A distraught man, Mr. Paul Adewumi Adeyinka, has raised the alarm over insistence by his extended family in Osun State to have his granddaughter circumcised or he awaits unpleasant consequences.
Adeyinka said his daughter, Mrs Adebola Aramide Olawaye, has already gone into hiding outside the country, telling our correspondent that his Oosa family of Ogbagba land in Ola-Oluwa Local Government area of Osun State had decreed that his granddaughter who is the child of Adebola, must be circumcised.
“Our family believes strongly in female circumcision and holds on to the age-long traditional practice of subjecting female children to the ritual.
“The family believes such practice will help uphold moral ethics and prevent sexual adventures that can classify the female child as promiscuous.
“Indeed, out of ignorance, I had Adebola circumcised at the age of 11, not knowing the negative health and psychological implications it poses,” Mr Adeyinka recalled.
He added that subsequently, health workers enlightened him and a few other members on the dangers of contracting life-threatening infections by circumcising the female child.
But Adeyinka said some elders in his family and that of his wife would have none of his new-found enlightenment, as they have contacted some village hotheads who could bring him and his daughter and granddaughters to harm if his granddaughters are not submitted for circumcision.
“My daughter is already in the US seeking asylum to save her innocent daughter from this primitive ritual but the elders have been disturbing me to know when she will arrive the country with the female child,”he lamented”
He named the elders who have been adamant on having the female children circumcised to include Pa Ephraim Adeyinka and Madam Olawumi Ibitoye from his family, and Pa Tiamiyu Amoo from his wife’s family.
When contacted, however, Pa Ephraim Adeyinka confirmed the claim to our correspondent, saying, “It is in his best interest to submit the girls for circumcision as we have already put members of our community vigilance group on surveillance; our tradition must be obeyed by all.”
