16 Days Activism: Cross River Has Zero Tolerance For Gender Based Violence, Say Gov's Wife, Rev. Otu
Ndifreke BASSEY
The wife of the Cross River governor Rev. Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, has stated that the state has zero tolerance for all forms of Gender Based Violence.
Rev. Otu, who stated this during a rally to end this year's 16 days of activism held in Calabar with the theme, Unite: Invest To End Violence Against Women and Girls,"maintained that the government is is doing a lot in this aspect.
She said: "A number of culprits are being interrogated for this and others are in jail for this reason.
"We are working with the Ministry of Justice to formulate a number of policies against rape in the state.
"We will not take the issue of GBV for lightly and will drive it to the end", she said.
On the plight of the disabled in the state which is an aspect of the 16 days activism, the wife of the governor said the government runs a very inclusive government where people with disability are being accommodated.
She said the administration has established a disability commission and people with disability will play a prominent role in it.
"We will run an inclusive government and the governor in his benevolence has established a commission for those with disability, and women will play a prominent role in it."
She added that nothing makes disabled people lesser human beings as every one has one disability or the other and asked them to seek God's help in disabling their disabilities.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for women affairs, Edema Irom, said the state is all out against all forms of Gender based Violence.
She said during the course of this year's 16 days activism, they have had a series of engagement, courtesy visits and advocacy against trafficking, child marriage, female genetial mutilation among others.
She thanked the state governor for strenghtening the women affairs ministry and returning the Women Development Centre back to the ministry saying the centre will be replicated in all the LGAs of the state.
Earlier, the head of programmes of the GPI Calabar Centre, Ndodeye Bassey, said the rally is also held to mark the International Day of Persons with disability as well as the National Human Rights Day.
