Rotary International District 9141 has expressed deep worry over rising cases of the harvest of female organs for ritual purposes in Nigeria.
The District also pledged that it will intensify efforts in the area of enlightenment to tackle rising issue of violence against the Nigerian Girl Child.
The District which covers the four states of Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers also plans to focus enlightenment campaign on those harvesting human parts for ritual purposes with a view to removing Nigeria’s name from list of countries known for such barbaric acts against the girl child.
Speaking during an interactive session with media practitioners at the Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Yenagoa, Rotarian Andy Uwejeyan , the district Governor of Rotary International district 9141, said the issue of violence against the girl child is worrisome and have made the girl child vulnerable.
“The girl child is vulnerable in the country and it is worrisome. It is spreading fast. What our clubs have done is to create campaign and awareness to discourage these heinous practices by young men harvesting human parts for the suspected purposes of money ritual.”
Uwejeyan, accompanied by District Chairman/Fund Raising, Anthony Wogbierin, Patrick Ohia, District Chair, Annual Giving, Anthony Olikagu, District Chair, Membership, Mightyman Aye Dikoru, District Governor-Elect and Kelechi Ekezie, District Chair, Public Image, said the harvesting of girl child body parts is a worrisome development which should concern everybody.
” We are going to be making a lot of advocacy and campaign against such practices. And we are going to be advising the young girls about their association with youths of questionable wealth and characters.
“We will also engage the youths suspected to be involved in this. We have also discovered that the young men involved are those that are unemployed and jobless. They are products of the society. They believe that they can sacrifice the virtue of hard work for easy money.”
Uwejeyan however pointed out that the District 9141 selected over 2,000 girls with 500 girls per state for empowerment under the PAD A GIRL project where girls are trained on reusable pads. The District also focuses on the building of Rotary centre, Botanical garden and Micro credit empowerment scheme for the girls and women in the rural areas within the four member states.
He said 500 girls in Rivers State have been trained and empowered at first stage of the Pad A GIRL Scheme’ out of the 2,000 slated for training in the four states. “We select beneficiaries based on the recommendations of traditional heads and stakeholders from communities at the grassroots. After selection, we interview them. These are vulnerable girls from rural areas and slums.”
He confirmed that of the Four State Governors, Delta and Bayelsa approved a large parcel of land for the Rotary and Botanical gardens in Asaba and Yenagoa in Delta and Bayelsa respectively.
He pointed out that they are expecting Edo and Rivers state Governors to follow suit in view of their support for Rotary activities and projects.
The District Governor also noted that the Rotary International District 9141 has earmarked over 650,000 US Dollars for the Rotary Foundation for the purpose of service to humanity.
He said that so far the District has been able to raise 450,000 dollars for the purpose worldwide.