The President of Erikpejaiye Otoikhian (EO) Foundation, Professor Cyril Otoikhian has called on state governments to enact law criminalizing any marriages involving people living with sickle cell anemia or incompatible genotypes within their states.
Otoikjian said this at the Skill Acquisition and Public Lecture organized by EO Foundation in partnership with Police Officers’ Wives- Association POWA last week at Alausa, Ikeja. The event had police officers wivesin their numbers which featured talks, entrepreneurial class, and award presentation to individuals and institutions that have supported the foundation.
Among the awardees included the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Alausa, Ikeja, Olubode Ojajuni, The Chairman of Saroe Foundation, Rev Roseline Ohio Ehimiagbe, the Welfare Officer of POWA, Alausa, Ikeja, Ele-ojo Vera Saudi
He said that the level of pain, oppression, abuse and exploitation that persons with sickle cell anemia go through makes its imperative for government to intervene and come with law that will prosecute persons or insitutiins that conduct marriage with persons with sickle cell disorder.
He noted that It is sad that Nigeria remains the number one sickle cell endemic country in Africa with 150,000 children born with the disorder every year, adding that this is unacceptable.
He stressed that sickle cell disorder has no cure but it is preventable and avoidable.
He commended religious institutions that has made it mandatory for their church members intending to married to go for their genotype test so as to ascertain their compatibility, said that it is a source of encouragement for activists working tirelessly to step the tide of sickle cell anemia in the country.
Otoikhian insisted that sickle cell disorder has no cure and medical practitioners or traditionalists deceiving intending couples that there is cure is worrisome, said there is no cure for the disorder anywhere in the world, preventing it is the sure way to reduce the incident of sickle cells disorder in Nigeria.
He further said women take the larger burden of care for children with sickle cell disorder, adding that creating awareness about the disorder among women cannot be over emphasized.
He noted that no matter the love that exist between intending couples, if they enter into the marriage and see the impact of the sickle cell in the body of their children, their joy will evaporate.
In her words, the Welfare Officer POWA, Vera Saudi, who spoke to journalists at the event said that the programme is an eye opener for her and she would make do with the information given to help her children make inform decision on who they want to married.
In his response, ACP, Olubode Ojajuni said that the support he gave the EO Foundation to host their advocacy programme in the Police Barracks was because of the importance of education and information especially on health matters among security operatives
Ajajuni, who was the Former Lagos State Police Public Relation Officer, said that we need to know more about sickle cell especially for us who are in the security service of the nation. Most time we are not at home, we don’t have time to check our status.
He noted that according to the foundation it is not a curable disease but terminal but we are glad to know that we can avoid it when we know our genotype status and take precautionary measure so we can have a peaceful and enduring life through out our lifetime.
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