Host Paramount Chief Foday Momoh Gulama, welcome the first lady and her to his chiefdom and Moyamba district as he whole.
He further continued that, Friday’s program is a very essential for sober minded men who would adhere to the message that prohibit them from tampering with young girls and domestically violating women as a whole.
“On behalf of the people of Moyamba district, we wholeheartedly welcome you madam Bio, and pray the message you pass here today is beneficial for all”, he concluded.
Moyamba District Council Chairman, Joseph Mbogba, in his statement said, people of Moyamba are vexed up against the persistent issues of rape and domestic violence caused to women and girls.
“Moyamba District has the highest number of rape cases reported, the violence against women increases everyday”, he said. Adding that, they as a council and stakeholders of the district will embrace the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign and put on certain modality in place that would see the initiative is highly respected in the district.
“As a council, we have factored the campaign in our 2020 budget, provide an office space in council that will be overseeing the day to day issues brought forward as complaints”, he affirmed.
Abdul Joe Kamanda, on behalf of civil society in Moyamba, pledged their cooperation to continuously preach against the menace and as well prosecute perpetrators when necessary.
Longest serving member of parliament in the well of parliament representing constituency 061 in Moyamba district, Honourable Veronica Kadie Sesay, said, before the launch of the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign, it has always been her dream and fellow female MPs to see a law set that would put to a halt the regular sexual penetration and sexual violence against women and the girl child in particular.
She admonished men present to take the campaign seriously in order not to find themselves behind bars she reiterated the president’s and them the lawmakers’ stance to eradicate rape and any other form of sexual offence.
She outlined three major components in the new sexual offences act which she says would trap offenders, those who compromises and secret solicitors who condole sexual offences against women and girls.
She concluded by discouraging the girls to be first modest in their dressing and be steadfast in their educational pursuit and not to allow monetary influence leads them to child mothers and dropouts.
In her note address, the First Lady, Mrs. Fatima Bio defiantly spoke against the negative aspects of sexual offences which have made Sierra Leone a laughing stock among other nations across the world in term the constant rape reported.
She called on the paramount chiefs of the land to include in their early bylaws which will enable women to publicly stroke rape perpetrators since the judiciary seems to give a blind eye on the menace. Madam Fatima Bio further called on the school girls of Moyamba to resist the approaches of men towards them coming in as Samaritans.
“Girls, your future is in your hands and your dreams of becoming the next first lady, lawyer, doctor and minister starts with the firm decision you make today against urge of material benefit for sex”, she admonished.
“Thanks to you people of Moyamba for believing in His Excellency’s leadership, but am here this day to talk against the persistent horror which befalling our girls”, she noted.
Appreciating the positive contribution of Moyamba people, the first lady on that note took the opportunity to discourage them especially the men from the bad ways sexual violence and rape against the girl child.
“As my fathers and traditional elderly people, the fight to put to a stop sexual penetration and offences is not my fight alone nor his Excellency, but the fight of all, and it is in that not I handover the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign for the Moyamba district chapter to my noble Paramount Chiefs of the district”, she concludes.
