The Fatboy Show Presenter Olive Najjuma On RX Radio has said that the government is partly to blame for the increased numbers of teenage pregnancies around the country.
She made the remarks while commenting on the statements made by the State Minister for Gender and Culture Peace Mutuzo, who yesterday blamed the high teenage pregnancies on the many brands of energy drinks on the Ugandan market such as ‘Mukamanayamba,’ ‘Alleluia’ and ‘Praise God.’
According to the Minister, the alcoholic drinks disguised as energy drinks are centered around boosting manpower, making men so intoxicated that in the evenings, they don't spare young girls.
Olive, while questioning the validity of the Minister’s statements, mentioned that teenage pregnancies have become a crisis in the country despite being taken lightly by the government.
“Our girls are getting pregnant, children are having children. There is nothing as hurtful as seeing a child that is 12 or 13 carrying another child. That is their life and childhood being taken away from them. And instead of the government addressing that, it has washed its hands off this yet in all fairness, they are partly to blame because of how long the lockdown has been,” she said.
She further noted that schools provide a structure, rules and dreams that hold the girls from engaging in early sexual relations. But now that they are closed, she mentioned how children have lost sight of their dreams, adding to the idleness from the lockdown yet most of them are undergoing puberty and hormonal changes.
Daniel, the Co-host of the show synonymously stated that the government is denying and trying to divert the public by blaming its failures on other circumstances.
“It's that Ofwono Opondo move, where you get someone else to be hated for something, because I think that is his purpose in government. To divert the hatred and anger to himself. He went on to add, “This is the Minister creating a shortcut and basically saying ‘what can I pin this dilemma on, well okay, I saw this ad of an energy drink with the word sex in it so let me put it on these guys.’ This is not good, I am tired of these people saying things that don't solve problems yet they're in government offices.”
Olive, concerned by her teenager being stuck at home, asked the government to open schools and find ways to co-exist with Covid-19 with children in school, giving examples of the neighbouring countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi that are doing just that.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive, Sarah and Lesham every weekday from 6am to 10am on RX Radio.
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