International Day Of Girl Child: Girls Are Assets To The Society— Group

By Oguns Sammy

A Non -Governmental Organization, Porchfied Foundation, has said that the girl child is an asset to the society if well nurtured and exposed to the same opportunity with the boy counterpart in the areas of education, trade among others.

Speaking at the programme organised in Agbassa Community in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, Sunday, the Chairman, Board of Trustee, Comrade Gabriel Onaidhe, said the organization had to use the day to celebrate the girl-child looking at how they are molested in the society.

He said: “We are using today being international Day of the girl -child October 11 to celebrate our girl children in rhe society.”

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He said due to the maltreament, many of them have committed suidcide, adding that many of the girls are not only sexually abused by rape but all forms of inhumane treatment are girven to the girl-child.

He said the body deemed it necessary to come out and celebrate them being the day marked for them world-wide.

He said: “We, the Agbassa Community in conjunction with ‘Preach Jesus’ deemed it necessary to celebrate the girl child today. This is to let the world know that girls are important as boys and should be treated fairly.”

Comrade Onaidhe who said the foundation has been championing rhe cause of girl -children for the past two years and have been preaching the need to treat the girl- child fairly, said they have been to the three senatorial districts of the state.

According to him, for the avoidance of doutbt, they have been to Urhuoka in Abraka in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Ogulagha and other communities in the riverine areas and have patnered with the Ministry of Education in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State to sensitise parents on the need to treat their girl -child fairly and expose them to equal opportunities as their male child.

Earlier in his address, the Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor(Esq) said the Delta State Government has signed into law the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) which stipulated life imprisoment for anybody who is gulity of rape in the state.

The Hon. Commissioner who was represented by Aikpokpo -Martins, the Assistant Director in the Ministry of Justice and Vice Chairman of Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Delta State chapter said the girl child should not be raped or abused as anybody caught would be prosecuted and if found guilty would face the wrath of the law and therefore charged mothers to report any case of such to the ministry for prompt action.

On her part, Pastor (Mrs) Uche Emeka, an educatiomist and a girl child development crusader said many inhumane treatments are meted to the girl- child in rhe society which ordinarily ought not to be so adding that such maltreament should stop because women are unique in their nature.

She said: “We, the women are very important in the society if not for us, the people in the world would not have been given birth to. So, on this strength we should be respected.”

Mrs Emeka who is the Chairperson of YANA International Women’s Foundation and a staff of Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, charged parents to expose their girl-child to education, saying that is the only way for them to gain recogtion in rhe society.

She also charged the girl child to take up the challenge of improving on rheir lots to competite favorably with their male counterpart in the society.

Not out is Lady Onome Blessing of Kpoko 100.5 FM. She also admonished the girl child to take challenge to be better persons in the society.

She said being a girl is not a disavantsge as everyone is important to him or herself, adding that they should have self esteem and avoid looking at themselves as imferior to their male counterpant.

Highpoint of the programme tittled: “My Voice,, Our Equal Future” was the presentation of awards to winners in different games such as Ludo and others.