Niger constitutes panel on female genital mutilation

Posted by admin Headlines, Niger, State News, Women Politics Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

Niger State Government has inaugurated a committee to investigate the alleged cases of genital mutilation and other related issues of abuse of women in the state.

Governor Babangida Aliyu stated this on Wednesday when a delegation of the state branch of the International Federation of Women Lawyers visited him in Minna.

Aliyu, who said he was shocked by FIDA’s report of harmful practices against women in the state, said his administration would comprehensively look into the allegations.

The committee, he added, would look into the incidence of same-sex marriage and female circumcision said to be going on in parts of the state.

The committee, headed by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr, Ibrahim Sule, has two weeks to submit its detailed report the governor.

Other members of the committee are the Special Adviser on Health, the Commissioner for Gender Affairs and their education counterparts, while FIDA will provide the secretariat and the Secretary of the committee.

The governor promised to give the necessary support to the organisation to enable it to play its role of championing the cause of women.

Earlier, the FIDA Chairperson, Hajia Fati Takuma, solicited the assistance of the government in stamping out these practices in the state.

Takuma also urged the state government to come out with legislation on how to stem the trend and punish offenders.

Meanwhile, the governor, while receiving the Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian Turkish Nile International University, Prof. Huseyin Sert, appealed to parents to give the education of their children a priority.

According to Aliyu, any community that relegates the education of its children to the background, will return to the Stone Age.

He also called on public-spirited individuals and philanthropists to support the funding of education, noting that government could not bear the burden alone.

Via Punchwp_posts