MORE IMO COMMUNITIES PLEDGE TO END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

Reporter : CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

Traditional rulers, Presidents-General and women leaders in Njaba have joined their counterparts in Isu Local Government Area to unite against circumcision of the girl child in their communities.

This followed advocacy dialogue held by National Orientation Agency (NOA) with support from UNICEF at Nkume community to end female genital mutilation in Njaba Local Government Area.

Speaking at the event, the traditional ruler of Nkume ancient kingdom, Eze Anthony Onyeka, expressed regret that the people were ignorant of the negative health implications of the age-long cultural practice.

He said with a law in place to check any form of female genital mutilation, the leaders would extend the campaign to their subjects, warning that anyone caught in the practice would face the law.

Earlier the President General of Egwedu Community, Chief Eric Uwaoma, and Woman Leader from Okponakuma Community, Mrs. Francisca Mbadi, raised an alarm that some unqualified traditional birth attendants were used to perform the act and vowed to clamp down on any of them who failed to desist from the practice.

The State Chairman National Orientation Agency, Mr. Vitus Ekeocha, and the representative of the state Ministry of Health, Mrs. Stella Ukaegbu, described female circumcision as an obnoxious culture, which debased the dignity of women.

They noted that the advocacy was to solicit the support of traditional leaders who are the custodians of culture to find ways of eliminating female genital mutilation.

The Council of Chiefs, known as Ndi Nze and Oji ofor, from Isu and Njaba has also thrown their weight behind the fight against female circumcision after a meeting with the UNICEF team.