Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun on Thursday inaugurated an advisory committee and given the mandate to proffer solutions to the spate of gender violence and other related crimes against women and children in the state.
Oyetola speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Osogbo said that the initiative was in furtherance of his administration’s commitment aimed at ensuring a deserved place for women and children in the state.
The governor also said that the committee would give the state government a framework for a
holistic management of gender-related crimes in a way that would protect women and children.
Oyetola, who decried the surge in violence against women and children in the country, said that the inauguration of the committee would go a long way in making the state a reference point in combating the phenomenon.
“This inauguration is in furtherance of our efforts at ridding our state of crimes; delivering peace to our women and children, ensuring their fundamental human rights and sustaining our profile as the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
“Women and children constitute a huge percentage of our population and are critical to the sustainable of the socioeconomic development of the state.
“They must, therefore, not only be protected from molestation, rape and other forms of violence; but be well positioned and encouraged to play these critical roles in our collective interest as a people”, the governor said.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, said that the assembly had passed a bill that prescribes life imprisonment for rapist and 14 years’ imprisonment for a person found guilty of an attempt to rape.
In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs, Mrs Olubukola Olaboopo, decried recent reports of increased rates of rape cases and other sexual assaults.
Olaboopo said that the traumatic effect of rape on victims was too huge to be ignored.
Also, Mr Femi Akande, the State’s Commissioner for Justice and Attorney -General, said all kinds of gender-based violence were punishable by some laws in the state.
He listed the statutes to include: the Protection Against Domestic Violence Law, 2013, Child Rights Law, 2007 and Criminal Code Law 2002 in the state.
The wife of the governor, Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola, who is the Chairman of the committee, said women and children constituted a major part of the world population and deserve to be treated well.
She said that the wellbeing of women was important to the development of the society.
