A Nigerian medical doctor has come under fire after making a controversial statement about parental loss and its impact on children.
Dr. Ada Ujaligwa, a married mother of five, sparked outrage after writing in a Facebook post that if a young child must lose one parent, it should be the father rather than the mother.
*"Let no children lose any parent before they reach successful adulthood but if one parent must die when the child is still small, let it be the father and not the mother. Mothers ensure children are well taken care of way more than fathers,"* she wrote.
The post quickly drew criticism from social media users, many of whom described the comment as insensitive and unfair to fathers. Some also pointed out that the doctor has grown sons, including medical doctors, and questioned whether she would hold the same view if it were her own sons whose lives were being discussed.
Following the backlash, Dr. Ujaligwa deleted the original post and shared a follow-up in which she attempted to explain her position.
*"Children who lose their fathers early but their mothers stayed alive to raise them often fare far better in life than children who lose their mothers early but their father stayed alive to raise them. Most fathers are unable to raise children alone,"* she wrote.
She also stressed that both parents play vital roles in a child's upbringing.
*"God, please keep every parent alive and well for their children. Amen. A father is super important and a mother is super important. But can you tell me why children who lost their mothers early suffer in this life way more than children who lost their fathers early?"* she added.
Her comments have continued to generate debate online, with some people agreeing that mothers are often primary caregivers, while others argued that the remarks unfairly stereotype fathers and overlook the many men who successfully raise children on their own.
