By Yetunde Oke

An Oyo State Committee member on the Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, Prince Leye Adefioye, says the act of cutting a girl child is babaric and punishable under the law in Nigeria.

Prince Adefioye said this against the backdrop of 6^th of February, 2023, commemoration of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, when he featured on Pensioners FM Health Programme, “Radio Clinic”.

According to Prince Adefioye , FGM is a barbaric act of cutting the must sensitive part of the female sexual part which is the clitoris.

Prince Adefioye, who is also a member of United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, said FGM plays no important role in the wellbeing of the girl child, instead, it causes long lasting medical and psychological damages.

“the risk of cutting a girl child is high, from research, a girl that is cut may turnout promiscuous, may lead to death, infections, low self esteem among others.”

The Child advocate however noted that, Oyo state is one of the states working hard to achieve total eradication of FGM by 2030, as postulated by UNICEF.

He said “when government discovered it had no good reason, it rose up to address it, and the first law was through the child’s right law, 2006 in Oyo state and part 3 of that law, section 26 sub section 1,2,3 prohibits FGM.”

Prince Adefioye, added that the role of eradicating FGM does not lie just on the government, but every individual, especially men, as 2023 theme for International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, says “Partnership with Men and Boys to Transform Socio and Gender Norms to End Female Genital Mutilation.”