Rivers
Violence Against Women Worries Stakeholders
Worried over the spate of violence against the women folk, in Rivers State, stakeholders at a media advocacy forum have proffered ways to check the malaise, saying such acts should be legally treated.
The stakeholders which consist of media practitioners, civil servants and women groups made public their views at a breakfast meeting organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs last Friday in Port Harcourt.
State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barrister Manuela George-Izunna stressed the need for attitudinal change by the menfolk towards their wives.
According to her, any kind of dehumanising act that humiliate or violates the rights of women is violent including domestic violence.
In her words: “It is time for us to say no and make sure something happens”.
She stated that since women were subjected to all kinds of societal oppression, it was high time to check and amend all traditional practices that make women second class citizens.
The same view was held by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Pat Ogbonnaya who underscored the importance of the press in fighting the war against violence on women.
Dr Ogbonnaya noted a lot of women had died after they were violently molested by their spouses, saying when such lifestyles are copied by the younger generation it becomes a societal problem.
She, therefore, solicited for the partnership of the mass media in providing awareness and other campaigns against the menace.
In her submissions, former Commissioner for Women Affairs and General Manager of Rivers state Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC), Ms. Medline Tador stated that over 50 percent of women suffer violence, even in silence.
Ms. Tador, however, observed that in the last few years, the situation was fast changing, insisting that one way to check it was to break the silence by reporting such cases.
The General Manager of RSBC stressed the need for the ministry to establish hotlines for the public to report any case of violence against women, expressing the hope that by the time such measures were taken, the problem would be checked.
Also, Rivers state chairperson of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Beatrice Paago submitted that the exercise should not be viewed as a campaign against the men folk, but rather as an action against deplorable societal culture.
The NAWOJ boss solicited for the support of media houses in the area of providing campaigns and enlightenment programmes to educate the public.
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied a media report claiming that Justice Frank Onyiri of the State High Court issued an injunction order restraining the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from inaugurating the newly appointed members of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission (RSCSC).
In a statement issued by the Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of litigation at the High Court, Menenen Poromon (Esq), the state Judiciary disassociated itself from the report, describing it as malicious and fabricated.
The statement emphasized that the report was a falsehood and a misrepresentation of what transpeared in the court.
Poromon clarified that no such order was issued by Justice Onyiri or any other judge of the High Court of the state and urged the public to disregard the information, as it lacked any iota of truth.
The statement however advised the public to verify any information concerning the state Judiciary directly from the office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of the State, to avoid spreading of misinformation.