Tina Amanda
As the rate of domestic violence increases, a clarion demand has been made to the government, security agencies and all relevant authorities to pay more attention to the offenders of such crimes.
National Chairperson Women in Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Comrade Faith Usoroh, made the demand during a peaceful walk to the Rivers State Ministry of women Affairs and the Rivers State Police Command, Port Harcourt, organised by Women in PENGANSAN to sensitize the public to speak up and not die in silence.
Usoroh said punitive measures, or actions should be taken against domestic offenders for both male and female, as such strict measures will guide the conscience of intending offenders not to carry out such serious criminal offences.
She, therefore, called for resolutions and solutions to be put in place to address the issue that is turning the society into a war zone between husbands and wives, bosses and Staff in the office, men and women in a love relationship, bus drivers and passengers, bike riders and passengers, male children and female children, male and female students.
“We urge them to join Women in PENGANSAN Port Harcourt Zone to see how we can eradicate this domestic violence against male and female, that is why we have to pay a visit to the Police Headquarters and the Ministry of women Affairs to collaborate with them to make sure we sensitize the society about domestic violence.
“We are trying to tell women that gone are the days they keep quiet. Speak out and help will come to you. We want to see how we can eradicate it, how our voice can be heard, people should not be scared even in a society where we feel women are intimidated.
“It is very visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the issue of domestic violence is very high in our societies at the moment which has led to several losses of lives, unresolved body injuries, deformity of human parts of the body, destructions of marriages, destruction of children.
“It is pertinent to protect and ensure that the rights of the women gender is observed and accorded its expected and required respect in our societies, communities and the entire Country at large.
“We the women wing of the PENGASSAN are praying/pleading and calling on you to use your good office to assist in curbing or reducing the high rate of domestic violence in our society which needs certain strict/ difficult punitive measures to be put in place for offenders as same will guide their conscience whenever they intend to carry out such dubious acts”.
Receiving the Women in PENGANSAN into his office, Commissioner of Police, CP Friday Eboka, said the Command does not tolerate any form of domestic violence as there is a human right desk in the Command headquarters dedicated for such offences.
“Since I resumed office in this Command, there is no such case that we swept under the carpet, we make sure such cases are investigated and prosecuted. We are all born by women, we all have sisters, wives and mothers. When a woman is abused, it appears that our own sister or mother have been abused.
“Domestic violence should be taken with all form of seriousness and I want to assure you that we are with you in this war against violence of women and children”.
On her part, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs, said the issue of domestic violence is as a result of misunderstanding between spouses and most women prefer to protect their marriage at the detriment of their lives.
“We do not want more cases of death and violence in our state and communities. Men should know how to respect women and value them. Women should stop condoling violence, they should pack their things and leave if their partners become violent and they should also speak up in such cases”.
She noted that Governor Nyesom Wike is a gender friendly and sensitive Governor who does not also condone violence against women.
