Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned those
against girl-child education in Nigeria.
Obasanjo spoke at an event marking this year’s World
Diabetics Day, organized by the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation (OOF).
At the event held at the Main Auditorium of the Olusegun
Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State, Obasanjo stressed
the need for contentment in every human endeavour, saying it could reduce the
chances of getting diabetes.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde
Akinyemi on Tuesday, Obasanjo maintained that his personal experience on
educating the female child had made him to include girl-child education among
areas of focus for the Foundation.
“When I started school in the village, I had a younger
sister, after two years of starting school, my sister started school. I was
first in my two years and as I went along, my sister was also first in the
school she started. And suddenly, our father decided to pull her out of school,
because a girl’s education ends in the kitchen; but I remained in school.
“That singular action made the difference between her
development into adulthood and my development into adulthood. And, I thought
that when I come back from UK I will send her to school. And by the time I came
back from UK, my wife had given my sister to marriage and that ended my
sister’s education.
“Then, I vowed that whatever I can do for girl-child
education, I will always do. And this unfortunate idea of girl-child education
ending in the kitchen is unimportant. The culture of giving preference to a male
child over female child is an idea and culture that must be killed. Woe betides
anyone who attempts to relegate my eldest child, Iyabo. Iyabo will crush such
person, be he or she,” he said.
Earlier, a Professor of Medicine, Olufemi Fasumale, had harped
on the need for government to make policies that would promote healthy living
and policies to improve access to high quality health care services.
Fasumale urged the people to always maintain a healthy
lifestyle, learn to eat healthy diet and avoid smoking tobacco.
He explained that Nigerians suffering from diabetes have
limited access to experts, saying the nation has just 150 practising
diabetologist.
This, he described as one of the major challenges facing the
nation’s health sector.
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