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GBV: NYSC DG tasks corps members on grassroots sensitisation to rights protection
Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, Director General, NYSC, has urged corps members to embark on massive grassroots gender sensitisation and advocacy campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women.
The DG gave the challenge in Lokoja on Friday during the commencement of the corps’ Phase one of Grassroots Gender Sensitisation and Advocacy Campaign against GBV in rural communities.
Represented by the Kogi NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Mofoluwaso Williams, the DG expressed worry over the spate of gender inequality and gender violence against women and in some cases against men in most rural communities in the North.
Ahmed said that the campaign was a well thought out initiative of the Reforms Unit of the NYSC, which would be implemented on the platform of the Corps Gender Vanguards, with the aim of exposing the ills of gender-based violence and gender inequality.
“It’s unfortunate that gender issues are often misconstrued as affecting females alone, but in reality it’s a matter of interest to both sexes, including their rights and responsibilities.
“It’s also important to remind all and sundry that gender based violence is not only physical and psychological but also constitutes abuse of the fundamental human right of the victims, ” he said.
According to him, this misconception informs the choice of the theme: “Gender equality, respect all,” to tell the society the importance of it.
He explained that in the past, some societies considered the female as weaker sex and tend to ascribe certain roles that relegated them to the background.
The NYSC boss added: “It has since become clear that some societal roles are not necessarily determined by our biological make-up alone and therefore, can change with time and in different situations.”
While declaring open the campaign, the DG appealed to all and sundry to support the NYSC gender vanguard through the provision of the enabling environment for greater impact of the campaign for a better society.
Earlier In his welcome address, Mr Sunday Aroni, State NYSC Head Reforms Unit, thanked the DG for expressly granting approval for the event in spite of other competing demands for scarce resources.
He noted that the programme could not have come at better time than now when the whole world was clamoring for protection of human rights.
Aroni said, “NYSC has been in the fore front in the fight against gender inequality through the instrumentality of corps gender vanguards with the aim of exposing the ills of gender-based violence in our society.
“The gender we all know is for both sexes, male and female, whose equal rights to education, protection against all forms of abuse and molestation remain sacrosanct.
“Let us all, therefore, say no to all forms of abuse and molestation of our children who are the future leaders.”
The campaign is taking place simultaneously in rural communities across the northern states.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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