By FIDELIA. OKPOKUNU
WARRI : Local vigilantes empowered by community leaders have began the forcible enforcement of mandatory female genital mutilation also known as circumcision across Agbarho Kingdom in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The leaders of Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), decreed at its extra cultural meeting in Ughelli in January this year that the circumcision of every female child of Urhobo origin would henceforth be strictly enforced in all Urhobo communities.
The UPU said the move was to stem the rapid erosion of the Urhobo cultural values and norms
The Urhobo apex body which regulates cultural activities across the land, noted that the practice of female circumcision is one of the cultural values which sets the Urhobo ethnic nation apart from other ethnic groups in Nigeria.
It pointed out that over the years, many families in Urhobo land either out of ignorance or pressure from religious and civil society groups have allowed their female children to go uncircumcised.
It added that this trend had led to promiscuity among many of their children.
It therefore directed all community leaders to ensure that all females in their domains are circumcised so as to restore the dignity of the Urhobo women.
The UPU warned that it not hesitate to sanction any family that fails or refuses to abide by the new directive.
It’s in keeping with the directive that the traditional ruler of Agbarho kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM, Williams Onokpite last week directed members of the local vigilante led by one Gideon Akpore to begin the immediate crackdown of belligerent parents who are refusing to circumcise their female children in the Kingdom.
Reports from the area say five persons were arrested by the local vigilante and brought to the palace of the Ovie where they were fined huge sums of money and their children aged one and two years subsequently handed over to local midwives for immediate circumcision.
The move is said to have sent fears across the kingdom with some panic stricken parents voluntarily handing over their wards for circumcision.
However, reacting to the directive on female genital mutilation, a Warri- based rights activist, Barrister Frank Azu said the UPU’s directive infringes on the fundamental human rights of the people
The legal practitioner said the Constitution of the country gives liberty to every individual to decide what best suits him or her.
He acknowledged that while female circumcision had for long been practiced by most ethnic groups in Nigeria, it was however wrong for the UPU as a body to decree its practice.
Another rights activist, Mrs Comfort Ayima of the Foundation for Girl Child Empowerment, a non governmental organization (NGO) was of the view that UPU is seeking to stir up old cultural sentiments in the face of modernity.
She said given the influence of the UPU leaders in Urhobo land, the directive would engender family feuds as some women would resist any attempt to subject them to the old practice of FGM.
A medical practitioner, Dr Clement Lamai said that it’s regrettable that in spite of the advancement of science, many ethnic groups still cherish the practice of female genital mutilation.
He said the practice is injurious as the girl child is subjected to the use of crude and unsterilised sharp objects by traditional midwives to cut through the female private part.
” The process often leads to excessive bleeding and in some cases, the unfortunate death of the girl child” ,Dr Lamai asserted
