Wife of Abia State governor, Priscilla Otti, has rehabilitated 21 teenage girls rescued from a baby factory in Umunkpeyi Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South local government area of the state.
Four of the girls who are from the state were each given N120,000.00 and start-up packs of their respective skills while the others received financial support and reunited with their families in their home states
At a press briefing at Nvosi, she said the girls underwent a three -month counseling and stabilisation support by the state’s Ministry Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Mrs Otti expressed the hope that the girls would become positive role models and demonstrate to their peers that success can be achieved through legitimate means.
“Our hope is that they will serve as ambassadors to the younger generation by proving that one can achieve success in life without resorting to unlawful practices. We are also committed to mentoring them as they grow their businesses, become self-reliant, and become employers of labour as well” maintained the first lady,” she said.
She underscored the importance of equipping teenage girls and young women in the state with skills and resources to prevent them from falling into vulnerable situations.
The commissioner for Vulnerable Groups and Social Protection, Blessing Felix, lauded Mrs Otti for the gesture and called for stiff measures against baby-factories and the proprietors.
The special assistant to the governor on Vulnerable Groups, Ifeoma Thomas, and the permanent secretary of the ministry, Ogechi Oguama, urged the girls to put the experience behind them.
