Nine local government areas of Imo State have jointly adopted action plan to end the obnoxious practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Representatives of the LGAs adopted and signed the action plan at a one day state – level meeting to validate FGM elimination organised by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Orientation Agency in Owerri on Wednesday.
The LGAs are Ehime Mbano , Ideato North, Ihitte-Uboma, Ikeduru, Isu, Ngor-Okpala, Njaba, Oguta and Owerri West.
The resolution was read out by the representative of Oguta LGA, His Royal Highness, Eze Albanus Ozuruoha , the traditional ruler of Uwaorie Agwa Autonomous Community, Oguta LGA of the State.
Ozuruoha who commended UNICEF for their commitment to the elimination of FGM pledged to ensure that the practice was completely abolished in the affected LGAs.
“We, representatives of the nine LGAs have committed to the implementation and monitoring of the action plan with a view to ensuring that FGM is no longer practiced.
“We are also committed to strict enforcement of the Imo anti FGM law of 2017, continuous education of mothers and support of all efforts made by different communities towards elimination of the obnoxious practice”, he said.
In his address, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, Ibrahim Conteh said that the Fund would create the enabling environment for effective implementation of the action plan.
Conteh who was represented by UNICEF’s FGM consultant, for Imo and Ebonyi ,Benjamin Mbakwem added that multi-sectoral coordination as well as data collection and utilisation would be strengthened so as to promote response to the action plan.
He called on the LGAs’ representatives to disseminate the message to their various communities for a more efficient implementation of the plan.
Credit: Leadership