Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has inaugurated the “Steering Committee comprising Judges amongst others, in strengthening institutional and community responses to end Gender Based Violence (GBV) and the Domestication of Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel Approach.
Governor Mbah, while inaugurating the committee said that Enugu State had zero tolerance to gender violence adding that the policy would protect everyone, including women, children and men and give everybody a voice.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, Governor Mbah said that Enugu State would go to any length to addressing gender based issues and most importantly, put in activities and infrastructure insistently to be proactive.
He disclosed that they will monitor the activity, track it and will have quarterly engagement of the successes that the committee has achieved in terms of reference, which he said, will be sent to the committee.
According to him, the terms of reference would be performance indicators.
He said that the government would tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that they monitor what they were doing in terms of cost input and value addition.
Speaking on the constitution of the Committee members, the governor said members were drawn from within the government and the civil society.
According to him, agencies involved in the committee include civil society organisations, police, the ministry of agriculture headed by the Commissioner, ministry of local government through Development and Chieftaincy matters, the ministry of Human Development and Poverty Eradication, led by Commissioner, the ministry of Trade and Investment led by Commissioner (represented), the Ministry of Justice, ministry of health, ministry of Education, the ministry of labour and productivity, amongst others.
The Governor noted that they were going to use the Oputa panel module.
“So, we have a module, module in terms of the approach that we are going to be contextualising to their peculiar situation.
“The key thing is that Terms of Reference for the work of the steering committee will be shared within the week, so that they can collectively build the measurability instrument,” he said.
He named the Commissioner for Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, as Chairman, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters, Barrister Osinachi as Secretary.
He said that they would be responsible for the activities of the committee and the civil service membership will also hold them accountable.
Responding on behalf of other members, the chairman of the committee and Commissioner for Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, assured that the committee will ensure that Enugu State is free of any form of violence.
She said they will go to the grassroots and speak to the people and know what they are passing through. The chairman added that they will also encourage the men to speak out.
”I can assure you that the selected men and women you inaugurated today are going to make sure that Enugu State is free from any form of violence and just as you stated, gender-based violence is not only limited to the female gender.
“Some men go through violence and we encourage them to speak out, That is the essence of going down to the grassroots and to also invite our men to speak out to ensure that the policy which Enugu State is going to domesticate is for everyone.
“We are not going to disappoint the governor of Enugu State. We understood the good works he is doing for Enugu State and we are going to be part of that good work, she assured,” she said.
Enih said they were going to tour the 17 local government areas of the state to get first hand information on what the people were going through at the grassroots.
