Imo state traditional rulers on Monday said their communities now have accepted to end the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, because of its health implications for the girl child.
The traditional rulers of Mbaitoli Council Area of the state spoke to newsmen in their communities about the campaign against FGM, which was introduced by the National Orientation Agency, NOA, in conjunction with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
On the successes they had made so far battling against the FGM, practice in their domain, according to the traditional ruler of Isi Ogbaku, in Mbaitoli Council Area of Imo state, Eze Geoffrey Opuru, said: “In my own community, we have not only communicated to the local government area authority; we have also reached out to the various villages in our communities. We have put strict measures through the various town unions leadership. To achieve this we decentralised power and take it to the grassroots levels.
“Doing so, the village heads, family heads are equally involved in executing our plans to end FGM practice, that is while we have been able to record some success. We achieved it because it was all inclusive. The success we have recorded as result to end the practice of FGM, went to the point that even the non indigene have accepted to end FGM practice. This is because we have enforced it in collaboration with the security operatives of the community. They are involved because the traditional ruler cannot do it alone. So, we have succeeded because our people are begining to understand the practice of FGM, is harmful to mankind.”
Also, the traditional ruler of Ishi Ubomiri, Mbaitoli Council Area of Imo state, Eze George Ekeh, said: “Village meetings, women groups were engaged to hold meetings regularly to end the FGM practice in the community. They all were committed to achieving results. They moved into action. We involved family meetings and heads of family. We took the advantage of attending the August meetings to spread the message to end the FGM practice. Our efforts achieved the result of convincing our people the need to end the FGM practice. So, our people now understand that such practice is dangerous.”
Other residents of the communities of Ifakala, Obazu Mbeiri, Eziama Obiato, Isi Orodo, Ihitte Mbieri among others who spoke reaffirmed their readiness to end the Practice of FGM. One of them, Mrs Juliana Ama, said: “After seeing the negative effect of the FGM, practice i called my two daughters and advised them to stop the FGM of a thing to safe the life of their girl child.”
