By Magnus Emuji
The need for effective partnership between governments at all levels and various Non Governmental Organizations(NGOs) and Community Based Organisations(CBOs) as well as well meaning individuals in tackling Gender Based Violence(GBV) in the society has been stressed.
Delta State Coordinator of a Civil Society Organization on Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN), Pastor Greg Sifo, made the call in Asaba during the November, 2024 GBV Coordination meeting of ATM/ACOMIN under C19RM project with the Case Managers and CBOs.
He said that people should strive to prevent GBV issues before they could escalate, adding that if such issues became violent, the end result could be fatal. Sifo, who noted that GBV could be financial, emotional and psychological issues, stated that every of such violence has effect on the people.
On marriage related GBV, Sifo advised that the best thing to do in such a scenario was to first seek counseling, where it is working. If not the couple can separate for a while and see how they could evaluate their lives whether there was still need for them to continue with the marriage or separate finally to avoid more unnecessary violence and fatalities.
While describing marriage as very tasking thing that entails lots of giving and taking, the State ACOMIN Chairman admonished people not to go into marriage without the knowledge of its intricacies. He explained that in the case of rape, the best thing to do was to inform the law enforcement agencies to take appropriate measures against the culprit rather than the leaders of the community where such incidences occurs, should be seen to be protecting the suspect from being arrested by the law enforcement agencies.
In their various remarks, the State Programme Officer for ACOMIN, Juliet Obiajulu; a representative of the State Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Rosemary Okpuno; a Superintendent of Police in State Criminal Investigative Department(SCID), SP Ranta James and the Director of Partnership and Policy Control, State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Mrs. Grace Sifo as well as the Chief Imam of Central Mosque, Asaba, Dr. Adekola Yinusa encouraged the case managers and CBOs to always report cases of GBV in the communities where they are working.
Okpuno, used the opportunity to talk about her Ministry’s proposed flag-off of the 16 Days Activism on GBV with a rally on November 25. She emphasised the need for women to shun idleness and look for something to be doing so as to be self-reliant.
The State Programme Officer stated that most of the victims of GBV were the vulnerable people in the society, just as SP Ranta James clarified that survivors of GBV violence especially in rape case must have a medical report that would prove the violence in order for them to succeed in their case in law court.
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