Traditional rulers, health workers and youth leaders in Ebonyi local government area of Ebonyi State, have said that they would continue to go after those who still engage in the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) secretly in the various communities of the local government area until the practice is completely eliminated.
The stakeholders vowed that anyone caught would face severe sanction to serve as deterrence to others who may still want to indulge in the practice.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Thursday, the Traditional Prime Minister, Nkaleke Echara Umuhu Autonomous Community, Chief George Nwiboko, stated that the community has since outlawed the practice in the community but expressed regret that some insignificant number of persons still indulge in the practice of massaging, using hot water and vasline.
Chief Nwiboko noted that following the measures taken by the community towards ending the practice, few individuals who still indulge in it do it secretly.
"We have our ears on the ground and the traditional institution in the community has also mobilised the women and youths to report anyone caught still practicing the act in any of our villages.
"Yes it is not over until it is over. With the sensitisation and enlightenment campaign by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in our various communities, villages, schools and even churches, no one will claim ignorance of the dangers of the practice and the decision of the community to outlaw the practice.
"Before now, we have had cases of people bleeding almost to death, people suffering severe pain as a result of the practice and we have decided to put a stop to such practice because it has no benefit rather a lot of health hazards," he stated.
Also speaking, a Health Officer in Nkaleke Achara, Ndiabor Ishieke, Mrs. Rose Okeh, who described the old practice of FGM as barbaric and man's inhumanity to man, expressed the regret that despite effort to discourage the practice of massaging, grandmothers have been the clog in the wheel of progress.
Mrs. Okeh pointed out that health pfficers during children delivery also educate mothers on the dangers of FGM and urged them not to allow their female children to be mutilated, adding that majority have bought into the idea through the sensitisation by UNICEF and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
"It wasn't an easy task in Ndiabor Ishieke, the culture was deeply rooted and the people believed so much in it but with the high level of sensitisation and training and retraining of people in the community, the practice has reduced drastically in the community.
"The only challenge now is that many of the aged mothers believe that the practice of massaging, is not harmful and does not have any health implication. There is the need to dwell more on the issue of massaging. If it's achieved, we can boldly say that FGM has been eliminated completely in the community," she stated.
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Also speaking, the youth leader, Amaike-Aba village in Nkaleke Achara Unuhu, Mr. Moses Obiya, opined that perpetrators of the act should be charged to court and imprisoned without fine as such act had before now led to the death of many women.
"For me anyone caught still practicing the act especially cutting should be charged for attempted murder because there is very high risk of death carrying out the act.
"It shouldn't be treated with kid gloves, it's not enough for communities and government to make laws abolishing the practice, apart from the severe punishments for perpetrators, there should be close monitoring to ensure that people do not practice it secretly.
"They should even encourage people to serve as whistle blowers, if we are determined to end the FGM practice in Ebonyi local government," he added.
