The governor spoke Tuesday during the launch of the HeforShe
campaign, a United Nations' initiated global solidarity movement for
advancement of gender equality, at Transcorp Hotel, Calabar.
Ayade who was honoured at the occasion as HeforShe
Ambassador took a swipe at donor agencies for inflicting on women "silent
violence" through birth control mechanisms.
He also argued that men should equally be subjected to birth
control through castration because "when it comes to family planning, it
is the women that take the injections, take the implants and this is violence
against women.If you want a holistic population control, castrate the men"
"Why do you allow women who give birth only once in
nine months take all the medication? Why has research always been against
women? As United Nations, you must recognise the fact that every single drugs
you take must have a cumulative side effects.
"I have seen marriages that are challenged because
three years into the marriage the lady cannot bear a child because the prolonged
use of implants have damaged her capacity to bear a child thus challenging her
marriage, breaking her marriage and putting her through so much psychological
pain.
"I think that silent violence against women should be
what we champion today going forward, including the UN itself and so many
international agencies who believe that all financial aid to Africa will be
useless unless our population is controlled", he quipped.
Continuing, the Cross River state number one citizen rued
that "there are so many international agencies in Africa that are not
here for birth control but to sterilize young women and that's true.There are
so many drugs for family control that are designed to sterilize the women"
He called on the United Nations to boldly speak out against
violence against African women through birth control.
"I wonder why the UN has not seen this as gender
violence towards women. I think that the UN must take it very seriously.
It is not sufficient for us to come and pay lip service to
the issue of gender violence, gender violence is a celebrated issue across the
world and everyone of us are involved", he said.
Speaking, the Paramount ruler of Obanliku in Northern Cross
River, His Royal Majesty, Uchua Amos Uyimulam who was also honoured as HeforShe
Ambassador in recognition of his dogged fight against "money wife", a
slavish marriage practice in his domain against young girls, called for the
abolition of all cultural practices that limit women's right.
Earlier, the state commissioner for International
Development Corporation, Dr.Inyang Asibong described Ayade as women friendly
governor going by the number of women holding strategic positions in his
government.
She explained that the governor was picked as HeforShe
Ambassador "because of his commitment to the elimination of gender based
violence and ensuring gender equality in Cross River state"
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