The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and other critical stakeholders have partnered to stop the practice of Female Genital Mutilation in the state.
The stakeholders, who also included market women, religious leaders, students and top government functionaries, agreed that the practice had damaged the reproductive health of many Nigerians and destroyed their marriages.
The stakeholders reached the agreement in Ado Ekiti on Monday during a one-day workshop in Ado Ekiti organised by UNICEF in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The Senior Programme Associate, coordinating FGM in UNICEF, Mrs Phydelia Abbas, in her remarks urged the stakeholders to do everything possible to stop the practice of FGM which she noted was harmful and had no medical advantage.
She added that Ekiti had the highest prevalence rate in the South-West, having overtaken Osun that was leading in 2013, with Imo State rated highest in Nigeria.
“No force can come from Abuja and stop FGM in Ekiti, except the locals themselves led by our traditional rulers, religious leaders, market men and women; women groups and students to stop this harmful practice.
“In 2013, Ekiti had a 72 per cent prevalence rate, but in 2019, it had reduced to 57.9 percent, which was not enough. We still have to work harder because it is a manifestation of gender inequality. FGM is an extreme form of violence to our women and girls.”
She described the practice as a manifestation of gender inequality, abuse of human rights and a violation of women and girls, which she said could create instability in the system, if not stopped.
The South West UNICEF FGM Consultant, Mrs Aderonke Olutayo, in her presentation, said the cultural practice had contributed to the damage of many women and marriages in the state.
She added that the security agencies have been put on alert to enforce the laws in the state, noting that when practitioners are arrested and prosecuted, it would serve as deterrence to others.
The Executive Secretary, Ekiti State Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs, Adegboyega Morakinyo, revealed that Ekiti State had enacted anti-FGM law since 2011, which was amended in 2019, saying the statute stipulated a fine of N200,000 or one year imprisonment or both for offenders.
“The law is in place and we have gazetted it and we will make it available to all organisations. It prohibits both the parents and cutters from engaging in the act and whoever flouts it would have himself to blame,” he warned.
Speaking against the backdrop of the high FGM in Ekiti, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti and Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Gabriel Adejuwon, said the established myth that any girl who doesn’t do it would be promiscuous, had no scientific proof, saying it was meant to create fear in people’s minds.
Oba Adejuwon said: “This is a very deadly and harmful practice. Some of the materials used for cutting by these practitioners were locally made and not sterilised. Some were infected with diseases, some bled to death, some became barren from there, so it is harmful and we have to stop it.”
The Onisan urged the government to reinforce action for prosecution of offenders, the way they have been tightening the noose against sexual offenders, particularly rape.
Also, the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, appealed to stakeholders to sensitize the people at the local level about the evils inherent in the harmful practice, saying some were still indulging in the pernicious act due to ignorance.
“After that sensitisation, we will go into enforcement and that is where the traditional rulers, government and market men and women will be useful. We must stop this practice at all cost. There is no gain in it.
“FGM was making some of the men indulge in extramarital affairs once their wives were found to be victims of FGM. Let it be known that there are consequences for whoever does that, because the law doesn’t allow that, “Oba Alabi said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Akinjide Akinleye, commended UNICEF for its initiative, saying stakeholders in Ekiti were “greatly worried and bothered by the fact that the state is leading in this harmful practice in the Southwest.”
Akinleye said “we are worried because, by our education, sophistication and social engineering, Ekiti shouldn’t be leading in the practice of genital mutilation prevalence. But I am confident that the high prevalence will be cut down soon.
“Even in the current budget under operation in Ekiti, there is a line for FGM campaign. We must save our girls from this embarrassing practice. We can’t continue to subject them to this kind of traditional practice that is harmful to them.”
The Chief Imam of Ekiti and Southern Nigeria, Alhaji Jamiu Kewulere, represented by Abdulrazaq Kolawole, said the campaign against FGM was highly beneficial and was targeted at making life better for all the populace.
Kewulere said the Holy Quran and Islam were against FGM, saying all Muslims must propagate this in all the mosques while also telling the people about the dire consequences of such practice, to dissuade the practitioners.
The Iyaloja of Ado Ekiti, Chief (Mrs.) Waye Oso, said the wife of the governor, Bisi Fayemi, had given empowerment to FGM practitioners across the state after they surrendered their tools, saying there wasn’t any need for anyone to indulge in it considering the government’s efforts.
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