The Ekiti State Governor’s Wife, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has expressed concern over what she described as the alarming rate of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the state.
Oyebanji spoke during the commemoration of this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti.
She charged religious organisations and marriage registrars to join the campaign to end the practice by cautioning intending couples against indulging in FGM on their female children.
She said that the warning became necessary because victims of mutilation in the name of circumcision were prone to be infected with various diseases through contamination.
“If you check UNICEF data, Ekiti is one of the top four states where FGM is rife.
“If such cases are brought to you and you reject it, they will not have a choice but to go back home,” she said.
The governor’s wife, who passionately appealed to parents to stop abusing the rights of the girl child through FGM, expressed the hope that after this year’s celebration, the number of those engaging in the unwholesome practice would drastically reduce.
She urged stakeholders, including marriage registrars, religious organisations, traditional birth attendants and health personnel to collaborate to stop FGM in the state.
“I reiterate that the fight against FGM requires the cooperation of all so that the collective efforts to create a world free of the scourge could be achieved,” Oyebanji further said.
Earlier in a remark, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Peju Babafemi, said the theme for the celebration is “Her voice, Her future: Investing in survivors-led movement to end FGM”.
Babafemi expressed the hope that the one-day training organised for the stakeholders would help to strengthen the bond for fighting the harmful practice.
In separate goodwill messages, the Chairperson, Ekiti State House of Assembly Committee on Women Affairs, who doubles as the Deputy Speaker, Bolaji Olagbaju, and the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, solicited the collaboration of stakeholders to end the menace.