IGBOZURUOKE FORUM

 Nkechi Rochas Okorocha wife of the Imo State Governor and Founder of the Women of Divine Destiny Initiative (WODDI), has challenged women traditional rulers and medical personnel in the state to assist in the current global crusade against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

She argued that it was erroneous for some people to believe that non-circumcision of female babies exposes them to sexual promiscuity later in life, stressing that on the contrary, FGM/C imposes incalculable harm on female babies.

The Governor’s wife gave the clarification during a road walk in some major roads and streets within the Owerri capital city involving the child protection Network NGOs, Community Youths Development Initiative (CYDI) and Women Foundation with banners bearing such inscriptions as:  “Imo government bans FGM/C- 14 years imprisonment, fine of N250, 000 or both”; “Royal father say no to FGM/C”.

“Imo Judiciary say FGM is illegal, lets end it”; “I am not in Support of FGM, end it now”; “Imo women, do not support FGM/C, stop it now”; FGM/C can lead to difficulty in child birth”; “Ndi Imo end FGM/Cnow”.

Mrs. Okorocha explained that WODDI which is her pet project organized the event in collaboration with UNICEF to commensurate the 2018 international Day of zero tolerance for FGM/C.

She therefore enjoined the women folk to shun the ugly cultural practices, which still linger in some communities for the betterment of humanity. Benamine Mbakwem, FGM/C Consultant for Imo and Ebonyi States, UNICEF/Enugu, in a brief lecture charged the participants to disseminate the information against FGM/C to the grassroots.

He stressed that non-circumcision of female babies neither provokes nor exposes them to promiscuity.

“When we have the political will, we can end it because it has been on for too long.”

Mbakwem, while calling for stronger commitment from stakeholders to end the scourge, also sued for dialogue education and public enlightenment campaign to stamp out the monster.

Independent