Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has expressed dissatisfaction with increasing number of teenage pregnancy and all forms abuse against girl child in the state.
The Governor’s wife stated this during a Technical session with Ekiti State Gender Based Violence Committee and also at an engagement of chairmen of Local government and council Development areas.
Erelu Fayemi described as worrisome, the level at which teenage girls below fourteen years, get impregnated and made to hawk goods at the expense of their education.
“Despite various laws or policies made through a world Bank assisted Project known as “Adolescent Girl initiative for Learning and Empowerment” AGILE, It is disheartening to see this very young Ladies carrying babies at their back, while they on many occasions will not be able to recognize the boy who was responsible for pregnancy of the babies. She said.
The Governor’s wife maintained that Ekiti State has the highest number of teenage pregnancy in Southwest while most of the ladies involved would not be able to continue with their education, thereby dropping out of school.
She therefore urged parents and guardians to pay more attention to Girl child not because their male counterpart should not be neglected but they cannot be easily exposed to issues that could affect their future plans.
The Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Dr Bimpe Aderiye advocated that the need for improved conscious effort needed to keep girls child in school.
She noted that despite government’s interventions at providing education facilities across the state and making the existing ones more conducive for learning, there were still dillapidated structures in some schools that are capable of keeping students out of school.
Contributing, the State coordinator, Adolescent Girl initiative for Learning and Empowerment, AGILE, Mrs Yemisi Alokan said that the project was targeted by world Bank at improving secondary education and create opportunities among adolescents boys and girls in participating states.
According to her, boys and girls under the category of Adolescent must enrol and complete secondary school education with adequate empowerment skills.
In their remarks, participants at the programme which included the legal professionals, representatives of Religious bodies, council chairmen among others called for improved awareness on Adolescent Girl child initiative for Learning and Empowerment AGILE, so as to reduce teenage pregnancy across the state.
Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment AGILE is a world bank assisted project in seven states which are; Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano,kastina, Kebbi and Plateau.
By Busuyi Ogidiolu
