News
End Genital Mutilation Now, NGO, JDPC Urge Govt.
A non-governmental organization (NGO),One life Initiative for Human Development and Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) have urged the governments to put an end to female genital mutilation.
They made the call in Ibadan during a programme tagged:”End Female Genital Mutilation Poster Art Competition Award Ceremony”.
Speaking on the rationale behind the campaign, the Programmes and Media Manager,One life Initiative for Human Development, Mr. Sola Fagorusi said the idea is to reduce the prevalent level of female genital mutilation in Nigeria.
Continuing ,Fagorusi stressed :”To ensure that the next generation of mothers won’t indulge in mutilation. The global figure says that 200 million girls have actually been mutilated . 10 per cent of the statistics is in Nigeria. The implication of this is that 20 million girls have been mutilated”.
Speaking further on the effects of FGM, Fagorusi pointed out that it makes the female to suffer from shock which may result in death.
He further said it could cause obstruction for women in labour and difficulty in delivery and Vesico vagina Fistula.
He said:”According to Director General of Vesico Centre in Ebonyi. Ebonyi is number two in term of national ranking FMG.
It has psycho-social effect where the woman doesn’t enjoy sexual union with her husband and cause broken home”.
Participants at the event
Puncturing the insinuation that if a female is not mutilated, she would be promiscuous, Fagorusi said:”Promiscuity has nothing to do with mutilation. We are talking about character and value system. If parents bring up their children properly then we won’t be talking clitoris or any part of the body responsible for indulging in female genital mutilation.
“And again,the girl will not be promiscuous with herself”, saying sexuality education should be given to boys and enlightening the boys in a way to protect their wives.
He also faulted the belief that When a child’s head touches the clitoris the child will die , but saying medical experts said that doesn’t have anything to do the delivery.
“Also, they claim that it is part of our religions as instructed in the Qur’an and the Bible,we go out with clerics, Pastors and I. mams on our advocacy campaigns. No part of the holy books that say a female must be mutilated.
On the claim that is part of culture, Fagorusi said,”Culture is dynamic and changes with civilization. This is not to discountance the quality and importance of culture but we are saying that in this particular instance culture does not stand especially when there is no medical verification”.
He said there are laws such the Child Right Law 2006 in Oyo State, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act,2015, and Violence Against Women Prohibition Law Oyo State 2016 which all frown at the practice.
“We are saying despite all the laws people still antagonise you when you go for advocacy in places like Kajola,Oyo,Ogbomoso and others”, he remarked .
Consequently, Fagorusi called government to bring an end to the practice, adding that ,”Government needs to do more in tern of intervention”.
His words:”National Orientation Agency (NOA) as part of its mandate should look into harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and early child marriage and enlighten the people.
“In addition, government needs to use the media by sponsoring programmes and complementing what NGOs are doing”.
Speaking from legal perspectives, Barrister Ronke Ige from Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) described it as a family crime, saying there are various legal provisions locally, nationally and internationally to seek redress on the matter.
Quoting relevant laws such as Violence Against Persons. Prohibition Act 2015; Violence Against Women Prohibition Law Oyo State 2016 Sec.6 (1) and punishable under sect. 6 (2), Ige said no person shall be subjected to torture or to in human or degrading treatment.
According to the legal mind, it is against Cap 1V Section 34 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution which talks about dignity of human beings.
She called on the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters (NAPTIPP) which is mandated to administer the provisions of this Act and collaborate with the relevant stakeholders including faith-based organizations (NGOs).
Former Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande, has extended warm felicitations to Barrister Sarafadeen Ali, the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial district, on the occasion of his 61st birthday.
In a statement released on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Saturday, Akande lauded the lawmaker, describing him as a luminary whose life has been marked by distinguished service to the nation.
“Today, I join the world in celebrating you on your special day, as you mark 61 years of God’s abundant love and glorious impact on humanity,” the former NCC gaffer expressed.
He added, “I wish you many more years of God’s grace in your life.”
The headquarters of Heritage Bank at Victoria Island, Lagos, was besieged on Thursday by members of the labour union, protesting the recent dismissal of 1,000 support workers.
The National President of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, Comrade Anthony Abakpa, led the demonstration, condemning the bank’s management for what he deemed a lack of adherence to due process in the termination of employment contracts.
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Abakpa asserted that the leadership of Heritage Bank failed to follow established protocols before executing the mass layoffs.
He emphasised the union’s commitment to pursuing justice for the affected workers, vowing to escalate their demands until the bank’s management rectifies the situation.
“We will intensify our demands for justice,” declared Comrade Abakpa, urging the bank’s management to take corrective action to address the grievances of the dismissed workers.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, clarified that Nigeria is not utilising its foreign reserves to bolster the naira, despite recent fluctuations in reserve levels.
Speaking from Washington DC, where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings, Cardoso highlighted the influx of $600 million into Nigeria’s reserves account within the past two days.
While the naira has experienced a notable appreciation against the dollar in recent weeks, climbing over 40% from approximately N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have been dwindling. As of April 15, reserves dropped to approximately $32.29 billion, marking the lowest level in over six years.
Cardoso emphasised that the shifts in reserves are typical for any country, where various financial obligations, such as debt repayments, necessitate withdrawals.
He stated, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where, for example, debts are due and certain payments need to be made. They are made because that is also part of keeping your credibility.”
Continuing, Cardoso underscored the dynamic nature of the market, advocating for a system driven by willing buyers, willing sellers, and price discovery.
He emphasised, “The shift in our reserves has really little or nothing to do with defending the naira, and that is certainly not our objective.”
-
Opinion4 days agoTinubu’s Naira Miracle: Abracadabra or Economic Wizardry? | By Adeniyi Olowofela
-
Politics4 days ago
Why Oyo State cannot afford another 3 years of Makinde’s mismanagement of council funds
-
Politics1 week ago
APC Urges Fairness in Oyo LG Election
-
Politics5 days ago
Oyo LG Poll: APC Chairmanship candidate, Omotoso promises purposeful leadership
