Worried by the health implications, societal ills and other negative tendencies that usually accompany the lack of Child-spacing, the Awareness Initiative for Good Living (AIGL) has sensitized Islamic religious leaders in kwara state to intensify action on advocacy for Child-Spacing in the society.
A lecturer at the Arabic Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin, Dr Hussein Musa Arikewusola advised childbearing women and adolescents to imbibe culture of Child-spacing for them to leave a good and healthy life.
Arikewusola also advised parents to give proper attention to the upkeep of their children and wards so as to have a healthy and crisis free society.
Dr Arikewusola gave the advice on Wednesday (April 17, 2019) in his lecture at the Child-Spacing Sensitization programme organised for Imams by the Awareness Initiative For Good Living(AIGL) held at Data Bank Hall, Kwara state Ministry of Health, Ilorin.
He attributed the rising waves of thuggery, hooligalism, drug abuse and other illicit acts to lack of good parenting.
Akewusola explained that it is unIslamic for parents to leave their children uncatered for, saying that parents will be answerable to how they train their children.
He identified lack of child spacing and bad parenting as some of the factors responsible for presence of youth restiveness and other antisocial behaviours that are rampart in the society.
In his speech, the Chairman of AIGL in the state, Alhaji Ajibola Wahab called on Imams and clerics in the state to support and collaborate with AIGL in it’s crucial crusade on Family Planning Advocacy.
Alhaji Wahab added that clerics and Imams’ involvement in the campaign for Child-Spacing would go a long way to educate and inform Kwara women and adolescents in urban and rural areas to embrace Child-Spacing contraceptives of their choice within their reach and at free of charge.
The state Coordinator of Family Planning in Kwara State, Hajia Sadia Asaju advised housewives to key into Family Planning method that comforms with their body chemistry and urged their husbands to cooperate with their wives and encourage them to go for the family planning.
Asaju explained that Child-Spacing has significant positive impact if it is applied correctly and with qualified health workers, saying that Child-Spacing is good for the parent, the child and the society at large.
Also speaking, the former State Coordinator of Family Planning, Hajia Segilola Mustapha said Family planning goes beyond Child-Spacing alone, but is accomplished with other social and economial advantages, saying that it would afford the planners to plan for themselves, their children which according to her would afford the privilege of living a good and enviable life.
The Kwara state AIGL’s Secretary, Hajia Baliqees Oladimeji urged the participants, who are Imams from Selected Central Mosques across the state, to join hands with AIGL in the vanguard of spreading the message of Child-spacing in their respective mosques and localities so as to collectively promote good living of people and healthy society.
In their separate comments, the participants, who were drawn from different central mosques in the state, pledged their readiness to support the AIGL in it’s campaign for Child-Spacing through their weekly Friday lectures and in their regular open air lectures.
Among the Imams that present at the sensitisation programmes included Imam Ansar-Ud-Deen, Ilorin branch Alhaji Muhammed Safi Gbagba; Alfa Sulaiman Kasandubu; among others.
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