Skip to main content

Mrs Aregbesola commended for standing against female circumcision

Wife of the Osun State Governor, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola.

Wife of the Osun State Governor, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola.

An NGO, Girl-child Right Awareness Initiative in Africa, has commended the wife of the governor of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, for her recent advocacy against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the state.

Its Managing Director, Mrs Olayinka Ajibola–Ojomo, gave the commendation on Thursday in Osogbo.

Ajibola-Ojomo said that the advocacy would awake the consciousness of parents in the state.

It would also serve as an eye-opener for them to see the danger embedded in cutting part of the genital composition of young girls, she said.

She said that Aregbesola’s intervention was apt following the recent statement issued by the UNICEF on the state’s status regarding the issue.

Ajiboala-Ojomo said that the world had declared Osun as the first state among the three states of the federation with a worrisome prevalence of female genital mutilation that required urgent attention.

According to her, the act of mutilation is being done in ignorance, with the misconception of guiding against abnormal libido, which could stimulate a female to be wayward and promiscuous.

She maintained that such misconception should be eroded in the minds of the people through constant and comprehensive advocacy like the one Aregbesola started in Osun.

“We commend Mrs Aregbesola for the bold step taking so far to nip the menace of female genital mutilation in the bud, and protect the girl-child from dangerous traditional practices that are inimical to the healthy growth of a child.

“The intervention of the first lady was timely and laudable, considering the level of that practice in Osun, with the prevalence level of 74 per cent according to UNICEF.

“She has shown to us by this action that she is a passionate mother and caring leader, the attribute we are expecting wives of other state executives to display,” Ajibola-Ojomo said.

She also appealed to traditional rulers to complement the efforts of the government and other non-state actors in their quest to end female genital mutilation in the country.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...