NHRC in search of solution to SGBV, receives over 900,000 petitions in 2021

0
196


…As Minister of Women Affairs,Tallen decries condition of women, children in IDPs camps

In it quest to identify grey areas and proffer solution to the problem of SGBV in Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it is in collaboration with Roost Foundation on current state of affairs of domestic, sexual and gender based violence cases in Nigeria.
 NHRC on Monday gave a synopsis of the complaints profile of the Commission in 2021 saying that it receives over 1.7 million cases cutting across 14 thematic areas out of which over 900,000 were on women and children.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu (SAN) who made this disclosure in his statement at Round Table discussion on the current state of affairs of the pending cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Nigeria, noted that of above total, 158,517 cases were on SGBV.
Ojukwu who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Women and Children in the Commission, Mr. Harry Obe said that it is in a bid to achieve a coordinated response to the critical issues of SGBV that Commission is in collaboration with Roost Foundation on current state of affairs of domestic, sexual and gender based violence cases in Nigeria.
The Chief Human Rights Officer in Nigeria stated that the collaboration will identify grey areas and proffer solution to the problem of SGBV just as he noted that since the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, with its attendant dire human rights consequences, the Commission has never relented in its quest for solutions in partnership with well-meaning stakeholders.
The NHRC Boss used the occasion to outline some of the Commission’s key intervention activities including launch of UNSUB Platform for ease of making complaints, establishment of automated call centre with a toll-free line and a short code number for making SGBV related complaints.
“Setting up of a Presidential Panel of Investigations on SGBV and development of a Manual on integrating Female Genital Mutilation indicators into the Reporting Mechanism for human rights monitors to capture data on FGM and also improving quality report, are also among the Commission’s interventions towards addressing the issue, the Executive Secretary stated.
Others include but are not limited to devotion of 16 days of activism 2020 on awareness in 36 states on Rape and SGBV , hosting of TV programme on the State of Human Rights/SGBV, training and retraining of staff on Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and other related laws and policies of SGBV.
In her statement, the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen called on all stakeholders to work collaboratively towards realizing gender rights and in kicking against all forms of discriminatory practices against some persons, particularly women and children.
The former Deputy Governor of Plateau state used the opportunity to recall the sufferings of women and grls in several Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the North East, saying that some of them have forgone their fundamental rights in a bid to survive the harsh condition occasioned by the lingering insurgency in the area.
She expressed hope that the five gender friendly bills earlier rejected by the National Assembly would be represented and considered by lawmakers, given their relevance in women emancipation and overall development of the country.
In her remarks, the Executive Chairman Roost Foundation, Dame Julie Oka-Donli said that recently there has been an unprecedented rise in cases of domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual assault and harmful practices against men and women.
According to the former DG of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), “young girls have been raped and brutally murdered in worship centres, at homes, in public places, etc and young boys have been sodomised in schools and even by religious leaders and family members.”
Similarly, she chronicled some of the pending cases of SGBV in the country including the case of 35-year-old lady who was burned in Ebonyi for daring to ask for her right to inheritance, Silvester Oromoni, the notorious case of Anambra widow who was allegedly stripped naked by some persons, defilement of a 4-year-old school girl and rape to death of Ogbanje Ochanya some years ago among other undecided SGBV cases in the country.
In her contribution, the President of FIDA Mrs. Amina Agbaje harped on the imperatives of pro-bono legal services in tackling issues of SGBV saying that every stakeholder is called to support FIDA and Legal Aids Council of Nigeria (LACoN) to sustain their pro-pono legal services to indigent members of the society, including women and children who cannot afford such services.
She stated that non-lawyers could be part of the pro-bono services by donating funds and sponsoring other lawyers to take up pro-bono cases involving SGBV saying that the work is so huge to be left for only one agency like the LACoN.
Also speaking at the occasion, the representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja branch, Mrs. Chioma Onyenucheya Uko said that there are some sections of the 1999 Constitution and Acts that are supposed to be amended for the reason that they are inconsistent with the spirit and letters of the entire Constitution.
Meanwhile, she frowned at certain provision of the Penal Code that permits a husband to beat the wife as a way of correcting her, which she noted is inconsistent with the stand of the Constitution that human beings are equal in dignity and rights and should not be subjected to torture etc.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here