Gov’s Wife Urges Review Of Rape Laws

The wife of the Ebonyi governor, Mrs Josephine Elechi, wants the National Assembly and well-meaning stakeholders to review the laws on rape in the country.

Elechi spoke at Obiozara on Sunday, headquarters of Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state, while launching the campaign against maternal mortality and morbidity.

She noted that extant laws on rape in the country had failed to protect women, especially the minors, adding that a review of the laws would check rape, which she described as a dehumanising act against women.

“I therefore call on our lawmakers to review the laws and enact the ones that would stipulate stringent punishment for rapists so as to serve as a deterrent to others,” Elechi said.

She educated pregnant women and nursing mothers from Okposi, Uburu and Ugwulangwu communities on the dangers of cervical cancer, female genital mutilation, HIV and AIDS, teenage pregnancy and abortion.

“You should take advantage of the free ante-natal programme of the state government and shun quack maternity homes, spiritual homes and patent medicine dealers,” she said.

Elechi noted that girl-child education would help in reducing most of the gender-related health issues, such as maternal mortality and morbidity.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the council, Chief Enekwachi Akpa, commended Elechi for uplifting the women and children in the state.

“Through your pet project – the Mother and Child Care Initiative (MCCI) – you have given succour to women and children in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”

He said that the council had complemented Elechi’s efforts by sponsoring some Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients to receive free treatment and repairs at the National Fistula Centre, Abakaliki.

Akpa said that the council was able to do this with the support of Coordinators of the Development Centres under it.

He said that they had also employed a medical doctor to monitor the health indices in the local government area, inaugurated four health centres and provided immunisation support services.

The chairman further said that they had procured deep freezers and generators to enhance the storage of vaccines and other drugs by the health department.

“We have also organised periodic sensitisation workshops and seminars for women and girls on breast and cervical cancers, safe motherhood, rural-girl-child education, VVF, teenage pregnancy, support for people living with HIV and AIDS and de-worming of children,” he said.

The Spokesman for traditional rulers in the area, Romanus Iyioku, who is also a traditional ruler, identified the high cost of accessing medical services as the major reason the people resorted to quacks and spiritualists.

The highlights of the occasion included the presentation of four motorcycles to the communities by the council chairman to facilitate the fight against maternal mortality in the area.