms apartment with all she has from her father's house without any thought of brideprice and begins to live with him.What a life devoid of shame!They live together for long before thinking of marriage,that is if it eventually comes.

What actually will they be doing?Sleep on the same bed,fornicate -morning, afternoon and night,bath together,eat together,break any barrier between them,move about together.What else?Call honey,darling,daddy,mummy,sweetheart and so on?Go to 'church' together?Go to parties together or hold hands and walk about together in school?

Unfortunately,the people that co-habit are in an illegal relationship.The legality of marriage per se gives it the real flavour it requires.Marriage is supposed to be between a full-fledged man and woman and not between a boy and girl.The people that co-habit are not even sure of their future.Imagine a 200 level male student co-habiting with a 100level female student.That is simply stupidity.She obviously cannot fathom what will become of him in the next five to ten years

Some parents are even responsible for this taboo between their children.Some youths even co-habit in their parents' houses.Infact,a fiance and his fiancee are not supposed to co-habit until they are FULLY married.Courtship is never an excuse for co-habitation.Some parents go the extra miles of getting for their children,partners for co-habitation.

Co-habitation has its own demerits.The ladies are the worst hit.They can easily get unwanted pregnancies from their partners which will eventually give them the option of abortion.Any slightest misunderstanding can make them to break up after knowing each other inside out and exposing their emptiness and woes to each other.How will they look at themselves after that.The devil will be blamed as usual.The men will have the stress of doing everything to please the girl.He can do anything to get money even if it means concocting lies to extort money from mum and dad.Most of them loose focus,forget why they came into school and come out with poor grades on graduation.Most of them cause heart attacks for their parents.Some of them will find it difficult to forgive themselves after coming to their senses.Some will even enter into unimaginable problems.

Co-habitation is as bad as sodomy.Let us earnestly move to bring back our shame from where we kept it.It should not be desired at all because no matter how beautiful a coffin might look,it cannot make a sane person to desire to die and be buried with it.