By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe
The Gombe State Government has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), pledging sustained action to eradicate the menace across the state.
The commitment was restated at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting organised by the Office of the First Lady, Hajiya Asma’u Inuwa Yahaya, in Gombe.
According to a report by Yunusa Isa Kumo, the meeting brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, lawmakers, civil society actors and other key stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady attributed Gombe State’s progress in the fight against GBV to the strong political will of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and the support of the State House of Assembly.
She noted that this resolve has enhanced collaboration with donor agencies and development partners towards completely eliminating GBV in the state.
She recalled that, in 2022, Governor Inuwa Yahaya signed into law the Child Protection Law and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, following their passage by the House of Assembly.
According to her, these legislative milestones earned Gombe State recognition at national and international levels and led to its selection as one of six pilot states for GBV intervention programmes in Nigeria.
Hajiya Asma’u Inuwa Yahaya called on traditional and religious leaders to expose perpetrators of gender-based violence within their domains and ensure they face the full weight of the law, stressing that Gombe State has no tolerance for GBV offenders.
She also urged parents, guardians and community leaders to actively support the campaign to guarantee the safety of women and children in schools, markets, parks and other public spaces.
While encouraging victims and caregivers to report cases of GBV to relevant authorities, the First Lady assured that the Social Welfare Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare is adequately equipped to handle such cases.
She commended 11 GBV survivors who voluntarily shared their experiences at the meeting, describing their courage as a motivation for other victims to speak out.
In separate submissions, representatives of the traditional and religious institutions pledged full support for the anti-GBV campaign.
Speaking on behalf of the Senior District Head of Gombe, Alhaji Sammani Bappah, as well as representatives of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Saleh Danburam, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mercy Francis, condemned all forms of gender-based violence, noting that rape, adultery and fornication are forbidden in Islam, Christianity and the cultural values of the Gombe people.
The leaders, who later signed a binding commitment document after an oath-taking ceremony, assured that they would sensitise their subjects on the cultural and religious prohibitions against GBV.
They, however, advised parents to be vigilant about their children’s movements, associations and activities.
In their goodwill messages, the Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Muhammad Luggerewo, represented by the Majority Leader, Hon. Yerima Ladan Gaule, alongside the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Gabriel Galadima, reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to enacting and strengthening laws and policies that protect women and children from all forms of violence.
Similarly, speaking on behalf of the wives of the 11 local government chairmen, the wife of the Balanga Local Government Chairman, Hajiya Bilkisu Ibrahim Salisu, commended the First Lady’s leadership and the Governor’s political will in prioritising women’s issues.
She assured that the campaign would be cascaded to the grassroots across the local government areas.
In paper presentations, Hajiya Halima Mahdi, who spoke on the forms, socio-cultural dimensions and effects of GBV, and Mrs Sheba Samuel, who presented a paper on Community Advocacy in the Fight Against GBV, emphasised the need for collective action against harmful socio-cultural practices that promote violence within families and communities.
The resource persons called for equal treatment of boys and girls, noting that denial of education, early marriage, and relegation of the girl-child to domestic chores and inferior roles constitute forms of gender-based violence.
They stressed the importance of education, awareness and effective communication in tackling the menace, while also urging government and stakeholders to prioritise poverty eradication and economic empowerment, which they identified as key factors exposing girls to GBV.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the Gombe State Children’s Parliament, Hon. Ramlat Kasim Ahmad, commended the State House of Assembly and Governor Muhammadu Yahaya for passing and assenting to the VAPP and Child Protection laws, describing them as vital instruments for safeguarding the rights and welfare of children in the state.
