By Jamiu Ganiyu
The Honourable Elect for Ayedaade State Constituency, Hon Bayo Olodo has emphasised the need to protect, encourage and orientate the girl child on how to take care of their body especially during their monthly menstrual circle as he opined that lack of adequate education about this issue has exposed many of them to different degrees of diseases.
The Hon Elect made this known while discussing with some youths of his constituency about his developmental agenda and empowerment programmes.
The former General Manager of Dangote group of companies said “the rate at which our girls join bad group is alarming, many are into prostitution, some are drugs addicts while some have contracted different kinds of disease because they lack basic knowledge on how to take care of their body during their menstruation period”
The newly elected lawmaker also condemned the prevalent issue of early and forceful marriage all in the name of parents shelving themselves from parental responsibility which they owe their children.
In his words “Its disheartening to see young girls that have been sentenced to early marriage at the tender age when they should be in school. “Why would someone call a 13 years old girl a mother, what knowledge does she have to be a mother, how would she take care of her child, her body and house at the same time at that early age?” these were parts of many rhetorical questions the Honourable elect asked while engaging with the youths
He further stressed that, many of our young girls do not know that days of using clothes during menstruation is long gone as it is very easy to contract disease through it, hence there is a need to educate them on why they should make use of the sanitary pad which he said would prevent them from incurring different kinds of diseases.
“It is high time we orientate them in other to be useful for their communities, we can’t fold our hands and look the other way”.
He went further to say he will implement a plan through his foundation and has also contacted some experts from Canada who have agreed to come to assist him on the intervention.
There will be a two days seminar which will hold at the prestigious Olufi High School, Gbongan where young girls between the ages of 12 and 18 will be engaged and orientated on the need to take care of their self, abstinence from drugs and how to pull through many life challenges at such a tender age.
Olodo, also promised that some material needed by the girls within the age bracket will be distributed at the event, he concluded.