Why single mother cannot raise male child properly — Jim Iyke

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has stated reasons single mothers cannot raise male child properly to become men without the guidance of a male figure.

Speaking during an interview with Okay 101.7 FM in Accra, Ghana, the actor insisted that women are not “built” to raise men on their own.

“A woman can’t raise a man. You can’t, you’re not built for it. A single mother cannot raise a man properly.

“You need a male influence, go get your brother that’s doing well or your father or even any man that you trust.

“There has to be a male presence in it,” he said.

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Jim Iyke explained that women are naturally wired to nurture and love, but a single mother raising a male child without male guidance, according to him, could result in weakness.

“Because women are naturally built to nurture, to love. And then what you’re going to raise is a very weak man? He is going to be everything like the men that left you.

“You need somebody that would discipline him, tell him ‘No’ as often times as possible, and put him in the grind,” he added.

To drive home his point, the actor shared a personal story involving his four-year-old son during a holiday in the south of France.

He said the boy, who was playing football on the beach, was bullied by other children who refused to let him leave with his own ball.

“My son is a horrible footballer. I don’t know what gave him the idea because he’s half black, he can’t play football.

“So they dribbled the hell out of my son. He got sick of being dribbled, and he went to grab the ball. It was his ball.

“Now the white kids don’t want him to leave with the ball. There was a scuffle,” Iyke recounted.

According to him, the boy ran back crying, but he deliberately chose not to intervene despite his wife attempting to step in.

“I didn’t even act like I knew him. I didn’t even turn. So he dragged my shorts… She was from the corner of my eye rushing.

“That is the natural propensity of a woman to go aid him. And I told her, Don’t you dare come near him.

“This is a conversation between two men. Go back to what you’re doing,” he recalled.

“So he went back and won a shoot, four against one… He went in there, kicked some ass real quick, pushed down the biggest kid, grabbed his ball and started coming back.

“Now the parent got up and… your kids took my son’s ball. You didn’t lift a finger. Now he’s gone back for war and took his ball back. And then now you’re coming. I’ve never been more proud of him then, but that was the spoken understanding between us,” he narrated.

Reflecting on the incident, Iyke emphasised the critical role fathers or male figures play in instilling resilience in boys.

“I’m not here to help you. I’m here to guide you. I’m here to protect you.

“I’m here to provide for you. The rest, you figure it out by yourself. And that’s what makes tough kids.

“That’s my idea of leadership,” he concluded.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE