Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government has inaugurated a Task Force on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to strengthen the fight against sexual and gender-based abuses across the state.
The programme is being implemented by the state’s Economic and Social Empowerment of Rural Communities (ESERC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Development, with funding support from the French Embassy Fund for Civil Society (FEF-OSC).
The formal inauguration, held Monday in Enugu, drew government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and security agencies.
Declaring the event open, Commissioner for Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Eni, said the initiative signalled the state’s firm position that “gender-based violence has no home in Enugu State.”
Eni, who also chairs the task force, described it as a functional mechanism with clear mandates on prevention, protection, accountability and multi-sectoral coordination.
“This is not a symbolic body; it is a force for action. Today, we begin a new era where every survivor is heard, every perpetrator faces justice, and institutions respond with one voice,” she said.
She commended Governor Peter Mbah for prioritising GBV response and fostering inclusive governance, and also praised the French Embassy and ESERC for supporting a survivor-centred framework focused on strengthening shelters, legal aid, psychosocial services and safer reporting channels.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, said the MoU signed by all partners demonstrated the state’s readiness to confront the scourge.
“The pain of experiencing GBV is unimaginable. For this reason, I call on us all to act responsibly, especially in moments of anger or under the influence of drugs,” he said.
Hon. Osita Eze, who represents Oji River State Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, expressed concern over rising GBV cases and vowed to ensure full prosecution of offenders.
Eze condemned recent cases, including underage marriage and the killing of a 19-year-old girl by her uncle, insisting the perpetrators would not escape justice. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to passing and enforcing a comprehensive GBV law in the state.
Religious and traditional leaders emphasised the critical role of community gatekeepers in ending GBV.
Bishop of Nike Anglican Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr Christian Onyeka Onyia, described the involvement of the church and traditional institutions as “the most sensible step,” warning that GBV prevention would not succeed without them.
Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, pledged full support from traditional rulers and called for constitutional recognition of their roles to enhance their service to communities.
Executive Director of ESERC, Rev’d Ikechukwu Nwaogu, described the launch as a historic milestone. He said the project, supported by the French Embassy, had already transformed GBV reporting systems in Ebonyi State and would replicate similar success in Enugu.
Nwaogu outlined the project’s three pillars—community engagement, multi-sectoral coordination and economic empowerment for survivors—and announced the training of Community Advocacy Groups in Enugu East and Nkanu East; the activation of the GBV Task Force with key MDAs and security agencies; and the rollout of seed grants to support survivors’ livelihoods.
He stressed that impunity would no longer be tolerated, noting that task force hotline numbers had been circulated across schools, markets, churches and community centres.
“This is not merely a structure; it is a movement to end GBV in Enugu State,” he said.
Stakeholders collectively pledged sustained action to build a state where every child is protected, every woman respected, and every community rejects violence.
