BY OLAKUNLE OLAFIOYE
Nigerians have been urged to accept the responsibilities of rehabilitating and re-integrating into the societies, sinners who have shown genuine intention to forsake their old ways and embrace decent lifestyle.
The advice was given by Bishop Kayode William, Director General of Prison Rehabilitation Mission International while reacting to the confession of a 24-year-old student who claimed to slept with 600 men.
Bishop Williams noted that the decision by the woman to quilt her old way was the first step that is needed to be taken by anybody who finds himself or herself in such wayward lifestyle.
“She has taken the first step by accepting to get out of her old way. What she needs most now is for us all, Nigerians to accept her and rehabilitate her because the next step is rehabilitation.
The next thing is for us to resettle her because she needs to be resettled.
The last one is proper re-integration into the society. These three steps are very important.
“By taking all these steps, she will know that some people still care.
Because if someone makes a confession o f such magnitude and people feel she is finished, that she cannot be useful again, then they are pushing her back into the world.
So, the best bet for us is to rehabilitate her.
The major thing from my own part is that she needs to remain honest, focused and position herself for the future. It may be tough, there could be challenges but she will succeed,” he counseled.
Asked if it was advisable for a Christian to get married to a woman who had lived such a lifestyle in the past, Bishop Williams said any man who intends to marry such woman must be led by God.
“It is possible if that person is led by God. If I, Kayode Williams of old can get married to somebody with my past records as a notorious person who carried gun, but today I carry the Bible, if a woman can marry me what stops her from getting married to a Christian? But that person must be directed by God.
Her life can turn a lot of things around, if given another opportunity,” he said.
He, however, cautioned the woman against hiding her past from any man that shows interest in marrying her.
“She must confess her past to him, because if you hide your past, your past may haunt you.
She may meet somebody who knows her, if the husband gets to know later through that person that will be an embarrassing situation.
So my humble advice to the lady is that she must not hide her past from the man.
“The Bible says, he who covers his sins shall not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy,” he said.