By Temitope Adedeji,Akure
The wife of Ondo state governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu has again emphasized the reason why she trained young school girls yearly on taekwondo so as to defend themselves against randy men who may want to molest them.
Mrs Akeredolu said this at the closing edition of the 2022 BEMORE summer Bootcamp held in Akure, the state capital at the weekend.
She charged the girls to always remember the training they received, especially Taekwondo for self-defence against randy men, as she assured them of the government’s protection against all forms of abuse through the VAPP Law which they’re already aware of its existence.
“All you need do is speak up! Whenever that randy guy comes close, remember that, I gave you a toll-free line to dial to report and trust that we will be there to rescue and defend you”.
Over 388 school girls smiled home after being trained and well equipped with tools in Solar Technology, ICT and other entrepreneurial skills of the wife of Ondo state governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu.
The young school girls graduated from the two weeks BeMore Summer Bootcamp 4girlsnaija, an initiative of the First Lady of Ondo State, where they were taught also how to defend themselves even in the midst of trouble
Speaking at the closing and graduation ceremony of the girls, held at the main auditorium of the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, Mrs Akeredolu urged the girls to be more proactive as they are being released to the world, to put into use, all they have learnt to transform their environments, as Special breeds without greed, they should utilize the training received and do rare exploits.
She charged the 2022 Bemore Summer Bootcamp’s graduands to reciprocate the gesture given them by the initiator and give back to the society that produced them.
She encouraged them to always stand up for women and girls by defending womanhood against Gender-Based Violence, most especially, the randy- men,who are fond of molesting them.
“My dear techy girls, I want you to take home the fact that the ‘the future is female’. Gone are the days you would be made to play the second fiddle role because you are a girl.
“You are too talented and endowed to be ‘materials for exports’. Bemore Girls are not cheap! You must go ahead and do rare exploits”. She said.
She enjoined them to be positive-minded in their journey to the world, saying that leadership was gender-neutral, hence, they shouldn’t allow anyone to discourage them in pursuing their visions and aspirations.
“You can achieve whatever your minds can conceive if you believe. There is nothing stopping you. Remember too, that as a woman, you can become anything and can belong anywhere, including heads of institutions and government. And I dare say to you, my techy girls, that no height is too high for you to reach,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Science & Technology, Senator Nimbe Mamora described the graduands as a new breed of champions, and further encouraged them not to be discouraged by the challenges awaiting them as they grow to become a woman.
She reminded them that they’d been equipped with tools to become a better version of themselves with all they acquired in the camp and should, therefore put all they learned into practice.
“You have been deliberately prepared to face the future. You have been trained in ICT and Solar technology to demystify science and technology, and to put a lie to the age-long prejudice about these fields being the exclusive preserve of the men. You have been armed with life-enhancing skills so that you can have financial security and defeat poverty so that you make money on your own and never to fall easy prey to the preying eyes of randy men who go around seeking who to destroy with monetary bait”.
The Ondo First Lady, further charged them to stand up in defence of another girl who is being harassed or molested, saying “as Bemore Ambassadors, you cannot afford to be silent where evils thrive”.
In his remarks, the State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, emphasised that education is the bedrock of fundamental human development, which BeMore is encouraging girls to pursue, as he described the initiative as one of the largest girls’ projects in Nigeria.
The governor,who was represented by his Deputy, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Akeredolu affirmed that the BeMore Empowered Foundation had equipped girls towards maximum exploitation of their potentials, while thanking the Founder and her team for partnership his administration in closing gender gap, towards actualisation of its REDEEMED Agenda.
He reiterated the commitment of the current administration under his leadership, to continually support and partner initiatives that were geared towards the betterment of the citizens.
Chairman of the occasion, Dr.Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR, charged the graduands, as leaders of tomorrow to take education seriously in this era, that world economy is competitive, noting that they’ve been supported with innovative materials in the camp which should motivate them to prioritize education.
According to him, all the designs for better life given to them through training in various fields of endeavor, could only be achieved with education before they could fit in to the modern world.
He commended the Founder for the life-changing initiative and the commitment to helping humanity, he therefore encouraged the graduands to show empathy to others, by emulating the First Lady who conceived and birthed a programme aimed at giving them a brighter future.
The Special Guest of honour and Minister of Science & Technology, Sen. Mamora Nimbe, noted that the Bemore concept was necessary in this part of the world, due to the disadvantages female gender encountered in the society.
He decried the poor industrial revolution and commended the Bemore initiative for promoting girls’ interest in Science Technology and Mathematics, (STEM), which he described as the bedrock of industrialisation.
The closing ceremony featured Exhibition of skills showcased by the girls including, Solar installation, Computer operation, Artworks, Taekwondo display, Baked items, wigs and detergents that the girls made, and breast cancer advocacy
