A
traditional ruler in Ebonyi State, Ezego Moses Okafor-Ngele, has called on
Nigerians to support the campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in
the
country.
Okafor-Ngele,
traditional ruler of Ishiagu autonomous community in Ivo Local Government Area
of the state, made the commendation while speaking, on Tuesday, in Ishiagu.
He lauded
the efforts of the wife of Ebonyi Governor, Mrs Rachel Umahi, to end the
practice of FGM in the state.
The traditional
ruler, who decried the age long harmful practice, said it was time Nigerians
and the entire communities in Ebonyi joined hands with wife of the governor to
end the obnoxious practice.
Okafor-Ngele
who noted that the traditional institutions in the state had a great role to
play in the war against female genital cutting, also appealed to traditional
rulers, community/village heads and other recognised traditional authorities to
support the crusade.
He said that
so many innocent lives had been lost through bleeding and infection, while many
victims of the ugly practice had been subjected to permanent pains, misery and
fistula related ailments due to the harmful practice.
Okafor-Ngele
said that the practice had been drastically reduced in some communities due to
the untiring efforts of the Mrs Umahi in raising public awareness, especially
rural women, on the inherent dangers in female circumcision.
The monarch
however said that the occurrence of the practice was still endemic in some
rural communities in the state.
While
describing the current action of Umahi against the practice as “commendable’’,
he promised to replicate the campaign in his domain.
“The current
sensitisation campaign aimed at getting communities to officially abandon the
practice of female genital mutilation by the wife of the governor is a good
development and highly commendable.
“The
practice has resulted to many untimely deaths, fistula ailments and even
problem of child birth to victims of this heinous practice.
“Traditional
rulers as custodians of the people’s culture, tradition and customs have a very
important role to play in this regard; hence I am calling on my colleagues to
join hands with Her Excellency to achieve 100 per cent success in this fight.
“We must
encourage our subjects to abandon this harmful practice, openly denounce the
practice and abolish the tradition where it still exists,’’ Okafor-Ngele urged.
He called
for the sustenance of the ongoing campaign and enforcement of the state law against
those caught indulging in the exercise. (NAN)
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