Lagos State Commissioner for Women and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) Honourable Lola Akande, said no fewer than 1,480 domestic violence cases were recorded in the state in the last two years.
She disclosed this while speaking with newsmen at Alausa, Ikeja, saying the violence ranged from rape, child abuse, sexual abuse, assaults, defilement, divorce and matrimonial issues.
The commissioner said out of the total, 875 matters had been amicably resolved with follow up reviews conducted as well.
According to her, “480 matters were counseled and referred to other agencies because their requests were not within the purview of the ministry,” adding that 115 others were disengaged due to family interventions.
Akande, while disclosing that 20 cases were still on-going, said the ministry had several training and empowerment programmes in the last two years thereby placing the government on the path of reducing poverty to the barest minimum in the state.
She said that the various empowerment programmes and poverty alleviation initiatives of the present administration had beneficiaries, including youths, women, widows, physically challenged persons, among others.
The commissioner, however, disclosed that the ministry was planning a mega empowerment programme this year, adding that other agencies of government were also corroborating the efforts of the ministry through training, empowerment and offering of permanent employment opportunities.
She added that the present administration led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode believed that if residents of the state were productively engaged and empowered in productive ventures, the dependence on government for the provision of some basic needs would reduce and on the long run increase self-esteem of the citizenry.
“The massive investment in training and empowerment initiatives is in line with the promise of Governor Ambode-led administration to run an all-inclusive government, empower the populace and also improve the standard of living of Lagosians.
“All these put together would not only reduce domestic vices but will generally address restiveness and insecurity issues emanating from idleness across the state,” the commissioner said
and then