By Maria Famakinwa

|

The First Lady of Ondo State, Chief Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has charged the staff of the newly established Ondo State Agency Against Gender-based Violence, OSAA-GBV, to intensify efforts at reducing the prevailing cases of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in the state.

She gave the charge at a meeting with the staff of the agency, held at the Government House ground, Alagbaka, Akure.

According to her, the meeting became imperative, with the passage into law, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, VAPPA, and the establishment of the agency which was saddled with the implementation of the law.

Mrs Akeredolu, who championed the passage of VAPP Law and the establishment of OSAA-GBV in 2021, informed that the agency would hold its first official assignment by marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, February 6, 2021.

She said: “We want to use International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation to kick-start this agency so that Ondo State people will know that there’s an agency called OSAA-GBV”.

Charging them on the need to be proactive and ensure reduction of the menace, she hinted that the agency’s workplan strategy would soon be made available for them, and noted that the VAPP Law needed to be simplified and printed for public use.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender, Mrs. Olamide Falana, lauded the First Lady’s efforts in ensuring  domestication of the VAPP Law in the State.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the agency, Mrs. Bola Joel-Ogundadegbe, pledged the commitment and support of OSAA-GBV’s staff to work tirelessly, towards the achievement of its purpose.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Gender Research and Documentation, Mrs Temitope Daniyan, used the medium to notify the agency on the recent increase in the killings of young girls for ritual purposes, and advised on the need for sentisation in order to salvage the situation before it’s beyond control.