Mr Abdullahi Candido, Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has called on female staff in the council to be bold and report any case of violence against them.
Candido made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the AMAC Awareness Programme on Gender Based Violence at the Workplace.
The event was organised in collaboration with UN Women, ActionAid and Partners West Africa Nigeria to commemorate the 16 Days Activism against gender based violence which commenced on Nov. 25.
Candido, who was represented by Mrs Ramat Abdullahi, Council’s Secretary, said that anyone found guilty of such act would be sanctioned and referred to appropriate law enforcement agencies for subsequent actions.
“We have heard of cases of sexual harassment at work places, but here in the council, we can say such illicit activity has not been reported.
“We are encouraging all our female staff to be bold and report any case of sexual harassment, intimidation, victimisation, or any form of abuse without fear to the authority and such case shall be taken up.
“However, as we join the rest of the world to condemn this act, we are making it known that anyone caught harassing any female staff sexually here in the council shall be sanctioned and handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies for appropriate penalty,” he said.
Ms Christine Warioba, a representative of the UN Women, commended the council for organising the programme.
Warioba said that such awareness campaigns must be taken to people at the grassroots so as to end the escalating cases of violence against women.
Mrs Abiodun Essiet, a Special Assistant to AMAC Chairman, said women from major communities in the grassroots were selected to be part of the event to enable them take the message back to their people.
“There are some attitudes against women that should not be tolerated and AMAC is joining the world to raise awareness on the need to end such acts,” Essiet said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event had women representatives from the six area councils in the FCT.
