By ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
Traditional Institutions and Religious leaders have been urged to serve as change agent in prevention of all forms of harmful practices and gender based violence to ensure sanity in the society.
A human resource expert, Abdullahi Abdulkadri made the call while speaking at a 2-day training for trainees (ToT):-on Gender -Based Violence Prevention Training organised by a Non-governmental organisation, Hadis Foundation in collaboration with Ford foundation for Traditional Faith and Community leaders held in Ilorin, Kwara State.
He said there is need for the implementation and enforcement of laws put in place by the federal government on violence against people’s prohibition act and other related laws to put a hold on violent behaviours.
Abdulkadri said the issues of female genital mutilation, harmful widowhood practices among others should be abolished totally.
He appealed to parents and other stakeholders to consider the health of the girl child rather than the cultural practice.
In his address, a community leader and member of Olofa in Council, in Offa local government area of Kwara state, Chief Bode Onawola said many communities have some practices that brings strong set back to the women in the society.
He advised parents to put a stop to the idea of giving their daughters out for marriage at tender age to prevent them from contracting diseases and untimely death.
The community leader urged the religious leaders to ensure proper application of religious teachings inline with what was contained in the scriptures.
He appealed to government to enforce laws on all form of harmful acts which included gender based violence, women genital mutilation, as well as same sex marriage, lesbianism, cultism among other in order to make the society better.
In his remarks, the Chief Imam of Shonga in Edu local government area of Kwara state, Ibrahim Hassan Shonga, represented by Yakubu Alhassan, urged married couples to exercise restrain and avoid taking a family issue to friends who always advised them wrongly.
They admonished community leaders to guide the families on the need to learn the rudiment in marriage before venturing into the contract.
On her part, one of the participants, Hajiya Hadiza Umar said some Northern States adopt the idea of marrying their daughter early because of religious injunction.
She said there are ways the society can revisit the issue inorder to prevent the girl child from marrying and abandon education.
Hajiya Hadiza called on the religious and traditional institutions to guide the people properly on the need to do things the right way by acquiring quality education or skills to support them in case of eventualities.
