Speak out, report Gender-Based-Violence Perpetrators – Rev. Akingbade charges Ekiti Residents

…as JDPI sensitizes Ekiti Residents on GBV on New Cruse FM, Ikere-Ekiti

The Director, Justice, Development and Peace Initiative, JDPI, of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade has charged residents of the state to report perpetrators of Gender-Based-Violence, GBV.

He said this during the half-hour radio programme on New Cruse 92.7 FM, Ikere-Ekiti to sensitize residents of the state on the various issues that has to do with protection of Human Rights.

According to him, victims of GBV might be indisposed to help but their neighbours can be of help by reporting such cases to the appropriate authorities.

“In our presentation of the Ekiti State Gender-Based-Violence law, we have laid so much emphasis on the punishments for contravening that law and if anyone is found guilty there are appropriate punishments.

“We don’t close our eyes to situations like that. At times, victims of GBV might not appreciate the efforts towards saving them but even as at that we still need to continue to take action.

“Anybody can give information about any situation. JDPI is a body to which anybody can complain to and we have seen complaints battering of a little child and it was a good neighbour that reported the matter. We took the matter to the appropriate authorities and justice was delivered in that situation.

“Apart from JDPI, there is ministry of women affairs, the office of the first lady and so many of them. Somebody will cry out if something is not done. In the Police, they have GBV office and if you inform us we can reach out to appropriate quarters and necessary actions will be taken.

“For those who live with people suffering GBV and seems not to dispose with help, you also can help them by speaking out. We want people to speak out and your identity is protected under the law.

“We want our listeners to know that everything is not just about imprisonment or payment of fines, there is right to protection, right to counseling, right to education. Ekiti state has agency where people like that stay before proper action can be taken.”

He went further to say that both gender are guilty of GBV, such as the context of seduction, where the society looks up to the male gender to act responsibly.

“It’s not only men that can be guilty of GBV, women could equally be guilty of GBV. The question that has been asked about seduction, well the society looks at the man and expects him to be man enough to be able to withstand situations.

“Within the context of indecent exposure, then there is another context which is stalking. We explained stalking from the perspective of a man shadowing a woman, following a woman and the punishment for that under the law is imprisonment or fine.

“As a man could be found guilty of stalking which means any person who always follow or monitors another person in a way that makes that person afraid or uncomfortable or attempts to commit the offence. Just as the man can be guilty of that offence, so also a woman can be guilty of the offence.

“That might come up within the context of seduction but the society looks at the man to be man enough not to allow the foolishness of the woman to make him foolish. When a woman wants to seduce a man, she goes to the extent of even indecently exposing her genitals. That is why it’s important to equally know that punishment of indecent dressing is a minimum of one-year impris or 200,000 fine or even both.

“Everybody is coming from somewhere. Sexual abuses can from men or women. Sexual abuses is about taking advantage. A senior lady could take advantage of a male. It is not one-directional.”