Gombe State Government is to partner with relevant NGOs in the country in order to tackle Sexual and Gender-Based Violence as well as to come up with stringent law against rape, kidnapping and others offences against persons.
Such NGOs whose thematic area is to address the incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the state are to form an alliance with the government to fight the menace.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, stated this when he granted audience to Violence Against Persons Alliance, (VAPP), a coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations formed to push for the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act as has been done in other states including neighbouring Bauchi.
Ibrahim Njodi who expressed sadness over a report ranking the state as number one in the incidences of SGBV said that Gombe state is packaging a stringent law that will address issues such as drug abuse, rape and kidnapping in the state.
He added that the State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has since established the Ministry of Internal Security and Ethical Orientation to provide security to the people of the state while carrying out pro-social activities that could re-orient the minds of the people.
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The SSG also said that there is a strong correlation between the abuse of substance and the tendency to commit the crime of despicable proportion, saying this was the reason the Governor appointed a Special Adviser on drugs and Narcotics.
Professor Ibrahim Njodi then thanked the coalition for standing up to be counted in times of need, assuring of the State Government’s readiness to work in partnership with them.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Dudu Mamman Manuga, said that Violence Against Persons Alliance is a coalition of civil society organisations who came together to address the incidences of sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
She also said that according to a report by researchers.ng ranks Gombe State as having the highest number of SGBV in the Country a situation the leader of the delegation said was worrisome.
Dudu Manuga further said that the coalition has since submitted a zero draft bill to the Gombe State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice for the promulgation of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law in Gombe State as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the governor.
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