BEVERLY HILLS, March 10, (THEWILL) – The wife of Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has submitted that trusted male relatives in families easily rape and defile female minors and girls without suspicion and detection.
She warned mothers against reposing unnecessary trust in their children’s uncles, cousins, neighbours, and even fathers, saying they had been found to be frontline defilers in available records of those arrested and prosecuted so far.
Martha, spoke during the International Women’s Day ceremony at Ibom Hall Grounds, IBB Way, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, said: “Mothers, don’t be careless with your female children, don’t leave your female children with your brother, cousin, uncle. Even fathers are not trusted. I still can’t understand why a father should rape his own daughter but it is happening even in our state.”
Reading a riot act, the mother of four vowed that no rapist in the state would go free, disclosing that at least five persons had been prosecuted and already serving life jail terms in the state.
She said: “Let me sound this as a note of warning, if you are a rapist. Within the last one week, five people have been sentenced to life imprisonment for rape. Many are still on the line but the worst thing is, as we are convicting them, others are still committing the same crime.”
Putting citizens on the Red Alert, the First Lady encouraged victims and youths to ensure every case of rape got reported, for culprits to be arrested and prosecuted.
On the women’s day celebration with the theme: “Women in Leadership: Achieving Equal Future in a Covid-19 World,” Dr. Udom said the theme was apt as it celebrated the tremendous efforts of women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future.
Mrs. Martha noted that women were at the mainstream of the COVID-19 fight globally.
“Women were the caregivers, healthcare workers, innovators, community organisers etc. This event has offered an opportunity to celebrate women,” she stressed.
She, however, called on women to exhibit leadership virtues in order to be entrusted with positions of authority.
She boasted of an Akwa Ibom woman, Mrs. Dorothy Ufot, (SAN) recently named “Arbitrator of the Year 2021” in the whole of Africa.
She stressed on the need for women to celebrate themselves for always taking the lead and being the best, counselling that they should always stand their ground and not feel intimidated as both men and women were God’s creation with equal functionalities in the brain.
Martha however thanked Governor Udom Emmanuel, her husband, for always making women count in the politics of the state.
The high point of the event was the empowerment of 100 women with seed funds for small and medium scale entrepreneurship and presentation of honorary awards to deserving female citizens of the state.
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