15 Jailed Over Gender Based Violence In Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom State government has secured different jail terms for more than fifteen offenders of Gender Based Violence in the state.

The Commissioner of Agriculture and Women Affairs Dr. Glory Edet announced this in Uyo during a one-day enlightenment campaign with the theme, “Fight against Gender Based Violence’.

She said, “The ministry in 2018 established a Gender Based Violence prevention and Response Centre with a toll free line number and desk officers to attend to Gender Based Violence, GBV survivors who call to report cases for intervention.

“A synergy was equally established by the Ministry among different service providers in the humanitarian sector for proper coordination, experience sharing, data validation and management as well as referrals for the sole purpose of stemming the tide of GBV in the state.

“In view of the foregoing, let me use this forum to announce to everyone that over 15 judgements had been secured in the Court and the offenders are serving different jail terms in prison.”

Edet, who commended the governor for declaring zero tolerance to cultism and violence in the state, however identified complicity by some security agencies, and compromise by survivors as major challenge working against efforts to tackle the menace, which has become a global phenomenon.

Therefore, she called on parents, caregivers, teachers, school authorities, community and religious leaders, security agencies and well-meaning individuals to cooperate with her ministry in the fight to make the state violence free by speaking out.

“The greatest challenge to the fight against Gender Based Violence is complicity by some security agencies who release offenders without charging them to court, as well as compromise by survivors and their families who go behind to collect money from the perpetrators of the crime and settle out of court.

“The ministry seriously frowns at such acts because they make our efforts unfruitful and the ministry will continue to prosecute all those who connive with GBV culprits to abort the efforts of the state government in combating crime.

“I equally thank some security agencies who have been joining hands with the ministry to fight Gender Based Violence,” she added

Speaking on “Sexual exploitation and abuse” director, Centre for Gender Studies, University of Uyo, Dr. Ukpong Udofia, pointed out that though women and men experience gender based violence, but majority of the victims are women and girls.

“However in recent times, few female partners have decided to take the bull by the horn, which is in other words killing their male partner. In actuality, sexual exploitation and abuse should be frowned at in its totality by all humans.

“If one is sexually exploited and abused, please say something, speak out, silence is not an excuse, rather silence ensures further damage and breach of health which is wealth,” Udofia advised.

Also presenting a paper on “Curbing Violence in the society,” Mrs. Grace Ekanem, noted that finding solutions to problems necessitates unearthing their causes first.

She disclosed, “But one thing is non-debatable; that the home is a key factor in helping to prevent or curb any form of violence, negative attitudinal and behavioural patterns because that is where the first set of training begins”