By Alie Turay
PC Haja KoromaParamount Chief of Mano Dasse Chiefdom, Moyamba District, Madam Haja Koroma last Friday has called on government to lift the ban on secret societies.
PC Haja Koroma said her chiefdom have fourteen sections which she said fully cooperated during the ebola outbreak. “Now, my people want to go to the bush to uphold our culture and tradition,” PC Haja Koroma added.
According to the chief, secret societies are traditional institutions where history, moral and traditional ethics are transferred from one generation to another. She said as custodian of the tradition and culture she is in full support of the female genital mutilation (FGM). “As a mother of seven, I will not allow any secret society to operate at a time that will affect the school calendar,” she noted, stressing that there are no medical proofs to support claims that FGM is responsible for the high motility rate in the country.
On rape cases among teenage girls, she said it is the responsibility of homes and secret societies to pass moral teaching to young people about the dangers of the act. And as a chiefdom authority she said she condemns the act and will use the full force of the law on anyone found wanting, and called on government to enforce penalties on rape.
On the “Safe Abortion Bill”, PC Haja Koroma said more education is needed across the country. “I have mixed feelings about this law; we should be focused on family planning and as a woman I can only support abortion on medical grounds”.
