The Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairperson of the State Gender Based Violence Management Committee, Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has warned against shielding of rapists, paedophiles and abusers, saying henceforth, all hands must be on deck to rid the state of all forms of violence against humanity.
Dr. Emmanuel spoke today Thursday, at Ibom Hall Uyo, during the flag off of the 16 Days Activism Against Gender Based Violence in the State with the theme: "Orange the World - End Violence Against Women Now."
The First Lady who frowned against situations where parents have been reported to be complacent in the crime said henceforth, anyone found to be shielding rapists and paedophiles would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
She charged parents not to cave in when being pressured, but rather to demand and stand for justice, averring that the state government through the GBV management committee has put in place measures to curb the ugly trend.
"I am sending this warning to all parents especially mothers in the state not to shield any rapist or paedophile who has abused a young child. We have had cases in the past where mothers are pressurised to withdraw their cases halfway. Henceforth, if you do that, you will go in for it. We will ensure that we put you behind bars in place of the suspect", she said.
The governor's wife speaking further added that the '16 Days Activism' would be cascaded to the 10 federal constituencies of the state for optimal result, stating that no one should feign ignorance when the law catches up with him or her.
Dr. Emmanuel thanked the Nigeria Police Force for the remarkable work done in arresting suspects, and as well appreciated the Judiciary for the expedition of justice, stating that scores of persons have been prosecuted.
Delivering a keynote address on the topic: "Establishing Special Courts for Sexual and Gender Based Violence: A Panacea for Ending Violence Against Persons", Mrs. Idorenyin Eyo PhD of the Faculty of Law, University of Uyo, noted that the ceremony signifies the battle for not just the soul of Akwa Ibom State, but a battle for the soul of humanity.
While identifying SGBV to include; physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse and economic or educational deprivation, she added that the '16 Days Activism' is not only timely, but very needful as Sexual and Gender Based Violence is a hard-headed multi-generational monster.
In a vote of thanks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, commended the state government for providing a legal backing to the fight against GBV, saying the VAPP law has helped convict many.
She thanked all stakeholders for condemning the crime in its totality and called for more concerted efforts by all to nail the crime on its head.
The event which featured a panel of discussion from key players in the sector, had young school children, female youths, traditional leaders, religious leaders, women groups and civil society organisations all in attendance.
25th November, 2021
IbomInkNews
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