No fewer than one hundred and seventy persons engaging in female circumcision in Ekiti State have been given two hundred and fifty thousand nairas each to start another business and stop genital mutilation.
At the disbursement of the grants in Ado Ekiti, which was tagged “Drop the Blade Imitative” the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi told the beneficiaries of the gesture to ensure they engage in meaningful businesses for self-reliance.
She maintained that the grants would not be refunded while no compensation must be paid to anyone for registering them.
“We are empowering these women today so as to take them away from the illegal business. If what they were gaining from female circumcision was why they could not let go of the job, we are ready to empower them” She said.
Erelu Fayemi noted that this would be the second time empowering those engaging in female circumcision to discourage the continuation of the dastardly illegal business.
The governor’s wife expressed regret that the state was one of the top three states practising such act hence all hands must be on deck to stop the menace outrightly.
Earlier in an address, the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Alhaja Mariam Ogunlade reminded the beneficiaries that there are laws in place banning female circumcision saying anyone caught would be made to face the legal action.
The commissioner who reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance for female genital mutilation called for stakeholders’ involvement in stamping it out in all communities across the State.
The Director-General, Micro Finance and Enterprise Development Agency, MEDA Otunba Kayode Fasae cautioned the beneficiaries of the fund against frivolous spending but engage in self-reliant businesses.
Other stakeholders including, the President of Iyalaje/Iyaloja Ekiti State, Chief Waye Oso among others urged expectant mothers to patronise government health facilities adding that there is no benefit in female circumcision.
The high point of the event was the collection of blades, scissors, cotton wool and other instruments used for circumcision from the beneficiaries.
One of the beneficiaries of the grants, Mrs Funmilayo Adedeji thanked the government for putting up such an initiative to assist them.
Busuyi Ogidiolu
pub-5160901092443552
Related Posts
