...calls on Stakeholders, Community Leaders to join hands in fighting the war against sexual and gender based violence
The Akwa Ibom State Gender Based Violence Management Committee led by the chairperson, Her excellency, Dr. Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel Wednesday, took its message against all forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency and Etinan Federal Constituency respectively with a call on parents, caregivers and all community stakeholders to protect women and girls from rape, child abuse, and other harmful traditional practices.
Dr. Emmanuel, who was accompanied by other members of the committee while speaking at the respective constituencies, said the Committee which was inaugurated by the Governor and endorsed by the President is determined to rid the state of all perverts who go about molesting and destroying young children in the society.
She said the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2022, has given the Committee an enabling legal framework to prosecute all culprits of rape and domestic abuse, saying, the sensitization campaign to all the 10 federal constituencies in the state became expedient because “ignorance of the law would not be taken has an excuse.”
The governor's wife while stating that there was no justification for rape, warned that, "no traditional ruler is permitted to handle any case of rape," but that they should hand over such case to the law enforcement agents, saying anyone found to do so would bear the consequences of such action.
Speaking further, the First Lady added that the committee is poised to ending gender based violence in the state, and equally encouraged parents of victims of the crime not to give into intimidation by culprits, but to report all cases to the nearest police station for the law to take its full course.
She promised the establishment of Gender Based Violence desk in each of the Local Government Areas of the state to curb the menace. Mrs. Emmanuel also thanked the Police for the prompt response in arresting suspects and encouraged them to sustain the tempo.
The governor's wife also spoke against spousal battery, child trafficking, and child labour, saying all these are acts prohibited in the VAPP law.
Earlier, while setting the tone for the event, the Secretary of the Committee, Barrister Emem Ette, displayed pathetic pictures of victims of sexual and gender based abuse on the TV screen in the state for the viewing public and called for support from stakeholders to stop the menace.
Similarly, while presenting an overview of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law, the Secretary of the committee, Barr. Mfon Edemekong, noted that the VAPP law spells out fourteen years imprisonment for children of ages between 7-16years who rape other children, 25 years imprisonment for incest, and life imprisonment for adults who commit the act of rape.
At each of the federal constituency, various political leaders and stakeholders, paramount rulers, council chairmen, women, and youths were on hand to pledge their unalloyed support to the fight against GBV in their communities.
27th July, 2022
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