Group decries increasing GBV cases in Gombe
Chima Azubuike
An Alliance of 22 civil society organisations under the aegis of VAPP Alliance has decried the increasing rate of Gender-Based Violence Gombe, amid lack of stiff penalties to prosecute such cases.
According to the Coordinator Dudu Manuga, no fewer than 83 cases were reported in May, based on statistics gathered from Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Recall that Gombe is one of the state’s yet to domesticate Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, based on a document obtained by our correspondent over 371 cases have been recorded from May- November.
Manuga made this disclosure on Friday, while commemorating International Day of Human Right and the end of the 16 days of activism with the theme Orange the world: End violence against women now, was organised with support from Education as a Vaccine.
She explained that GBV is not about rape only stressing that it cuts different other forms of violence which include; domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual intimidation, abandonment, denial of inheritance based on gender, etc
Manuga lamented the failure of Gombe State to join league of states with enabling laws, “Imagine one month having up to 80 reported cases in Gombe State. Another month up to 83 reported and remember more are not reported than are reported.
“We the VAPP alliance in 2019 came together we are here with the human right commission is also a member of the Gombe VAPP alliance and their representative has been in all our meetings since we came together in 2019 at that time no state in the North East has passed the VAPP law at that time I think only Benue band Kaduna States in the North have passed the VAPP law. We are in 2021 the bill was taken in October 2020 by the executive, we had public hearing in 2021. We are in December 2021 we do not have a VAPP law in Gombe State, am not sure about Adamawa but we may be the only one in the North East with VAPP law, Borno passed their own yesterday. What is happening to us in Gombe we don’t know?
“With a VAPP law we can fight violence against women, we can fight violence against anybody, everybody who is facing gender based violence whether boys or girls, men or women in Gombe State. Without VAPP law perpetrators find their way to the street after a few weeks or paying some fine and by the time families of survivors see them they get angry they feel there is no justice in Gombe State.”
Also speaking, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Naomi Awak lauded the alliance for the show of support to issues affecting the society.
She added that the current administration is aligned to supporting the passage and implementation of the VAPP act.
Awak said, “VAPP alliance in 2019 came on a courtesy call as well as other civil society organisations on the need for the adoption of child rights act and VAPP law, having listened I gave them my word that by the special grace of God that we are going to collaborate together to see that the bill is passed.”
she revealed that there are indications that the law would be domesticated in the state before the end of 2021, “As you heard from the VAPP alliance coordinator we went to the state house of assembly for the public hearing. Her Excellency wife of the governor, hajiya Asma’au Yahaya made an appeal in the house that she wants the bill domesticated. Along the line we had hitches from individuals which is normal pointing reasons why it can not be passed which is normal. When we asked on the reason it is lingering the response was that for them to have the report and harmonise it. Hopefully before the end of this year, the bill will be passed,”Awak said.
