Nation
Experts Decry FGM In Nigeria
Experts in children,youth, and women development have described Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a time bomb, called for more concerted efforts to stop the barbaric practice in Nigeria.
According to them, despite taking an important step to enact a law banning FGM in 2015, Nigeria still faces an immense battle to ensure enforcement and, ultimately, end the obnoxious practice by 2030.
They spoke at a webinar hosted in Abuja by ‘Education as a Vaccine’ in commemoration of 16 days of Activism (2022) with the theme: “The Role of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Ending FGM in Contemporary Nigeria Society”.
Speaking, the Executive Director of Value Re-orientation for Community Enhancement (VARCE), Ademola Adebisi, explained that any mutilated female suffered psychological trauma, physical pain, prolonged and obstructed labour during pregnancy as well as hindrances in urine and menstrual flow.
He cautioned that a victim whose clitoris was mutilated as a child would not derive pleasure in sex when she attain womanhood because of the lingering negative effect of the practice on her mind.
Adebisi further identified the types of female genital mutilation as clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation and unclassified group.
According to him, the unclassified group include pricking, piercing, or incision of the clitoris and/or labia, scraping of the vagina, stretching the clitoris, cauterization, the introduction of corrosive substances and herbs in the vagina, and other forms of tampering with the female sex organ.
“Unclassified female genital mutilation is the time bomb we are not focusing on, at all.
“We must all come together to make sure that FGM is stopped in this generation because we all are affected by the menace.
“One thing adolescent girls can do to end FGM is to start speaking out, and adding their voices to the conversations for all stakeholders to listen,” the expert said.
In her contribution, the Executive Director of Hope for Second Chance Foundation (HOSEC), Ibukunoluwa Otesile, said although the origins of FGM as a socio-cultural practice in Nigeria cannot be traced with precision, the menace also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting is prevalent in the country.
She described such practices as abuse, assault and injustice to women apart from the psychological trauma on them, adding that there’s an established relationship between female genital mutilation and the risk of HIV.
Otesile explained that the link between the two is supported by the fact that some of the instruments used on multiple victims at once, especially during festivities, are blades, scissors and knives which are mostly unsterilised.
She said it is double jeopardy to suffer the pain and trauma of experiencing the use of knife, razor blade, scissors among others to cut the clitoris without anaesthesia and still get infected with HIV.
The expert advised those indulging in such practice to desist from it, saying there are punitive laws for sanctioning perpetrators.
She harped on the need for stakeholders to provide more support for girls and young women in the country to end FGM, saying “all of us must be concerned about it and realise that nobody can do it better than ourselves.”
Nation
Gombe Opens Bid For Construction Of Three-Arm Zone Project
Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation has opened bids for the construction of three arms zone complexes within the Gombe Capital Special Development Zone which held at the Ministry’s conference hall.
Speaking while presiding over the bid opening proceedings, the Commissioner, Engr. . Usman Maijama’a Kallamu assured the bidders that the bid opening would be carried out using procurement process which is based on specific regulations that are credible, fair, and transparent.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alh. Idris Yambiu Buba said that the Ministry will continue to align itself for optimal results in the implementation of government policies and projects in line with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s commitment to bringing development to the State.
While assuring the bidders of a transparent process, the SSA to the Governor on Special Project, Arch. Yakubu Mamman thanked Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his foresight in infrastructural development of the State, adding that government is committed to ensuring that all bidders had an equal chance to participate and compete based on merit to maintain standards and specifications.
Nation
Gov Mbah Signs Bill To Establish Teaching Hospital In Enugu
Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, yesterday, signed the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Teaching Hospital Bill 2024 into Law, promising to expedite action to actualise the teaching hospital immediately to provide quality training and healthcare services in the Enugu North part of the State and the State in general.
Mbah, while commending the Enugu State House of Assembly for accelerating action on the processing and passage of the Executive Bill, said that establishing SUMAS Teaching Hospital was in line with his manifesto.
He said, “What we have done by signing into law the Enugu State University of Medical and Applied Sciences Teaching Hospital Bill is that we now have in place a legal framework to immediately begin to put in place all that is required to upgrade SUMAS to a teaching hospital. This is part of our campaign promises and we are committed to delivering on that expeditiously.
“We believe that the importance and significance of siting a teaching hospital in our Enugu North zone can never be lost on us. So, we are not going to spend any time in making sure that everything that is necessary and required to upgrade and get the teaching hospital operational is put in place. With this Law, we are going to redouble our commitment and our efforts to achieve that.”
He assured the Governing Council and the Management of SUMAS of his continued support, adding that his administration would equally be counting on their pedigree and contacts to bring the teaching hospital to fruition in record time.
“We are going to continue to support you and we are also going to continue to count on your experience, network, and profile in raising resources to actualize the project.
“This year alone, we are going to spend 33 per cent of our budget on education. This underscores the importance of education to this administration. So, be sure to come to us whenever there is a need. We are going to support you because we are interested in education and we are investing heavily in it,” he said.
On his part, the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, who also spoke at the Bill signing witnessed by the Chairman of SUMAS Governing Council, Msgr. Obiora Ike, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Ogbonna, and top hierarchies of the institution, commended Governor Mbah’s speed and faithfulness in delivering on his campaign promises. He assured that the House of Assembly was ever ready to fast-track every executive bill that would impact positively on the state and its people.
“We promised we are going to support this administration by doing our job expeditiously to ensure that there is no delay in your delivery of democracy dividends to our people. Therefore, the SUMAS Teaching Hospital Bill received expedited hearing and today you have the signing of the bill into law,” he stated.
Nation
Ododo Applauds Security Agencies Over Rescue Of 43 Bus Passengers
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has applauded security agencies in the State for their efforts in the rescue of 43 bus passengers.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
The statement noted that the governor welcomed the news of the release of the abducted bus passengers in Okehi Local Government Area of the State and called for sustained collaboration between security agencies and local communities to improve intelligence gathering and prevent crime and criminality in all parts of the state.
Ododo commended the caretaker chairman of Okehi LGA, Mr Amoka Eneji, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Professional Hunters, Ebira Local Hunters Group and other security agencies for their intervention, which led to the rescue of the passengers who were abducted outside the state.
“Governor Ododo also commends the response of security agencies to the robbery incidence in Felele area of Lokoja and called for more urgency in addressing cases of insecurity in any part of the state.
“The Governor reassured the people of the state that his administration will not relent in its efforts in deploying maximum resources to ensure that all communities in the state remain unsafe for criminal elements.”
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