Olori Atuwatse III Gives Blessings To Bill On Girl Child Education; Says Situation Becoming An Epidemic

The need for all stakeholders in the education sector to work hand in gloves to better the lots of the girl child and put adequate measures in place to guarantee her access to quality education, captured the essence of presentations by stakeholders including the wife of the Olu of Warri, Olori Atuwatse III at a public hearing of a ‘Bill For A Bylaw To Enforce The Girl Child Education In Primary School Level/Provision Of Learning Materials Incentives From The Warri South-West Local Government Council’.

In a keynote address Olori Atuwatse III, who emphasised the need for the girl child education, said that the current level of early pregnancy and early girl child marriage as well as out of school children in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State is becoming very disturbing and gradually assuming the status of an epidemic that must be seen as an urgent onerous task by all.

The Wife of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, noted that herself and her husband are very passionate about education, especially that of the girl child, commending the Leader of the Warri South-West Legislative Arm, Emiko Etuwewe, sponsor of the bill for the initiative which she said has her blessings.

She noted that education is the foundation of any working society, adding that the best way to equip the girl child to get them off the street and contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of society, is to bequeath to them quality education which according to her may sometimes come in form of quality skill acquisition.

Other speakers, including daughter of former Governor of Delta State Orode Uduaghan and former Special Assistant to former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and immediate past Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Comrade Monoyo Edon laid emphasis on the role of the community in the girl child education and how some harmful cultural and traditional practices have impede on the education of the girl child.

They noted that education is important to the female child as custodian of society, adding that, studies have revealed that  societies with educated women tend to do better than societies with less educated women. 

The duo of Orode and Monoyo also pointed out the need to fix education infrastructure at the primary school level, communities coming up with some sort of local trust fund system to aid the less privileged girl child in the community whose parents cannot afford to get them educated, put proper monitoring measures in place at the community level to make sure children who should be in school are in school and also carry out some level of sensitisation on parents.

On his part, Leader of the Warri South-West Legislative Arm and sponsor of the bill Emiko Etuwewe, said the prevailing situation in the Local Government Area and the challenges facing the girl child, which many a time impede her from attaining her full potentials, resulting from her not having access to quality education informed his sponsoring of the bill to change the narrative.

While appealing to all to give the needed support for the bill to become a law in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Hon. Emiko Etuwewe was optimistic that when passed into law to bill has the capacity to turn the tide for the girl child in Warri South-West Local Government Area.

The one-day public hearing, held at King George Hall in Warri South Local Government Area, was attended by various stakeholders in the education sector.