2019: Niger Delta Women Need Promoting – Ehinlaiye

By Iteveh Ekpokpobe

Former Delta South Senatorial aspirant and Proprietress of Twin Fountain Schools, Dame Florence Ehinlaiye has lamented the plight of the Niger Delta women, saying that the men in the region have deliberately refused to promote their women.

Dame Ehinlaiye who was a former aspirant running for the Delta South senatorial seat in 2007 told our correspondent that the Niger Delta region is filled with brilliant women, but regretted that the men have always tried to pull them down whenever they want to come up.

“Niger Delta leaders have refused to place their women in high places unlike other regions. As at today there is no one speaking for the Niger Delta women. The government of the day is not projecting any women to be at the National level. Those persecuting Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke today are doing so because of the region she comes from. Today we do not  have any woman at the National who is from the Region”, she said.

Dame Ehinlaiye who turned 70 years May 7, 2018 and rolling out the drums to celebrate the Birthday with a Book presentation on July 21, 2018, said the only way the region and the nation can grow was for the leaders to place priority on the training of the girl child by coming out with policies that will encourage the education of the girl child.

The Educationalist therefore, called on parents to do all they can to ensure that the girl child is trained to at least the secondary school level saying that at this level they can be able to decide on what they want to do with their lives.

She said the lawmakers must do something about the legal age set for girls to get married, noting that  the legal age of 12 have continued to put the girl child at great disadvantage and risk.

Dame Ehinlaiye who is the author of “THE GIRL CHILD” said that; “Parents must ensure that they train their girl child to the secondary school level. What we see in the North is very sad because at 12 and 14 years the child cannot carry another child.

“We pegged the voting age of a girl child at 18 years but that of marriage at 12 years. Why should this be so? This is not fair. We must streamline this so that the girl child does not continue to suffer. If we can do this, we will prevent a lot of abortions that are rampant among young girls.”

On the standard of education in the country, Dame Ehinlaiye lamented that the rot in the educational system has become a thing of concern to all well meaning Nigerians, adding that parents no longer care about how their children passed their exams.

She said the level of examination malpractices in the country has assumed a worrisome dimension alleging that parents now take part in examination malpractices by paying money so that their children can pass their exams.

“I was a lone fighter on examination malpractices in Delta state and because of my zeal and doggedness in the fight my school was almost ran aground. But I did not give up because I impact knowledge to children. I have trained people who are making waves all over the world and I am happy for this. I will not bow to anybody because I am a success story,” Dame Ehinlaiye said.

She emphasized that at 70 she is going to dedicate the rest of her life to fighting the course of the girl child, adding that to achieve this she will  need all the help that she can get from both private individuals and the government.

She urged Deltans to get ready for the girl child campaigns that will be hitting the streets of Delta State very soon.