Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community institutions to join forces with government in eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the state.
Nwifuru, represented by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Chinedu Onah, made the appeal in Abakaliki during a one-day conference on ending FGM.
He said the involvement of traditional and religious leaders was crucial because of their influence in community-led campaigns against harmful practices.
The conference was organised in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced (BERWO) Foundation, founded by the governor’s wife.
Nwifuru urged traditional rulers and clerics to work closely with security agencies and the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) task force to curb the menace, stressing that the government is ready to enforce the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law.
“Let clergymen take the warning to worship centres. Traditional rulers should also tell their subjects that government has come with the will to correct the primitive act of FGM,” the governor said.
In her remarks, the governor’s wife, Mrs. Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, emphasised that traditional rulers and local institutions are critical in mobilising communities and facilitating sensitisation forums to educate people on the dangers of FGM.
She described FGM as a practice that robs women and girls of their dignity, health, and future, calling for strict enforcement of the VAPP law against offenders and their accomplices.
“UNFPA has played a crucial role in ensuring that FGM is eradicated in the state. This requires community ownership, and I urge everyone here to take the message back to your people and enforce it with conviction.
“It is time to replace the narrative of silence with the language of protection, compassion and progress. A girl-child should be celebrated, educated, and empowered—not mutilated,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr. Andrew Kirima, Programme Coordinator and Head of Office, UNFPA, called for urgent and coordinated action to end FGM.
He commended the state government, through BERWO, for paying its counterpart contribution, which he said has helped scale up interventions in GBV prevention, fistula repair, and the empowerment of young girls.
Kirima reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to supporting the state in achieving its three transformative results: zero preventable maternal deaths, universal access to family planning, and the elimination of gender-based violence and harmful practices such as FGM.
Mrs. Goodness Mbaja, State Public Relations Officer of the GBV Task Force, added that the VAPP law and its implementation plan would serve as a guide to strengthen enforcement efforts.
