Hajiya Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, Kwara Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, has advised parents to sensitise their children on rampant cases of rape in the society.
Modibbo-Kawu gave the advice while distributing relief materials and COVID-19 palliative at Mogaji Community, Asa Local Government Area on Friday.
She decried the rampant cases of rape in the country and charged parents to be closer to their children more than before.
According to her, there is need for every parent to sensitise, educate and enlighten their children on the dangers of rape.
“There are dearth of information in the rural areas which calls for urgent need to take the grassroots campaign on rape to villages and communities.
“Parents and the community should counsel the children, especially females, on rampant cases of rape and avoid sending them on errands alone without supervision, especially in the evening.
“The community should always report rape-related cases to the appropriate authority.
“The law does not take rape matters lightly,’’ the commissioner said.
On the COVID-19 palliative, Modibbo-Kawu said it was being distributed, in partnership with the International Women Communication Centre (IWCC), founded by Dr Giwa Goroso.
She said the palliative items, including foodstuff, face mask, hand sanitisers and soaps were meant to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people.
Modibbo-Kawu advised the community to wash their hands regularly, adding that personal hygiene had become necessary in order to protect oneself from the infection.
She enjoined them to keep to the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) on COVID-19.
The commissioner further advised that people should learn to always wear their face mask, especially when they are in public places.
She said they should also observe social distancing guideline and avoid crowd for whatever reason as “the disease has no respecter of any person’’.
In her remarks, Iya Mogaji, an elder at Mogaji Community, thanked the commissioner for the sensitisation programme on rape.
Mogaji was also appreciative of the palliative items distribute of palliatives, stressing that it would go a long way to cushion the effect of hunger in the community.
She prayed for the commissioner and wished her well in all her endeavours.
