Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law: Ebonyi disseminates implementation strategy, commends partner

The GBV Taskforce in Ebonyi State has officially disseminated the implementation strategy document of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law in the State.

 

The VAPP law was domesticated in Ebonyi State in May 2018 and ammended in 2022.

 

The implementation strategy was later jointly developed by the Ebonyi State gender-based violence taskforce and the then USAID-Integrated Health Programme, IHP about two years ago.

 

However, the document since then remained in draft untill recently when a youth-led, Nongovernmental organisation, Whisper to Humanity Foundation partnered the State GBV Taskforce to sponsor the mass production of document booklet.

 

The dissemination event, built into activities for the 2025 16 Days of Activism against GBV in the State was organised by Whisper to Humanity Foundation in collaboration with the State Ministry of Justice and the State GBV Taskforce.

 

It was held Wednesday, December 3 at the State Ministry of Justice headquarters, Centenary city, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

 

It attracted diverse stakeholders: Civil Society Organisations, teachers and students, government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the Nigeria Police and the International Federation of Female Lawyers, FIDA.

 

Speaking on her Organisation’s motivation for sponsoring the production, the Executive Director, Whisper to Humanity Foundation, Maryjacobs Okwuosa, said it was to complement the many landmark achievements already put in place by the GBV Taskforce in the state to address violence in all its appearances.

 

“Our motivation is built around seeing so much work already done which we need to support.

 

“Before we came, the strategy was already developed, and it was something very encouraging for us to know that while we are opening conversation to develop the strategy in other States, Ebonyi already has a strategy, even without special funding.

 

Okwuosa further explained that her organisation, through its Transformative education project, and in collaboration with the state Ministry of Education, has introduced many innovations in Ebonyi schools, including the play approach to learning, whisper clubs and play stations, capacity building for teachers and students as well as donation of equipments to schools, all aimed at making learning more exciting.

 

She expressed the willingness of her Organisation to continue to partner the State in other collaborative need areas.

 

The State Coordinator, GBV Taskforce and Head, Sexual and Gender- based Violence Response department in the Ministry of Justice, Barr. Faithvin Nwanchor described the event as highly fulfilling.

 

“I am happy because Ebonyi is actually coming big on policies and laws, and for them to properly fulfil their aims, we need such implementation strategies as we have achieved today for the VAPP law.”

 

Nwanchor explained that the implementation strategy outlines in specific terms, the roles, responsibilities and limits of all MDAs and other key actors in the fight against gender-based and other forms of violence in the state, adding that the Taskforce had earlier developed and published a directory on Referral pathways to help survivors identify health facilities to seek help from across the state.

 

She appreciated the Partner Organisation, Whisper to Humanity for the gesture.

 

Permanent Secretaries, Ministries of Justice and Education, Barr. Emmanuel Onwe and Mrs Ngozi Otozi respectively, in their remarks, commended the initiative, describing it as a boost to the efforts at containing GBV at all social levels in the state.

 

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor-General represented by the Head of prosecution unit, Sexual Assault and Gender-based Violence, Njideka Nweke, said the event was in tandem with the People’s Charter of Needs mantra of Governor Nwifuru’s led administration aimed at creating a safer environment for all Ebonyi people and inhabitants in the state.

 

Otozi, on her part gave assurance that the new policy in education will help bring bullying and other forms of violence to a stop, adding that Ebonyi state is reintroducing Guidance and Counselling units in schools and encouraged students to speak out in cases of SGBV in schools, even if they are not the ones involved.

 

She also admonished the teachers to be vigilant in monitoring the movement of their pupils and students as a measure to checking sexual and other forms of abuse in schools.

 

Others who spoke, including the representative of the Nigeria Police, FIDA Chairperson, Barr. Mrs Oluchi Ann Ike-Ode, representative of the National Orientation Agency, Emmanuel Nwokoro, among others, assured of the willingness of their agencies to offer the needed services to ensure that perpetrators of violence are prosecuted while survivors are protected.

 

FIDA Chairperson, Ike-Ode who described rape and other sexual abuse as criminal further admonished teachers, students and parents not to compromise such acts but to take it to appropriate quarters to ensure that perpetrators are adequately punished as a deterrent to others.

 

Highlight of the event was a talk show presented by students from selected schools in which they x-rayed the dimensions, possible causes and solutions to GBV, including digital violence in schools.

 

Copies of the strategy document were also distributed free to all present at the event.