By Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti
International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA) Ekiti State Branch
has urged youths to be wary of the kind of friendship they keep so as not be polluted.
This advice was handed down to the youths by the state FIDA
Chairperson, Mrs Adefunke Anoma while celebrating the International
Youth day with the children, and Youth at Tinuola international
College, Ado Ekiti as part of FIDA`s school outreach and counselling
programme.
FIDA Ekiti in a theme: The role of safe spaces for youth in their
local communities, emphasized the need for the youth to contribute to
towards keeping their environment for themselves.
Mrs Anoma explained further that the theme; Safe Space was initiated
for the youth in order for them to know how to ensure that they as
individuals and stakeholders make the use of the space by being
responsible, and remain dutiful as well contribute towards keeping the
environment safe for themselves and everybody.
‘’As Youth you should ensure that their environment is safe, you
should try as much as possible to ensure that the rights of others are
not infringed upon, for instant, must of the time people think that it
is only offenders and criminals are the ones that are in the prison,
but experience has shown that for doing nothing, you could end up in
prison, and that is why we are appealing to you, the children and
youths to be mindful of the kinds of friends you keep, the kinds of
group, or associations you go about with, you should not say because
my friends are doing this, and you say you also want to do it,
“You should be wary of the ways you do things so that when criminals
are being packed so that you will not be wrongly packed along with
them and end up in prison, we were at the prison earlier today where
we saw so many people who may not have truly committed the crimes for
which they were arrested and imprisoned for, so these are the reasons
why you should comport yourself in manners that you will not be taken
for an irresponsible child” Anoma added.
FIDA which later presented gift to the overall best student of Tinuola
International College, Ajite Oreoluwa, an SS2 student going to SS3,
said this was done to encourage the best student, and to make other
student see reason for them to aspire to be the best in all area of
life both in academic and moral standard require of a good student.
The Principal of the School, Mr. Alao David Kehinde who commended
FIDA for the gesture lauded the organization for the services being
rendered by them for the community.
Earlier FIDA had visited the Inmates at the Ado Ekiti prisons where
the group observed some abnormalities in the situation at the prison,
and vowed to take up some of the things observed over there with a
view to putting them at the proper perspective.
“We are going to take action on cases of some of the inmates in the
state that are supposed to be kept in mental home where their mental
capacity can be evaluated and necessary medication being given to them
instead of keeping them in prison which could further deteriorate
their conditions “ Anoma stated.
The FIDA chairperson however called on the Governments to ensure that
prisons are made conducive for the inmates saying “even though the
inmates are offenders, then have been convicted or they are awaiting
trial, they still have their human rights and they should be treated
well"
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