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General News of Monday, 12 December 2022

Source: www.dailypost.ng

Stakeholders unite against gender-based violence in Ekiti

The Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Yemi Oyebanji and other stakeholders have vowed to lower the curve of Gender-Based Violence in the state.

They gave the commitment at the special plenary held for anti-GBV by the House of Assembly as part of the 16 days of activism.

The Ekiti First Lady, who bemoaned the state’s poor record on GBV, said no stone would be left unturned in reversing the ugly trend.

Mrs Oyebanji, therefore, warned violators to shun the act by retracing their steps, promising to launch a far-reaching campaign against GBV in order to have a saner society.

In her address, the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba expressed sadness over the prevalence of gender-based violence in spite of robust legislative and policy intervention.

The speaker hinted that the state would review the adequacy or otherwise of the legal instrument and other government policies on sexual and domestic violence.

“GBV is a crime against individuals, society and humanity. We must all join hands together to stop it, we must all rise and work together to fight and end the rape epidemic in Ekiti State,” the Speaker said.

The former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda,(SAN), In his paper presentation, “Reflections on Strategies for Responding to GBV in Ekiti State: What Have We Done? What Next?” said there is a need for an immediate evaluation of the adequacy of laws and administrative interventions.

Fapohunda posited that: “the state needs the wife of the governor to host a roundtable of all stakeholders to review all that has been done and agree on a two-year plan of action.”

He noted that many of the women public servants suffer serious domestic violence in their homes, calling on all to break down the hypocrisy.

“We need honest conservation with each other to find the way out,” he stated.


Speaking further he affirmed that the state has a zero-tolerance policy for all GBV crimes, including rape, among others.

He described Ekiti State as one of the states with the most progressive laws on GBV crimes in Nigeria.

“If a government is not focused, we are not likely to make progress, both former governor, Kayode Fayemi and the governor of the state, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, are continuing to lead by examples on GBV crimes,” he stated.

In her contribution, on the role of the judiciary, Hon. Justice Toyin Abodunde urged clients to bring qualitative evidence to the court in order for GBV cases not to be thrown out on the ground of technicalities.

Justice Abodunde added that there is a need to have judges who are gender-friendly and water-tight laws to protect victims.

She called on all stakeholders to be Gender-based friendly, noting that the protection of rights is also human rights.

Other stakeholders including CSOs, CAN, and lawmakers, among others, presented their views at the session.