WIZKID THE SOCIAL MEDIA DAD

Over the past few days, Nigerian social media has been on a roll with how Wizkid neglects his baby mamas and subsequently, his sons. Shola, the mother to his eldest son, came out with a long post on her social media detailing how Wizkid ignored her during pregnancy and after the birth of their son Tifa, and how rude he was to her in their communication whenever he actually spoke to her. She spoke to how he would go to great lengths to avoid her and her family and still find a way to spend time with their son Tifa. Apparently he even had a “STAR BOY” chain custom made for Tifa but after sharing images on social media and tattooing his son’s name on his arm, that was where his fatherhood ended. He even reclaimed the chain he allegedly gave his son!

Unsurprisingly, Wizkid is not the only deadbeat dad there is on this planet. He is one of the many men who run away from the responsibilities of a child, but were too self serving to take responsibility and have safe sex. Biology teaches us that unprotected sex will likely lead to pregnancy so why deny responsibility for a child you fathered with full knowledge of what you were doing? Wizkid, like many other dead beat dads, was clearly with Shola for a good time and not a long time. This is the kind of toxic masculinity we are trying to fight (yes, I said it!) and here the Star Boy is, showing his sons by example that it’s okay to ignore your responsibilities and keep living your best life. The man is musically talented but as a father, as per Shola’s account, he is trash!

Parenting is not measured by social media posts or custom made clothes and jewelry. It is a full time, thankless job that takes sacrifice and for the most part will leave you in a perpetual state of worry. But at the end, it is fulfilling, because nurturing and raising a human being is one of the world’s greatest experiences. Participating in parenthood is not an option either; two people came together and made a life, and said two people must be responsible for that life. Circumstances notwithstanding, the situation can be remedied and a child raised by both parents. But alas, women still have to remind men that they are not trapping them with pregnancy, and that both parties were aware of what they were doing when they engaged in unprotected coitus. Wizkid ought to do better and do right by his children.