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The Igbo-Etiti Local Government in Enugu State has vowed to arrest and prosecute any masquerade caught flogging or molesting women and girls in the area.
The council chairman, Dr Eric Odo, disclosed this on Thursday during a one-day campaign on the eradication of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the council headquarters.
The chairman reiterated its resolve to tackle the menace of domestic and gender-based violence in the area to protect people’s human rights.
Odo said the LG would use the state's existing resources to address the menace of SGBV in Igbo-Etiti, which he regretted was increasing.
He noted that this explained why he inaugurated a committee to eradicate the SGBV in the area, hinting that his administration was solidly behind the committee.
The Wife of the Local Government, Mrs Nmuta Odo, while lamenting the increase in SGBV, promised to rehabilitate victims of domestic violence in the area.
The wife of the chairman argued that rehabilitating the victims would not only enable them to reintegrate into society but also enable them to overcome trauma associated with the violence.
Odo, a chief magistrate, urged the residents of the council to report cases of such violence to the Committee, stressing that the committee had capable hands to handle and resolve any case reported to them.
She pointed out that the local government would partner with the Office of the First Lady to combat the menace effectively.
In a message to the event, the Wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, said that violence against women and children, in any form, was a direct assault on the dignity, safety, and progress of the society.
“It is heartbreaking to know that many of our daughters, sisters, wives, and even sons suffer in silence, trapped in cycles of abuse that not only harm individuals but also weaken the very foundation of our communities.
“It is even more concerning that cultural and societal norms often create barriers that prevent victims from seeking help or getting justice.
“This administration, under the leadership of my dear husband, His Excellency, Gov. Peter. Mbah had remained committed to tackling this menace head-on,” Mbah said.
The governor’s wife, represented by her Special Assistant on Special Duties, Dr Chidi Egonu, said her office had undertaken several interventions aimed at eliminating gender-based violence and providing support for survivors.
On her part, a resource person in the programme, Mrs Chizoba Agbo, appealed to traditional rulers to abolish cultural practices promoting sexual and gender-based violence.
Agbo, a legal practitioner, urged the committee to ensure that perpetrators of GBV were prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law.
Also, Mrs Chinasa Okagu-Nwabufo, the chairperson of the committee and the Vice Chairman of the Council said that domestic and gender-based violence was a gross violation of the fundamental human rights of the victims.
She disclosed that the committee had implemented strategies to protect the area's men, women, and youth under her leadership.
The legal practitioner stressed that they would not fold their hands and watch people being abused or molested because of their gender.
She revealed that Igbo-Etiti was the first local government area in Enugu State to inaugurate a committee on gender-based violence and asked others to do what was needed.
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