Don’t keep silent on domestic, sexual violence, group tells Lagos residents

Lagos A non-governmental organisation, Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP) has urged Lagos residents to speak out whenever there are cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other human rights violations that concern them or anyone they know. WRAHP gave the advice at a recent free legal aid services enlightenment programme organised in conjunction with the ActionAid Nigeria for residents of Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of the state. The group listed sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse, economic exploitation, harassment, intimidation, starvation, child abuse, unlawful landlord eviction, damages to property, unlawful termination of appointment by employers, among others as some of the issues under domestic violence and other unlawful acts. Speaking at the forum with no fewer than 50 participants, who are community leaders, artisans, market men and women, clerics, and so forth from the council area in attendance, the executive director of WRAHP, Mrs Bose Ironsi, said the essence of the training is to equip participants with the right knowledge and understanding of their rights and that of others with limitations and what to do and where to go to secure justice if their rights are infringed upon. She said most often many people particularly the underprivileged and vulnerable such as women and girls and persons with disabilities are treated with disdain by those in advantaged positions in society, noting that such kind of treatment is totally unlawful. Mrs Ironsi, who was represented at the event by the acting manager, Ireti Resource centre, an affiliate of WRAHP, Mrs Precious Eberechukwu, said it is expected that every member of the society co-exists peacefully without infringement on another person’s rights so that the world will be a loving place to live. She said all form of domestic violence including rape, wife battery, intimidation, sexual harassment and also infringement on the rights of workers and people with disabilities are punishable under laws. “So, it is required that you speak out and pursue justice whenever your rights is violated notwithstanding by who or which organisation,” she stressed. One of the resource persons at the programme, Mrs. Tunrayo Falade, a lawyer, urged participants to be familiar with their rights as stipulated by laws and always seek legal advice when such rights are violated rather than to take laws into the own hands. She said even though they may not have money to hire lawyers, there are many government agencies that provide free legal services on a wide range of issues to the underprivileged individuals in the society. She listed the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs and the Citizens Mediation Centres spread across the state as examples of such agencies in Lagos State and that they are functional and effective in their roles. Some of the participants told Nigerian Tribune at a sideline of the programme that the forum is really an eye-opener to them. One of them, Mr. Olusoji Samuel, who is a retired civil servant said there are many things such as the laws guiding tenancy issues that some people overlook and later become a problem. He said programme of this nature should be replicated in other communities not only in Alimosho and Lagos State but across the underserved communities in the country.