By; ODEYEMI SAMUEL, Akure
Ondo State Government has commenced accelerated birth registration of children between ages 0-17 across the state.
The programme which aimed at bridging gaps in the health care system in the state is tagged ‘Olori Connection’ was flagged off in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State by the state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
Speaking at the occasion Akeredolu who gave the composition of the implementation committee to involve the wives of Royal fathers noted that this is the first time in the history of the state that wives of monarchs were directly involved in governance.
He therefore urged monarchs across the state to provide the much needed support for their wives to contribute their wealth of experience for the success of the programme.
The flag off ceremony in Ifedore, he said, kick started the project in the state and it is expected to be replicated across the state.
Accelerated Birth Registration which is an initiative of the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu is expected to help actualise the goals of Reproductive of the Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+ N) initiated by the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.
Earlier, Mrs. Akeredolu had paid homage to Oba (Dr). Francis Adefarakanmi Agbede (Ogidi III), the Olowa of Igbaraoke in his palace where she acknowledged that the flag off ceremony was a milestone event which will go a long way in combating maternal mortality.
The wife of the Governor explained that the initiative would make birth registration easy for mothers and also go a long way in helping the government to plan for the development of the state.
“I can tell you that history is being made here today because throughout Nigeria, this is happening here for the first time. We are kick starting registration of children in this vicinity and that will ensure that no woman in this state find an excuse for nor registering her child” she said.
“We aim to achieve one hundred percent registration of all the children born in this state. Our Akowe Abiye will also use the opportunity to get some other information that will help us to know where we are having problem and that will help us to know where to direct our intervention”, she added.
Mrs. Akeredolu also used the opportunity to implore all the women in the local government to take advantage of the programme to register the birth of their children between ages of 0-17.
Delivering a lecture on the importance of birth registration, Dr. Banke Oluwafemi explored the advantages of birth registration, stressing that it was a continuous and compulsory exercise which parents must undertake for their children as part of their fundamental rights
While noting that it was the first of its kind in Nigeria, he opined that data collected would help government to know areas of intervention when it comes to the number of parents who undertake immunization, breastfeeding among others for their children.
she however charged parents to take advantage of the programme to register the births of the children.
In her remark, the chairperson, Ifedore Local Government, Mrs. Oladipupo Ajibola thanked the First Lady for picking Ifedore as the first pot of call.
Olori Tinuade and Adejoke Agbede, wives of Olowa of Igbara-OKE expressed gratitude to the First Lady for embarking on the project, stressing that it was indeed a milestone achievement as it was coming during the reign of their husband.
The event also featured among others free medical check ups, presentation of birth certificate to children and as well the flagging off of road construction from Igbaraoke through Igbuji to Ekiti boundary town as part of activities marking Arakunrin Akeredolu’s one year in office.
