Mrs Nonye Soludo, wife of Anambra Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, has said that domestic violence is a crime under Violence Against Persons (VAP) Prohibition Act (2015).
She said that the Federal and State Governments, through VAP law has declared zero tolerance to Gender-Based Violence and assured that domestic violence has no room in Anambra.
Mrs Soludo said this through the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, during a courtesy visit by the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), led by Mrs. Franklyn Onyekachi, in Awka on Tuesday.
She condemned, in its entirety, the rate of violence against women in the state and assured Anambra women that any shade of violence against women and the girl child would not be entertained in the state.
Soludo cautioned those involved in such heinous act to stop forthwith in Anambra as the government would legally deal with any defaulter of women abuse.
She said that the ministry has concluded plans to take over the medical treatment of the 12-year-old girl that was raped .
“Anambra government already has a free-cost centre, called Natasi centre at Enugwu-Ukwu General hospital, where all needed medical personnel to bring back victims of rape cases back to life works.
“We have donor agencies and other related bodies that work in the centre to ensure that rape victims get both medical services and psychological cure needed to bring them back to normal life.
“The girl would be taken there for proper care. We encourage people to say something once they see something, so we can nip this ugly acts in the bud,” she said.
She said that the government would objectively look into degrees of violence against women and the girl child in the state and document it for progressive actions.
On her ministry’s plans to stamp out the scourge, the commissioner, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, said that the government, through the ministry, has planned various programmes that would sensitise women across the state on their core areas of home development.
She said that the need and time for women to be well tutored on issues of Women’s responsibilities in home building to achieve a better society is now, so as to curb increase of social irresponsibility.
“Women need to be reminded and re-trained on modern ways to raise good children so that the high wave of crime would be curtailed.
“Women are the mothers of rapists, violators of women and human rights and other people who trade in various degrees of social ills.
“Women are urged to take responsibilities of quality home rearing to raise responsible and patriotic people.
“Women as home builders are to be properly educated and enlightened on their expectations to assist the government build a good home and safe society as well.
“We are to enlighten women that giving out their children in marriage is for procreation and not as product sold out.
“Every girl child that is married should be made to still feel at home and treated as a member of the family and should be encouraged to open up in her marital challenges and welcomed home if the need arise,” she said.
Obinabo assured the group that the ministry would partner with them to raise a responsible home as the ministry has zero tolerance for promoters of violence.
Earlier, Onyekachi said that Anambra NAWOJ decided to pay a courtesy visit to the commissioner to congratulate her on her appointment and assure her of the media readiness to partner with her ministry in areas to fight against violence women and girl child.
Onyekachi also pleaded with the commissioner to see that her ministry intervenes in cases of violence recorded against women in the state.
“We have cases like the rape case of the 12-year-old girl whose medical treatment has been stopped by the hospital handling her case due to lack of funds.
“We have cases of wife battering, the case of the Aguleri woman accused of killing her husband and so was paraded naked in the social media, and the case of the gospel artist, Osinachi Nwachukwu, amongst others,” she said.
Onyekachi appealed to the commissioner to partner with Anambra NAWOJ since they hold strong similarities in its functions so the women and girl child would enjoy better life while on earth.
“Women deserve good life, deserve to be seen and heard, we say no to early forced marriage or marriage in bondage,” she said