Oyo Government, Stakeholders, Pledge To End Female Genital Mutilation

By Seyifunmi Odunuga

IBADAN – The Oyo state Government at a public declaration against Female Child Harmful Traditional Practices, engaging Communities and Religious Leaders at Odo-Fufu, Akeete, Bola Ojongbodu in Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State on December 18, 2020.

According to Dr. Millicent Ogun, the Oyo State representative of Centre for Population and Reproductive Health, (CPRH), stressed the need to completely eliminate the uncalled for culture of FGM, having review huge records of challenges facing women and female children in the country.

He said further that ” the various breakages and the aftermath untold consequences, challenges accumulating daily with the highest records and the major causes of broken Home’s affecting female’s especially in their marriages, shocking reasons for divorce, marital disappointments, difficult delayed labour during child birth, lack of sexual urge, genital health risks and many other disorders in the affected female private parts, reasons for separation among affected spouses according to chronicles and Reproductive Health professionals.

According to the state president for FOMWAN, Dr. Bushrat Oloso (Amirah FOMWAN) said, “To End Female Genital Mutilation , we must do these three things, educate the entire society on the aftermath consequences, the ill-health attached, disadvantages and untold challenges unknown to all, secondly, information and advocacy projects ,raising voluminous public awareness on what victims of (FGM) faces daily in their marriages.

She noted that the essence of advocacy visits and consultation with community leaders, health workers, circumcisers, health educators, traditional and religious rulers, traditional birth attendants, were duely orientated while some youths who were trained as FGM community champions and suivellance team conducting door to door and housholds is geared towards ending FGM.

The coordinator of FOMWAN Project 2020, Alhaja Olawunmi Ogungbenro while delivering the project scope and review also presented the communities with FGM community champions certificates including the Baale of the two communities.

Some of the personalities at the event are Comptroller, Nigeria Correctional Centre, NSCDC, Commandant of Amotekun and other law enforcement agencies.

Other dignitaries present at the declaration ceremony were High Chief Akindele Oyedepo, Arole Oba ti Alaafin Oyo, Aginpopo of Oyo, Prince Olukitibi.

The organisations which partnered with the state government at the event were Federation of Muslim Women Association Nigeria (FOMWAN) Oyo state chapter, United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) and Centre for Population and Reproductive Health (CPRH)