Executive Governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha yesterday warned women that female genital mutilation (FGM) will henceforth attract imprisonment. The governor said as soon as the bill against FGM is passedinto law by the House of Assembly, the punishment for offenders would be several years of imprisonment, as the law would specify. Okorocha, who spoke at the launch of the campaign against FGM, initiated by his wife, Nkechi, in collaboration with United Nations Fund forPopulation Agency (UNFPA), described the practice as barbaric and unacceptable.He said: “Barbaric cultures, which are not beneficial to the people, should be abolished.” The governor urged the Houseof Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the bill to enable his administration proffer a permanent solution to the problem. Mrs Okorocha, who led the awareness match with over 500 female students and women against the practice, said Imo State women had vowed to end FGM. She said the women would not rest until there was end to the practice. The governor’s wife noted that the practice could lead to death, emotional trauma and broken homes, if left unchecked. UNFPA’s Country Representative Mrs Beatrice Mukta hailed Mrs Okorocha for her fight against FGM. She noted that the battle against the practice would not be easy.
The UNFPA chief urged traditional institutions as well as Imo State women to support the governor’s wife in her efforts to end FGM.
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