Teenagers Charged to Have Role Models and Focused on Their Education

Teenagers in the state have been charged to strive to have role models that they can look up to for inspiration to better their lives.

Bayelsa State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Deacon Markson Fefegha gave the charge at Toru Orua in Sagbama Local Government Area recently while speaking at a sensitization programme with the theme “Say No to Teenage Pregnancy”.

Represented by a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr. Chris Odi, Deacon Fefegha said in addition to looking up to such role models for inspiration, the teenagers would receive mentorship from them and aspire to become like their role models and in the process remain focused on their dream.

The commissioner, who noted that the sensitization campaign, put together by Biowest Events, organizers of Face of Ijaw Beauty Pageant, is aimed at encouraging young girls in the state to avoid early pregnancy and embrace education to better their lot in the society.

He urged young girls to shun social vices, stay away from amorous young men and concentrate on their studies so that they can become responsible citizens of the society.

Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, who was represented by the Deputy Director in charge of Ijaw Affairs in the ministry, Mr. Dennis Numupeide urged parents to always monitor their children, especially the female ones, bring them up in the fear of the Lord and explain the dangers of early sex to them.

Dr. Tuodolo, who said parents should discourage their children from watching movies portraying sex, advised young girls not to relent in furthering their education even after giving birth since there is no age limit in the pursuit for academic excellence.

In a brief lecture titled “Implications of Teenage Pregnancy”, the Chief Medical Director of Redeemers Hospital, Sagbama, Dr. Appeal Adonkiye said among many other complications, teenage pregnancy could result in the mother dropping out of school with the attendant frustration, depression and poverty, and also the mother may suffer depreciation in value during marriage because of the baby.

Teenage pregnancy could also lead to the child suffering brain damage on account of the mother’s narrow pelvis, vesicoviginal fistula (VVF) and even death.

A medical practitioner with the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Dr. Nneka Chukwuma urged mothers to introduce their female children to sex education or the children would learn it outside, in most cases, the wrong way.

In the lecture titled “Importance of Education”, an educationist, Dr. Torupele Koroye said with education the girl child can develop herself, pick up a good job and live a good life.

He also said if a teenage girl gets pregnant, she drops out of school, becomes a social misfit and live a life ignorance, without knowing her rights adding however that in the event that they get pregnant, they should endeavour to go back to school.

In her remarks, the reigning Face of Ijaw Beauty Queen, Miss Sarah Ebiokpo decried the spate of teenage pregnancy in Ijaw land and advised young girls to be wise and shun relationships involving the opposite sex, at a tender age.
Noting that the girls are always the losers when they get pregnant because while the girls drop out of school the boys continue with their education, Miss Ebiokpo urged the girl child to summon courage to go back to school even if they get pregnant.

Speaking earlier, Chief Executive Officer of Biowest Events, Miss Ebiokpoboere Imgbi said because of “our fast eroding culture and the spate of teenage pregnancy in our society, we decided to organize this sensitization programme so that we can talk to our girls so that they can become responsible citizens of the society”.

She thanked the resource persons for their enriching lectures and the community folks for turning out in their numbers, and charged mothers, women and girls who dropped out of school on account of child birth to summon courage and return to school by taking advantage of the Girl Child education project of the Wife of the Governor, Dr. Rachael Dickson.

Paramount Ruler of the Toru Orua community, Chief Guslin Tounaregha, who thanked the organizer of the programme for bringing the event to Toru Orua said the programme was very timely and expressed hope that the lectures will touch the young girls of the community.

She urged the girls of the community to go to school especially as education was now free in the state, pointing out that pregnancy or child birth should not be a barrier to education.

The sensitization team had earlier paid a courtesy visit on the Monarch of Tarakiri clan, King Richard Koroye, who prayed for Miss Ebiokpoboere Imgbi and members of the team.

Other members of the sensitization team include General Aso Tambo, National Chairman, Presidential Amnesty, Phase 2, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Education Inspectorate and Policy, Dr. Peremoboere Ugolo, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education, Sagbama Zonal Office, Mr. Ebiowei Feubodei and the reigning Face of Culture Beauty Queen, Miss Gesiere Eyifouru.